AsiaLIFE HCMC 36

Families,

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y

WEEKEND TREATS AT MARKET 39

Every Friday night, Market 39 delivers an extensive range of tastiest variety of gourmet meat dishes of prime quality beef, lamb and chicken prepared by our InterContinental talented chefs to its perfection.

On Saturdays, Buffet Seafood Feast with freshest trays of seafood, finest ingredients and herbs guarantee a truly sensational culinary experience.

Priced at 650,000++VND/person excluding beverages.

6:00pm – 10:00pm, every Fridays and Saturdays Market 39 – Ground Floor of InterContinental Asiana Saigon

For more information or to make a reservation, please call (84 8) 3520 9099 email: dine@icasianasaigon.com or visit intercontinental.com/saigon

AsiaLIFE volume 36

22 front

06 News & Events 10 Dispatches

food

40 Sterling's Saigon 41 La Braceria

12 Q&A with Mark Fraser

42 Imperial Russian Restaurant

14 Street Smart: Nguyen Van Troi

43 Giang Nam

18 AsiaLIFE Retrospective

on the cover

22 Raising Saigon

storyboard

30 Four-Legged Friends

44 Behind the Design: Six Senses Con Dao 46 Turning the Tables 50 When I Grow Up

32 Sausage Science 34 Wind Wars

getaways

style & design

back

54 The List 94 Spotlight

36 Go Tokyo

96 Street Guide

38 Karst Climber

106 Pub Quiz

38

41

Cover Art Direction Johnny Murphy Photography Fred Wissink

asialife HCMC 3

note from the editor

Brett Davis

Comedian Bill Cosby said that, “Having a child is the most beautifully irrational act two people in love can commit.” Then again, he also advised that you should always choose a name for them that ends with a vowel, “So that when you yell the name will carry”.

It nicely sums up the rollercoaster of joys and frustrations that make up parenting. This month we talk to parents taking that ride in somewhat different circumstances. They are raising their kids in a country and a culture not their own, or sharing the task with a partner from a different nationality.

While these families did have additional challenges to meet

because of their different circumstances, there were also a lot of positives and an appreciation of the opportunities raising their children in Vietnam affords. One of the more common themes to emerge was parents wanting to raise their children differently to how their parents raised them.

School psychologist Daniel C. Hahn and AsiaLIFE child development columnist Emily Huckson also provide their expert perspective on the pitfalls and solutions to giving kids growing up in Vietnam the best possible start in life.

We also take a look this month at the furry members of the family with Frances McInnis’s piece on the changing attitudes

Frances McInnis Frances McInnis is a print and multimedia journalist who traded New York for HCM City last autumn on the grounds that banh mi are far superior to hot dogs.

She holds a Master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and has had work featured in the Wall Street Journal, Slate Magazine and the Huffington Post, among others. Frances is originally from Vancouver, Canada and still occasionally says, "eh."

to keeping pets in HCM City. She also spends some time talking to the dedicated people behind an animal rescue centre that rehabilitates and finds homes for unwanted animals.

Finally I would like to say a quick thank you to the hardworking AsiaLIFE team that have assisted me so much in the last six weeks since coming into this role at short notice. Fortunately, much of this issue had already been planned so the transition was a relatively smooth one. I know I can speak for all of us when I say we look forward to bringing you some of the engaging, enlightening and interesting stories this great city has to offer in 2011.

Next time you're across the border, check out the latest issue of AsiaLIFE Cambodia or download it from www.asialifeguide.com.

Esther de la Cruz Swiss-Filipina, raised in Thailand, with a vaguely American accent, Esther de la Cruz is not the easiest person to introduce at parties. One of AsiaLIFE’s first editorial interns from back in 2009, she recently graduated with honors from journalism school and has apparently returned to the magazine for more crossfire staff meetings and thrilling takeaway lunches. She writes best about people, is an avid but not militant pescetarian, and if she had to pick a place to call home, she couldn’t.

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Find AsiaLIFE articles on

volume 36

NEWS Licensed Speech Therapist Gives Free Talk

On March 25 from 9.30 to 11 am, Anne Yudowitz, a licensed speech therapist, will lead an interactive discussion addressing a variety of deficits including articulation, language delays, ADD/ADHD, neurological impairments, autismspectrum, brain injury and stroke.

Bring your questions to Yudowitz at Saigon Star International School in Residential Area No. 5, District 2. Seating is limited so call 3742 3222 or email james@ saigonstarschool.edu.vn to reserve a seat.

Open Edit Exhibition

Sàn Art will be presenting Open Edit: Mobile Library, a project that brings a selection of material— most of which relate conceptually to mobility, travel, and exchange— from the Asia Art Archive in Hong Kong. This project is an opportunity for the local art community to be inspired by the history of contemporary art, rarely represented in libraries in Vietnam, inviting people to read and interact with it in unconventional ways.

The first stage of the Open Edit tour will be on view at Sàn Art in HCM City between February 24 and April 9.

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El Gaucho Opens

Argentinean Steakhouse, El Gaucho Saigon, carries on the worldwide El Gaucho tradition, offering an exceptional experience and authentic Argentinean cuisine.

Their hand-made charcoal grill allows them to maintain and accentuate the original flavor of the meat. El Gaucho’s wine list has been selected to complement hearty steaks, poultry, and seafood, offering wines from around the world at great prices. Besides outstanding cuisine, unparalleled service and warm hospitality are top priority. Make your reservation, drop by for dinner, or stop by the Liquid Bar for a drink and appetizer.

Thien Nhan Undergoes Successful Surgery

Over the years, many of you have supported Thien Nhan—a little boy abandoned at birth in Central Vietnam and mauled by wild animals—either through cash donations or by buying Bubbafish

toys in his aid. Recently, Thien Nhan, now four, underwent more than eight hours of surgery in Bologne, Italy to reconstruct his genitals. The difficult surgery was successful. Thien is recovering well and is looking forward to returning to Hanoi to play with his

Cyclo Challenge Version 2.0

Good Book for a Good Cause

All profits from Riccardo Bianco Levrin’s new kids’ book Nini and Lotta in Hanoi will go directly to Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. Levrin’s tale is a journey through the sights, smells, traditions, and daily life of Hanoi as seen through the eyes of an Italian father and his children living in Vietnam. This book is available for 150,000 VND at International Bookworm bookshop in Hanoi and at Icham in HCM City.

Since 2001, Saigon Children's Charity’s annual Saigon Cyclo Challenge has attracted thousands of participants and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. This year the Cyclo Challenge is back with a completely new format. It will take place on Saturday, March 12 at The Crescent in Phu My Hung. The goal is to raise US $30,000. All funds raised will be invested in the educational initiatives of SCC to support disadvantaged children in the southern provinces of Vietnam. For information please contact Ms Thanh Ngan at 3930 3502 ext. 116. For more about SCC, visit saigonchildren.com

five-year-old brother, Little Minh.

For more information, or to find out how you can continue to help Thien, please visit help-thiennhan.blogspot.com/

Queensland Flood Fundraiser

In an extraordinary response to an extraordinary tragedy in Queensland, the Saigon community managed to raise a whopping $34,000. Sponsorship was led by the Boomerang Bar, who contributed $10,000, and Meinhardt Engineering, who pledged $5,000. For the full report, visit vietnamswans.com or auschamvn.org.

ERC Institute Offers MBA

The ERC Institute is now offering a MBA programme, completion of which provides graduates with recognised business management skills. Awarded by the Australian Institute of Business Administration, the 12-month course is directed by Brian O’Reilly who launched Vietnam’s first internationally recognised MBA in 2001.

An approved bachelor’s degree or three years management experience is required for application.

For more information contact Victor Burrill on 090 960 6500 or email victorburrill@erci.edu.sg.

Day of Dance to Benefit KOTO

On Sunday, March 6, DanCenter will open its doors for a day of taster dance classes and performances to support KOTO. For a donation, you can try yoga,

hula, line dancing, hip-hop, and more. If dancing isn’t your thing, you can still donate and enjoy the fun. Nibbles and drinks and other kids’ entertainment abound.

Everyone is welcome from 2.30 to 6 pm.

New Zealand Wine and Food Festival

The 12th annual New Zealand Wine and Food Festival, organised by the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, will be held on March 5 in the Riverside Apartments Resort Complex from 4 to 10 pm. Widely recognised as the most prestigious and acclaimed event of its type in Vietnam, the festival showcases New Zealand wines (including 16 new wines that are not available in the local market) and food products (presented by five-star hotels). Profits from this event are used by the Kiwi community in Vietnam to support local charities. Ticket queries should be directed to info@ saigongourmetgroup.com.

Open Day at German International School

You’ll be safe in our hands Private aerial ambulance on 24hr standby within Vietnam Evacuation and Emergency Assistance • Our own airplane on 24 hour standby within Vietnam • Medical evacuations back to your own country, Bangkok or Singapore • Ambulance pick-up • Strong domestic network throughout Vietnam • Affiliation with NUH Singapore Family Medical Practice HCMC Diamond Plaza: 34 Le Duan Street, District 1, HCMC For appointments and emergency care 24 hours: (84 8) 3822 7848

The German International School (GIS) will host an open day on March 19 from 11 am to 4 pm to give prospective parents and students an opportunity to tour the campus and meet the teachers.

GIS is located at 257 Hoang Van Thu in Tan Binh District. For details, email info@giss.vn or visit giss.vn.

www.vietnammedicalpractice.com

Your health. Our care.

• Emergency Medicine • Medical Evacuations • General Practice • Internal Medicine • Pediatrics • Obstetrics & Gynecology • Orthopedic & Trauma Surgery • Cardiology • ENT • Tropical Medicine • Radiology • Imaging • Ambulance Service • In-house Laboratory • Acupuncture • First Aid Training • Child Birth Education • Saigon International Mother Baby Association • Medical Check-ups

THE BEST PARTY IN TOWN !!!

party! fantastic e great tim s had a kid e os Th ! activities with your really to say, we Needless well rselves as enjoy ou mom) (Hannah’s re-Singapo

New Squeeze

What a

I just wanted to tell you that my guests & I all had a GREAT time! Many of the mommies asked me about joining Gymboree & the Birthday party . Thank you!

(Isabella’s mom) -Vietnam-

Popular downtown eatery Juice, at 49 Mac Thi Buoi has undergone a makeover. Along with a fresh interior is a new a la carte dinner menu. A daily happy hour between 5pm and 7pm offers a 50 percent discount on San Miguel draught beer and Nine Dragons cocktails. Another new addition is live music every Thursday night.

BSB Tickets On Sale This was the most fun party we’ve had! Great place! Great activities!

My son and his friends really enjoyed it!

Thank you, Gymboree!

(Aidan’s parent) -Australia-

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The Global Leader in Classes for Kids Gymboree Play & Music of Vietnam Somerset Chancellor Court, 1st Floor 21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Dist. 1, HCMC, Vietnam.

Tel: (08) 38277008, Fax: (08) 38277009 www.gymboreeclasses.com.vn

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The Grammy nominated Backstreet Boys will be performing at Quan Khu 7 Stadium in Hochiminh City on March 24 and at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on March 26. Ticket prices range from 500,000 to 2 million VND and can be reserved at bsb.com.vn, then purchased and picked up at any of Water Buffalo Promotions box offices in the country. You can also call 1900 6604 (Hanoi) or 1900 6608 (HCM City) for phone booking and free ticket delivery.

Music on the Beach

Phnom Penh Events & Openings Download the latest issue of AsiaLIFE Cambodia at

www.asialifeguide.com.

A Royal Competition

On February 13, Meong Sochea took the Grand Prix division of the 2011 Norodom Sihanouk du Cambodge Show Jumping Championship at the Cambodian Country Club. A participant through the Cheval Avenir charity programme, the 20-year-old rider displayed triumphant horsemanship, beating out 13 riders in the final of the three-day competition.

A total of around 50 contestants from over 10 nations took part, including others from the Maddox Chivan Children’s Centre through Cheval Avenir alongside staff and members of the country club.

Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Dubai, president of the International Equestrian Federation, was in attendance for the final as the guest of honour. Cambodian Prince Norodom Sirivudh

was also among the awarding dignitaries.

New Life for a Classic Book

On February 10, Monument Books launched a new English language translation of George Groslier’s Cambodian Dancers, Ancient & Modern. Published in association with DatAsia, the new edition of the classic French text was produced and printed in Cambodia for the first time. Initially released in 1912, the text follows the life of a dancer in the royal court and includes the author’s enchanting drawings. Long distinguished for its historical account of turn-of-the-century Cambodia, Cambodian Dancers is now accessible to even more readers.

The book launch included a talk by publisher Kent Davis.

Music lovers can head south for the first ever Kep Beach Festival, set for March 5. The event, which lasts from 2 pm to 12 am, will feature a number of Cambodian performers and international DJs. Around 30 orphans from the Kampot-based Khmer Cultural Development Institute will present a composition of Apsara and modern dancing, as well as theatre. Renowned Chapei player Ta Kong Nay, who recently collaborated with Peter Gabriel, will appear in the early evening.

As the night approaches, DJs Sadge, Stephane Arii and Professor Kinski and MC Curly will take to the stage. The event closes with DJ Antaro, a German DJ who established Europe’s biggest trance music festival. For more information, see kepbeachfestival.com.

Cohen Supports Pagoda

Following the postponement of his 2010 concert in Phnom Penh, Leonard Cohen and his manager Robert Kory pledged to donate US $50,000 to support a Buddhist pagoda in Svay Rieng province. The contribution will be used towards the Prek Ksay

Pagoda, including the construction of an environmentally friendly primary school for local children and monks. Cohen’s gift will also help provide educational material and equipment for the school, support the construction of a court for a disability sports program, and assist in forming sister relationships with schools in Australia, Canada and the United States.

Design Display

For a look at the latest in design, art and fashion, the Salon des Createurs will present some of Cambodia’s original talents.

Following the success of last year’s event, the show will begin on March 4 at the No Problem park and colonial villa on Street 178, ending on March 13. Over 20 artists are expected to share their works. Craft exhibitors will include Waterlily and Tendances Khmères, whereas Romyda Keth will be among the designers present. Artworks will be presented from Kosal, Loeum Lorn, and Tith Kanitha, in the company of several notable local artists. The showroom will be open from 11 am to 8 pm. For more information contact Roxanne@loxinfo.co.th.

dispatches

Travel news from around the region and beyond

No Ringing in the New Year

The Balinese New Year is celebrated unlike any other in Southeast Asia. Visitors should arrive for the lead-up, including three days before when religious effigies are bathed in the river and the day prior when “Ogoh-Ogoh” bamboo constructions, resembling monsters, are paraded and then set ablaze. On Nyepi, the first day of the New Year, the island marks the occasion with complete silence.

For 24 hours starting at 6 am on March 5, the airport will be closed, shops will shut their doors, and traffic will cease.

Visitors are required to observe the silence regulations.

French Twist in Thailand

Thailand is currently hosting the seventh edition of La Fête. Presented by the French Embassy and the Alliance Française of Bangkok, the March programme includes a fashion exhibition at the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre, a performance from a former Cirque du Soleil clown at the Aksra Theatre, and a gourmet dining series at the Pullman King Power Hotel. This year, events have been extended to seven cities throughout Thailand, including Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hua Hin. Having kicked off in February, La Fête ends April 10. For more information, visit lafetebangkok.com.

Back to Nature

V Botanical Spa, located at The Andaman Resort in Langkawi, Malaysia, has become the first spa in the region to offer certified organic products and treatments. Named the sixth-best overseas hotel spa in Conde Nast Traveller’s 2010 Readers’ Travel Awards, V has taken a further step by collaboration with Intelligent Nutrients, an American health and beauty brand from the founder of Aveda, Horst Rechelbacher. As of mid-February, the spa launched programmes and therapies using all-natural products, made with renewable energy and using environmentally friendly packaging.

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Ascent to Relaxation Songs of Singapore

One of the region’s most extensive music events, the Mosaic Music Festival in Singapore will draw together a number of exciting artists. Held between March 11 and 20, the festival includes performances

by The National, Joanna Newsom, Ed Harcourt, Jamie Lidell, Gotan Project and Saint Etienne. The variety of featured musicians—jazz, ska, rock, and electro are only some of the genres—is sure to offer something for nearly everyone. With eight stages, figuring out which artist to see will take some deliberation. For more information, visit mosaicmusicfestival.com.

Located at a height of 5,200 feet among the pine trees of the Shivalik Valley in Himachai Pradesh, India, Moksha Himalaya Spa Resort is offering a three-day/two-night package for US $598 ++ per person. Available now until October 31, the deal includes accommodation, roundtrip airport transfers and a 60-minute spa treatment for up to two people. What makes, this offer so worthwhile perhaps though is the final stage of the journey to the resort: a 10-minute cable-car ride that provides a panoramic view of the beautiful landscape.

Call +622 101 1234 ext.1, email reservations@chr. co.th or visit www.centarahotelsresorts.com/package/ExclusivelyMokshaSpaIndia.asp.

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How did your firm Frasers come about?

After setting up the HCM City office of a large UK law firm in 1995, I joined an Australian firm called Freehills at the start of 2002. Two years later we were keen to expand as a result of favourable changes, which enabled foreign law firms to advise on Vietnamese law matters—and so Frasers was launched.

At that stage, Freehills had a handful of lawyers in Vietnam, and we decided it would be best if we became separate and independent. In an emerging market, in order to operate on a full service basis, commercial law firms need to have a critical mass of people, which means it is necessary to depart from preconceived notions of minimum levels of billable hours for lawyers that might work in more developed legal markets such as Australia.

We can hang our hat on the fact that we were the first foreign law firm to get a foreign law company license, too, giving us much more permanence. There had been foreign law firms in Vietnam since the early 90s but they were only given representative offices and subsequently given branch licences, which had to be renewed every few years.

You’ve practiced law all over the world. How does Vietnam’s judicial system weigh up?

If you look at the UK, for example, you’ve got three to four hundred years of common law precedent upon which you can rely on. Vietnam has had just over 20 years really only since 1987 so far as private investment legislation is concerned. The doi moi policy of ’86 led to the first Foreign Investment Law in 1987.

It’s a much shorter period, but the legislation is being developed at an exponential rate.

A lot of business people were frustrated with the regulatory framework when I first arrived in ‘95. It was not well drafted; and it was quite ambiguous. But it’s come a long way. Compared to other places; sure, it’s still behind, but it’s getting there.

Is it difficult as a foreign lawyer to advise on Vietnamese law?

Not if you’re surrounded by a

Frasers supports many charities as part of its corporate social responsibility program. Why?

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great team of local lawyers and you have a predisposition for embracing the local regulatory framework and business culture.

About 85 percent of our team are local lawyers; the remainder are expats. In a nutshell, the strategy is to recruit local lawyers, train them up to an international standard with specialist foreign lawyers in place that are able to lead the way on concepts, which might be new to Vietnam.

Giving back to the community is something, which is close to our heart. It’s extremely important to me personally, and also to the firm and we try to engender that in the culture of our practice. As they say, it’s good chicken soup for the soul.

I’m on the Board of Trustees of the Saigon Children’s Charity, which we fully support. Then there are others like the Ben Thanh Leprosy Centre, which we’ve been assisting over the last decade. We’ve also built an accommodation wing for Sao Mai Orphanage in Pleiku. The Loreto Vietnam charity with Trish Franklin is another charity well worth supporting. That Trish Franklin is an amazing woman.

Our support is not always directly financial. Sometimes it’s providing assistance in getting licenses, negotiating contracts or providing translators and logistical support. Take the Saigon Cyclo Challenge organised by the Saigon Children’s Charity, which is due to take place in March. We normally have a couple of volunteers assisting on the legal aspects—organising the licensing, reviewing contracts, as well as indemnity forms, so if someone crashes their cyclo, they are well aware of the risks! The idea is to provide pro-bono support so the charities can focus on what they do best.

You also support a number of events—the upcoming New Zealand Wine and Food Festival included.

We’ve been supporting the New Zealand Wine and Food Festival for the last seven years.

We look at that on the basis of supporting the business community. It’s important for the New Zealand community to have a flagship event, where they can hold their heads up high and be proud of what they do.

After all these years, how do you feel about Vietnam?

Both my partner Evelyn and I enjoy living here; it’s been a great journey. It can be frustrating and challenging, but it can also be very satisfying and rewarding. It’s still a pretty jolly exciting place, even though we have moved from the pioneers phase into the early settlers phase, so far as inward investment is concerned.

To a large extent, the nature of our work has evolved from being principally foreign investment to focusing on all aspects of commercial transactions being undertaken in Vietnam.

It is professionally rewarding to see local members of our team develop, and for so many of them the sky’s the limit.

Anything is possible for the exuberant youth of Vietnam.

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Street Smart: Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Starting at the end of Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Nguyen Van Troi heads towards the airport and is home to a host of boutiques, cafés and home décor stores. Grace Lewis explores. Photos by Nguyen An Vinh.

Cay Da Café

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Smile Kids Collecton

Lovely Lace

Le Linh

Cay Da Café 53 Truong Quoc Dung Tucked away behind the Mövenpick Hotel, Cay Da Café is a classy, secluded break from Nguyen Van Troi. Their cases are lined with cakes, breads, and pastries that will make your mouth water. Many Mövenpick products are available including their famous ice cream at 70,900 VND per scoop.

You can also find gourmet deli products including cheese, meat, paté , and pesto. Craving a steak and mushroom pie? Get it here. They are open from 6.30 am till 10.30 pm for your morning coffee and to satisfy your late night sweet tooth. It can be accessed from the Mövenpick lobby or Truong Quoc Dung Street.

Lovely Lace 90 Nguyen Van Troi lovelylace.com Lovely Lace is a gift shop that is, as one might suspect, full of lovely, lacy items. Teddy bears and wedding items are prominent throughout the store—including bride and groom teddy bears. Here you will find potpourri, picture frames, wedding albums, cake toppers, candles, hatboxes, and more. And to wrap it all up, they also sell gift bags, ribbons, and unique wrapping paper.

Smile Kid Collection 181 Nguyen Van Troi Be careful not to miss this tiny shop. The beautiful dresses in all styles and colours are the only decoration the shop needs.

Le Linh

They carry fancy party dresses as well as simple sundresses and headbands in sizes one to six. Custom sizes and designs are also available.

Tau La Chuoi 181 Nguyen Van Troi Tau La Chuoi’s cheerful, yellow interior with banana leaf painted walls, birdcage lamps, and fabric-draped ceilings take you out of the city to an island restaurant—but with air conditioning. The locals rave about the food, and with most entrees priced well below 100,000 VND it’s a restaurant you don’t want to miss.

Le Linh 68C Nguyen Van Troi Unlike many home-furnishing

stores outside of expat areas, Le Linh offers couches, chairs, and tables that will appeal to foreign tastes. They have a beautiful selection of table, floor, and hanging lamps. You can also shop here for throw pillows and silk pillow covers.

Victoria Healthcare 135A Nguyen Van Troi victoriavn.com Just walking into the lobby of Victoria Healthcare, you may start to feel better already. This clinic offers a wide variety of services including paediatrics, cardiology, urology, gynecology, andrology, ENT, and internal medicine. Routine healthcare exams are available (including age-specific packages) as well as special labs. They offer first Aid asialife HCMC 15

training and have first aid kits suitable for your home or car as well as your office. Ambulance and emergency treatment are also offered. A prepaid card is available that includes 10 percent off the public price for services.

Philips Lighting 207 Nguyen Van Troi This tiny little Mecca of Philips small appliances is your onestop shop for reliable food processors, immersion blenders, toasters, beaters, irons, and much more. They carry citrus presses for fresh-squeezed orange juice, and juicers powerful enough to handle all Vietnam’s amazing produce. And, as you might guess from the name, they carry energy-efficient light bulbs and a few small desk lamps.

Win Win Shop 172 Nguyen Van Troi winwinshop.com.vn In a time where so many items are disposable and cheaply made, it’s refreshing to find a shop like Win Win where everything is solidly crafted

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of wood. The main shop is full of children’s puzzles and toys with a range based on age and ability. In the rear you will find wooden items for the home from cutting boards to wine racks and key holders to glider rockers. They also carry an attractive range of children’s clothes and shoes.

Bo Gia 66 & 299 Nguyen Van Troi At first glance, Bo Gia hardly looks like an ice cream shop.

Its dark, smoky interior and deep chairs give it a feel of secluded relaxation. Stacks of comic books and magazines let you know they aren’t in a hurry for you to leave. But, Bo Gia, literally translated “The Godfather”, does seem to have a monopoly on ice cream lovers’ hearts. Flavours range from your basic chocolate and vanilla to cinnamon, green tea, durian, special cheese, chocolate and grape, and rhum coffee. After ice cream, relax with a coffee or tea. Then, if you’re still hungry, they offer pizza, salad, soup, breakfast, and Asian and Western cuisine.

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY

VINE

Ce ar Door

We have been publishing AsiaLIFE for over five years now, but three years ago the publication was relaunched with a new editorial team and our creative department took over the entire design. We work hard on developing our covers and they have been received with much enthusiasm from our readers for their originality and creativity. So, we decided to put it to a vote to find out which ones were your favourites. Our recent 'Slow' issues received 11 percent of the vote, followed by 'Cook like you mean it' with six percent. Tied in third place with five percent of the vote was 'Plotting a course less travelled' and 'Tradition in transition'.

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LISTEN SOUND OF THE CITY one night in bangkok going local in the delta street fashion garden shopping

hong kong mai thi luu sandwiches hangover help

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SAIGON A RC H A E O L O G I C A L REVIEW edition AL22 part I of I

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L I FE L ESS ORD I NARY

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Credits:

Jen McBride, Darra Conlon, Fred Wissink, Jennifer Watson, Linh Van, Nam Quan, Guy Conyea, April Hunt, Johnny Murphy, TJ DiChristopher, Brendan Wenzel.

T H E B E ST V I S I O N I S

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Raising Saigon Photos by Fred Wissink

Being a parent is probably the most important job any of us will have. Responsibility for protecting, nurturing and developing young lives, with all its attendant joys and challenges, is no small task.

How much are these challenges amplified when you are raising kids in a country very different from your own? And what is the best way to balance competing cultures for children born of parents from two different countries?

There are many difficult decisions for parents to make when raising their kids in Vietnam. However, there are also many advantages and opportunities for kids growing up in a less-than-conventional environment.

School psychologist Daniel Hahn raised his two boys in Jakarta, and he now works with children in Vietnam who have behavioural or social difficulties. He says it is important for children to stay grounded in an environment where there is often staff to take care of many household tasks.

“Are kids acquiring the skills they will need when they go away to college—can they cook, make a bed, manage money?” he says.

When his own children were growing up there was no maid in the house on the weekend and he made sure they did chores such as washing the dishes.

Another common issue Hahn encounters is children from mixed heritages having problems developing base language skills. To counter this, he recommends that each parent speak to the child in their own native language.

AsiaLIFE child development columnist Emily Huckson says that parents raising their children in Vietnam need to make a commitment to a family-oriented lifestyle.

“Involving your whole family in discussions, activities and diversions—as well as being involved in their school, even in a small way— makes a big difference in children’s outlook and solid grounding.

“Being creative in both educational and entertainment exercises not only brings the family together but allows parents to communicate and influence their children in a very positive way,” she says.

There are also the unique benefits a childhood spent in a different culture affords. Hahn says one of the great things for a child in this situation is they develop a much broader world view.

“It really breaks down barriers of bias and prejudice and we realise how much we are all similar. There are opportunities and great experiences to be had, and parents should make sure their kids are exposed to what a place has to offer.” asialife HCMC 23

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The Burghes-White family in their An Phu home

Keeping order amongst chaos In the front yard of the Burghes-White family’s An Phu home, baby Anouk totters about wearing a bright red helmet. Almost a year old and learning to walk, the hard hat gives her parents Anya and Steve a little extra peace of mind when she’s finding her feet outdoors—especially in Vietnam where sharp edges and hard surfaces abound.

Having lived in Saigon for a decade since Steve was offered work as an architect, the couple have raised all four of their children in the city. While Marta, 14, Noah, 13 and Tatyana, 10 were born in the UK, Anya gave birth to Anouk here. “This one was made and born in Vietnam,” she says of her youngest.

The three older kids take turns holding their little sister during our interview. They also help out around the house, as unlike many expatriate families, the Burghes-Whites don’t have any household help. When asked why they made the decision to forgo a maid and cleaner, Steve answers with a laugh, “We have three grown up children”. Anya adds that doing chores keeps their brood grounded.

Likewise, firm ground rules ensure that Marta, Noah and Tatyana know their limits.

Friday night sleepovers are out; as are private email addresses and Anya and Steve carefully monitor Marta’s Facebook account only allowing her to befriend people they know.

“Our kids have it a bit more strict than other families,” Anya admits.

They are a really tight knit unit—this Anya and Steve believe can be attributed partly to living in Vietnam. They say many expatriate families host parties and they go to these events together. Being around adults has also given the kids added confidence, their parents say.

HCM City’s diverse foreign community helps, too. “They’re very sociable and I think it’s because they get to meet people from all over the world. Their horizons have been widened,” Anya says. Many of their close friends are Vietnamese, as well, giving the kids a better understanding and respect of the culture.

For Anya and Steve, “It’s about keeping it real for the kids”.

Beth Young

The cross-culture family balancing East and West As parents expecting their first child, Melanie Brown and Duong Nam Trung received plenty of advice on what they should expect. The guidance they were given also reflects the Australian and Vietnamese heritage of their daughter Caitlin Chi, who entered the world in October last year.

Melanie’s mother, who trained as a midwife, made the trip to Vietnam for the birth of her granddaughter. However, as Melanie says, much has changed over the years in terms of medical care available to pregnant women. “It is so completely different now. It is hard to imagine that when she had me there asialife HCMC 25

was no such thing as ultrasounds.”

She points out that pregnant women in Vietnam still get the bulk of their information from their family, who pass on ideas of what they should be doing or eating.

“I asked my mum what knowledge we passed down and we couldn’t think of anything. Now [in the West] we are totally reliant on experts.”

Some of the advice she did get from her Vietnamese in-laws might sound slightly odd to Western ears, such as not showering for a month after giving birth, storing a coconut with baby clothes to make the child active and not wringing out clothes after washing to prevent the child becoming unsettled.

Another difference between the families in Vietnam and Australia was the approach to available medical technology. For Melanie 26 asialife HCMC

and Trung’s Vietnamese family it was a case of if science can do it, do it. Their Australian family on the other hand didn’t want to see the ultrasound pictures or know the sex of the baby.

“They wanted to retain the magic of the surprise—it’s a girl!,” Melanie explains.

Caitlin Chi’s future also lies between these two cultures, something her parents think will be to her benefit. Trung believes his daughter’s mixed heritage makes her different and her ability to speak Vietnamese and English will be a big advantage.

“Also her knowledge and understanding will be greater, more flexible, and she will be able to understand things in a different way,” he says.

Trung does note his friends and parents want Caitlin Chi to speak Vietnamese and

Melanie and Trung with four-month-old Caitlin Chi

Single mum Allyson with daughter Baillee

express an apprehension that she will not fully embrace her Vietnamese culture. He, on the other hand, is not similarly concerned. “I don’t think so because she lives here,” he says.

Brett Davis

Going it alone, with a little help from my friends Unlike many single women who feel their biological clock ticking away with no prospects in sight, Allyson Keane decided to pay heed to it. At 40, time was not on her side so she chose to take matters in her own hands: she would be a single parent. All that was missing was a man who could make it possible. Enter Brian Riedlinger, a friend from choir who Allyson was on good terms with.

"He's handsome too so that helped," she

said. One night, almost out of the blue, she suggested the idea of him being the donor daddy. Brian laughs now as he recalls that night, "I nearly fell off the motorbike”.

Allyson felt that Brian would make a good father, and his being in a same sex relationship meant that there were no romantic attachments between them. Every aspect was discussed in minute detail. "I'm wholly financially responsible for my daughter Baillee," she says, and is by definition, a single parent—but Brian is present too and has been since the pregnancy. Baillee is now six years old and resembles them both.

She refers to Brian as daddy, has a good relationship with his partner and is a gregarious child.

The challenges of parenting in Vietnam, according to Allyson, centre around getting asialife HCMC 27

products that may not be available here (a whole host of products for newborns for example) but by and large, child raising is made somewhat easier with the aid of domestic help. What was lacking was a support network for parents so she created Vietnam Parents Network, an online community where ideas and suggestions on child rearing can be shared.

Brian's role, while seemingly limited, is one bound by affection. He sees many of his traits, physical and habitual, in Baillee and loves spending time with her on weekends. I ask Allyson and Brian how they will respond to Baillee’s queries of their unique familial situation as she grows up and they have a no-nonsense approach to it: with honesty and love.

Muna Khan

A different path for a Korean princess Though Sieun, 3, was born in Chicago to Korean parents her favourite food is pho. Her father, Seung-Ho Chang, says she can demolish a large bowl in a sitting and demands the Vietnamese staple at least once a week.

Not only does Sieun enjoy the delicacies of her parent’s adopted country, she’s starting to pick up the language, too.

Seung-Ho and his wife Kim believe that early exposure to different cultures—both Vietnamese and those of other expatriates in the city—will be especially beneficial to their daughter in the future. “The world is becoming more global every day,” Seung-Ho says.

28 asialife HCMC

“Experiencing other cultures will give her more vision, more view.”

The family moved to Saigon in 2008 when Sieun was a year old. Seung-Ho and Kim say that the advantages of raising a child in HCM City far outweigh the challenges. The lifestyle they can afford is just one of the perks. The couple employ a full time nanny and maid—a luxury that would be much more expensive in Korea. Likewise, fresh produce is abundant and cheap in Vietnam. In Korea, Seung-Ho says, a bag of high-quality fruit can cost up to $100.

It can be difficult to buy toys and children’s clothes, so holidays to Korea or Singapore become buying trips. And while the tropical climate allows Sieun to play outside, Kim would like to see more cultural activities for kids. She says that Korea has much for kids to do—there are transportation, science, space and dinosaur museums plus ballet and musicals created especially for children. Instead, Kim visits YouTube with Sieun to watch these performances.

In their opinion, life in Vietnam is considerably slower paced than Korea. Korean parents are renowned for pushing their children to academic success—many study well into the night at extracurricular academies.

Seung-Ho says his parents were very hard on him, encouraging him to choose a career that would ensure stability. He doesn’t want this for Sieun and says that raising her in Vietnam means there’ll be less pressure on her as she grows up. “I want her to be passionate about what she does.”

Beth Young

Three-year-old Sieun with mum Kim and dad Seung-Ho

asialife HCMC 29

With incomes increasing in Vietnam, attitudes are also changing towards the furry members of the family. Frances McInnis looks at the rise of the pet culture and talks to some dedicated people caring for HCM City's animals. Photo by Fred Wissink.

Raise the subject of pets in Vietnam and it’s certain the conversation will drift to the local practice of eating dog meat, or thit cho. “Dogs aren’t pets here—they’re for eating,” some opinionated soul will inevitably declare.

While it’s true that animals have not traditionally been seen as pets in Vietnam, that attitude is beginning to change. Increasing wealth, especially in urban centres, is raising demand for small pets and is changing longheld notions about how animals fit into the fabric of the family.

Pet stores, animal clinics and grooming shops are popping up across HCM City, and not solely in expat areas. Phu Nhuan and other districts with few international residents now boast their own upscale pet boutiques and pampered cats and dogs.

Tran Uyen Trang is at a supermarket in District 1 buying dog shampoo for Beckham, one of her four pooches. “There are more pets now,” she says, adding that she considers her animals to be part of the family.

Trang isn’t alone, according to animal lover Nathalie Carby. “In Vietnam, a lot more people are adopting and owning pets, and 30 asialife HCMC

loving them,” she says. “There is so much passion on behalf of the younger generation, a younger generation who see animals as pets.”

Last autumn, some of those local pet enthusiasts joined with Carby and dozens of other expats to form Animal Rescue and Care Vietnam, a non-profit organisation committed to helping abused and neglected animals in HCM City.

ARC Vietnam arranges foster homes for the animals while searching for permanent adoptive families, and has placed over 100 cats and dogs. Through fundraising, the organisation has also helped subsidise spay and neuter operations for strays or pets whose owners cannot afford the full cost of the procedure. Members have also begun speaking in schools about responsible pet care, and hope to eventually open a fully-fledged animal shelter.

Despite ARC’s early successes, including a partnership with the LIN Centre for Community Development, Carby admits that they’ve taken on a difficult task.

Detractors call animal welfare a frivolous concern in a country where many people are still

struggling to lift themselves out of poverty. The group’s members must also contend with some stubbornly held myths about animal care.

“Sometimes people love animals, but don’t know how to care for them,” says Dr Nguyen Van Nghia, whose clinic in Thao Dien is affiliated with ARC. Many owners don’t give their animals enough to drink, believing they only need water at mealtimes, he says.

Other owners resist spaying and neutering their pet due to the misapprehension that it will make pets fatter, lazier or more aggressive, or that it reduces a pet’s lifespan. Nguyen tries to dispel these myths, and has neutered or spayed more than 70 animals free of charge for the ARC and low-income owners.

Vietnam’s newfound pet fervour is itself to blame for other problems. Some of the veterinarians meeting the rising demand aren’t competent, says Nguyen, and he has seen animals suffering and dying from misdiagnoses or incorrect dosages of medication.

“Undertrained vets are a big problem in Vietnam,” says Nguyen, who studied veterinary medicine at the University of Bristol before returning to Vietnam to practice. “We have vet schools, but training is not as long or as rigorous as it is abroad, and mainly we train for large animals. They take knowledge from large animals

and apply it to small animals,” he explains, “but I don’t see a dog as a small cow, or a cat as a small dog. They’re very different.”

Demand for puppies has also given rise to puppy mills, backstreet breeders who don’t properly inoculate animals.

Their poor breeding practices result in inbred pets and congenital problems like hip dysplasia.

Both Carby and Nguyen say that Vietnam’s growing affluence has also strengthened the attitude that purebred animals are status markers rather than members of the family.

Similarly, exotic or protected species such as eagles, tamarin monkeys—and even porcupines—are much sought-after as a show of wealth or as good luck charms, but aren’t cared for as pets. “They want to show off these beautiful cats and dogs, but if they get sick, they don’t care for them, they throw them away,” says Nguyen.

The long-term solution would be for Vietnam to enact an animal welfare law, says Nguyen, but that is still a long way away.

He picks up one of his own cats and buries his nose in her fur.

Cuddling the purring white cloud, he wonders, “How could you hurt them?”

Visit the ARC Vietnam group on Facebook or arcpets.com, or email arcpets@gmail.com for more information.

Saigon Pet: 33 Street 41, District 2; 08 351942182, saigonpet.com.

asialife HCMC 31

32 asialife HCMC

Unwilling to settle for second-best, one expat cooked up a way to turn his craving into a career. Esther de la Cruz talks to the sausage king of Saigon. Photo by Fred Wissink.

No matter how you slice it, odds are that Jonathan Stuart will never have to go without his favourite breakfast again. Ever.

The 47-year-old expat, also known as Jonty, is the mastermind and owner of Jonty’s Bangers, a sausage kitchen and delivery service now entering its fifth year.

In an average week, Jonty’s small, home-style kitchen delivers about 3,000 sausages to freezers all over HCM City, including those of Snap Café and Oasis Deli. Yet the real meat of Jonty’s story lies not in the success of his venture, but the unusual course he took to becoming an entrepreneur.

“It started off when I got here,” he says. “People would always say what they missed.”

And what they missed were good British-style breakfast bangers; not similar substitutes, but the real deal.

"So I said kind of jokingly one evening, ‘It can’t be that difficult to make sausages,’ and it was a sort of challenge laid down.”

A Fine Arts graduate raised in Saudi Arabia and England, Jonty spent 10 years as a special effects prop maker before he left the industry, uprooted to South America and eventually touched down in Vietnam. He was only three months into his stay when he decided to tackle the city’s sausage shortage.

“I happened to know my old family butcher back home. He was a championship sausage maker who’d won the Kent sausage-making show for about 10 years.” Hoping to pick up some pointers, Jonty paid the retired butcher a visit. “We chatted for about an hour. At last he said, ‘I’ll tell you what, my sons aren’t into sausage making—I’ll give you the recipe.’ It was gold dust really, and it got me off to a great start.”

Back in Vietnam, Jonty realised that even with an award-winning recipe, he knew little about actually making pork bangers. His biggest challenge was sampling and sorting through ingredients, deciding

what needed to be brought in, and where to source the rest.

Then there were the sausages themselves.

“It’s not rocket science,” he says, “but if you’re tackling it on your own for the first time, the results are a little interesting.” After a five-month process, wherein many large and little Frankenstein’s sausages were born and died, Jonty’s Bangers began delivering in March 2007.

Four years later, Jonty no longer has to sit at the meat grinder or play delivery boy himself.

His hybrid home-kitchen in Binh Thanh District employs four staff and additional delivery people. The extra hands ensure Jonty is able to expand his business while maintaining quality.

“I don’t want to end up in a factory situation,” he says. “I want the kitchen to be a friendly environment to work in, and feel a bit like home.”

Six weeks ago Jonty opened KITCHEN, a line of ready-made dishes that can be easily heated

for a hearty, homemade meal in minutes. Each snap frozen meal contains two-to-three servings and usually arrives within four hours. The packaging is 90 percent biodegradable.

Jonty says KITCHEN is popular with parents and professionals—busy people who would like to enjoy home-cooking without the associated hassle.

Items for delivery include cottage pie, beef and vegetable curry, chicken and mushroom lasagna, veggie meatballs, sides like mashed potato, and of course, the original Jonty’s bangers.

In a final twist, the expats who once pined for sausages from home have realigned their loyalties. “More than once I’ve had customers come back from England after a couple of months and say to me, ‘I can’t wait to get back to good sausages.’ It’s very ironic.”

The full range of Jonty’s sausages and KITCHEN meals can be found online at kitchen. net.vn. asialife HCMC 33

WindWars

The Asian Kiteboard Tour hit Mui Ne recently for the second time, bringing stiff competition between local riders and those from across the region. Neil Godbold reports. Photos provided by KTA. After breezing through Turkey and China, the Asian Kiteboard Tour again hit Mui Ne’s gusty shores January 12 through 16, using luxurious Sankara as it’s base though this time the wind held out until the last day of the competition.

Riders from across the region turned up in droves to compete—from Japan, Thailand, the Philippines and even Russia.

Sadly a recent injury prevented last year’s top Vietnamese competitor Lai Huong Phi from showing his full range but local favourite Kinn Nguyen Ngoc represented the flag well with an impressive range of old and new school moves in the men’s freestyle heats.

The men's freestyle semifinal brought fierce competition between current Asian champ Thailand’s Yo Pudla, Ken Nacor from Boracay in the Philippines and Japan’s Hiro Nakano. The trio rode the wind, fighting it out with spectacular air-borne trick after trick, though Yo’s performance didn’t grant him entrance into the final. True to his name, 34 asialife HCMC

Hiro took it out with a near flawless procession of moves. Since female competitor Aya Oshima won the women’s freestyle event, Japan had a clean sweep of the KTA’s top slots.

And that was the KTA Vietnam, pulled back from

the no-wind brink to another extremely successful event, rounded off nicely in the evening at the awards ceremony and closing party hosted at Sankara and presented by the Binh Thuan Government’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Top Three Results

For full results, video and reports visit kiteboardtour.asia

Freestyle

Men

1 Hiro Nakano - Japan 2 Ken Nacor - Philippines 3 Yo Pudla - Thailand

Overall Course Racing Men

1 Heikki Gross - Estonia 2 Taner Aykurt - Turkey 3 Deivis Maciulis - Lithuania

Twin Tip Racing

Men 1 Ken Nacor - Philippines 2 Kinn Nguyen - Vietnam 3 Lai Huong Phi - Vietnam

Women 1 Aya Oshima - Japan 2 Jannicke Stav - Norway 3 Kathrin Borgwardt - Germany Women 1 Kathrin Borgwardt - Germany 2 Aya Oshima - Japan 3 Hill Siu - Hong Kong Women 1 Hill Siu - Hong Kong 2 Alice Child - Australia 3 Verena Rechberger - Austria

asialife HCMC 35

Jade Bilowol

Tokyo is a dazzling, disorienting and fascinating city at the best of times. Brett Davis tries to piece together 48 hours of New Year celebrations in the Japanese capital.

The sound of our footsteps echoes around Tokyo’s nearlyempty Shinjuku train station.

It’s almost midnight and we have only a couple of minutes to spare to catch the last train.

Problem. An official in blue uniform and peaked cap waves us away. The platform is closed.

We will have to get the final Metro service, which is at the opposite end of this colossal station. There’s nothing to do but run. Up the stairs, we race past homeless people bedded down for the night— for some reason I didn’t expect this in 36 asialife HCMC

Tokyo, and why are they all elderly?—back on to the street and then around the corner and up more heart-bursting stairs to the concourse before descending down and down again to the subway platform. There is at least ten seconds to spare before we collapse onto our seats in the train, sucking in the air. The nightlife of the notorious Roppongi district awaits.

Finding our feet I’m not sure this is what we had planned for tonight. After all, it is the first day of the new year

(and technically soon to be the second) and we had a pretty large one the night before. We abandoned our original plans to ring in the new year at a megaclub that reportedly has its own artificial beach. The reservation for our table somehow managed to double in cost while shrinking in the number of seats available. Some of our crew were still keen to check it out, but the roughly US $90 entry charge was a bit on the steep side.

Instead, I head to Shibuya with my wife Jade and our friend Chris to meet Jade’s

brother. He lives in Japan and is to provide some much-needed local knowledge. Unfortunately, this knowledge leads us to one of a chain of English-style pubs called The Hub. Seriously, these things are everywhere, I felt like I was being followed for three days by a faux-wood-paneled stalker offering cheap pints of Kirin Draught.

Coming out of the Metro station we are assaulted by the lights and noise of the main intersection in Shibuya. You recognise it immediately from pictures and television—the walls of neon, three-storey-high televisions beaming out of the side of office buildings, people swarming in all directions but only on the green signal. The other thing I notice is everyone is so damn stylish. The youth of Japan know how to look the part. I’m not feeling very fashion forward.

Anyway, after escaping from The Hub and picking up a few strays to add to our little band, we make our way to a nearby club called Camelot (I know, don’t even say it) for the countdown. The club is three floors of subterranean madness, packed with local kids bopping

several hours and making a number of international calls on their phone trying to track down one of our friends. They are too kind to accept payment so I commence drinking many whiskeys to even out the ledger.

I do recall Jade resting her head on the bar at one stage and Chris almost toppling from his stool.

very steep, narrow set of stairs, and enter a space about the same dimensions as an average sized bathroom. The four of us are the only customers, which is a good thing as otherwise we would need to take turns sitting

Where is my mind?

The Sensoji Temple in the Asukusa district was completed in 645 and is Tokyo’s oldest temple. I know this because we are there on the first day of the year with what seems like most of the city’s population.

The locals go to offer prayers for good fortune in the coming year, we check out the maze of surrounding streets and their myriad of restaurants and stores. Coffee and some hot sake from a street vendor help ease the pain. The rest of the day is spent zipping all over town on the truly magnificent subway system, popping up out of the ground here and there like gophers on crack.

This brings us back to Shinjuku, our last stop on the gopher trail for the day and

Brett Davis

at the bar.

One wall is covered with racks of music DVDs and a large television sits in the corner. The jovial owner Suzuki obliges us by putting on a few of our selections before insisting on his choice of Detroit Metal City. Imagine a hugely popular Japanese thrash metal version of the Monkeys; a fictional band

Brett Davis

to the standard Western top-40 club tracks. The countdown is dispatched with much efficiency, a few hugs and kisses all round, and then boom—Black Eyed Peas resumes for the third time tonight. And tonight’s going to be a good, good night apparently.

The rest gets a bit blurry. On the way to another club we stop in a small bar for some quiet time and end up staying

station to what are deceptively empty streets. The main strip is littered with bars and clubs and they seem to be doing a brisk trade. This area attracts a lot of foreigners, and if you want to get up to some mischief Rop-

where this tale began. After dinner at a rabbit-warren of a restaurant—where the horse meat sashimi is only surpassed by the fried dumplings wrapped in chicken skin (but how can you go wrong wrapping anything in fried chicken skin?)—we find a place called Heaven: The Concept Bar down one of Shinjuku’s many neon-lit alleyways. True to its name we have to ascend, in this case up a

spawned from a manga series and movie that has gone on to put out several real albums, and you start to get the picture. It is then we hatched the bright idea to head out on the town again.

But first we have to make that last train.

I love it when a plan comes together So we do and with heart rates returning to relatively normal levels we walk out of Roppongi

pongi is the place to do it.

We settle on a place called Black Ice and on entering it seems like every shady character in town has also. It takes a while to get into the swing of it, but after a few hours and some expensive drinks we are feeling pretty damn good. Sketchy looking types are now like old mates as we chat to locals and folks from all points of the globe. It is a surprise when the lights go on at 6 am and we have to depart.

Luckily the helpful door staff points us in the direction of the nearby after-hours venue.

It is broad daylight as we follow a few other hardy souls down several laneways to a red door. Inside it may as well be an hour before the new year countdown, not the morning of January 2. The place is packed and pumping. Oh Lord.

A couple of hours later the wife and I decide enough is enough. I thank my stars I still have sunglasses on me as we make our way via the subway back to the hotel. Just before collapsing into bed we see one of the sights we came to witness. The snow-covered peak of Mount Fuji is reflected in the early-morning light, visible just to the right of an adjacent office tower. I guess that counts.

Drifting off to sleep with a much a lighter wallet and many fewer brain cells, I feel it may take until 2012 to recover from this one. asialife HCMC 37

38 asialife HCMC

KARST CLIMBER

Beth Young goes rock climbing in Halong Bay, but prefers the view from sea level. Photos provided by Slo Pony Adventures and Apple Tree Group Hospitality.

..........................................................................................

“Turn around and take in the view,” seasoned rock climber and Cat Ba Island resident Onslo Carrington shouts up at me—his feet firmly planted on the sandy ground below.

“No way known,” I scream back. Straddling the massive rock wall—called a karst—an unadulterated view of Halong Bay is mine for the taking. But, I’m absolutely shitting myself.

My knees are torn to shreds from the climb up, my heart is beating out of my chest and a serious case of the shakes has taken hold. I made it up, I think, now I just want to get down.

The descent is even less graceful. Instead of using my feet to bounce safely down the formation, I leave my legs to dangle, battering them even more. “That looks awkward,” Onslo laughs when I get caught on a ledge, my pins splayed out into splits. “You’re telling me,” I retort.

Earlier that morning, I’d woken up aboard the Emeraude, a luxurious cruising vessel designed in the image of a French paddle steamer that traversed Halong Bay in the early 1900s.

Copied almost exactly from a postcard found in a Parisian flea market, the ship drips with Indochine-era opulence. And like the original, which sunk in 1937, it’s all about extravagance.

One cabin has even been transformed into a massage parlour where highly trained masseuses and beauty therapists from Hanoi institution Santal Spa facilitate relaxation. And for adrenaline junkies, Slo Pony— the adventure company that Onslo runs with his friend Erik Ferjentsik—facilitates the action.

As the Slo Pony boat pulls away from the Emeraude, I plant myself on the back deck and watch as the imposing

white cruiser fades into the distance. The air is cold and crisp—it’s mid-November up north—and the bay is dotted with soaring limestone structures. In the running for a place on the New7Wonders of Nature list, Halong Bay is breathtaking—though I much prefer the view from sea level.

Along the way we pass floating villages, where families make their life on the water.

Children ride bicycles on the wooden verandas that skirt the makeshift huts, weaving through freshly caught squid laid out to dry. Big brands even advertise on the tin roofs of some homes.

At this stage Moody’s Island—where Slo Pony has rigged a series of easy to moderate routes—is still underwater.

While we wait for the tide to go out Onslo ferries us across to Tiger Beach. This is where I tackle my first wall. Scared out of my mind and clutching at the rope for dear life up the top, it’s a completely different story once I reach the bottom. I feel a total sense of accomplishment and I can’t wait to scale another, harder course. And once we arrive at Moody’s I do.

I haul myself up two more climbs. With new confidence, I pull my body towards the precipice of each one, using my legs to hoist and digging my fingers into the grooves and rivets of the rock walls. Onslo even calls me a “rock star”—corny, yes, but encouraging nonetheless.

Just before the boat arrives to deliver us back to the comfort of the Emeraude I decide to take on another route. It’s high and there’s not as many hand holds, but I’m determined. Rigged up, I begin. No longer scared, I have a single goal in mind: to reach the top. I’m so driven

to do it, I barely notice how small everybody standing on the beach looks. The last stretch is the hardest. Less than 10 metres stands between me and the summit, but the walls taper inwards and I have to squash my body to squeeze in between the rocks.

And then I’m there. Again, straddling a limestone karst with an unparalleled view of the bay—if I want it. Onslo shouts up at me, this time much louder considering the distance: “Take

a look around”. I manage a quick peek—it’s stunning—and realise how far up I am. “Get me down,” I yell, then quickly make my descent—with scaped legs jutted out like a pro.

The three day/two night cruise aboard the Emeraude includes a soft adventure package that caters for all levels of fitness—from butterfly trekking through Cat Ba Island to kayaking and of course, rock climbing. Call 3934 0888 or email sales@emeraude-cruises.com.

asialife HCMC 39

Coffee Calm Back in the States, Canada, Australia, NZ or UK, coffee is something often taken on the fly. Battling traffic on the way to work you pull into the 7-11, or other factory made convenience store. You rush in.

You pour a hot brown liquid, that often smells like a dirty ashtray, into a paper cup, slap on a lid, throw ever increasing amounts of small money down on the counter and you're back in your car slurping your caffeine fix with one hand and negotiating the commute with the other. You hardly have time to taste it. And maybe that's a good thing.

But coffee is a much more leisurely custom here. You may see commuters yammering on their cell phones, while smoking a cigarette and carrying on a conversation with the person riding pillion. But you never see them with a cup of Highlands' in hand. Coffee here is neither for the caffeine jolt nor for hurried times. Coffee is for calm and contemplation.

My first memory of coffee in Saigon is the smell of it being roasted. It was 20 years ago. It was early morning and I was walking through what would come to be known as “The Pham”, the Pham Ngu Lao Street area. I was on Bui Vien when I smelled the most bewitching aroma. I knew it was coffee, but I thought it must be something else, too, it was so rich and complex. I followed my nose down the little lane that today holds Bread and Butter, as well as Asian Kitchen restaurants. A little man was squatting beside a charcoal fire over which he turned a roasting spit. But his “spit” was a cylinder about 10 inches in diameter, three feet long and made of brass. And the wispy, 40 asialife HCMC

aromatic smoke issuing from it was what had drawn me.

I watched, and smelled, and listened for about 10 minutes.

The aroma changed from floral and spicy to rich and chocolaty.

I heard the beans crack as they released their oil and essence.

I heard them crack a second time, which told me that this would be a French roast, the darkest and deepest. The man lifted his roaster and poured the beans into a crockery pot.

He then proceeded to deliver them to people in the neighbourhood, including the tiny café across the lane that would one day become Le Pub. And there I went for my

a 6-ounce glass tumbler with a curious little aluminum pot on top. At the bottom of your glass, half an inch of palest yellow, sweetened condensed milk, three or four little brunette stains spreading across its surface. Another appears, fallen from the little top pot. Inside the pot the water is ever so lazily seeping into and through the dark-roasted coffee. Minutes pass, and in this long, hot relationship between coffee and water the coffee gives up its entire soul to the water’s embrace. You watch. Watch as the liquid falls from the little crucible drop by placid drop, infusing the milk with the

Coffee here is neither for the caffeine jolt nor for hurried times. Coffee is for calm and contemplation. first cup of Vietnamese coffee.

And there did I learn how to enjoy coffee here. You take a seat, perhaps a plush chair in the Majestic Hotel; or a folding chair in a coffee garden; or just a little stool the size of your hat on the sidewalk anywhere.

You order coffee, expecting a cup of java to be delivered in a moment, the steamy liquid to be rolling over your tongue and the caffeine rush to follow soon after. But you wait, as much as a few minutes, for in this establishment the water is often boiled one cup at a time when trade is slow. One cup, boiled just for you.

So now you are served.

What’s this? Not a hefty mug of steaming coffee ready to drink. Not a tall paper vessel with a Starbuck's logo emblazoned on the side; but

fullest measure of the spirits of Arabica and Robusta.

This is strong coffee, and your glass is only half full.

Foreigners are often given a small thermos of hot water with which to dilute the brew and give it volume, to make it something closer to what they are used to. But you should try it the Vietnamese way. After all, did you come to Vietnam for things that you are used to? Take slow, tiny sips. Savour each one. Let the flavour resonate on your tongue until it subsides. Let the aroma rise from the back of your throat.

Give it time. As much time as was consumed in the marriage of coffee and water in the little chapel atop your glass. Give it time, and it will refresh you, and restore you, and give you calm.

La Braceria The best of three worlds is the easiest way to describe the menu of newly-opened La Braceria on Le Thanh Ton. Chef and manager Greg Mouly combines choice ingredients from France and Italy with his own expert knowledge of Mediterranean cooking to present an array of novel dishes.

Expect a grounded sensation upon entering La Braceria.

Shades of brown and gray blend with warm wood. Stones set in the vaulted ceilings and interior are balanced by white walls hung with photographs of coastal Italy, soft contemporary lighting and large windows face the tree-lined street.

La Braceria’s menu is thoughtfully arranged to highlight the restaurant’s forte,

Mediterranean-style 12-hour marinated meat and seafood barbequed over a lava stone grill.

Updated traditional favourites include the five Formaggi pizza, a range of seafood-based pastas, and tantalising desserts such as Strawberry Salad with Wine.

The highlight of the innovative salad selection is the gourmande terra-mare salad (520,000 VND), a mélange of tiger prawns, scallops, smoked magret, tuna carpaccio, grapes, seared foie gras and whole scampi riding gloriously atop crisp greens drizzled in vinaigrette. It is, in a word, enormous. Every dish, in fact, encourages sharing.

For those who love colour

Italian barbeque in stylish surroundings. By Esther de la Cruz. Photos by Fred Wissink.

and beautiful technique, the melon salad and parma ham (280,000 VND) showcases bite-sized balls of honey and watermelon nestled in a carved melon shell alongside roses of finely sliced ham, carved carrot flowers and sprigs of mint.

From the Italian corner, the spaghetti vorgole and carciofi (220,000 VND) with fresh clams and artichokes, mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, and rucola invites with its wonderful texture and light, summer-y aroma.

The dauntingly-sized original calzone (210,000 VND) is puffed perfection.

La Braceria stocks a carefullyselected spectrum of old and new world wines. Vintages by the glass include options from Chile, France and Australia.

Patrons can cap off meals with a cup of excellent Lavazza coffee at either of La Braceria’s two bars.

Only a month old, La Braceria will take some time to build up to full speed. MidMarch, Chef Mouly intends to roll out a blackboard set lunch menu, consisting of three manageable courses with coffee for 200,000 VND. Dinner will see the restaurant cater to its more leisurely, fine-dining clientele.

Capably staffed, with memorable food and stylish surroundings that encourage relaxation, La Braceria’s 82 seats won’t be empty for long.

11 Le Thanh Ton, District 1 Tel: 3824 7446 Open daily 11 am to 11 pm asialife HCMC 41

Imperial Russian Restaurant Entering through plush red velvet drapes lined with gold fringe you will find the interior of the Imperial Russian Restaurant—an intimate space tucked away down quiet and leafy Le Van Huu Street in District 1.

The walls are decorated with old school Russian propaganda posters, a framed portrait of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin hangs above the bar and Babushka dolls adorn the tables.

The restaurant serves authentic Russian food, although chef Nicolay, who’s only just arrived in HCM City, loves to experiment with different flavours. In the green salad (70,000 VND) scoops of dragonfruit sit atop 42 asialife HCMC

crisp lettuce, cucumber, tomato and olives. And a tart passionfruit dressing is drizzled on top—a unique and interesting addition.

Next is the Russian salad (90,000 VND), a dish that is actually French in origin, as our photographer and Moscow native Alex explains to me. Boiled carrots and potatoes plus egg, olives and pickles are mixed with mayonnaise and mustard then rolled into tasty balls.

And of course, chef Nicolay prepares borscht—a hearty soup made from beetroot (100,000 VND). Chunks of tender beef give the broth bulk while a dollop of mayonnaise

Borscht is just the beginning at this intimate Russian restaurant. By Beth Young. Photos by Alex Belikov.

adds a hint of creaminess to the Russian staple. Thickly sliced homemade black bread is served alongside for dipping.

The barbeque is fired up outside for the main course—a rack of lamb with char-grilled eggplant, capsicum, tomato and zucchini (300,000 VND). Nicolay marinates both the meat and vegetables in a special mixture he learnt from a Pakistani chef working in a Mexican restaurant in Russia. He lets me dip a finger into the marinade but only reveals one ingredient of the top-secret recipe: tequila.

After the lamb I’m so full it’s ridiculous, but Nicolay insists on making dessert. The honey

pancakes (80,000 VND) he whips up are wafer-thin and the Russian-style marmalade, condensed milk and smetana— similar to sour cream—that the crepes are doused in make for a very sweet treat.

We sip at cups of freshly brewed black tea throughout and Alex and Nicolay give me a cursory introduction to the Russian language. There’s only one word I really need to know though, and that’s vkusno— delicious.

6 Le Van Huu, District 1 Tel: 3829 4644 Open 11 am to late Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm Monday.

Giang Nam The Zhang family have been running Giang Nam for more than 80 years in the same District 5 terrace house. Now, Zhang Ren, 81, and her younger brother Yao Quang, 70, have taken the helm of the Chinese restaurant that once belonged to their uncle.

There’s nothing fancy about Giang Nam. The blue and white tiled walls are decorated simply with Oriental-style art and the restaurant’s name is printed in gold characters above the rear

An authentic Chinese restaurant in Cholon.

By Beth Young. Photos by Alex Belikov.

entrance. Instead, the emphasis is on serving quick and tasty Chinese fare—recipes that have been in the Zhang family for longer than the elderly owners can remember.

As we order, rice is brought out in crockery cups that are piled two atop each other.

Interestingly, the rice is cooked inside the cups, leaving the grains on the top and around the outside a little crispy. Next, the watercress soup (35,000 VND) arrives. It’s clear and

mild with tender chunks of pork and the perfect accompaniment to the salty fish (40,000 VND) we’ve chosen. Served with a vinegar sauce and minced garlic, chilli and ginger on the side, it’s strong and briny—and anything but mild.

The biggest hit at our table, though, is the braised beef and capsicum in a garlicky oyster sauce (60,000 VND). The meat is cooked to melt-in-yourmouth tenderness and the sauce is thick and tangy. We

wash it back with cold glasses of freshly brewed lemon-infused green tea before sampling the complimentary platter of fruit on ice.

All the while, a tiny ginger kitten sits beneath our table, zipping between the chair legs and nipping at my feet, coaxing me to share just a bite of our authentic Chinese feast.

43 Tan Da, District 5 Tel: 3855 2050 Open daily 10.30 am till 9.30 pm asialife HCMC 43

Behind The Design:

Six Senses Con Dao Christian Berg visits Con Dao’s first five-star resort.

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Just off the coast of Vietnam— less than an hour plane ride from Saigon—lies the former prison archipelago of Con Dao. Protected for decades as a national and marine park, the 16 islands are virtually untainted, providing sanctuary for endangered species and the ideal setting for the five-star Six Senses Con Dao Resort.

Overlooking the bay on Con Dao’s main island Con Son, the resort’s 50 villas stretch across a mile-long beach fringed by dark green mountains and have been designed in perfect harmony with nature. The almost exclu-

sive use of natural materials like bamboo and wood give the villas a luxurious yet laidback feel—far less pretentious than other extravagant resorts in Vietnam.

Designed by a renowned French architect, privacy is key and each villa has its own infinity-edged pool that faces towards the ocean.

However, the shared spaces inspired by traditional Vietnamese villages are gorgeous, too.

(All the beautifully carved doors on the huts are sourced from Hoi An in Central Vietnam.) The restaurant is stunning, as well.

Huge windows face the beach and the mostly beige façade accented with pops of green and orange is fresh and vibrant.

The design has already earned Six Senses accolades.

Last year, the resort won Best International Small Construction and Design at the International Commercial Property Awards. Of the honour, Sonu Shivdasani, chairman and CEO of Six Senses said, “I’m absolutely delighted that Six

Senses’ newest resort has won this award for design”.

Rick Mayo-Smith, CEO of property developer Indochina Land added. “We are very proud to have won this award.

Indochina Land shares Six Senses’ philosophy of ecological design and development, using only sustainable and natural materials. To have been recognised as a world leader in the area of design is a great triumph”.

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Austinhome follows a completely different direction than most of the city’s furniture designers. Tucked into quiet An Phu, Austinhome carries the familiar comforts of an American home. Made mainly for export, expect furniture of high standards and roomy construction using imported materials like antique oak and Jim Thompson silk.

Austinhome has everything needed to furnish a cosy library or study. There are plush armchairs, gorgeous desks, wing chairs, sturdy bookshelves and snuggle-worthy cushions. Other standouts are the remarkably comfortable sofas with cheery colours and natural embroidered patterns. The store also displays a tasteful collection of striking Vietnamese paintings.

Moving into our first apartments, most of us are content to have a decent couch and comfy bed to collapse in after a long day. A dining set is a plus. Matching chairs are a luxury. However, as time passes, we begin to ask more of our furniture. We want it to speak about our personalities, to soothe us after a hectic week. This month, AsiaLIFE presents a roundup of HCM City’s best furniture stores. Photos by Fred Wissink.

Catherine Denoual Maison has all the pastel shades, exquisite fabrics and delicate touches to decorate a fairy-tale bedroom or dinner table. Ladies who require their beauty sleep will luxuriate in Catherine Denoual’s Egyptian cotton, silk and satin bed linen embroidered with nature-inspired motifs. Prince Charming can sink into one of the highly-inviting fluffy fur ottomans.

The boutique store also carries classic iron baby cots, fivebranched silver candleholders, resin and porcelain drop vases, woven hampers, serene suspension lamps and beautiful white table and bedside lamps with silk, linen or beaded shades.

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For fans of antique designs and period pieces, Es’thetic Home Furnishing is the place to shop. There you’ll find decadence aplenty. Es’thetic’s bestselling red velvet eggshell sofas, replica Louis XV chairs, and gold leaf divans will add drama to any room.

Besides its signature European and Ming Dynasty reproductions, Es’thetic also stocks modern Asian designs like panel-door shoe racks, intricate display shelves and a sampling of exotic Chinese-style paper lanterns. A specialist in made-to-order pieces, Es’thetic is the right place to hand over your designs or a photograph of that piece you’ve been hankering for.

You could spend a whole afternoon wandering through Decosy’s relaxed, spacious warehouse. Decosy is a treasure trove of lovingly-crafted wrought iron and wood furniture with an updated French-colonial feel. There are eight-seater dining tables and informal benches for dinners with family or friends, toddler tables with matching chairs, kitchen accessories and Decosy’s famous fragrant candles.

In the bedroom department you’ll find all sizes of adult's and childrens beds, including charming French-style dressers and drawers, bedside tables, baby cots, bunk beds and classic lamps. Items can be personalised to suit specific needs or dimensions.

One visit is all it takes to verify that Kartell is unlike any other furniture outlet in the city. It’s impossible to frown on plastic when you are among the Italian company’s whimsical sofas, original stools, cheerful chairs and lovable bookshelves. Where else can you find near-transparent coffee-colored, moss green or Missoni-patterned seating?

Kartell’s clean, avant-garde designs are perfect for decorating a smaller space as is often the situation in HCM City. The joyful colours and signature transparency make the mood bright and airy, while the high-tech plastic materials are surprisingly sturdy and flame-retardant. A single canary-yellow Kartell chair can perk up a dull room.

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If you are fortunate enough to have a garden to relax in, pass

by Tran Duc Homes to glimpse the best of the city’s outdoor furniture. Tran Duc specialises in using superior Vietnamese wood to fashion a wide range of picnic tables and benches, deck chairs, patio sofas, armchairs, and wooden swings.

Tran Duc also boasts a wide catalogue of attractive indoor furniture, such as kitchen counters, cupboards and cabinets, bars, stools, wine racks, modern dining sets and coffee tables made from the best local bamboo, acacia and mahogany.

The Furniture Warehouse is the perfect one-stop outlet for furnishing a contemporary Asian home.

Handsome, reasonably-priced dining sets, chic sofas, desks and bookshelves serve as basics. A smattering of specially-selected Chinese, Vietnamese and French pieces add depth while an eclectic collection of lamps and furniture accessories round out the mix.

Heavier antique-designed handmade dressing tables, low French-Vietnamese armchairs and Chinese medicine chests are counterbalanced with light, white oak dining sets, a timber rattan bar, neon green lounge chair and quirky metal lamps. Chockfull of functional, stylish finds, The Furniture Warehouse makes it easy to embrace new and old, classic and contemporary, East and West, all in one go.

Few things spell relaxation and slow living as do the sofa daybeds at Linh’s White. A smooth, firm cushion is encased in lovely French cloth and set on a frame of solid teak from Laos. The accompanying pillows set the stage for some quality rest and relaxation.

Perfectly balanced, minimalist and serene, Linh’s White is the destination for those who want to recreate a tropical paradise in their own space. Dark woods like mahogany and teak harmonise with clean white and vibrant green fabrics. Look for lush sofas, long sleek tables, full-length mirrors, Oriental dressers and a matching selection of calming buddhas, lamps and vases from around Southeast Asia.

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Tom Edbrooke: DLS Cap: 169,000 VND Shorts: 489,000 VND T-shirt: 299,000 VND Shirt: 389,000 VND

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Poppy Eastwood: Debenhams T-shirt: 410,000 VND Trousers: 380,000 VND Location: Thanh Truc Hair Salon Quoc Huong D2

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Eleni Pistolas: Debenhams Flower dress: 700,000 VND Location: Annam Gourmet, 41A Thao Dien D2

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Theo Edbrooke: DLS Shirt: 382,000 VND Shorts: 439,000 VND

DLS Paris: 17/5 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Debenhams: Vincom Center 70 - 72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Photos by Guy Gonyea www.phototoursvietnam.com Concept and styling by Hanh Edbrooke

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listings

Philippine Airways 229 Dong Khoi, D3 Tel: 3822 2241 www.philippineairlines.com Operates daily service from HCM City to Manila, offering fare options through the PAL Econo Light Class.

hotel & travel

Royal Brunei Level 4, 129A Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 3914 6868 www.bruneiair.com Royal Brunei provides scheduled service across Asia, the Middle East, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

AIRLINES Air Asia 254 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3838 9810 www.airasia.com Asia’s largest low-cost airline operates one daily flight between HCM City-Hanoi, as well as international flights to Bangkok, Phuket, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.

Air France 130 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3829 0981 ext. 82 Fax: 3822 0537 www.airfrance.com.vn An airline with a vast and effective global network. Now flies direct to Paris.

Cathay Pacific 72-74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3 Tel: 3822 3203 www.cathaypacific.com Hong Kong-based airline makes three flights daily to HCM City and two flights daily to Hong Kong’s international airport.

Fares start at about $300.

Jetstar Pacific www.jetstar.com Budget branch of Australian Qantas flies into Can Tho, Danang, Hanoi, Hai Phong, HCM City, Hue, Nha Trang and Vinh and operates cheap flights from HCM City to Siem Reap and Bangkok.

Check out Friday Fare Frenzy online promotion from 2 to 5 pm every Friday.

Malaysia Airlines www.malaysiaairlines.com Offers daily flights from Hanoi and HCM City to Kuala Lumpur for about $200 round trip, with four economy class fare levels: low, basic, smart and flex.

escape

Thai Airways 65 Nguyen Du, Tel: 3829 2810 29 Le Duan, D1 www.thaiair.com Bangkok-based airline connects twice daily between the Thai capital and HCM City and Hanoi. Multiple daily flights are also operated from both to Phnom Penh and Phuket.

VASCO Vietnam Airlines office, 116 Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 3842 2790 www.vasco.com.vn Though it’s primary business is cargo shipment, Vietnam Air Service Company (VASCO) flies daily from HCM City to Con Dao and makes connections to lesser-known cities like Ca Mau, Tuy Hoa and Chu Lai. Buy tickets at the Vietnam Airlines office.

Vietnam Airlines Hanoi: 94 Tran Quoc Toan Tel: 942 0848 HCM City: 116 Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 3832 0320 www.vietnamair.com.vn The domestic route map is extensive, with several flights daily between major and less touristed cities throughout Vietnam. Flies internationally throughout Asia and to Paris, Frankfurt, Moscow, Sydney, Melboure, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

CON DAO ATC Hotel 16B Ton Duc Thang Tel: 06 4830 666 Rustic little 4-room, family-run guesthouse in converted French administration building. Rooms are simple, with exposed rafters inside and balconies

Con Dao Resort 8 Nguyen Duc Thuan Tel: 06 4830 949 www.condaoresort.com Modern hotel with 45 rooms and seven villas set on 2km of private beach. Onpremise facilities include restaurant, bar, beach-view swimming pool, tennis court and volleyball. Organizes outdoor activities and tours.

Saigon Con Dao Resort 18-24 Ton Duc Thang Tel: 06 4830 155 www.saigoncondaoresort.com Opened in summer 2009, Saigon Tourist’s 82-room hotel has a restaurant, swimming pool, tennis court and health club with sauna. Another 30 villas are available in the adjacent sister hotel, a renovated colonial-era administration building. Tours organized by hotel.

Six senses Con Dao Dat Doc Beach, Con Dao District, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, Vietnam Tel: 06 43831 222, Fax : +84 64 3831 456 www.saigoncondaoresort.com The first five-star resort in this unspoilt archipelago, Six Senses Con Dao's 50 villas sit along a mile of sandy beach, sheltered by green forested hills behind and with stunning vistas of the sea Each villa also has its own infinity-edged swimming pool.

DALAT Ana Mandara Villas Resort & Spa Le Lai, Ward 5, Dalat Tel: 063 3555 888 www.anamandara-resort.com Luxury 35-acre resort encompasses 17 restored early 20th-century villas and 65 rooms set in the rural highlands. La Cochinchine Spa offers wide range of treatments. Le Petite Dalat Restaurant serves Vietnamese and fusion cuisine.

Heated swimming pool, art gallery and cooking classes in organic garden.

Blue Moon Resort & Spa 4 Phan Boi Chau Tel: 06 3578 888 www.bluemoonhotel.com.vn An attractive 65-room, country-style resort with extensive gardens for strolling or al fresco dining, as well as restaurant serving local Dalat dishes. On-premise bike rental, fitness centre, sauna and indoor heated pool.

Mercure Dalat 7 Tran Phu, Dalat Tel: 063 3825 777 www.mercure.com Built in 1932 as the Hotel Du Parc, this 144-room resort pairs French colonial architecture with modern amenities. Cafe De Le Poste serves French home-style, international and Vietnamese cuisine.

Facilities include tennis court and sauna Sofitel Dalat Palace 12 Tran Phu, Dalat Tel: 063 3825 444 www.accorhotels-asia.com Stately lakeside hotel was built in 1920s and retains the period’s aesthetic. It encompasses 38 rooms, five suites, a gourmet restaurant, brasserie, piano bar and Larry’s Bar. Golf can be arranged, and there’s tennis, boules, snooker and billiards on premise.

activities Phat Tire Ventures 73 Truong Cong Dinh Tel: 63 3829 422 www.phattireventures.com Runs guided trips for hiking/trekking, mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking and canyoning in the highlands surrounding Dalat. Also operates mixed trip adventure packages and ropes course set among pine forest with 100+ metre Flying Fox zip line.

Dalat Easy Rider Tours 70 Phan Dinh Phung dalateasyriders@yahoo.com www.dalat-easyrider.com Ride pillion with English-, French- or German-speaking tour guides on motorbike adventures that start in Dalat and snake through mountains, jungles and deltas, lasting anywhere from three to 21 days. Trips terminate in Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hanoi, Mui Ne or HCM City. All hotels and entrance fees included.

HANOI Intercontinental Westlake Hanoi 1A Nghi Tam, Tay Ho Tel: 04 6270 8888 www.intercontinental.com Located on the waterfront with contemporary Vietnamese design, restaurants, business services, fitness centre including exercise classes and pool.

Hanoi Hilton Opera 1 Le Thanh Tong, Hoan Kiem

take flight with travel promotions around the region

Vedana Lagoon

Until September 30, the Vedana Lagoon will offer a special opening promotion: two nights for the price of one, or three nights for the price of two plus one 60-minute body treatment per person at Vedana Wellness. The 27-hectare property, located on the edge of a lagoon between Hue and Hoi An, combines contemporary high-end living with traditional and modern therapies like meditation, Reiki, tai chi and yoga. Visit vedanalagoon.com.

Emeraude Classic Cruises

Emeraude Classic Cruises’ Wine & Dine Cruise will depart Saturday May 14, after a breakfast at Hanoi’s legendary Press Club. Throughout the day guests will en-

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outside. Bungalow accommodation is also available.

joy champagne, a seafood buffet, tapas, a wine tasting and a game of volleyball before entering the Drum Cave in Halong Bay for dinner. After the meal, there will be a Johnnie Walker Blue and Singleton single malt tasting on the sun deck. Allinclusive tickets start from US $245 per person based on double occupancy. Call 3935 1888 or email sales@emeraudecruises.com.

Palm Garden Resort Hoi An

Palm Garden Resort Hoi An will offer its Golf Discovery package until October 31.

For US $155 ++ per person per night, the deal includes use of the 18-hole golf course (green and caddie fees included).

Daily buffet breakfast, Wi-Fi access and use of the resort’s sauna, fitness centre,

pool and private beach is included. Call 0510 3 927 927 or visit palmgardenresort.com.vn.

Sheraton Nha Trang

Until June 30, Sheraton Nha Trang is offering a full-day meeting promotion for US $150 ++ per person per day that includes a Deluxe Ocean View room, roundtrip airport transfer, daily buffet breakfast, access to the fitness facility and swimming pool, in-room internet access, and 10 percent discounts on body treatments at Shine Spa. The special includes two coffee breaks and one buffet lunch or a set lunch on meeting day. They also offer a complimentary one-hour cocktail-and-canapés session at Altitude. Visit starwoodhotels.com.

Tel: 04 3933 0500 www.hilton.com Housed in a colonial-style building that complements the adjacent Opera House, this luxury hotel features modern amenities, business services, outdoor pool and fitness centre. Vietnamese specialties are served at Ba Mien, and Chez Manon does Japanese and pan-Asian.

Melia Hanoi Hotel 44B Ly Thuong Kiet Tel: 04 3934 3343 www.meliahanoi.com Located in the city centre with 306 comfortable guestrooms elegantly decorated, complete with a host of modern amenities. Dining includes Asian cuisine at El Patio and El Oriental, snacks at Cava Lounge and tapas at Latino Bar.

Sheraton Hotel Hanoi K5 Nghi Tam, 11 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho Tel: 04 3719 9000 www.starwoodhotels.com “Resort within a city” boasts 299 spacious guest rooms with panoramic views, fitness centre, international restaurant and Hemisphere Vietnamese restaurant.

Sofitel Metropole 15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem Tel: 04 3826 6919 www.sofitel.com Located downtown. Colonial-style hotel with well-regarded restaurants/bars serving French & Vietnamese cuisine, plus Italian steak house.

HO CHI MINH CITY

Mercure Hanoi La Gare 94 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hoan Kiem Tel: 04 3944 7766 www.accorhotels.com Situated in the Old Quarter with 102 bright, spacious and modern rooms, Brasserie Le Pavillion restaurant serves Vietnamese and international cuisine.

Caravelle Hotel 19 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3823 4999 www.caravellehotel.com One of the city’s most prestigious venues. Features a casino, Reflections Restaurant and al fresco 9th-floor Saigon Saigon Bar.

Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi 83A Ly Thuong Kiet Tel: 3822 2800 www.moevenpick-hotels.com Conveniently located in the heart of Hanoi’s business district, a 40-minute drive from Noi Bai International Airport and only 5 minutes from the city centre, Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi is the latest five-star hotel in town, tailored to meet the needs of discerning guests and especially corporate travellers.

Duxton Hotel 63 Nguyen Hue D1 Tel: 3822 2999 www.duxtonhotels.com Located in downtown Saigon. Facilities include spa, beauty salon, Zanadu Health Club, gym, outdoor swimming and main restaurant, The Grill.

Nikko Hotel 84 Tran Nhan Tong Tel: 04 3822 3535 www.hotelnikkohanoi.com.vn Luxury hotel offering spacious rooms, elegant furnishings, international fine dining from Europe, China and Japan.

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Equatorial 242 Tran Binh Trong D5 Tel: 3839 7777 www.equatorial.com/hcm On the intersect of 4 districts, with 333 rooms, Orientica Seafood restaurant and bar, Chit Chat cafe, pool (swim-up bar), gym.

InterContinental Asiana Saigon Corner of Hai Ba Trung & Le Duan, D1

Tel: 3520 9999 saigon@interconti.com www.intercontinental.com/saigon 305 rooms/suites with floor-to-ceiling windows, five restaurants/bars, meeting/ banquet facilities, spa/health club and lounge with panoramic view.

Sheraton 88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2828 www.sheraton.com/saigon Luxury downtown hotel with Level 23 bar, Mojo cafe, Li Bai Chinese restaurant, fine dining at The Signature on the 23rd floor.

Legend Hotel 2A-4A Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3823 3333 www.legendsaigon.com Located by the river with fitness centre, outdoor pool, kids play centre, Crystal Jade Chinese restaurant and jazz bar.

Sofitel Saigon Plaza 17 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3824 1555 www.sofitel.com/2077 One of the city’s top hotels with in-room Wi-Fi, two restaurants with international cuisine, two bars, six conference rooms, outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre.

Möevenpick Hotel Saigon 253 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3844 9222 www.moevenpick-saigon.com Has 278 well-appointed rooms/suites, five restaurants/bars, meeting/banquet facilities and a shopping arcade as well as a popular e-gaming centre.

Villa Hotel at Thao Dien 195 Nguyen Van Huong, D2 Tel: 3744 2222 www.thaodienvillage.com Colonial-style boutique hotel and spa with fine dining on the banks of the Saigon River in expat enclave.

New World Hotel 76 Le Lai, D1 Tel: 3822 8888 www.newworldsaigon.com Located in the city centre, with gym, outdoor pool, tennis court, event space and Dynasty Chinese restaurant.

Park Hyatt 2 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3824 1234 www.saigon.park.hyatt.com Luxury colonial-style hotel includes 21 suites, lobby lounge with live music, Xuan Spa, pool, gym, international dining at Square One. Renaissance Riverside 8-15 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3822 0033 www.renaissancehotels.com 349 rooms/suites with panoramic views over Saigon River. Conference/banquet facilities, rooftop pool, gym, two restaurants.

Windsor Plaza 18 An Duong Vuong, D5 Tel: 3833 6688 services@windsorplazahotel.com www.windsorplazahotel.com Located in a main shopping hub. Four restaurants, modern discotheque, conference centre, casino, health club, shopping centre, supermarket, Chinese restaurant.

activities Saigon Scooter Centre 25/7 Cuu Long, Tan Binh District Tel: 4848 7816 www.saigonscootercentre.com One-stop rental service with a wide selection of scooters/motorbikes available for around town travel or long trips Vietnam Vespa Adventures 169 De Tham, D1, Pham Ngu Lao Tel: 3920 3897 www.vietnamvespaadventures.com

Headquaters located in Cafe Zoom.

Offers 3-day trips to Mui Ne, 8-days to Nha Trang or half-day tours of HCMC on classic Vespas.

HOI AN & DANANG Cua Dai Hotel 544 Cua Dai Tel: 0510 3862 231 www.cuadaihotel-hoian.com Open and airy rooms are tastefully decorated and overlook the garden and pool. Located roughly between Old Town and Cua Dai Beach. Bicycle rental arranged.

Green Field Hotel 423 Cua Dai, Hoi An Tel: 0510 863 484 www.greenfieldhotel.com Mid-range hotel with simple but spacious rooms overlooking the garden and pool. Rates start below US $20 per night. Located 400 metres from the Old Town.

Le Domaine de Tam Hai Resort Tel: 0510 3545105 www.domainedetamhai.com Occupying an island close to Hoi An, the resort features 12 villas, a private beach, and two restaurants serving French and Vietnamese cuisine.

Life Resort Hoi An 1 Pham Hong Thai, Hoi An Tel: 0510 3914 555 www.life-resorts.com Within walking distance of Hoi An. Rooms are chic and minimalist, offering all the mod cons. Two restaurants, two bars and an outdoor pool.

Nam Hai Tel: 0510 3940 000 www.ghmhotel.com Luxury resort accommodation from single villas to sumptuous five-room dwellings with private pools. Facilities include 8 private spa villas; 3 beachfront swimming pools; library; and tennis, basketball and badminton courts.

Palm Garden Resort Hoi An Lac Long Quan Street, Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An Tel: 0510 3 927 927 www.palmgardenresort.com.vn Set on 5 hectares of landscaped tropical garden in an enviable beach location, the Palm Garden Resort offers an exceptional green environment with over 400 species of palm trees and plants along the famous Cua Dai Beach in the UNESCO-recognized world heritage site of Hoi An Ancient City.

Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa Cua Dai Beach Tel: 0510 3927 040 www.victoriahotels-asia.com Set on its own stretch of beach with 105 rooms spread through a traditional fishing village design of small “streets” and ponds.

Vinh Hung Hotel 143 Tran Phu Tel: 0510 3910 393 www.vinhhunghotels.com.vn Evocative wood carving, antique furniture and Oriental rugs fill this intimate guesthouse just down the street from the Japanese Bridge. Construction dates back more than a century.

activities Hoi An Motorbike Adventures Tel: 0918 230 653 www.motorbiketours-hoian.com Two-wheeled tours of the Central Highlands, Ho Chi Minh Trail, Monkey Mountain and more on a fleet of Minsk dirt bikes and fully and semi-automatic motorbikes. Customers can drive or be driven on half- to five-day trips.

Mango Cruise info@mangorooms.com Chef Duc from the celebrated Mango Rooms restaurant and his wife Ly offer

a cruise down the Thu Bon River, complete with a meal from a menu created

by Duc himself.

Phat Tire Ventures 619 Hai Ba Trung Tel: 0510 391 1700 www.phattireventures.com Offers rappelling and rock climbing at Marble Mountains, as well as walking and mountain biking excursions, from two-hour countryside trips to two-day cycling trips to Hue. Also does cultural and historical tours and car trips to My Son Holy Land.

Vietnam Sailing 88 Nguyen Thai Hoc Tel: 0918 255 521 www.vietnamsailing.com Foreign-operated company operates chartered coach or private tours to Cham Islands aboard a Corsair Sprint 750 Trimaran. One-day cruises or twoday excursions with beach camping by campfire are available.

HUE Celadon Palace Hue 105A Hung Vuong Tel: 054 3936 666 www.celadonpalacehue.com Grand building inspired by Indochine Nobel House with panoramic views, international restaurant, lounge/bars, pool, ballroom and wedding planning.

Imperial Hue 57 Dang Dung Tel: 054 3522 478 www.imperial-hotel.com.vn Opulent high-rise hotel with panoramic views of the city and Ngu Binh Mountain. Facilities include swimming pool, gym, Royal spa, Prince Club casino and business centre.

La Residence 5 Le Loi Tel: 054 3837 475 www.la-residence-hue.com Former governor’s residence on the banks of the Perfume River is now home to a boutique resort where art deco meets Indochine. La Parfum restaurant serves local and international dishes.

Facilitiesa include spa, saltwater pool, tennis court and fleet of bicycles.

Mercure Hue Gerbera 38 Le Loi Tel: 054 3946 688 www.mercure.com Overlooking the Perfume River, this centrally located hotel has 110 contemporary rooms. Local Hue cuisine and international fare served at Le Bordeaux, and drinks served up top at Sky Bar or in the ground-floor Lobby Bar. Pilgrimage Village Resort & Spa 130 Minh Mang Tel: 054 3885 461 www.pilgrimagevillage.com Boutique resort with hut, bungalow and villa accommodation draws on natural environment and local culture.

Features Vedana spa, two restaurants serving Vietnamese & Western food and imported wines and three bar/lounges.

NHA TRANG Evason Hideaway at Ana Mandara Ninh Van Bay, Ninh Hoa, Khanh Hoa Tel: 058 3728 222 www.sixsenses.com/hideawayanamandara An island hideaway accessible only by boat, 58 private pool villas, international and local restaurants, wedding services, water sports and scuba diving.

Evason Ana Mandara Nha Trang Beachside, Tran Phu, Nha Trang Tel: 058 3522 222 www.sixsenses.com/evasonanamandara Beachside resort set in 26,000 square metres of tropical garden, with 74 guest villas, three restaurants, Six Senses Spa. Hon Tam Resort Representative Office Level 1, 68 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 3822 0632

asialife HCMC 57

sales@hontamresort.vn A boutique eco-resort set on Hon Tam Island, located off Nha Trang.

Beachfront resort with 90 fully equipped rooms, business centre, spa, fitness centre and outdoor pool.

Novotel Nha Trang 50 Tran Phu Tel: 058 625 6900 www.novotel-nhatrang.com Each of the 154 rooms has a terrace with seaviews in this modern hotel located in the city centre. The Square serves international cuisine in a dining room overlooking the bay.

Princess D’Annam Resort and Spa Khu Hon Lan, Tan Thanh, Ham Thuan Nam, Binh Thuan Tel: 062 3682 222 www.princessannam.com Located on Ke Ga Bay with 57 exclusive villas, eight swimming pools, two restaurants and 1,800 square metres spa complex.

Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa 26 - 28 Tran Phu, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Tel: 58 388 0000 www.sheraton.com/nhatrang Luxury hotel with 284 ocean view rooms, six restaurants and bars, club lounge, infinity edge swimming pool, spa, yoga studio, cooking school, Sheraton Adventure Club and (connected at) Link@Sheraton.

Sunrise Beach Resort 12-14 Tran Phu, Nha Trang Tel: 058 3820 999 www.sunrisehotelvietnam.com Private beach resort equipped with gym, fitness centre, outdoor pool and water sports.

PHAN THIET Full Moon 98A Nguyen Dinh Chieu Tel: 062 3847 008 fullmoon@windsurf-vietnam.com Resort set in a private garden with lovingly decorated bedrooms and terracotta-tiled bathrooms. The grounds include a good Vietnamese restaurant, pool and kitesurfing school.

L’Anmien Beach Resort Mui Ne Beach, KM10, Ham Tien Ward Tel: 062 3741 888 www.lanmienresort.com

Romana Resort KM8, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet Tel: 062 3741 289 www.romanaresort.com.vn 10 beachfront villas and 18 hill villas with private pools and all the mod cons.

The Sailing Club 24 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet Tel: 062 3847 440 www.sailingclubvietnam.com Open bar overlooking the sea, spacious rooms, restaurant, swimming pool and day spa.

Shades Apartment Khu 1, Ham Tien Tel: 062 3743 237 www.shadesmuine.com Design-led boutique hotel that uses minimal materials and draws on natural textures to achieve a sense of timelessness. Serviced apartments are soundproof with blackout curtains. Pool and beachside veranda outside.

Victoria Phan Thiet Resort and Spa Mui Ne Beach Tel: 84 62 3813 000 www.victoriahotels-asia.com Located on a private beach, 60 cosy bungalows, natural spa experiences among other great activities on offer at the resort.

activities

C2Sky Kitesurfing Sunny Beach, 64-66 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Tel: 0916655241 www.c2skykitecenter.com Operates two schools roughly 500m apart, staffed by IKO-certified instructors. Offers a half dozen course types, as well as instructor training. Equipment rental and repair.

Forester Spa & Mini Golf 65 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Tel: 062 3743 447 www.forestrestaurant.com Terraced nine-hole miniature golf course with distinctly Vietnamese terrain: rice paddies, palm trees, stilt homes and a fish pond.

Jibes Beach Club 84-90 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Tel: 062 3847 008 www.windsurf-vietnam.com IKO-licensed kitesurfing centre offers highly structured kitesurfing classes taught by experienced watersportsmen. Also offer windsurfing lessons and retails in watersports equipment (bodyboards, kayaks, surfboards, windsurfs).

Mui Ne Beach.net www.muinebeach.net Informative website run by local writer Adam Bray covering news, events, community/environmental issues and more in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet. Also issues safety advisories regarding crime and tour bus accidents.

Mui Ne Cooking School Sunshine Beach Resort, 84 Tuyen Quang Tel: 062 383 0755 Al fresco classes begin with a trip to Rang Market and focus on the provincial cuisine of Binh Thuan, like banh xeo (crepes with beef or seafood) and goi hai san (seafood salad).

Surfpoint 217 Nguyen Dinh Chieu www.surfpoint-vietnam.com Offers private and group kiteboarding courses and equipment rental (from $40-50/hr). Also runs group and private surfing lessons, as well as kayaking trips to Song Quao Lake.

WindChimes School Saigon Mui Ne Resort, 56 Nguyen Dinh Chieu www.kiteboarding-vietnam.com Surf school situated on 235m of beach offers kiteboarding, windsurfing and surfing classes in multiple languages taught

by IKO-certified instructors. Equipment rented and trips organised. Satellite school at Bamboo Village Resort.

PHU QUOC Chenla Resort & Spa Bai Xep, Ong Lang Beach Tel: 077 3995 895 www.chenla-resort.com sales-hcmc@chenla-resort.com Resort on a bay offers 36 luxury bungalows/villas with ocean views, swimming pool, water sports, diving centre, spa and Mediterannean restaurants.

Freedomland Ong Long Beach Tel: 077 3994 891 freedomlandphuquoc.com Secluded lodging in six different bungalow types built from natural materials sourced from the island. Private or shared bathrooms, no air-conditioning or hot water. Boat trips and scooter tours.

La Veranda Ward 1, Duong Dong Beach Tel: 077 3982 888 www.laverandaresort.com Set amid tropical gardens along a beach.

Features a highly-rated spa, beach grill, Vietnamese, Asian and European cuisine.

San Miguel Music Festival

40 Lily Road, APSC Compound, Thao Dien, D2. Tel 3744 6790 58 asialife HCMC

Mango Bay Ong Lang Beach, Phu Quoc Tel: 0903 382 207 www.mangobayphuquoc.com Low-cost seaside resort with ecological outlook promotes nature activities, forest walks, snorkelling, open-air seafood restaurant. No TV or telephone.

SAPA Chau Long Hotel 24 Dong Loi Tel: 020 3871 245 www.chaulonghotel.com Mid-range hotel with wraparound construction offering panoramic views.

Rooms in the newer wing are more attractive, with dark wood furnishings and polished hardwood floors.

Topas Eco Lodge 24 Muong Hoa Tel: 020 3871 331 www.topasecolodge.com Overlooking the Hoang Lien Mountains, Topas is comprised of 25 white granite and golden hardwood lodges powered by solar energy. Premises include restaurant in traditional Tay stilt house, and Topas offers a range of outdoor activities, including mountain biking and trekking.

Victoria Sapa Resort Sapa District, Lao Cai Province Tel: 020 0871 522 www.victoriahotels-asia.com Mountain chalet perched over the village wth cosy but modern guestrooms overlooking the lawn and garden. Ta Van restaurant overlooks Mount Fansipan and Ta Fin bar has a stone hearth fireplace. Connection from Hanoi by private train.

SCUBA DIVING Note: AsiaLIFE only lists dive centres recognized by international dive training programs, such as the Professional

Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) and Scuba Schools International (SSI).

We strongly advise against diving with unaccredited dive centres in Vietnam.

Rainbow Divers 55 Nguyen Giai Dang, An Phu, D2 Tel: 3744 6825 www.divevietnam.com Diving tours and career/instructor development offered by Vietnam’s first PADI centre. established in the mid90s. All courses can be started at the state-of-the-art dive centre in An Phu, from beginner pool work and theory to divemaster and instructor certification.

Operates dive centres in Nha Trang, Whale Island, Hoi An and Phu Quoc.

Octopus Diving 62 Tran Phu, Nha Trang 058 826 528 www.divenhatrang.com PADI/SSI dive centre based in Nha Trang and affiliated with the Sailing Club Co., with additional centres in Mui Ne and Hoi An. Offers a range of services, including children’s Bubblemaker classes, courses in specialised techniques and divemaster certification.

VUNG TAU The Imperial Hotel 159-163 Thuy Van Tel: 06 4362 8888 www.imperialhotelvietnam.com Victorian-style hotel with 152 rooms, outdoor pool, shopping mall and fully serviced gym.

Ho Tram Beach Resort & Spa Ho Tram Village, Xuyen Moc Tel: 06 4378 1525 www.hotramresort.com Located about 45km from Vung Tau in the Phuoc Buu Reserve Forest, Ho Tram Beach Resort & Spa boasts uniquely designed bungalows and villas.

River Ray Resort 159-163 Thuy Van Tel: 06 4362 8888 www.imperialhotelvietnam.com Victorian-style hotel with 152 rooms, outdoor pool, shopping mall and fully serviced gym.

TRAVEL AGENTS

Tel: 3820 2563/3820 2564 Fax: 3829 2565 info@indochina-ventures.com Tour operator that specializes in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Can tailor packages to suit customers’ time frames and interests.

Budget Car Rentals 198 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3 Tel: 3930 2929 Tan Son Nhat Airport Tel: 3930 2929 International rental agency offers chauffeur-driven cars to destinations throughout Vietnam. Drivers are proficient in English and trained in defensive driving. Airport/resort transfers, daily rentals and corporate fleets available.

iTravel 175/22 Pham Ngu Lao, D1 Tel: 0836 4876 www.itravel-online.com trung@itravel-online.com Operated out of Le Pub (Hanoi/HCMC) offering a wide range of tour and accomodation options throughout Vietnam, as well as custom-made tours tailored to customer specifications.

Buffalo Tours Suite 601, Satra House, 58 Dong Khoi D1 Tel: 3827 9170 www.buffalotours.com Tailor-made itineraries, communitybased tourism, cultural tours, adventure trips, golfing and premium trips offered by locally run and well-respected travel agent.

iViVu www.ivivu.com Offering the traditional services of a travel agent – airline tickets, tours, packages and hotels - as well as tips and up-to-date travel news on Vietnam.

Exotissimo HCMC: 20 Hai Ba Trung St, D1 Tel: 3827 2911 infosgn@exotissimo.com SD5-2 Grand View, Nguyen Duc Canh, Phu My Hung, D7 Tel: 5412 2761/62 pmh@exotissimo.com HANOI: 26 Tran Nhat Duat St, Hoan Kiem Tel: 04 3828 2150 infohanoi@exotissimo.com www.exotissimo.com French-owned agency specializing in flight bookings, package holidays and a range of well-run cultural and historical tours of Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

Indochina Ventures 40 Truong Quyen, D3

Terraverde 91/10 Tran Quoc Hoan, Tan Binh Tel: 3948 4754/56 info@terraverdetravel.com www.terraverdetravel.com German-owned travel agency specializing in tailor-made tours combining nature experiences; site visits; cultural encounters; biking, boating and trekking expeditions. Mixes cultural experience with light adventure tourism.

Trails of Indochina 10/8 Phan Dinh Giot, Tan Binh Tel: 3844 1005 www.trailsofindochina.com Specialists in custom-made tours offering cultural and adventurous experiences throughout the region. Exclusive resources and locations.

and good drinks in a friendly, chilled environment. Plenty of room to relax inside or out, plus a pool table on premise. 

listings

Cafe Latin 17 Dong Du, D1 In its third location, this expat favourite continues to deliver good food, an extensive drink list and a comfortable atmosphere. Two levels to watch sport on or simply unwind. Said to serve the best chicken parmigiana in Vietnam.

food & drink BAR RESTAURANTS Ala Mezon 10 Chu Manh Trinh, D1 Tel: 6291 0447 www.alamezon.vn Colourful four-storey venue serves fusion French-Japanese cuisine, as well as cocktails and wine by the glass. Space spans a restaurant, lounge and main bar and spacious, airy rooftop. Open 5 pm to late.

Alibi 5A Nguyen Sieu, D1 Tel: 3822 3240 Hip without being showy, this versatile venue has a pleasant front porch, stand up bar and comfortable lounge seating with bright, warm décor and great tunes.

Drinks list is extensive and the food menu boasts French-style mains.

Bread & Butter 40/26 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 3836 8452 Lunch menu of American classics (California burritos, po boy sandwiches), Brit pub dinner (bangers & mash, fish & chips) and Sunday evening roast. Serves Huda Beer from Hue. Closed 2:30 pm to 5 pm and Mondays.

Bernie's Bar & Grill 19 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3822 2684 Serves a solid menu of certified Angus and imported Aussie steaks, fresh pasta, thin crust pizza, sandwiches and mains in an old school steak house setting. Drink menu includes smoothies, cocktails, premium wines and spirits and Saigon's largest martini.  Buddha Bar 7 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 2080 An Phu institution serves up tasty meals

feast

Corso Steakhouse & Bar Norfolk Hotel, 117 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Located in the chic Norfolk Hotel Corso Steakhouse & Bar is well known for its steak imported from the US and Australia. Good destination for both lunch and dinner.

K Cafe 28 Do Quang Dau, D1 Tel: 3913 4673 www.kcafevietnam.com This down-to-earth bistro-bar is a haven for French-speaking emigrés looking for an alternative in the backpackers’ area.

Prop up the bar with a beer or Ricard, or tuck into the tasty Gallic fare. Good atmosphere for conversation.  La Habana 6 Cao Ba Quat, D1 Tel: 3829 5180 www.lahabana-saigon.com This charming little place has seating indoors and outdoors, upstairs and downstairs to fit your dining pleasure.

Relaxed environment with frequent live music. Offers Spanish and Cuban fare including paella and a tapas fiesta comprising three plates. Open late daily.

Le Pub 175/ 22 Pham Ngu Lao, D1 www.lepub.org One of Pham Ngu Lao’s favourite watering holes, Le Pub also has a good menu of well-executed pub grub and international favourites. Hearty breakfast is available all day and specials are offered daily.

Mogambos 50 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3825 1311 This restaurant has been around since the mid-1990s, which offers an insight into its enduring quality. Specializes in American grain-fed steaks, hamburgers and salads served in a pleasant atmosphere. 

Pasha Bar & Restaurant 25 Dong Du, D1 Tel: 08 629 136 77 www.pasha.com.vn Turkish–Mediterranean restaurant located in heart of HCMC serves halal and high quality food with ingredients imported from Turkey, Spain, Singapore, Egypt, New Zealand, Japan and France. Long happy hour half price by glass. Various shisha flavours.

Peaches: The Curry Pub Sky Garden 2, S57-1, Phu My Hung, D7 Tel: 5410 0999 Serves up dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia with a focus on healthy preparation and fresh produce. Phatty’s 46-48 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3821 0705 www.phattysbar.com Jaspa’s Steve Hardy and Ben Winspear’s sports bar has five widescreen TVs, a large drop-down screen and lots of pub grub and beer for fans looking to take in a game or two.

Qing 110 Pasteur, D1 www.qing.com.vn Sophisticated downtown bar just off Le Loi specializes in Asian tapas, Asian/ South American fusion dishes and a few delectable deserts. Variety of good wines by the glass or bottle.

Sheridan’s Irish House 17/13 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 0793 www.sheridansbarvn.com Cosy Irish pub with authentic Irish decor, a pleasant atmosphere and regular live music. Wide range of classic pub grub, East Asian dishes and a fantastic breakfast fry-up available from 8 am.

Storm P Bar & Restaurant 5B Nguyen Sieu, D1 Tel: 3827 4738 www.stormp.vn This friendly hangout is a favourite with

both the Scandinavian community and English-speaking expats. Offers Danish cuisine to go with the drinks.  The Tavern R2/24 Hung Gia 3, Bui Bang Doan, D7 Tel: 5410 3900 Boasts good international food, a pool table, dartboards and sports coverage on large screens. Outdoor seating on mutiple levels. Second floor sports lounge hosts DJs at the weekends.  Vasco’s Bar 74/7D Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3824 2888 Chic bar decked in deep reds that gets packed to capacity on weekends. Open Monday to Saturday with live music on Fridays. Food menu by chef with over 10 years experience at La Camargue. Also does excellent pizza.  ZanZBar 41 Dong Du, D1 Funky, modern interiors and varied international breakfast, lunch and dinner cuisine. Imported beers, cocktails, gourmet espresso coffee, and happy hours make ZanZBar a great after-work spot. Open late.

CAFES Annam Cafe 16-18 Hai Ba Trung Cosy corner cafe with free Wi-Fi overlooking Hai Ba Trung. Serves a slate of gourmet sandwiches, coffee and wine.

Bobby Brewer’s 45 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 3920 4090 70 Nguyen Cong Tru, D1 Tel: 3821 8100 86 Pham Ngoc Thach, D3 Tel: 6299 1990 www.bobbybrewers.com This is an attractive fast-food style coffee shop with friendly staff and good lattes.

All the coffee is roasted on the premises and there are comfortable couches and travellers aplenty making it a chilled place to hang out.  Cafe Terrace Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1 This funky café is frequented by trendy types attracted by the leather lounges, outdoor terrace and 52 non-alcoholic fruit concotions.

Cay Da Cafe Ground floor, Moevenpick Hotel Saigon

broaden your palate with promotions around town

The Library

The Library at the InterContinental Asiana will offer afternoon tea from 2 to 6 pm daily for 300,000 VND ++ for two people. The price includes a pot of traditional English tea accompanied by a tiered stand of sandwiches, scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream and other sophisticated sweet bites. Call 3520 9999

Restaurant Nineteen

Celebrate Women’s Day on March 8 at the Caravelle Hotel’s Restaurant Nineteen with a buffet lunch and dinner. The buffet offers more than a dozen appetizers, soups, cheeses, an assortment of seafood, caviar and roe, roasted duck breast, lamb shanks, beef medallions, suckling pig, and

60 asialife HCMC

O’Brien’s 74/A2 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3829 3198 A large Celtic-style pub popular with media types that has an interior done in brickwork and wood, and an upstairs dining area. Draught beer is happy hour between 3 pm and 7 pm. Great pizzas.

a heavily laden dessert table. The buffet lunch is 930,000 VND ++ per person and the buffet dinner is 1,050,000 VND ++ per person. Call 38234999 or visit caravellehotel.com.

Shang Palace Restaurant

Through March, Shang Palace will offer its “Fruit in Chinese Cuisine” promotion. Enjoy mouth-watering dishes such as roasted duck, jellyfish and fruits, oven-baked king prawn with mango sauce, codfish with cheese and papaya, or deep-fried prawn with sesame and strawberry. Call 3823 2221 or visit shangpalace.com.vn.

TOTT Bar & Restaurant

TOTT Bar & Restaurant at the Wind-

sor Plaza Hotel will serve a series of set menus highlighting barbequed dishes this month for 720,000 VND ++ per couple.

The price includes an appetizer and dessert. Call 3833 6688 ext. 2626 or email tott@windsorplazahotel.com.

Reflections

Reflections at the Caravelle Hotel will break out the tea kettles for a special dinner promotion on Wednesday, March 16. For each variety of tea the chefs will prepare a host of complementary dishes including cobia, parsnip soup, barramundi, lamb loin and ice cream. The five-course dinner costs 980,000 VND ++ per person. Call 38234999 or visit caravellehotel.com

Out of stock, out of excuses

If we don’t take tuna off the menu, it will be off the menu forever • Overfishing, intensified by pollution and climate change, is the main cause of our oceans' degradation with tuna at the forefront of destruction.

• Tuna, specifically bluefin, are close to extinction, on a par with pandas, rhinos and tigers.

• Although one of the fastest animals on the planet, reaching speeds of up to 90km/hour in long distance oceanic migration, they cannot escape the weapons of mass destruction - trawlers, commercial long line fishing vessels - and man's voracious appetite for sashimi and steaks.

• A third of their population is depleted annually along with significant by-catches of sharks, dolphins, turtles and rays. Their spawning age is 8 to 9 years and conservation is prevented by a lack of protected spawning grounds, inappropriate management, poaching, corruption, rising market values and short term benefits to relatively few people.

• As bluefin stocks drop, greater pressure is put on albacore, bigeye and yellowfin species. All tuna are warm blooded and their meat spoils easily while albacore tuna has relatively high levels of mercury.

Join the worldwide campaign to take bluefin tuna off all menus and let them grow to breed and avoid extinction

imbibe

street gourmet

Tea Tasting

By Grace Lewis For regular readers of Imbibe, you may be accustomed to reading about wine, but this month, please consider a different type of luxury beverage—tea. And, more specifically Singaporean TWG Teas.

It may seem that going from wine to tea is a long jump, but according to Vine Group's, Michael Kloster, there are a surprising number of similarities between the two. All wines and all teas share common ingredients—grapes and tea leaves. But, a wine grape is not just a grape, and neither is a tea leaf just a leaf. A skilled winemaker would never make wine with grapes whose origin and growing conditions they were unfamiliar with. In order to guarantee quality in every cup, TWG carefully selects their tea leaves from single estate farms.

After the selection of the base ingredient, the next thing that separates a Sutter Home from a Joseph Phelps, a Lipton from a TWG tea is the processing—the harvesting, drying, crushing or not crushing, fermenting, and ageing.

Totally unprocessed, white tea leaves are simply picked and sun dried. Consequently, they retain the highest concentration of antioxidants and have a delicate, refreshing flavour. Black teas are withered, broken, oxidised, and dried.

Their flavours vary from sweet and spicy to bold and smoky.

After smelling bag after bag of lifeless, stale Earl Grey my whole life, I was amazed by the rich, distinctive flavours in the tin of TWG Earl Grey.

62 asialife HCMC

Kloster explains that the tea is a single estate Darjeeling from India mixed with Italian bergamot and blue French corn flowers from Provence.

There is nothing dull or typical about this flavour combination. The mint in their Moroccan Mint is distinct and makes its presence known in a crisp, revitalising way.

Whether you prefer loose leaves or tea bags, the quality of your tea should not suffer.

Many tea companies gather what is left after the leaves have been sorted and use these bits in their tea bags, but TWG provides the same quality, whole leaves whether loose or bagged. Also, Kloster points out that all TWG's tea bags are made of cotton, instead of paper, which can alter the flavour of the tea.

Just as each wine has an optimum temperature, each tea has a different brewing temperature and steeping time. Kloster tells me, teas should rarely be steeped longer than five minutes, and boiling water is seldom desirable for brewing. If you prefer a stronger tea, the key is to add more leaves, not steep them longer. The tag on each tea bag notes the amount of tea, brewing temperature, and steeping time for that particular flavour.

If you are concerned that there isn’t a tea that will suitably complement your meal, have no fear. Teas can be paired with food—you guessed it—just like wine.

There is even a perfect smoky, black tea to go with your after-dinner cigar.

Trai Cay Dam Trai cay dam—yoghurt and fruit—is both simple and healthy. Choose your favourite fruits, cut them into small pieces and then mix together with yoghurt for a highly nutritious treat.

253 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3844 9222 ext. 118 www.moevenpick-saigon.com Stocks the Moevenpick’s chef’s most delicious cakes, pastries, ice cream and sandwiches.

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 12-14 Thai Van Lung, D1 94 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3 Nowzone, 235 Nguyen Van Cu, D5 Metropolitan Bldng, 235 Dong Khoi, D1 International café chain with a wide variety of coffees and teas, as well as light snacks and food. Also sells freshroasted coffee beans and tins of whole leaf tea. 

Trai cay dam is usually served with ice. It can be made at home or bought street side or in most coffee shops and goes for about 10,000 VND. Hong Hanh Nguyen

Mojo 88 Dong Khoi, D1 www.sheratonsaigon.com A top-end cafe with an attractive interior, outdoor terrace at street level and comfortable lounges upstairs. Good business coffee or lunch venue.

Paris Deli 35 Dong Khoi, D1 Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 3821 6127 Grand View Building, Nguyen Duc Canh, Phu My Hung, D7 Tel: 412 2179 Petite boulangerie/cafe decked out with French-style furnishings. Offering tasty French and international dishes with a range of lunchtime specials at reasonable prices.

Illy Café 111A Pasteur, D1 Tel: 2220 2388 Fax: 2220 2389 Grand View Shop SA1-1, SB2-1 Nguyen Duc Canh, D7 Tel: 5412 3292 Fax: 5412 3293 An Italian-style coffee bar that serves Illy—a world-renowned espresso blend.

Makes classic coffees like the cappuccino as well as innovative alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. Also serve light Italian cuisine and desserts.

That’s Café Rivergarden, 170 Nguyen Van Huong, D2 The Crescent, 103 Ton Dat Tien, Phu My Hung, D7 Hailing from the U.S., That’s Café is a new Khai Silk initiative. Claiming to provide the best coffee in town in a comfortable and friendly atmosphere, it’s a great place to hold a business meeting or catch up with friends.

Jubarcalypse 35 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 7930 Jubarcalypse has an interesting underground design. Playing jazz music, it’s the perfect place to re-energize with a refreshing selection of juices and snacks.

Une Journee A Paris 234 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3827 7723 15B Ngo Quang Huy, An Phu, D2 Tel: 0128 608 9551 A Parisian-style café that serve French cuisine, coffee and pastries like fondant chocolat, baba au rhum and tropezienne.

Free Wi-Fi. Open Monday to Saturday from 7 am to 7 pm.

Loaves and Fishes 5 Street 11, Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3547 0577 Coffee house on a side street near Riverside Apartments serves up drinks and serves the full line of Western-style baked goods from Harvest Baking.

X Cafe 58 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3914 2142 212 A2 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3925 9307 Bright, spacious foreign-run cafe decorated in the style of an Alpine chalet.

Popular with local makers and shakers,

Take your bathtub outdoors

USD 225 net/ Mandarin Suite/ Night.

Validity: until 30 November 2010 Validity: From 10 Jan 2011; except 30 Apr - 2 May 2011.

Rate is valid for Local Residents and Vietnamese living oversea visiting Vietnam.

Terms & Conditions Apply.

Receive 1 room on complimentary for a minimum 10 rooms paid.

Please ask for Weekday Special Offers.

has a great open-plan upstairs area and two outdoor terraces. Regular live music and homemade ice cream. Nguyen Trai location includes children’s playground.

Catering available.

es are prepared by chef from Hong Kong and served in an opulent 280-seat dining room in this restaurant opposite the zoo.

Intimate private rooms and larger party rooms available for booking.

Zenta 41 Mac Dinh Chi, D3 A large, extravagant, kitsch cafe with several rooms resembling airport departure lounges. Customers, though, tend to gravitate to the more attractive outdoor terrace with its pond and waterfall-style water features.

Shang Palace Restaurant Norfolk Mansion, 17-19-21 Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3823 2221 www.shangpalace.com.vn An upscale Chinese restaurant with a spacious and welcoming atmosphere.

The menu boasts a wide range of Hong Kong Cantonese cuisine, including both dim sum, a la carte and set menus, regularly changed by the creative chefs.

CHINESE

Vine Cellar Door Ho Chi Minh City 41 Hai Ba Trung, Ben Nghe ward, Dist 1, HCMC T:(+84.8) 3822 2284

Weekly wine tasting every Saturday 1:30 to 5:30pm Only 200,000 vnd

Hours of operation 10:00 am - 10:00pm

Dragon Court 11-13 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3827 2566 Open until 2am, this vast, no-frills eatery gets packed with hungry locals who savour generous portions of tasty dim sum. All the Chinese staples are here.

Expect a good feed for under 100,000 VND per person.

Thao Li Restaurant Grand View C, Nguyen Duc Canh, Phu My Hung Tel: 5412 5999 Daily Dim Sum Buffet costs USD $9.90 per person, starting from 11 am. The daily A La Carte Dinner Buffet costs $14.90 per person; includes more than 55 dishes.

Dynasty Restaurant New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, D1 Tel: 3822 8888 Fine Chinese dining in an opulent restaurant reminiscent of the Middle Kingdom’s imperial days. Delicacies clock in at 500,000 VND, but most dishes fall between 80,000 to 180,000 VND.

Truyen Ky 261B Dao Duy Tu, D10 Small homestyle Chinese restaurant specializing in the salty Hakka cuisine of southeastern China, including tofu and chilis stuffed with fish paste.

Huy Long Vien 99 Nguyen Du, D1 Tel: 3823 7799 www.huylongvien.com A magnificent Chinese restaurant with a leafy slate-tiled courtyard, Chinese lanterns and a labyrinth of water works.

Lunchtime dim sum is 120,000 VND, while the a la carte menu runs higher with Chinese specialties such as Peking duck for 400,000 VND. Kabin Renaissance Riverside Hotel, 8-15 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3822 0033 Elegant dining space with beautiful decor and great views over the river offers extensive lunch and dinner menus featuring authentic gourmet Cantonese and Szechuan dishes and an assortment of dim sum at lunchtime.

Li Bai Sheraton Hotel, 88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2828 Imperial-styled restaurant named after a famous Chinese poet. Excellent lunch time dim sum buffet for USD $17.00.

Nightly à la carte menu with dishes going from 100,000 VND. Lotus Court 1st floor, Moevenpick Hotel Saigon 253 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3844 9222 ext. 168 www.moevenpick-saigon.com Dim Sum and exciting Cantonese cuisine in a unique and elegant setting.

Ming Dynasty 23 Nguyen Khac Vien, Phu My Hung Tel: 5411 5555 Decorated in Ming Dynasty-style; offers 100 dim sum varieties and 300 dishes prepared by a chef from Hong Kong. The restaurant’s Imperial Buffet costs USD $39 per person and includes free flow of wine.

Level 4 Ong & Ong Building 159 Phan Xich Long Street Phu Nhuan District.

64 asialife HCMC

Ngan Dinh Chinese Restaurant Windsor Plaza Hotel, 18 An Duong Vuong, D5 Tel: 3833 6688 Beautiful wood paneling, colourful hanging lanterns and a sparkling mineral gallery make for a relaxing dining experience at the Windsor. Feast on roasted Pi Pa duck, giant grouper and steamed king prawns. Be sure to check out monthly specials.

Ocean Palace 2 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3911 8822 Both traditional and trendy Chinese dish-

Yu Chu InterContinental Asiana Saigon, corner of Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3520 9099 dine@icasianasaigon.com Specializing in authentic Cantonese and Peking cuisine. Award-winning chef prepares dishes including handmade noodles, dim sum and wok-fried items.

Wide selection of live seafood. Five interactive kitchens.

DESSERT PARLOURS Bo Gia (The Godfather) 29 Ngo Duc Ke, D1 20 Ho Huan Nghiep, D1 299 Nguyen Van Troi, Tan Binh Does brisk lunchtime trade with its selection of more than 25 ice cream favours and Vietnamese noodle and rice dishes.

Ciao Cafe 40 Ngo Duc Ke, D1 With a number of branches downtown (21 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and 26 Tran Cao Van, among others), this popular cafe offers a mixture of food, drinks and books. Boasts about 20 ice cream specials and serves crepes, sodas and shakes.

Fanny Ice Cream 29-31 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3821 1633 Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 www.fanny.com.vn Tranquil open-terraced heaven for icecream lovers. Menu contains fresh fruit, ice cream, sherbets and sorbets (coconut, caramel and Bailey’s ice-cream and mango sorbet are standouts). All you can eat first Friday of the month.  Ministry of Food 30 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 3827 7898 Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Two-floor dessert house specializing in Italian and Japanese treats serving a wide array of ice cream flavours using milk from Japan’s dairy capital. Also serves sandwiches and bento boxes.

New Zealand Natural 3rd Floor, Parkson Department Store 39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1 4th Floor, Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan 1st Floor, Saigon Superbowl, 843 Truong Son, Tan Binh www.newzealandnatural.com Serves flavours ranging from chocolate ecstasy, fruits of the forest and boysenberry dream by the scoop.

Yogen Fruz 118 Pasteur, D1 106 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1 Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Panorama Apartments, Ton Dat Tien, Phu My Hung, D7 www.yogenfruz.com Frozen yoghurt parlour is decked in mod-meets-IKEA decor and serves no-fat, and low-fat fro-yo blended with fresh fruits, as well as soft serve and smoothies.

FRENCH Annamite French Restaurant 21 Tu Xuong, Ward 7 D3 Tel: 6277 8332 annamite-restaurant.com The new VN restaurant area of D3 opens a classic French dinning option, led by ex Caprice chef. Snug atmosphere with a classic touch . French favourites such as escargot in garlic butter, Pan fried goose froie gras, duck in port wine, poached river sole with saffron sauce and classic flambé crepes.

Au Manoir de Khai 251 Dien Bien Phu, Q3 Tel: 3930 3394 This top-end contemporary French restaurant is set in a picturesque colonial villa with a lush courtyard and a lavish interior. Full of private rooms and opulent lounge areas, this unique eatery is the brainchild of Vietnamese fashion guru Hoang Khai of Khai Silk fame. Offers up dishes such as lobster consomme, panfried duck liver, salmon medallions with Moet and escalope de foie gras.

Cote D'Azur 12T3 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Da Kao. D1 Tel: 3911 5473 www.cotedazur.vn Authentic French cuisine in delightful surroundings, the brasserie's menu offers delectable dishes. Cote d'Azur's ambience gives it a homely feel and it also offers catering services.

La Camargue 191 Hai Ba Trung, D3 Tel: 3520 4888 Boasts a reputation for excellence in fine dining for more than 10 years. Modern French and Italian cuisine is served in a colonial-style alfresco dining space.

An extensive wine list allows diners to choose the perfect pairing.

La Fourchette 9 Ngo Duc Ke, D1 Tel: 3829 8143 Rustic downtown restaurant, with a good longstanding reputation for serving good traditional French fare at reasonable prices. Open 12 am to 2 pm and from 7 pm to 10 pm.

La Nicoise 42 Ngo Duc Ke, D1 Tel: 3822 8613 Small French-style bistro, with pretty mosaic tiled bar and tables. Offers a good range of teas, coffees and espresso-based drinks. Lunch menu changes daily, but always encompasses traditional French food. Open until 10 pm.

Le Jardin 31 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3825 8465 This delightful restaurant in a picturesque garden setting is open for lunch and dinner and serves excellent French food at reasonable prices. Main courses cost about 60,000 VND and a carafe of house wine costs 50,000 VND. L’en Tête 139 Nguyen Thai Binh, D1 Tel: 3821 4049, 0903 188 091 This stylish bistro and gallery serves up a large selection of French fare representing an excellent selection of classic French fish and meat dishes, as well as international cuisine. Live music on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays starting at 8 pm.

Olivier Restaurant Level 2, Sofitel Saigon Plaza, 17 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3824 1555 Imaginative French cuisine cooked up in a blend of classic and contemporary.

Executive Chef Martin Becquart prepares a solid but creative selection of French favourites with an extensive range of fish and meat dishes.

INDIAN

Ganesh 15 - B4 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3822 3017 Casual dining with takeaway available, Ganesh serves up both North and South Indian culinary traditions. Very reasonably priced, with vegetarian curries from 40,000 VND and chicken dishes from 64,000 VND.  Indus Indian 2G Thi Sach, D1 Tel: 3521 0326 A003 KP Hung Vuong 1, Phu My Hung D7 Tel: 5410 0947 indusindian-saigon@gmail.com Wide range of Indian special across the board from North to South: Dosas, Idly, Vadai, Tandoories, veg & non veg curries... Catering and home delivery is also available.

Saigon Indian 73 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3824 5671 Popular venue with an enormous menu.

Serves both southern and northern Indian dishes like tandoori, biryani, dosa and idly snacks, plus a wide range of vegetarian dishes. Offers a set lunch menu. Cater service is available.  Tandoor 74/6 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3930 4839 www.tandoorvietnam.com Part of a chain of restaurants covering Hanoi and Saigon, Tandoor features a large selection of standard northern Indian dishes, including a good vegetarian selection. Excellent cheap set lunches and reasonable prices all around. Will organize catering for events. 

INTERNATIONAL Al Fresco’s 21 Mac Dinh Chi D1 Tel: 3823 8427 27 Dong Du, D1 Tel: 3822 7317 D1-23 My Toan 3, D7 Tel: 5410 1093 400 Nguyen Trai, D5 Tel: 3838 3840 www.alfrescosgroup.com Theme restaurant boasting a range of Tex-Mex, Italian and Australian-style BBQ dishes. Huge portions and tasty Australian ribs coupled with a good atmosphere and helpful staff. Good lunch menu.  Amigo Grill 55 Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 3829 0437 Outstanding steaks made with Australian, U.S. and Argentine beef, served in a cosy, family-friendly environment with large tables and banquette seating.

Dishes like leg of lamb and seafood are also on the menu. Open 11 am to 11 pm.

Au Lac Do Brazil 238 Pasteur, D3 Tel: 3820 7157 36/19-21 Pham Van Nghi-Bac, D7 Tel: 5410 5566 www.aulacdobrazil.com A Brazilian barbecue restaurant that takes meat seriously. The mixed grills and rodizio are fantastic and served in generous portions. No meat-eater should miss the churrasco: 12 cuts of meat carved at your table, plus unlimited salad.

Au Parc 23 Han Thuyen, D1 Tel: 3829 2772 Lavishly decorated brasserie borrowing from Moroccan and French styles and popular during lunchtime with expats.

Specializes in Middle Eastern and North African food. The salad menu is a favourite, and a great range of lush smoothies and juices are on offer. 

asialife HCMC 65

Black Cat 13 Phan Van Dat, D1 Tel: 3829 2055 628 An Binh, An Phu, D2 Tel: 3898 9837 Tiny but popular District 1 restaurant serving up an excellent selection of Western and Vietnamese fare and an extensive range of sandwiches and burgers. The District 2 location also features a slate of sushi and Mexican food, and the District 7 outpost has a full barbecue menu. 

recipes

BoatHouse 40 Lily Road, APSC Compound, 36 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 6790 Riverside restaurant with umbrella-shaded tables spread across outdoor deck and small indoor dining room. Serves remarkably fresh and inspired dishes made with choice local and imported ingredients—favourites include the sirloin burger and pan-fried fish and chips.

Pesto Pasta with Jumbo Prawns serves 2 | prep time: 20 minutes

Thai basil gives this pesto a wicked edge, a wilder taste than the milder sweet basil. Use almonds instead of pine nuts to calm it down for a night of food passion.

8 jumbo prawns 2 cloves of garlic 1 cup Thai basil (daun selasih) 1 cup sweet basil 3 tbs almonds 1⁄2 tsp salt 1⁄3 cup Parmesan cheese 1⁄2 cup olive oil / sunflower oil 1 tbs pine nuts 1⁄2 packet Fettucine ONE Add garlic, basil, almonds, salt, pine nuts and cheese into a food processor and blitz on medium. Pour in olive oil gradually while blitzing. Boil Fettuccine or any pasta of choice until al-dente (firm and slightly springy).

TWO Drain pasta. Keep some of the water from the pasta and stir it into the pesto. Without cooking it further, toss pasta in pesto.

THREE Grill prawns with a little oil and butter until red and simply fold it into pasta.

TIPS Be careful not to over-blitz the ingredients because the beauty of this dish comes from the uneven textures of the pesto.

PANTRY If you can’t find sweet basil, just use 2 cups of Thai basil but add 1 more tbs of pine nuts to balance the spiciness.

For more information contact Elizabeth Png-Reade at elizabeth.png-reade@electrolux.com

Recipes provided by

66 asialife HCMC

specialties made with fresh local and imported products. Well-designed, minimalist dining space and bar on the river are a serious draw.

The Elbow Room 52 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3821 4327 elbowroom52@yahoo.com American-style bistro offering a wide range of appetisers, soups, salads, sandwiches, mains and desserts, plus an extensive wine menu. Open daily 7.30 am to 11 pm. Breakfast served all day.

Gartenstadt 34 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3822 3623 Opened in 1992, it’s the first venue in town to offer German food with specialities such as pork knuckle and authentic German sausages prepared fresh each day. Also offers imported German draught beer.

BoatHouse Cafe 37 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 6281 9182 BoatHouse’s sister eatery for take-away and delivery service. Offers coffee, breakfast sandwiches, juices, smoothies, pre-packaged salads, sandwiches, burgers and fish and chips. 

Good Eats NTFQ2, 34 Nguyen Dang Giai Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 6672 Easteran and Western dishes are low in saturated fat and made from all-natural ingredients. Organic vegetables, herbs and spices accompany meals. Even the French fries are healthy. 

Byblos Restaurant & Shisha Lounge 11 Ngo Duc Ke, D1 Tel: 3825 7781 www.byblos.com.vn Downtown restaurant serves a menu of Lebanese starters, salads and mains served in a casual dining room. Catering available. Events and weekly belly dance show hosted. 

Halal@Saigon 31 Dong Du, D1 Tel: 3824 5823 www.halalsaigon.com Serving up a range of Vietnamese and Malaysian dishes prepared according to halal guidelines including ban xeo, pho and roti chennai and seafood favourites such as shrimp, squid and mussels.

Cafe Evita 230 Nguyen Van Huong, An Phu, D2 Tel: 3512 3888 Academic-themed menu at this outlet near the British International School includes meals like The Principal, a tripledecker club with fries and salad and burgers that range from First to Fourth Grade. Also has a wood-fired pizza oven. 

Hideaway Cafe 41/1 Pham Ngoc Thach, D3 Tel: 3822 4222 www.hideawaycafe-saigon.com Stylishly decorated and relaxing restaurant and cafe serving an eclectic range of tasty European-style food. Dine al fresco in the charming courtyard. 

Cafe Saigon Ground floor, Moevenpick Hotel Saigon 253 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3844 9222 ext. 234 www.moevenpick-saigon.com An international buffet with unique food concepts that is perfect for gathering family and friends.

Jaspa’s 33 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3822 9926 www.alfrescosgroup.com Unpretentious brasserie-style restaurant specializes in Australian-influenced international fusion cuisine. Full range of drinks including Australian and French wines and good cocktails. Hosts monthly Spam Cham networking event. 

Casablanca 58/9 Thanh Thai, D10 Tel: 3862 8859 Moroccan cuisine from merguez to pastilla served in an intimate, attractive dining room. Owner/chef trained at Morocco's finest hotels and caters to guests' every need. Reservations required.

Juice 49 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3829 6900 Bright and stylish deli-style restaurant serving salads, sandwiches, quiches and meat pies with French fries and potato salad. Also has daily lunch and dinner menu. Excellent smoothies and juices, as well as novelty drinks like wheatgrass shooter and Cannonball cocktail. 

Cepage Lancaster Building 22 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 8321, 3823 8733 www.cepage.biz One of the city’s premier venues, Cepage delivers an up-market bar, wine lounge and restaurant in one sleek package.

Sells several wines by the glass with several hundred bottles to choose from.

Mixes some of the city’s best cocktails.

Kita Coffee House 39 Nguyen Hue, D1, Tel: 3821 5300 Four-level restaurant serving a wide menu of mains, pastas, salads, sandwiches, soups and appetizers for lunch and dinner, as well as a variety of coffee and fresh fruit juices. Includes a bright ground floor cafe, sophisticated Old World second floor bar and rooftop dining. Set dinner everyday from 5pm. 

Cham Charm 3 Phan Van Chuong, Phu My Hung Tel: 5410 9999 The highlight of this upscale, beautifully decorated Asian restaurant is a special seafood buffet that includes Portuguese oysters, Alaskan crab, lobsters, sushi, sashimi, Japanese-style seafood, Langoustine prawns, American Angus beef and much more. Errazuriz wines are also included in the buffet. Part of the Khai Silk chain.

Market 39 InterContinental Asiana Saigon Ground Floor, Corner Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3520 9099 dine@icasianasaigon.com Seven interactive live kitchens offering French, Vietnamese and Southeast Asian cuisines, including a bakery, French patisseries, pancakes, tossed salads, grilled steak, seafood, wok-fried items, noodles and pasta dishes.

The Deck 38 Nguyen U Di, D2 Tel: 3744 6632 Serves upmarket takes on regional

Mekong Merchant 23 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 4713 Set in a courtyard, this rustic Australianstyle brasserie has brought modern

international cuisine to suburban An Phu. Popular for weekend brunches. Weekly specials and seafood flown in from Phu Quoc.  New York Dessert Cafe (nydc) Restaurant and Cafe NOWZONE 235 Nguyen Van Cu, D1 Metropolitan 235 Dong Khoi, D1 Parkson Flemington 184 Le Dai Hanh, D11 Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 The Crescent. Phu My Hung, 107 Ton Dat Tien, D7 New York themed menu offering a wide selection of Western dishes and desserts, including a variety of cheesecakes.

New York Steakhouse & Winery 25-27 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D1 Tel: 3823 7373 New-york@steakhouse.com.vn www.steakhouse.com.vn Chic dining venue designed in a classic New York City Art Deco. Open every day until late. Specializes in certified U.S. Black Angus steak, and features a fully stocked wine cellar. Guests are invited to bring their own wine on BYOB Mondays.

Orientica Hotel Equatorial, 242 Tran Binh Trong, D5 Tel: 3839 7777 www.equatorial.com/hcm Top-end seafood and grill restaurant boasting modern decor. Good service and excellent food presentation make this a pleasant alternative to the downtown scene.

Pacharan Tapas and Bodega 97 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3825 6024 This tapas restaurant and bar serves up superb Spanish fare crafted from authentic imported ingredients. The exclusively Spanish wine list is extensive and Sangria is half price during happy hour from 5 pm to 7 pm and all day Wednesday.

Pizza Hut (For delivery)Tel: 3838 8388 www.pizzahut.vn The world's largest pizza retaurant chain has 10 dine-in locations around HCM City serving up pizza, pasta, chicken wings and much more in a family-friendly environment. Delivery is also available through the PHD service which has the same Pizza Hut 30-minute delivery policy or your next pizza is free.  The Refinery 74/7C Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3823 0509 Authentic bistro with cane furniture outside, informal indoor restaurant section and a bar area. Cuisine is light, modern European. The menu spans a price range to suit most budgets.

Reflections Caravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3823 4999 Contemporary fine dining that combines Asian flavors with classic Mediterranean cuisine in an ambiance of understated elegance and European style. Special culinary events include guest chefs from Michelin-star establishments around the world. Private rooms are available.

Riverside Cafe Renaissance Riverside, 8-15 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3822 0033 International venue opening onto the bustling river sidewalk, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and particularly noted for its sumptuous buffet selection which combines Asian, Western and Vietnamese cuisine.

Sandals 93 Hai Ba Trung, D1 www.sailingclubvietnam.com Casual dining in evocative 3-floor space with blonde wood accents and cosy seating throughout. Kitchen turns out elegant and inspired fare at surprising

value for money: meal-sized salads; filling burgers, wraps and sandwiches.

Signature Restaurant Level 23, Sheraton Hotel, 88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2828 Fine dining with panoramic views over central HCM City. Food is stunningly presented, top-end European cuisine with Asian influences cooked by German chef Andreas Schimanski. A la carte or five-course set menu available.

Skewers 9A Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3822 4798 www.skewers-restaurant.com Rustic Mediterranean restaurant where subtle colours and exposed brickwork combine with jazzy tunes. Serves tabouleh, falafel, couscous and kebab. Highly rated for its grilled meats, bread and dip combos, soups and pastas.  Square One Park Hyatt Saigon, 2 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3520 2359 Specializing in high-end Western and Vietnamese cuisine, Square One serves charcoal-grilled meats and seafood, as well as steamed and wok-cooked Vietnamese fare.

Texas BarBQ 15/1 Le Thanh Ton, D1 The flavour and feel of the Wild Wild West is evoked by both the food and décor at this perennially popular eatery.

Quarter rack ribs are a mainstay.  VillaFB 79 Suong Nguyet Anh, D1 Tel: 3823 3822 www.villafb.com Refurbished villa with a spacious designled indoor dining room and an elegant enclosed courtyard. Serves bun noodle dishes for breakfast and lunch before switching to a menu of Eastern and Western fine dining for dinner.

Warda 71/7 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3823 3822 Chic, middle-eastern themed eatery swathed in oranges and reds serving Lebanese cuisine prepared by Damascan chef, Nouman. Mezze and tapas are the main draw, but you can also puff on hookas post-meal.

Xu Saigon 71-75 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3824 8468 www.xusaigon.com Inspired restaurant with an F&B director with a passion for mixing Vietnamese cooking with flavours and styles from around the world. Sleek but sparsely designed, the restaurant serves nouveau takes on Vietnamese cuisine.

ITALIAN Baby Spoon Cafe & Restaurant Head Office: 47 Phan Chu Trinh, D1 Tel: 3822 3356 Fax: 3822 3357 SB 2-1 Parkview, Phu My Hung, D7 Tel: 5412 0145 Level 3, Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1 While Baby Spoon is primarily Italian, a vast selection of international cuisine is served in this Japanese-inspired restaurant.

Basilico InterContinental Asiana Saigon, Ground Floor, Corner Nguyen Du and Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3520 9099 dine@icasianasaigon.com Contemporary and casual trattoria-style restaurant specializing in authentic Italian dishes and homemade desserts. Woodfired pizza oven and a wide selection of Italian wines.

Centro Caffe & Ristorante 11-13 Lam Son Square, D1 31 Ngo Duc Ke, D1 6 Thai Van Lung, D1

19 Thai Van Lung, District 1. Tel: 08 3822 1720 asialife HCMC 67

OPEN 24/7

Where the game’s always on!

NFL, College Football, NHL, Football, Rugby and More.

Takeout and Free Delivery.

28/4 Bui Vien Str. Pham Ngu Lao Ward, Dist 1.

Phone: (08) 665 663 38 - (08) 665 663 28

This is home of Illy coffee in Vietnam.

Offers modern and traditional Italian cuisine in three central locations with lunchtime set menus and regular wine tasting evenings. Good spot for business coffee meetings.

Da Vinci’s Pizza 001B Hoang Dieu, H1, D4 Tel: 3943 4982 Wide variety of brick oven pizza, calzones, spaghetti, subs and sandwiches.

Pizzas come in medium and large sizes and pay homage to Italy with names like Verrochio, Pompeii and Assisi.  Good Morning Vietnam 197 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3837 1894 Popular authentic Italian restaurant with additional outlets around the country.

Specializes in thin-crust pizza, pasta and a range of Italian dishes. Good selection of Italian wines. 

Scoozi 6 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3823 5795 Italian pizza restaurant affiliated with Centro Caffe serving tasty gourmet pizzas prepared in a wood-fired oven. The delicious creations restore one’s faith in HCM City’s ability to turn out a quality pie.  Villa Romaine Thao Dien Village 195 Nguyen Van Huong D2 Tel: 3744 6857 Set on the banks of the Saigon River, Villa Romaine offers traditional Italian pizzas and pastas in an alfresco setting with an excellent wine list. Open till midnight Sunday to Thursday and till 1 am Friday and Saturday.

JAPANESE

La Hostaria 17B Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 1080 Rustic eatery specializing in top-end traditional cuisine from various regions in Italy. Main courses from 130,000 VND with daily specials on offer. Serves excellent pizza. 

Dragon Hot Pot 122-124 Ho Tung Mau, D1 Tel: 3915 1001 info@dragonhotpot.vn Japanese hot pot restaurant serving motsu nabe, Japanese barbeque and lots of sake and shoju.

Opera Ground floor Park Hyatt Hotel, 2 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3824 1234 Slick, contemporary eatery with exposed brick and glass. The space revolves around an island kitchen from which chefs produce gourmet Italian fare.

Internationally trained chefs work with the freshest and finest ingredients around to produce some superb dishes.

Iki Ground floor, Moevenpick Hotel Saigon 253 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3844 9222 ext. 127 www.moevenpick-saigon.com A Japanese restaurant that turns the notion of the common hotel sushi eatery on its head thanks to an affordable menu and a fun atmosphere.

Pendalasco 87 Nguyen Hue, D1, Tel: 3821 8181 One of the city’s oldest Western restaurants, Pendalaso serves a wide range if Italian favourites, as well as remarkably authentic crispy, thin-crust pizza.  Pepperoni’s 111 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 3920 4989 Attractive pizza and pasta restaurant from the same chain as Al Fresco’s.

Good cheap buffet lunches on weekdays and all-round large and tasty portions.



Pomodoro 79 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3823 8998 A family-oriented Italian restaurant serving traditional fare are surprisingly reasonable prices. Offers daily lunchtime specials and has an extensive wine list.

Sarpino’s 125 Ho Tung Mau, D1 Tel: 3821 7788 Tasty American-style pan pizza in a pleasant and fresh Italian-themed environment. Four sizes available, from personal to extra large, with a large

68 asialife HCMC

range of toppings. Also serves pasta, soups, wings and salads. 

K Cafe 74 A4 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3824 5355 Small, cosy and cheery, this café is noteworthy for its cracking hand rolls.

Salmon skin rolls are also a treat. The assorted sushi and sashimi, tasty and beautifully presented, costs around USD $8. Leave some room for homemade yoghurt.

Kuru Kuru Sushi 129 Nguyen Du, D1 Tel: 3824 3566 Sushi restaurant with colour-coded menu and items served from a rotating conveyor belt. Helpful place mats in both English and Vietnamese break down prices and explain how to choose your food. Very affordable prices.

MOF – Japanese Sweets & Coffee Level B3-17A, Vincom Centre, 70-72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 30 Le Loi, D1 Refined Japanese café specializing in unique desserts and food. Focusing on use of organic products, this casual eatery has a comprehensive Japanese dining menu along with a wonderful

street gourmet

Healthy, affordable and quick service kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi makes for a fun dining experience. Extensive menu also includes beef, chicken and vegetarian options.

rant. Winter and summer scene murals fill the walls of this dual level eatery.

Large menu with favs like budae jjigae, a mix of chilli paste, Spam, hot dog and tofu, as well as super spicy duruchigi.

The Sushi Bar 2 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 8042 3A Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3911 8618 This brightly lit Japanese-style restaurant serves over 40 varieties of sushi at reasonable prices. Sit at the sushi bar or in private rooms upstairs. Open until 11.30 pm, delivery available on request.

Popular with expats and locals alike. 

Hana 8 Cao Ba Quat, D1 Tel: 3829 5588 Japanese-Korean fusion in the heart of District 1. Contemporary decor with a private, yet open feel. Broad menu including cooked and raw fish and traditional hot pot with fish eggs, rice and vegetables.

Tama-Gawa Thao Dien Village 195 Nguyen Van Huong D2 Tel: 08 37446857 Anh Phu’s only Japanese restaurant, Tama-Gawa serves fresh sushi and other delicacies. Set lunches begin at 120,000 VND. Zen 20 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3825 0782 Located amid the sea of Japanese restaurants on Le Thanh Ton Street, Zen offers a wide range of Japanese dishes.

The yakitori station grills up fantastic steak and quail’s eggs, and the chilled udon noodles are also a standout.

KOREAN

Mien Ga Mien ga is a clear chicken and mung bean soup served with glass noodles. Pepper, green onion, mushroom and cilantro are added for taste and shredded chicken meat

selection of sweets and offers possibly the most divine and delectable gelato in HCM City.

Nishimura Mövenpick Hotel Saigon, 253 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3844 9222 Exquisitely prepared sushi and sashimi from a globetrotting chef with three decades’ experience. A wide range of cooked dishes and monthly meal promotions are also available. Set lunches cost about USD $15.

and gizzards bulk up the meal. Dip the meat in salt and pepper for best results. A bowl of mien ga goes for about 20,000 VND. Hong Hanh Nguyen

25 Si 8A/6D Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3824 6921 Traditional Yasik-style drinking restau-

Kim Bab Chun Gook R4 42 Hung Phuoc 2, Phu My Hung Tel: 6296 9057 Korean boonshik/snack food eatery serving up a wide variety of light but substantial foods including dumplings, rameyon and fish cakes.

Kumdo 6A Pham Ngoc Thach, D3 Tel: 3824 3253 Korean beef barbecue served in small, welcoming dining rooms with barbecues built into tables. Large selection of raw meat specialties.

SOUTHEAST ASIAN Chaba Thai Thao Dien Village 195 Nguyen Van Huong D2 Tel: 3744 6857 Cosy restaurant nestled in the middle of Thao Dien Village offering authentic Thai food. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Okinawa Yamaneko 13/1 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 8433 www.yamaneko-vn.com Part restaurant, part Japanese pub serving up a variety of Okinawa favourites like sashimi with sea grapes, namakari and goya champuru plus sushi and soba.

Sakae Sushi Nowzone @ Royal Centre, Level 4 235 Nguyen Van Cu, D1 Tel: 3504 0054

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Lac Thai 71/2 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3823 7506 An elegant restaurant tucked in an alleyway and decorated with art-deco furniture. Authentic Thai cuisine prepared by two Thai chefs. Food is tasty but less spicy than you’d find in Thailand.  Little Manila S2-1 Hung Vuong 2, Phu My Hung, D7 Tel: 5410 0812 Small, no -frills eatery with outdoor and indoor seating located on a quiet street.

Serves a range of dishes from the Philippines (pictured on menu for those unfamiliar) and draught San Miguel.

Thai Village Sharksfin Restaurant 38 Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3825 6706 Restaurant serving authentic Thai-Theochew cuisine including their specialty: whole braised shark’s fin in clay pot.

The Red Dot 21 Tu Xuong, D3 Tel: 3932 5123 Aptly titled, this Singaporean restaurant serves decent chicken rice, char kway teow, chili crab, and a handful of Malaysian specialties.  Satay House 35 Mac Dinh Chi, D1 Tel: 3822 1727 Bright and rustic, this Malaysian-run place specializes in Halal food. Chicken and asam fish curries are must-tries. Its famous satays are equally delicious.  Thai Express 8A Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 6299 1338 www.thaiexpress.com.vn Modern restaurant with a massive menu of Thai specialties served in moderate proportions. The menu inludes chef’s recommendations and background on Thai cuisine. Warning: some dishes will test your tongue’s threshold.

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VEGETARIAN An Lac Chay 175/4 Pham Ngu Lao, D1 Tel: 3837 0760 Apropos of the backpacker district, this little restaurant offers no frills and a vast menu. Though meat dishes are available, it specializes in vegetarian Vietnamese and quirky “backpacker favourites.”  Hoa Dang 38 Huynh Khuong Ninh, D1 Swish vegetarian restaurant on a quiet street that serves up nutritious dishes, including meatless versions of bun bo, pho and steamboat. Cosy bar serving non-alcoholic drinks, fruits and other sweets.

Saigon Vegan 378/3 Vo Van Tan, D3 Tel: 3834 4473 Rustic vegan restaurant with extensive menu of healthy food at moderate prices.

Lots of tofu dishes and soya chicken/ beef, soups, banh bao and more. Also has a kids menu.

Tib Chay 11 Tran Nhat Duat, D1 Tel: 3843 6460 Intimate spot with a big menu of Vietnamese vegetarian appetisers, salads, soups, rice/noodle mains and desserts Viet Chay 339 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3 Tel: 3526 5862 Upscale vegetarian restaurant specializes in fake meat dishes. The attractive dining room is suffused with natural light.

Located within the walls of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda.

VIETNAMESE Cha Ca La Vong 3 Ho Xuan Huong, D3 Tel: 3930 5674 36 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3915 3343

Two HCM City ouposts of the legendary Hanoi original serve only one dish: the eponymous and delicious cha ca la vong, fish pan-fried at the table with turmeric and dill and served with cold noodles and peanuts.

Com Nieu 19 Tu Xuong, D3 Tel: 3932 6288 The house specialty, com nieu (smashed rice), comes with a shattered-crockery and flying-rice show at this well-known restaurant, prominently featured in Anthony Bourdain’s A Cook’s Tour. An extensive and tasty selection of southern Vietnamese cuisine rounds out the menu.

Hoa Tuc 74 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3825 1676 This comfortable high-end restaurant serves traditional Vietnamese fare with a contemporary, classy twist. Expect to find your local favourites as you’ve never experienced them before. Beautifully plated, this is Vietnamese cuisine at its best.

Hoi An 11 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 7694 Fine dining Vietnamese-style courtesy of two sumptuously decorated colonial villas, a bamboo-clad walled courtyard and a menu spanning the three main regions of Vietnam. Specialities include abalone soup and a raw fish salad. Four VIP rooms.

Lang Nuong Nam Bo 285/C145 Cach Mang Thang Tam, D10 Tel: 3862 2569 Warehouse-sized quan well-regarded among locals serves everything from beef, chicken and fish to porcupine, weasel and field mouse. Great destination for intrepid gastronomes. Has standard hot pot, rice and noodle dishes too.

Mandarine Restaurant 11A Ngo Van Nam, D1 Tel: 3822 9783 Fine dining Vietnamese-style courtesy of two sumptuously decorated colonial villas, an antique wooden stair and a menu spanning all regions of Vietnam.

Traditional music performances are available for dinner.

Nam Phan 34 Vo Van Tan, Q3 Tel: 3933 3636 Well known at its previous corner location on Le Thanh Ton, Nam Phan continues to serve modern Asian cuisine including asparagus and crab meat soup, stewed bellyfish in pineapple and grilled duck breast in orange sauce. Set in a restored colonial villa, the interior is alive with reproductions of Cham-era bas-reliefs and is inspired by Euro-Zen. Nghi Xuan 5/9 Nguyen Sieu, D1 Tel: 3823 0699 Located down an alley just past Hai Ba Trung, featuring an attractive open firstfloor and upstairs dining rooms with dark wood furniture and carved woodwork.

Serving Hue staples, crab and prawn spreads and an impressive array of wines and cocktails.

Ngon Vietnamese Thao Dien Village 195 Nguyen Van Huong D2 Tel: 3744 6857 Located at the picturesque Thao Dien Village, Ngon offers authentic Vietnamese cuisine including alfresco cooking and dinning with traditional music on Thursday nights and traditional water puppet show on Saturday nights.

Papaya 68 Pham Viet Chanh, Binh Thanh Tel: 6258 1508 www.chi-nghia.com Hanoian classics mingle with new interpretations created by Chi Nghia, whose

experience and dedication to clean, fresh ingredients set Papaya's menu apart. 10 am to 11 pm, 7 days.

Temple Club 29 – 31 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3829 9244 This high-end restaurant attached to an elegant lounge bar is a must-try for its art deco atmosphere as much as for its food. Mains go from around VND80,000 to VND150,000.

Tib 187 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3829 7242 100 Nguyen Luong Bang, Phu My Hung, D7 Tel: 5413 6868 www.tibrestaurant.com.vn Popular up-market dining spot serving Hue cuisine in an attactive dining room that draws on traditional architecture.

Call for reservations.

Tib Express 162 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3 Tel: 3822 5038 Serves a large selection of Tib’s Huefood menu in a more casual dining rooom and at significantly lower prices.

Specializes in bun bo Hue.  Wrap & Roll 62 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3823 4030 SA1–1, My Khanh 1, Nguyen Van Linh, D7 Attractive downtown venue that brings street-style food into air-conditioned and uncluttered comfort. Choose prewrapped appetisers such as the cha gio (spring rolls) or roll-it-yourself mains with ingredients like pickled shrimps, beef on sugar cane, fish, grilled eel and pork. 

nightlife BARS & LOUNGES See bar restaurant listings for more popular watering holes.

Amber Room 59 Dong Du, D1 Tel: 6291 3686 info@theamberoom.com A true London meets New York lounge, with chilled out tunes during the day and more funky vibes at night. A pleasant meeting place for drinks and a bite to eat.

Bar's bar 47 Phan Chu Trinh, D1 Tel: 3822 3352 Up stair and same entrance with Baby Spoon Restaurant, this cozy bar serve it's customer with Jazz music and great drinks. Open from 6pm till late.  Boston Sports Bar 28/4 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 6656 6338/6656 6328 Sports bar featuring North American food. Satellite TV, free pool and darts.

Catering services and private room available for parties. Takeout and free delivery. Open 24 hours.  Cloud 9 2bis Cong Truong Quoc Te, D3, HCMC (Corner of Turtle Lake Roundabout & Tran Cao Van), Tel: 0948 445544 Recently opened with beautiful déco, this rooftop lounge bar has its stunning views at night. Live DJ, great cocktails and desserts. Open 6pm till late.  Level 23 23rd Floor, Sheraton Hotel 88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2828 One of the best views of the city from this upmarket terrace bar and lounge.

Excellent cocktails don’t come cheap but the atmosphere is great with live music throughout the week and a live DJ every Monday.

The Library InterContinental Asiana Saigon, corner of Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3520 9099 dine@icasianasaigon.com Unwind with a glass of wine or a cup of tea. The Library provides a welcoming atmosphere for those in search of calm, comfort and personalized service.

M52 Bar 52 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3821 6726 Sparsely-appointed venue with reasonably priced drinks noted for packing a punch. Owners Annie and Ms. Van are never too busy to check on their patrons, and the busy bartenders are quick with a smile.

Park Lounge Park Hyatt Hotel 2 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3824 1234 Elegant lounge bar, with classic songs played every night by international musicians. The salubrious surroundings are matched by the range of the drinks, with vintage wines from USD $6 to $10 per glass. Tiger is $4.50 a bottle.

Purple Jade InterContinental Asiana Saigon, corner of Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3520 9099 Chic lounge blends the stylistic influences of contemporary design and opium dens.

Hosts live music and serves special drinks, including Shaoxing and Maotai rice wines and an exclusive selection of luxury spirits.

Q Bar Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square, D1 With low ceilings, intimate cubbyholes, colonial arches, gold paint, ultraviolet lighting and clubhouse beats, this is a bar that has a reputation for being a place to be seen. Great outdoor terrace and late-night indoor opening.

QD Bar & Lounge 138 Ton That Dam, D1, Tel: 3821 5338 Sophisticated lounge with New and Old World wines served by the bottle or glass, modern decor and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Ton That Thiep.

Saigon Saigon Bar 9th floor, Caravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3823 4999 Popular bar usually packed out with tourists and business travellers searching for some delicious cocktails and a great view of the city skyline. Cuban band Warapo plays every night except Monday from 8.30 pm until late.

Samsara Club 131 Dong Khoi, D1 A laid-back cosmopolitan drinking and dance venue with comfy lounge chairs around low-lying tables and an island bar bedecked in extravagant white-feather decorations. Pink neon gives the joint a contemporary edge.

Voodoo Lounge 92 Ho Tung Mau, D1 Voodoo paintings adorn the white walls at this small, attractive bar south of Sunwah Tower. A daily happy hour, plenty of stool space and a pair of dartboards make it a good place to grab a drink.

BREWHOUSES Alderbrau 98 Nguyen Du, D1 Small brewhouse decorated with antique brewing miscellanea, with an enclosed garden for outdoor swilling the small range of house brews and bottled imports. The kitchen dishes up sausages, German fare, and Vietnamese dishes.

Gammer Czech Beer 107 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3824 8619 www.biatuoitiepvn.com Attractive, multi-story Czech beer hall

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furnished with heavy wood and outfitted with a few flat screen TVs tuned in to sports. Dark and blonde beers are available, as well as a full menu of Vietnamese food from mussels to rabbit.

Lion Brewery 11C Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3823 8514 Microbrewery featuring traditional German brew technology and German fare like pork knuckle and wurst. Good spot to meet friends and enjoy a hearty meal and a whole lot of beer.

NIGHTCLUBS 47 Phan Chu Trinh St. Ben Thanh Ward D1 HCM City w w w. b a b y s p o o n v n . c o m

Italian & French Chefs Free Delivery

11 Le Thanh Ton, D1, HCMC Tel. 08.38247446

Voelker 17 A7 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 7303 8799 39 Thao Dien, An Phu, D2 Tel: 6296 0066 Small bakery turns out sweet and salted pies and mousses in addition to baguettes and a range of Western sweets.

Lush 2 Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3824 2496 A large and lavishly decorated bar and club popular on weekends. Good DJs playing the latest in beat-based music and the city’s beautiful people add to the sights and sounds. It’s on-par with Western clubs in both ambience and drinks prices.

CATERING

BAKERIES

86 Le Loi, D1, HCMC Tel: 08.382.44286

Tous Les Jours 180 Hai Ba Trung, D3 Part of the Korean bakery chain, Tous Le Jours stocks a superb range of freshly baked good from sugary treats like pain au chocolat to superior quality baguettes and loafs.

Fuse Bar 3A Ton Duc Thang, D1 A popular bar that plays primarily hiphop music. Every Tuesday Fuse hosts a ladies night where women drink for free and two bottles of wine can be purchased for 2 million VND.

at home

Italian Chef Wood-fired Pizza Oven Free Home Delivery

Schneider’s Finest 27 Han Thuyen, D1 Tel: 3829 1998 www.schneiders-finest.com Traditional German bakery bakes 45 different kinds of breads, rolls and baguettes and a wide range of danishes, pastries and cakes. Catering available.

Crumbs 54 Truong Dinh, D1 Tel: 3825 7199 www.crumbs.com.vn info@crumbs.com.vn Eat-in bakery offering a wide range of muffins, whole-grain breads and pastries.

Many of the breads are dairy-free, baked fresh daily with unbleached white flower, no added sugar.

Harvest Baking 30 Lam Son, Tan Binh Tel: 3547 0577 harvestbaking@yahoo.com This authentic bakery offers a range of specialty baked goods for delivery. Offering bagels, scones, breads, desserts,cakes, tarts and more.

Chocolate fudge cake and cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing highly recommended.

Pat A Chou 65 Hai Ba Trung, D1 25 Thao Dien, D2 The home of the long and crusty baguette. Supplies many restaurants but also sells wholesale. The miniature patisseries such as crème brulée and cheesecake are worth a taste. Opens at 6.30 am.

Au Parc Catering Services 23 Han Thuyen, D1 Tel: 3829 2772 Catering services available every day of the year for birthday cakes, dinner parties, wine tastings and corporate events.

For a custom-made quotation e-mail auparc@hcm.vnn.vn or call Quynh on 0908 196261.

Saigon Catering 84 Xuan Thuy, D2 Tel: 6281 8388 Provide services of catering, banquets, event planning, BBQ’s, daily deliveries and cocktail parties. For a custom-made quotation e-mail SaigonGG@gmail.com or call Huong on 0913 981128.

COOKERY CLASSES Caravelle Hotel Cooking Classes Caravelle Hotel, 19 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3823 4999 Full-day Vietnamese cooking classes for groups of up to 20 people. The classes include a visit to the market with the sous chef. Costs USD $45++ each for a minimum 10 people.

Saigon Cooking Class by Hoa Tuc The Courtyard, 74/7 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3825 8485 i.briosca@saigoncookingclass.com contact@saigoncookingclass.com Cooking classes available from Tuesday to Sunday 10 am-1 pm/2 pm-5 pm. Students make an entire meal that includes traditional dishes like pho and cha gio, as well as more creative fare. Conducted by Vietnamese chef in English, Japanese or French on request. Cost is $45. Market visit with the chef on request.

Vietnam Cookery Centre 362/8 Ung Van Khiem, Binh Thanh Tel: 3512 1491

LOUISIANE BREWHOUSE Beachside Nha Trang Asian & Western Cuisine Swimming Pool & Private Beach www.louisianebrewhouse.com.vn

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Well-known Vietnamese cooking classes with half-day and more in-depth eight-day courses. Students work in a comfortable kitchen area with their own stove and workspace. Eight-day course costs USD $160.

GROCERIES Annam Gourmet Market 16-18 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3822 9332 41A Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 2630 SB2-1 My Khanh 4, Nguyen Duc Canh, D7 Tel: 5412 3263 / 64 www.annam-gourmet.com Boutique grocer with wide selection of foreign foods; Annam-brand coffee, tea and spices; and household products.

Wine and premium beer, full deli counter, produce, dairy-frozen and baked goods on second floor. Cosy café serves coffee, drinks and sandwiches.

Classic Fine Foods 17 Street 12, D2, Tel: 3740 7105 www.classicfinefoods.com Luxury food primarily imports for wholesale, but also takes orders for its range of dry goods, cheese, meat, poultry and seafood from private clients.

Gastro Home Delicatessen 100 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 6281 9830 Deli filled with fresh French-inspired delights ranging from salads to fish and vegetarian, meat and poultry dishes.

Open 7 days from 9.30 am to 9 pm.

Kim Hai Butchery 41 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D1 Tel: 3821 6057 or 3914 4376 Excellent chilled imported beef, lamb, veal and other meats sold at reasonable prices.

Le Cochon D’Or 32 Dong Du, D1 Tel: 3829 3856 French-style charcuterie selling quality cold cuts, smoked sausage and a range of cheeses at very reasonable prices.

La Dorée 216 Ly Tu Trong, D1 65 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3822 1718 Reminiscent of a luxurious Parisian bakery, La Dorée prepares and serves a variety of colourful breads baked with green, beige and brown buckwheat seeds plus baguettes, fougasse, le dieppois sandwiches and le montagnard. Must-try desserts include tiramisu, chocolate mousse and Monté Carlo.

Metro An Phu, D2 Tel: 3740 6677 www.metro.com.vn Warehouse wholesaler located just off the Hanoi Highway in D2 between the Saigon Bridge and the tollbooths. Sells

bulk food, fresh fruit and vegetables and meat, as well as paper products, cleaning supplies, housewares--basically everything.

Cosy BAR with Jazz music

Organik 11A Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 090 273 3841 arlene@organikvn.com www.organikvn.com Online grocer based out of Dalat selling a range of organic vegetables and groceries, as well as imported all-natural products such as cereal, soymilk and tea. Operates a retail shop in An Phu. Phuong Ha 58 Ham Nghi, D1 Tel: 3914 1318 A mini-supermarket that sells an extensive assortment of imported packaged food, cheese, meat, fresh fruit, vegetables and fine wines.

Veggy’s 29A Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3823 8526 Sky Garden Pham Van Nghi, Bac Khu Pho, D7 Riverside Apartments 53 Vo Truong Toan, Thao Dien, D2 Popular expat market with a huge walkin fridge area stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products and a range of meats. Imported canned and dried foods, wines, beers, soft drinks, spirits and snacks also available.

Open from 6pm to late night 47 Phan Chu Trinh, Dist 1, HCMC (Up stair from Baby Spoon Restaurant) Tel: 84 3822 3352

LIQUOR & WINE Bacchus Corner 158D Pasteur, D1 Reliable wine and liquor store owned

by Tan Khoa Wines with a good range of spirits, whiskies, wines and more all at decent prices. English-speaking staff can help with selections.

Connoisseur 7 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 224 6324 A decent range of wines from both old and new world vineyards lines the walls in this intimate store. Monthly offers on new arrivals are often a good deal. The staff are helpful, but little English.

Red Apron 22 Chu Manh Trinh, D1 Tel: 3823 0021 Large wine and spirits wholesaler, with 90,000 bottles stored in its five locations around the country. Sells wine from all around the world, particularly France, Chile, Italy and Australia. Exclusive distributor of such fine brands as Taittinger Champagne.

The Warehouse 178 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3825 8826 924 Tran Hung Dao, D5 Tel: 6261 1525 www.warehouse-asia.com One of the city’s premier wine distributors, The Warehouse is an aptly named, stylish wine store that stocks a full range of both New and Old World wines, sparkling wines, Champagne, spirits, imported beers and accessories.

12 T3 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai St. Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City T/F: 08 39 11 54 73 E: brasserie@cotedazur.vn www.cotedazur.vn

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nutrifort health feed

listings

Tel: 3775 2520 www.lottecinemavn.com Modern cinema with four-way sound system. D7 location houses luxury theatre Charlotte with 32 seats and eight sofas.

culture

me phim HCM City-based film initiative that provides support to local filmmakers and hosts regular film screenings/discussions. Email dduukk@gmail.com for information or join the Facebook group.

CLASSES

I'm Every Woman Part 2

By Nutrifort’s Nicole Hankins Many women come to me complaining about the changing of their bodies with age: unexplained fatigue, weight gain on celery stick diets, hot flashes etc. When your body is under stress, cortisol accumulates causing it to store more fat cells. After years of stress, your adrenals are also overworked, which causes estrogen levels to decrease—this calls for fat cells in your waist to grow bigger to produce enough estrogen for your body to survive. Also in stress, your appetite centre is stimulated.

The best stress reducing activity is exercise. Without exercise, menopause symptoms are exacerbated. Try 60 minutes of aerobic activity four days a week to burn stubborn fat and add strength training to your repertoire, as well. Two to three one hour sessions will tone your muscles and protect against osteoporosis.

Don’t diet during menopause. You can’t force fat cells to shrink during midlife because they have to grow to produce estrogen. If you starve them, they will boost their fat storing enzymes. They will recruit the help of your muscle mass by breaking it down and slowing down your metabolism, making it possible to store the lowest calorie foods as fat! To combat this, eat four to five healthy meals per day.

Ask your doctor to check your hormone levels with a blood test at your next checkup, too. A high level of follicle stimulating hormones

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indicates perimenopause while thyroid stimulating hormones regulate the metabolism and control body temperature and digestion. Also ask about your estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels, which should be at 200, 10 to 20 and 50 to 80 respectively.

Hormone replacement therapy can fix any imbalances. There are synthetic hormones (which I am not in favour of) or bioidentical hormones, which are identical in molecular structure and function to those found in the body. They are derived from yams or soybeans.

Food can also help right hormone imbalance. Include flaxseed, sesame seeds, berries, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, mangosteen, pomegranate, kiwi, avocados, strawberries, whole grains, extra virgin olive oil, green tea and red wine in your diet.

And calcium will slow bone loss. Dairy and soymilk are excellent sources of wellabsorbed calcium.

Tofu, tempeh, soy sprouts and whole fish (sardines, salmon) provide some calcium, too.

Supplements will help to reduce symptoms, too. Fish oil works as an anti-inflammatory, evening primrose stimulates progesterone production, magnesium can relieve mood swings and insomnia while Black Cohosh works to reduce hot flashes.

Take heed of these tips and your change of life will be much easier to bear!

AngelsBrush by Vin Tel: 0983377710 Shyevin@mac.com Oil painting course gives learners the opportunity to work from the different objects; explore different mediums, materials and techniques; and interpret line, tone and colour. Instructor works with students on individual basis.

Helen Kling Oil Painting 189/C1 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 0903 955 780 hk.painter@gmail.com/helenkling@ yahoo.com www.helenkling.com Helene is a French painter who teaches beginners (children and adults) various techniques and the art of working with different mediums. She is also a fantastic tool for advanced artists who are looking to increase their creativity. Both day and night courses are available. Helene has a permanent exhibition at FLOW, located 88 Ho Tung Mau, D1.

Printmaking alphagallery@bluemail.ch Classes are held at Alpha Gallery taught by the gallery owner Bernadette Gruber, who offers the chance to learn monotype, intaglio and etching techniques.

CINEMAS Bobby Brewer’s Movie Lounge 45 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 3610 2220 86 Pham Ngoc Thach info@bobbybrewers.com Popular top-floor home cinema showing movies five times a day on a large screen. Email for the latest schedule.

Cinebox 212 Ly Chinh Thang, D3 Tel: 3935 0610 240 3 Thang 2, D10 Tel: 3862 2425 Cinebox cinemas show both original language films with Vietnamese subtitles and the dubbed versions.

Future Shorts futureshortsvietnam@gmail.com www.futureshorts.com/vn Vietnam branch of the international network screens foreign and local short films around town. Events often incorporate other media and elements, including live music, performances, installations and discussion. Submissions accepted.

Galaxy Cinema 116 Nguyen Du, D1 Tel: 3822 8533 230 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3920 6688 www.galaxycine.vn Large, modern cinema that shows the latest foreign releases in English (with Vietnamese subtitles).

IDECAF 31 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 3829 5451 French cultural centre and cinema theatre. Showcases French movies with English and Vietnamese subtitles. Also hosts movies and documentaries from a number of overseas film festivals.

Lotte Cinema Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3822 7897 LotteMart, 469 Nguyen Huu Tho, D7

Megastar Hung Vuong Plaza, 126 Hung Vuong, D5 Tel: 08 2222 0388 CT Plaza, 60A Truong Son, Tan Binh Tel: 6297 1981 www.megastarmedia.net State-of-the-art cinema complex screening the lastest blockbusters with plush, reclining seats. All movies shown in original language with Vietnamese subtitles.

GALLERIES a little blah blah OUT-2 STUDIO, L6 FAFILM Annex 6 Thai Van Lung, D1 albbsaigon-2010.blogspot.com Operates as an engine for contemporary art by organizing projects, exhibitions, screenings and talks. Runs one major art project each year and a reading room with more than 1,000 texts on art, design and creative culture. Free for everyone and open Tue to Sat 10 am to 6 pm.

Blue Space Contemporary Arts Center 97A Pho Duc Chinh, D1 Tel: 3821 3695 bluespaceart@hcm.jpt.vn www.bluespacegallery.com Busy, working gallery with easels propped up outside situated in the grounds of the beautiful Fine Arts Museum. Holds regular exhibitions by local artists.

Duc Minh Gallery 31C Le Quy Don, D3 Tel: 3933 0498 Housed in an opulent colonial mansion, private museum and art gallery showcases the private art collection of Vietnamese business tycoon Bui Quoc Chi. Containing more than 1,000 pieces that range from traditional to contemporary.

Galerie Quynh 65 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3836 8019 www.galeriequynh.com The city’s only international standard gallery, housed in a modern, two-floor space. Organizes regular exhibitions featuring established, emerging local/ international contemporary artists, publishes original catalogs in both English and Vietnamese.

Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum 97A Pho Duc Chinh, D1 Tel: 3829 4441 btmthcm@hotmail.com Institution housing contemporary/traditional works by Vietnamese and foreign artists. Pieces date from as early as the 7th century. Includes Vietnamese antiques, art crafted by the Cham and Funan peoples.

San Art Independent Artist Space 3 Me Linh, Binh Thanh Tel: 3840 0898 hoa@san-art.org www.san-art.org Artist-run, non-profit exhibition space featuring contemporary work by young Vietnamese artists. San Art hosts guest lecturers and curators. A reading room of art books and magazines is open to the public.

TuDo Gallery 53 Ho Tung Mau, D1 Tel: 3821 0966 www.tudogallery.com Hosting permanent exhibitions of works by the city’s artists, Tu Do deals in oils, silk paintings and lacquerware. More than 1,000 pieces on show.

listings

sports & leisure Sport Street Huyen Tran Cong Chua, D1 between Nguyen Du and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Services include mending and restringing broken tennis rackets. Products range from badminton birdies and rackets to basketball hoops, free weights, roller blades, scooters, soccer jerseys and all manner of balls.

Trophies & Custom Signage Street Le Lai, D1 between Truong Dinh and Nguyen Thai Hoc Offers custom engraving on trophies and plaques made of plastic, wood, metal and glass.

CRICKET Saigon Cricket Assocation Social cricket league plays 25 overs a side matches Sunday mornings at RMIT’s District 7 pitch. Season runs November through May, with friendly games throughout the pre-season. Practice on Saturdays and Sunday afternoons.

Australian Cricket Club Terry Gordon terrygordoninasia@yahoo.com.au saigonaustraliancricketclub@yahoo.com www.saigoncricket.com English Cricket Club Richard Carrington Richard.carrington@pivotalvietnam.com info@eccsaigon.com www.eccsaigon.com Indian Cricket Club Manish Sogani, manish@ambrij.com United Cricket Club Mr. Asif Ali, asif@promo-tex.net keshav.dayalani@rmit.edu.vn

DANCING DanCenter 46/2 Nguyen Cuu Van, Binh Thanh Tel: 3840 6974 www.dancentervn.com Modern, centrally located studio with foreign trained dance instructors.

Classes for kids age 5+ in jazz, ballet, hip hop and tap dance. Classes for adults in yoga, jazz, hip hop, salsa, belly, tap and capoeira.

Salsa Dancing at La Habana 6 Cao Ba Quat, D1 www.salsaigon.com salsaigon@gmail.com Six-week salsa package at 350,000 VND for single persons and 550,000 for a couple, run by Urko. Lessons every Tuesday (beginners L.A. style at 7.30 pm; intermediate L.A style at 8.30 pm).

Registration required.

FITNESS & YOGA AIS Sports Centre 36 Thao Dien, An Phu, D2 Tel: 3744 6960, ext 126 sportscentre@aisvietnam.com www.aissportscentre.com Features six-lane, 25-metre pool, basketball and netball courts, astroturf hockey/football area and outdoor gym equipment. Available for party hire, with BBQ included on request. Membership packages available. Kids swim club and adult masters programmes. Rainbow

Divers offers scuba diving courses for children and adults. Free morning yoga.

California WOW Xperience Parkson Plaza, 126 Hung Vuong, D5 28/30-32 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 6291 5999 The world’s biggest fitness centre chain is one of Saigon’s most modern places to get your sweat on. Located in Hung Vuong Plaza, CWX offers a huge workout area and all kinds of classes including spinning, KickFit, yoga and more.

Caravelle Club Spa 19 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3823 4999 Modern and stylish gym with lots of cardiovascular machines and free weights.

The swimming pool is a great place for a dip, and the massage parlour, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi are there for winding down.

Curves 15 Trinh Van Can, D1 Tel: 3821 0319 www.curvesvietnam.com Curves is a women’s only fitness franchise with over 10,000 locations and four million members. The centre offers a famous 30-minute total body workout that they say will burn up to 500 calories.

Features training on ‘double positive’ resistance equipment.

Daphne Chua Tel: 012 6662 6467 yogadaphne@gmail.com www.daphnechua.com Classes taught by a Yoga Alliance certified teacher from Singapore that focus on breathing and body awareness, combined with fluid movements to perfectly balance body and mind. Hatha, Restorative and Vinyasa classes are offered in group and private sessions.

Diamond Way Buddhism Meditation Group Tel: 093 804 3753 Email: SaigonGompa@gmail.com www.diamondway-teachings.org Meditation group using methods of Tibetan Buddhism. Diamond Way or Vajrayana Buddhism guides practitioners to experience the nature of their own mind to reach Enlightenment.

Equinox Fitness & Leisure Centre Equatorial Hotel, 242 Tran Binh Trong, D5 Tel: 3839 7777 Decent-sized 3rd-floor gym with modern cardio and weights machines, sauna, steambath, jacuzzi, and large 4th floor pool great for swimming laps.

Hollywood Fitness World H3 Building, 384 Hoang Dieu, D4 Tel: 3826 4639 One of the latest & best workout environments in the city, suitable for all ages and fitness levels. Personal training is offered.

Erick Tony Varin, Fitness and Swimming Instructor Tel: 0939 026 540 Erickforcearca@hotmail.com French instructor offers individual adapted programmes at home or at your gym, including weight loss, muscle gain, athletic training and post-traumatic treatment. Swimming and aqua aerobics classes for groups or individuals are also offered.

K1 Fitness and Fight Factory 346 Ben Van Don, D4 Tel: 0918 337 111 www.teamminetti.com Fitness centre teaching English and Thai boxing, karate, Vietnamese martial arts, judo, fencing, grappling, and mixed martial arts with classes for both adults and children. All training conducted by a professional foreign instructor.

L’Apothiquaire Fitness Centre 64A Truong Dinh, D3 Tel: 3932 5181 www.lapothiquaire.com

Internationally-certified teachers offer daily classes in Sivananda, Iyengar, Power, Yoga, Abdo-Pilates, Taebo and Aqua-Aerobics. Peaceful swimming pool, sauna and steam room.

La Cochinchine Rex Hotel, 146 Pastuer, D1 Tel: 3825 1812 (ext 7477) New and affordable fitness centre located in the heart of the city. This gym has a wide range of weight machines, as well as many cardio machines, including treadmills, cross-trainers and bikes. A good variety of classes are available, including yoga and aerobic dance.

Legend Hotel Fitness Centre 2A-4A Ton Duc Thang, D1 One of the best hotel fitness centres.

Very well-equipped gym with cardiovascular and weight machines, along with a circular swimming pool and massage parlour. A three-month membership costs USD $400++.

Nutrifort 2B1 Chu Manh Trinh, D1 Tel: 3825 8560 news@nutrifort.com/www.nutrifort.com Comprehensive health and fitness centre offering customized exercise, nutritional counseling to members. Specializing in weight loss programs, core/body alignment training with Pilates equipment.

Healthy snacks available.

NTFQ2 Spa 34 Nguyen Dang Giai, D2 Tel: 3744 6672 Therapeutic massage with a focus on sports massage to increase circulation, remove lactic acid build-up, restore flexibility and relieve back pain.

Park Hyatt Fitness Centre 2 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3824 1234 Luxury health centre with the full range of facilities including swimming pool, steam room, jacuzzi and fitness centre. Threemonth peak membership costs USD $810++ and off-peak is $450++.

Renaissance Hotel Health Club 8-15 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3822 0033 Stylish health club with gym, swimming pool, steam room, massage parlour, pool-side bar and an outstanding view of the city. Costs USD $140 a month, or $10 a day.

Saigon Fitness Club New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, D1 Tel: 3822 8888 The modern Nautilus-equipped gym is staffed by highly-qualified instructors to cater for your fitness needs. Features a swimming pool, floodlit tennis court, golf driving range, jogging track, sauna, and massage rooms.

Saigon Yoga Tel: 090 835 2265 info@saigonyoga.com www.saigonyoga.com A yoga centre with highly qualified instructors offering hot yoga, Hatha Flow, restorative yoga, kids’ yoga, pre and postnatal yoga and injury rehabilitation.

Also does corporate team building and yoga teacher training as well as organising yoga retreats.

Sheraton Fitness Level 5, Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers, 88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2828 sheraton.saigon@sheraton.com www.sheraton.com/saigon Sheraton Fitness features a team of trained professionals and new Technogym equipment. Members have full use of leisure facilities and receive discounts at hotel bars and restaurants and Aqua Day Spa. Soham Yoga Studio & Boutique 84T/4 Tran Dinh Xu, D1 Tel: 3920 5813 Soham offers Vinyasa Flow, Sivananda

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and Power yoga all taught by Yoga Alliance certified instructors. Soham's boutique stocks high-quality yoga products from Manduka and Jade as well as locally made yoga accessories and international yoga publications.

Sofitel Saigon Plaza Fitness Centre 17 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3824 1555 Small but well-equipped gym with helpful staff and quality equipment. Membership costs USD $700++ for six months and $1,300++ for a year. Also runs a number of fitness classes including yoga.

Yoga & Meditation Centre 335 Dien Bien Phu, D3 Tel: 3929 1706 www.ymc.org Professional team of Western and local teachers show you how to practice a combination of yoga and meditation with a range of classes such as Hatha, Yin, Vikram, Ashtanga yoga and Pilates.

Yoga Living 95 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 098 880 4598 info@yogaliving.com.vn www.yogaliving.com.vn Yoga studio offering hatha, vinyasa, power and ashtanga yoga. Schedule can be self-made by members.

FOOTBALL & RUGBY Australian Rules Football Tel: 093 768 3230 www.vietnamswans.com vietnamswans@gmail.com The Vietnam Swans play regular international footy matches around Asia. Training sessions are held weekly in HCM City (2.30 pm Saturday, RMIT D7) and Hanoi (midday, Saturday, UN International School, Ciputra). All skill levels and codes welcome.

Les Gaulois de Saigon www.gauloisdesaigon.com info@gauloisdesaigon.com A new team of French footballers, the side invites players and their families to come and join in their friendly training sessions, where everyone can get together and enjoy the sport while making new friends. Contact Sebastien on 0919 691785 or Romain on 0908 060139.

RMIT Vietnam sports.recreation@rmit.edu.vn A new player on the SIFL scene with a team made up of students from the University. They have their own football ground on-site consisting of two brand new pitches. Contact Landon Carnie.

Saigon Raiders jon.hoff@saigonraiders.com Sociable football side who are always on the lookout for new talent for their weekly matches and training sessions. The team participates in the Saigon International Football League and also has regular fixtures against local teams in the outlying provinces and also participates in international tournaments.

Saigon Rugby Club Tel: 0903 735 799 www.saigonrfc.org saigonrugbyfootballclub@yahoo.com Social, mixed touch rugby played every Saturday afternoon for adults at RMIT from 4 pm until 6 pm. Regularly welcomes visiting teams and tours the region for men’s contact and women’s touch rugby tournaments. Beginners welcome.

Saigon Saints chris@saigonsaints.com www.saigonsaints.com Expat football club of all ages, which has been running since 1995 and plays in the SIFL. Regularly venture on international tours especially to Bangkok and Manila and play in other local and international tournaments. The players train weekly, and new players are encouraged to join.

GOLF Dalat Palace Golf Club Phu Dong Thien Vuong, Dalat Tel: 063 3821 101 dpgc@vietnamgolfresorts.com The most beautiful course in Vietnam, combining the crisp mountain air with an environment of stately pine trees.

Overlooking Xuan Huong lake, the 7,009-yard course is an enjoyable challenge for golfers of all levels.

Dong Nai Golf Resort Trang Bom Town, Trang Bom Tel: 061 3866 288 / 3677 590 www.dongnaigolf.com.vn Large golf resort with 27 holes, plus a villa complex, bar, sauna. jacuzzi and billiards. The resort sits on 160 hectares of land in Dong Nai Province, about 50 kilometres from the city.

Membership starts at USD $2,000 a year.

Ocean Dunes Golf Club 1 Ton Duc Thang, Phan Thiet Tel: 062 3821 995 odgc@vietnamgolfresorts.com Designed by Nick Faldo, the 6,746yard par-72 course winds through seaside dunes, with the variable coastal breezes changing its character each day. An enjoyable and eminently playable course and has become a favourite venue for expatriate tournaments.

Saigon South Golf Nguyen Van Linh, Tan Phu, D7 Tel: 5411 2001 sgs.golf@yahoo.com.vn Nine-hole mini golf course and driving range set amongst attractive gardens just behind FV Hospital. Membership starts from USD $700 for 6 months.

Visitors’ greens fees for a round of golf are around USD $16 before 5 pm and $19 after. Club, shoe and umbrella hire is also available.

SaigonSports Academy League Tel: 093 215 3502 greg@saigonsportsacademy.com www.saigonsportsacademy.com 12-week, 5 a side community football league with Adult, U18, U14, U10 and U7 divisions. Matches held at Thao Dan Stadium in District 1. Corporate, local and expat teams compete in adult division with cash prize for champions.

Song Be Golf Resort 77 Binh Duong Blvd, Thuan An Tel: 0650 3756 660 info@songbegolf.com www.songbegolf.com Located 22 kilometres from the city centre, the premier golf course in the area features an 18-hole, 6,384-metre course. Also has tennis courts, a swimming pool, and a gymnasium.

Vietnam Golf and Country Club Long Thanh My Village, D9 www.vietnamgolfcc.com This facility consists of two courses of 18 holes each, one of which is designed in a more traditional Asian style, and the other in international style. Has other attractions such as boating, tennis and a restaurant area.

LEISURE Hash House Harriers www.saigonh3.com Running club that meets every Sunday at 2 pm at the Caravelle Hotel to go on a run in different locations out of town with their traditional balance of exercise and beer.

Phun Runner info@phun-run.com Social running group that meets Saturdays at 7 am for a scenic run around Saigon before breakfast. Great way to explore the city, meet fellow runners and get fit for future events. Check website for rendezvous points.

Rangers Baseball Club Isao Shimokawaji isao.shimokawaji@sapporobeer.co.jp A baseball club always looking for additional players of any age, race or experience level. Plays Saturdays or Sundays, often against Korean or Vietnamese teams.

Saigon International Dart League www.thesidl.com A highly popular group in town, the darts club runs a competitive year-long league for 16 pub-based teams. There are some excellent players in this sociable and international group. See website for details of how to join and latest 180 scores.

Saigon International Softball League sisl@saigonsoftball.info www.saigonsoftball.info The league plays slo-pitch softball every Sunday (usually at the Taiwanese School in Phu My Hung) and always welcomes newcomers.

Saigon Pony Club Lane 42, Le Van Thinh, D2 Tel: 0913 733 360 A standout facility offering pony rides, riding lessons, horse clinics and pony rentals. Also hosts events and birthdays.

Senior Expat ChitChat Weekly “Coffee Talk” meetings among seniors at the Palace Hotel Café (56 – 66 Nguyen Hue, D1) each Tuesday from 10 to 11.30 am. The informal group is for local expatriates and English-speaking foreign travellers who meet to share experiences and make new friends. Call club organizer Sheldon Pruss at 0932 031 837.

Squash The Landmark, 5B Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3822 2098 ext 176 www.thelandmarkvietnam.com One of three squash courts in town.

Membership is open to non-Landmark residents and drop-in players. Lessons and racquets are available for additional fees. Balls are provided. Book in advance or phone for further information.

Ultimate Frisbee RMIT, 702 Nguyen Van Linh, D7 www.saigon-ultimate.com Join in this exciting popular sport every Sunday afternoon from 3pm to 5pm in Saigon South. Pan-Asian competitions also organised for the more experienced.

Contact David Jensen at 0909458890 Vietnam Hobby Brewers hobbybrewer.vietnam@gmail.com www.hobbybrewer-vietnam.de.tl Small group of beer enthusiasts gather bi-monthly at microbrewery to talk beer, share brewing tips and sample homemade suds. The group is keen on taking on new members with an interest in learning how to brew.

Vietwings Paragliding info@vietwings-hpg.com Promoted by a local advertising executive turned test pilot, paragliding, hanggliding, trike plane can be performed in several locations across southern Vietnam including Dalat, Phan Thiet, Tay Ninh. Call Loco on 0903 825607 for more information.

X-Rock Climbing Phan Dinh Phung Sport Centre 75 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3 Tel: 6278 5794 503A Nguyen Duy Trinh, D2 Tel: 2210 9192 www.xrockclimbing.com Offering safe and professional climbing for anyone aged 4 and up. Featuring mountain climbing routes rated from beginner to advanced, climbing and belay-safety courses and training, birthday parties, corporate team building.

Excellent facilities for children and annual membership for kids.

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listings

health & beauty ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE American Chiropractic Clinic 8 Truong Dinh, D3 Tel: 3930 6667 www.vietnamchiropractic.com A chiropractic, physiotherapy, foot care clinic staffed by American-trained chiropractors speaking French, English, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. Treats back pain, neck pain, knee pain, also specializing in sports injuries, manufacture of medical grade foot orthotics.

Ciro Gargiulo CARE1 Executive Health Care Center The Manor, 91 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh Tel: 3514 0757 care1_reception@vietnammedicalpractice.com www.care1.com.vn A holistic approach is used by this acupuncturist and traditional medicine practitioner to rebalance the body’s energy fields. A wide range of ailments are treated including back pain, allergies and insomnia.

Institute of Traditional Medicine 273-275 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Dr. Le Hung is the man to see at this well-established traditional hospital & training centre. He speaks good English and provides excellent treatments in a clean environment. The Institute also provides acupuncture lessons at USD $30 per day.

Osteopathic Medicine/Physiotherapy – David Truong Tan Tel: 0903 09 81 24 www.osteopathy-vietnam.com French-trained osteopath and physiotherapist specializing in the treatment of back pain and muscular, ligament and joint problems using a holistic approach and gentle manipulative techniques.

Consultations available at International SOS in District 3 and Nutrifort in Districts 1 and 2.

Theta Healing – Jodie Eastwood Tel: 091 859 1933 www.thetahealing.com A unique energy healing technique for mind, body and spirit. Jodie is a UK qualified practitioner based in HCM City.

Traditional Medicine Hospital 197 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3 Friendly staff speak little to no English at this well-known ad spotlessly clean hospital offering treatments that combine traditional Chinese medicine with modern knowledge and expertise.

COSMETIC TREATMENT

chemical peels to collagen injections, nose and eye shaping, liposuction, and breast enhancement. Procedures carried out by French and Vietnamese doctors using the latest equipment.

Parkway Shenton International Clinic Suite 213-214, 37 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Owned by the Singapore-based healthcare giant Parkway Holdings, this aesthetics clinic offers a range of both surgical and non-surgical treatments including dental reconstruction.

DENTAL European Dental Clinic 17 - 17A Le Van Mien, Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 0918 749 204/08 3744 9744 Expat English and French-speaking dentist. Performs full range of dental treatment including whitening, aesthetic fillings, porcelain crowns, full ceramics, veneer and orthodontic treatment. 24hour emergency line: 0909 551 916 or 0916 352940.

Koseikai Dental Clinic 3rd floor, 21 Nguyen Trung Ngan, D1 Tel: 3910 6255 info@koseikai.com.vn www.koseikaidentist.com A member of Dental Clinic Vietnam, provide full range of dental services with the latest in technology, delivery of laboratory work and new technologies now available.

Starlight Dental Clinic Dr. Philippe Guettier & International Team of Dentists 2Bis Cong Truong Quoc Te, D1 Tel: 3822 6222 doe.linh@gmail.com With 14 years’ experience providing dental treatment to expat and Vietnamese patients, this well-known dental surgery is staffed by both foreign & local practitioners. Au fait with the latest treatments and techniques, the surgery prides themselves on their high standard of equipment & sterilization.

Westcoast International Dental Clinic Ben Thanh Clinic, 27 Nguyen Trung Truc, D1. Tel: 3825 6777 The Practice: Level 1, 71-79 Dong Khoi, D1. Tel: 3825 6999 info@westcoastinternational.com www.westcoastinternational.com Westcoast International Dental Clinic provides quality dental work, combining state-of-the-art techniques, a talented and highly skilled team and affordable prices.

See Medical listings for hospitals with dental services.

HAIR & SALON Anthony George for London Hair & Beauty FIDECO Riverview Building 14 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 6475 www.aglondonsalon.com.vn Top British stylist George brings his unique flair to hair in District 2. The modern, stylish and professional salon is host to a staff of professionally trained beauty therapists. Uses Dermalogica, Schwarzkopf and L’Oreal products.

Shampoo, cut and blow-dry starts at USD $26; mini facials from $12.

Cao Thang Lasik & Aesthetic Clinic 135-135B Tran Binh Trong, D5 Tel: 3923 4419 A modern clinic offering a comprehensive range of optical services. Specializes in LASIK correctional procedures, costing from USD $700 to $1,100 for both eyes. English spoken. Open seven days a week.

Jasmine 45 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3827 2737 jasminespa@hcm.vnn.vn Friendly and efficient staff offers haircuts and a wide range of services including waxing, manicures, pedicures and other beauty treatments. Skin renewal facial, salt or rice body scrub & deep tissue massage costs USD $98

FV Hospital Cosmetic Surgery 45 Vo Thi Sau, D1 Tel: 6290 6167 6 Nguyen Luong Bang, D7 Tel: 5411 3366 www.fvhospital.com International-standard cosmetic procedures from simple dermabrasion and

Le Brian Salon 201 Calmette, D1 195 Nguyen Van Hoang, D2 Vietnamese-American hairstylist with dual locations, offering a full range of hair services, as well as professional makeup application.

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questions for the coiffeur

By Lloyd Morgan Q. How can I stop my curly hair from getting frizzy in humidity?

A. Since curly hair has so many twists and bends in it each strand has gaps in the cuticle into which moisture in humid air can seep in and cause swelling (aka frizzing).

Curly hair is usually naturally dry so even though it absorbs water it looks frayed. Always keep your hair coated with light moisturising products to plug up the gaps and make each strand waterproof and smooth.

Look for moisturising shampoos, as well. Aveda have one called Sap Moss Shampoo. I don’t think you can buy Aveda in Vietnam, but similar products are available here.

You can also combat frizz and define curls by applying curl enhancing cream on damp hair, winding chunks around your finger then letting them air dry.

Otherwise, apply a topshelf conditioner that’s not too heavy on your hair while it’s damp. You can also mix products together. With one client I use wax, conditioner, and a little gel mixed together

to control her curls before air-drying. Air-drying is very important in getting the result.

Q. How can I make my hair grow or does hair stop growing at a certain length?

A. How long your hair grows depends on your genes.

Some might make it to 24 inches or more, while others won’t go past 12 inches.

Q. My son wants a faux hawk but my husband wont let him as he says he looks like a punk. Is there anything I can do to convince my husband it’s OK? A. You need to explain to your husband that the cut is only half of the process—styling products like strong gel or wax will actually create the mo hawk. He may feel more comfortable if he understands that without these products your son can still sport a regular hairstyle, and on occasion, a more edgy version.

Lloyd Morgan runs the Lloyd Morgan International Hair Studio at 234 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien, D2. Contact him at 0908 422 007 or lloydskate@hotmail.com.

Lloyd Morgan International Hair Studio 234 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 090 8422 007 International stylist Lloyd Morgan is one of the best in town. He’s been in the business for over 30 years and brings his expertise to this established, top-notch salon.

Qi Spa 151 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3844 1719 Caravelle Hotel Tel: 3824 7150 Mövenpick Hotel Saigon, Tel: 3997 5437 High-end salon and spa offers the standard range of services in a calming atmosphere with good service. Waxing, nail services, hair dressing as well as luxurious facial and massage treatments on offer.

Souche 2nd Floor, Saigon Trade Centre 37 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3910 0372 A top-end beauty salon using the Dermatologica line of skincare products.

Specialises in personalized facial care treatments from USD $30 and medicated acne treatments from $40. Waxing and other aesthetic services are also available in a pleasant atmosphere with excellent service.

Sunji Matsuo Hair Studio Saigon Paragon, 3 Nguyen Luong Bang, D7 Tel: 5416 0378 Celebrity hairstylist Sunji Matsuo’s Singapore-based hair salon has a variety of hair services including scalp treatments, rebonding and hair extensions.

The Salon 21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1 Tel: 3822 9660 65 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 3821 6394 Reliable haircuts from well-trained stylists at this local salon with multiple locations.

A haircut starts at USD $28 for women and $22 for men.

Venus 41 Nguyen Trung Ngan, D1 Tel: 3829 6298 French Vietnamese stylist Sandrine Nguyen trained with worldwide academics Toni & Guy and Vidal Sassoon. With more than eight years experience, she offers haircuts for men from USD $10 and $20 for women. Special services are colouring and highlights.

MEDICAL Australian Clinic & Pathology Diagnostics (ACPD) 273-275 Ly Thai To, D10 Tel: 3834 9941 www.australianclinic.com.vn Services include general outpatient healthcare, corporate / visa healthchecks, X-ray, full laboratory and in-house pharmacy including specialist medical services covering cardiology, paediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, orthopedic and dermatology.

CARE1 Executive Health Care Center The Manor, 91 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh Tel: 3514 0757 care1_reception@vietnammedicalpractice.com www.care1.com.vn Sister clinic of Family Medical Practice, CARE1 is an executive health care centre offering comprehensive preventative-care checkups in a modern and professional setting. State-of-the-art technology provides fast and accurate diagnoses.

Centre Medical International (CMI) 1 Han Thuyen, D1 Tel: 3827 2366 www.cmi-vietnam.com Located downtown next to the cathedral, the centre provides a high standard of medical care from qualified French and Vietnamese physicians. Its range of services include general and tropical medicine, cardiology, gynaecology, osteopathy, pediatrics, psychiatry, speech therapy and traditional Eastern medicine.

Columbia Asia Saigon Clinic 8 Alexandre de Rhodes, D1 Tel: 3823 8888 Respected multi-specialty clinic with foreign and local physicians. Doctors on call 24 hours a day. Standard check-ups cost between 400,000 VND and 800,000 VND. Family Medical Practice HCMC Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3822 7848 www.vietnammedicalpractice.com Leading international primary healthcare provider, with a 24-hour state-of-the-art medical centre and highly-qualified multilingual foreign doctors. Extensive experience in worldwide medical evacuations with car and air ambulance on standby.

Also in Hanoi and Danang.

FV Hospital 6 Nguyen Luong Bang, D7 Tel: 5411 3333 www.fvhospital.com A foreign-owned international-standard hospital with a mixture of French and Vietnamese physicians. Offers quality services, comprehensive patient care and is particularly well regarded for its maternity care. Full array of dental services from examination, cleaning and whitening to fillings, cosmetic procedures and implants.

24-hour emergency line: 3411 3500.

Hanh Phuc International Women & Children Hospital Binh Duong Boulevard, Thuan An, Binh Duong Tel: 650 363 6068 www.hanhphuchospital.com Managed by Thomson Medical Singapore, Hanh Phuc hospital provides a comprehensive range of facilities and service for primary to tertiary healthcare, focus in Obstestrics & Gyneacology and Paediatric. Soft opening was on the 3rd January 2011.

Valid to 31/3/2011

International SOS 167A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3 Tel: 3829 8424 www.internationalsos.com Globally-renowned provider of medical assistance and international healthcare.

Specializes in offering medical transport and evacuation both within and outside of Vietnam for urgent medical cases. Foreign and Vietnamese dentists. Has multilingual staff.

Victoria Healthcare International Clinic 135A Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3997 4545 79 Dien Bien Phu, D1 Tel: 39104545 Well-regarded clinic offering general examinations and specializing in pediatrics, digestive diseases, cardiology and women's health. Offers a membership program and cooperates with most insurance companies in Vietnam and abroad.

Open with doctors on call 24/7.

New Pet Hospital 53 Dang Dung St, D1 Tel: 6269 3939 This veterinary hospital is equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment including digital X-ray machine, color-ultrasound machine, inhalation anesthetic system and blood analyzer. It also provides boarding and grooming services.

Saigon Pet 33 Street 41, Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 0909 063267 A veterinary clinic run by a UK-trained vet.

The clinic provides diagnostic surgical and laboratory services as well as per grooming. Saigon Pet is affiliated with A.R.C Vietnam, a volunteer organisation dedicated to preventing animal cruelty, which also rehabilitates and finds homes for abandoned animals.

NAILS Nghia Beauty 20 Phan Boi Chau, D1 Tel: 3829 2688 Located next to the Ben Thanh Market,

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clean efficient and friendly staff service your hands and feet with a range of treatments while you relax in a comfortable atmosphere.

Nail P.KH 51 Nguyen Huu Cau, D1 A well-known local place with a number of manicure stations and an extensive range of services. A mani-pedi with polish starts at 40,000 VND. OPI 253 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3 International brand of nail care offering a variety of treatments from standard manicures at 50,000 VND to the whole host nail services such as acrylics, powder gell, cuticle treatments and French polishing.

Professional Laser Clinic in Ho Chi Minh City, Marianna owns the excellent experts in Aesthetic Medicine and the modern technologies such as Laser, Botox, Filler and all solutions can help you more beautiful and younger day by day.

Sian Skincare Laser Clinic 71–77 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel:3827 6999 info@sianclinic.com www.sianclinic.com Skincare laser clinic offering the latest in non-surgical esthetic treatments including Botox, laser, acne treatments, hair loss regrowth, hair removal, skin rejuvenation and anti-aging treatments.

Led by Dr. Tran Ngoc Si, a leading esthetic dermatologist from the hospital of Dermatology of HCMC.

Quang Qui’s Nails 146 Le Thanh Ton, D1 242 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Locally popular spots with low prices and good service, offering anything you could possibly want for your nails.

Yves Rocher 16-18 Hai Ba Trung Tel: 3824 8782 www.yves-rocher.com Small centrally located boutique retailing in French brand of botanical fragrances, face and body care, cosmetics and antiaging solutions.

SKINCARE

SPAS

Avon 186A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3 Tel: 3930 4018 www.vn.avon.com HCMC branch of the world’s largest direct seller of cosmetics occupies the ground floor of District 3 villa, selling brand names like Anew, Skin-So-Soft and Avon Natural.

Aqua Day Spa Sheraton Saigon, 88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2828 Recently revamped luxury eight-room spa with a holistic approach to treatment, using natural Harnn products plus hot stone therapy and seaweed treatments.

The Body Shop 87 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3823 3683 31 Nguyen Trai, D1 www.thebodyshop.com Internatioanl cosmetics retailer with strong commitment to environment sources natural ingredients from small communities for its line of more than 600 products.

Dermalogica Saigon Trade Center, 37 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3910 0372 www.dermalogica.com U.S. brand of cleansers popular among skin care professionals. The line of toners, exfoliants, moisturizers and masques are engineered by skin therapists to be free of common irritants, and the company is categorically opposed to animal testing.

The Face Shop 294 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Tel: 3820 2325 598B Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3 Tel: 3832 2095 94 Nguyen Trai, D5 Tel: 3923 9868 Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 www.thefaceshop.com Local retailer for the South Korea-based international brand of natural body, bath and skincare products. The company pairs variety with value, offering hundreds of products for different skin types. Also has kiosks at Co.op Mart in Phu My Hung, Diamond Plaza and Zen Plaza.

L’Apothiquaire 100 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Parkson Saigon Tourist Plaza Parkson Hung Vuong Plaza The Crescent, 103 Ton Dat Tien, D7 64A Truong Dinh, D3 07 Han Thuyen, D1 Tel: 3932 5181/3932 5082 www.lapothiquaire.com info@lapothiquaire.com French-made natural products for all types of skin. Also offers exclusive natural Italian skin, body and hair care from Erbario Toscano. Available at all L’Apothiquaire outlets.

L’Occitane en Provence New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, D1 French cosmetics company with a 30year history offering a range of bath and massage oils, essential oils, body and hand care products are especially well known. Also has outlets in all the major downtown shopping malls.

Marianna Medical Laser Skincare 149A Truong Dinh, D3 Tel:3526 4635 www.en.marianna.com.vn

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ask auntie emily

Belissima Spa 3rd Floor Saigon Center, 65 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 3272 8682 Well known in Hanoi and now available in HCMC, Belissima offers range of facial treatments, body therapies, and hand and foot treatments as well as special packages such as Coffee and Chocolate Body Toning Treatment.

Jasmine Spa 45 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3827 2737 jasminespa@hcm.vnn.vn Friendly and efficient staff offer haircuts and a wide range of services including waxing, manicures, pedicures and other beauty treatments. Skin renewal facials, salt or rice body scrub & deep tissue massages from USD $79.

La Maison de L’Apothiquaire 64A Truong Dinh, D3 Tel: 3932 5181/3932 5082 info@lapothiquaire.com www.lapothiquaire.com Traditional French day spa in colonial villa with professional therapists and state-ofthe-art treatments. Complimentary use of swimming pool, sauna and steam bath.

Has fitness centre and organic garden restaurant and offers gentlemen’s care.

Winner of Guide Award 2005-2009. Also offers exclusive natural Italian skin, body and hair care from ErbarioToscano.

NTFQ2 Spa 34 Nguyen Dang Giai, D2 Tel: 3744 6672 Therapeutic massage with a focus on sports massage to increase circulation, remove lactic acid build-up, restore flexibility and relieve back pain. Also offering Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage to reduce tension and reiki treatments.

Renaissance Riverside Spa 8-15 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3822 0033 No-frills Vietnamese, shiatsu and aromatherapy massages from USD $22 plus a room dedicated to foot massages from $18 at the atrium level. Also has sizable steam and sauna rooms at the club Xuan Spa Park Hyatt, 2 Lam Son Square, D1 Tel: 3824 1234 Beautiful spa with highly rated Swedish massage and water therapy including the unique 60 minutes Vichy shower to soften and smooth skin or the Indian Shirodhara with special oil for 45 minutes.

Spa packages aimed at rejuvenation, calming, and hydrating are also available.

No Running, Please!

By Emily Huckson Dear Auntie Em: At our local pool the other day, two young boys were getting rough as they were chasing each other in close proximity to my three-year old and her friend—neither of which are good swimmers. I didn’t know the boys, so couldn’t recognise any caregiver or parent around, so I asked them to stop running around and to be mindful of the smaller kids in the pool. One of the boys, I’ll say he was about eight-years old, turned to me and said, “You’re not the boss of me!” and they both continued their antics. We went home. What should I have done?

- Pool Party Poopers Dear PPP: First I would have spoken to the lifeguard, security or somebody in management before leaving. Why should you spoil your time at the pool because two other people (OK, kids) were not following the rules? Chances are your pool is in a gated community and I would think there are rules for everyone and one of the universal rules is ‘No Running’. I would

have asked management to enforce the rule to the two young offenders and I would also ask for the names of the two boys—people who work at pools usually know all the members.

I would then talk to the parents about the incident, and let them know that your intentions were for safety reasons only and you were a little upset about the rude retort! Whether to a stranger or a Vietnamese person in charge of children that kind of ‘talk back’ should not be tolerated by anyone.

When safety is the issue, the idiom, “It takes a village to raise a child” should ring true.

You might also have just physically positioned yourself between the big kids and your children, or said, “Let’s move to another part of the pool where you’ll be safer”.

But I still say if children are not following posted safety rules everyone should look out for them. In cases like this it is not butting in, but positive intervention.

Email your questions about childhood development to auntie-em@asialifehcmc.com

listings

family ACTIVITIES Alpha Gallery 10 Chu Manh Trinh, D1 Printmaking classes for both adults and children run by Swiss artist Bernadette Gruber. Six-week courses start with the basics and swiftly move students towards producing proofs and final prints from copper plates they have created. Freedom of expression is encouraged and other mediums are also explored.

Conservatory of Music 112 Nguyen Du, D1 The established training centre for professional musicians offers private piano and violin lessons to foreigners in the evenings.

Helene Kling Painting helene_kling@yahoo.com Offers classes in oil painting to both children and adults for 150,000 VND and 300,000 VND respectively. Classes are paced to suit each student.

Rubba Duckies Swim School rubbaduckiesswim@hotmail.com Parent and infant water familiarisation classes in a group environment from six to 48 months. Classes take place at Somerset Apts., D1; Riverside, D2;

APSC, D2 or AI D2 and D3. Email for schedule.

Saigon Movement An Phu Tel: 098 702 7722 saigonmovement@gmail.com Sports and creative movement classes for kids 2 to 11. Classes improve children’s total body awareness through a variety of games and sports-based activities. Phu My Hung schedule starts in September.

Saigon Pony Club Lane 42, Le Van Thinh, D2 Tel: 0913 733 360 Close to X-rock climbing centre, kids from three and upwards can ride one of the stable’s 16 ponies. Lessons with foriegn teachers last 45 minutes and cost 350,000 VND for kids from age six.

SaigonSports Academy An Phu and Phu My Hung Tel: 0862 819 790 info@saigonsportsacademy.com Sports academy founded by pro tennis coach currently offering tennis, football, basketball and swimming training to kids 4 to 18. Professional coaches integrate international concepts and systems to draw out athletes’ natural abilities. Also operates a youth football league.

The Performing Arts Academy 19A Ngo Quang Huy, D2 Tel: 090 339 0675 info@paa.com.vn www.paa.com.vn Enrolling aspiring learners 6 and up for instruction in guitar, singing, piano, flute, clarinet, saxophone and drums. ABRSM qualified. Group dance and drama session also available. Offering Tiny Tots music enrichment & dance program for ages 3-5.

Tae Kwondo BP Compound, 720 Thao Dien, D2 and Riverside Villa Compound, Vo Truong Toan, D2

“Give the children roots and wings!”

(Johann Wolfgang v. Goethe)

“Verleiht den Kindern Wurzeln und Flügel!”

GERMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Kindergarten • Pre-school • Primary • Secondary

OPEN DAY 19th March, 11am – 4pm

An opportunity to tour the school campus, watch presentations and meet our staff!

For further information: Mrs. Maier T 0913 587 690

257 Hoang Van Thu Str. Tan Binh Dist. HCMC T 08 7300 7257 • info@giss.vn • www.giss.vn

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phucteacherkd@yahoo.com Private and group classes are run after school three times a week by the friendly Mr. Phuc. Anyone over the age of five is welcome to join in the course, which costs USD $50 for 12 classes/month with a $25 fee for non-members. Contact Mr. Phuc directly on 0903 918 149.

deliver the University of New South Wales Foundation Studies GRADE 12 Curriculum (UNSW). Focus on academic excellence, international student body, superb facilities in quiet residential settings, qualified expatriate staff, range of co-curricular sport, creative, academic and musical activities and languages. Scholarships available.

International & Bilingual

BABY EQUIPMENT

(English and Vietnamese/ French/or Mandarin)

Babyland Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1 Quality products including car seats, buggies, prams and travel cots and a good selection of baby toys. Carries Avent bottles and sterilizer sets, and a small range of educational books. Prices are higher than the other places, but so is the quality.

Infant & Toddler program: for children aged 6 to 17 months Kindergarten program: for children aged 1.5 to 6 years Half day and full day

Maman Bebe Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3825 8724 www.mamanbebe.com.vn Stocks an assortment of modern strollers and car seats. Also sells various utensils and practical baby products. Small selection of clothing for ages newborn to 14 years.

British International School Primary Campus 43 - 45 Tu Xuong, D3 225 Nguyen Van Huong, D2 Secondary Campus 246 Nguyen Van Huong, D2 Tel: 3744 2335 www.bisvietnam.com With campuses all over the city and expansion underway, BIS offers a mixture of both English and International curricula-based education alongside excellent facilities and extra-curricular activities. Senior students follow the IGCSE and IB programmes.

MONTESSORI Early Childhood Program

Outstanding indoor & outdoor facilities.

After school activities for children 3-10 yrs: Music, PE, Art & language classes (English, French, Mandarin Chinese). www.montessori.edu.vn info@montessori.edu.vn Thao Dien Campus: 42/1 Ngo Quang Huy, Dist.2, HCMC An Phu Campus: Ground floor, Block B, An Khang/Intresco Apartment (Behind Metro supermarket Dist.2, HCMC) Tel: 37442639 - 38783164 0903 858659

Montessori International School of Vietnam

Me & Be 230 Vo Thi Sau, D3 40 Ton That Tung, D1 141D Phan Dang Luu, Phu Nhuan 246 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3 101-103 Khanh Hoi, D4 287A Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan The closest thing to Mothercare the city has to offer. Stocks a substantial range of apparel for babies including bottles and sterilizers, cots (including travel cots), clothing, toys, safety equipment and more, all at reasonable prices.

Me Oi 1B Ton That Tung, D1 A small shop adjacent to the maternity hospital bursting at the seams with everything you need for your baby. Clothing, footwear, bottles, nappies, nappy bags and toys all at reasonable prices.

New Parent Street Nguyen Thong Street, D3 between Ly Chinh Thang and Ky Dong Street.

An interesting array of baby formula and hard liquor. A one stop shopping cluster for first time parents.

EDUCATION ABC International School 2,1E Street, KDC Trung Son, Binh Hung, Binh Chanh Tel: 5431 1833 abcintschoolss@vnn.vn www.theabcis.com UK standards-based curriculum awards diploma with IGCSE’s & A Levels certified by Cambridge Universit examinations board.

From playgroup to pre-university matriculation. Served by 80+ British teachers. Good facilities and extra-curricular activities.

ACG International School East West Highway, An Phu, D2 Tel: 3747 1234 www.acgedu.com Part of the Academic Colleges Group’s international network of schools, ACG offers comprehensive education from kindergarten to senior high school and a range of extracurricular activities. International curricula (IB PYP and Cambridge International Examinations).

Australian International School Early Childhood - Primary Campus Cherry Blossom 1 & Lotus 1, APSC Compound, 36 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 6960 Middle & Senior Campus East - West Highway, D2 Tel: 3822 4992 enrolment@aisvietnam.com www.aisvietnam.com A leading co-educational day school with dedicated Early Childhood, Primary, Middle & Senior School campuses. IB World School, students follow the PYP and MYP Curriculum. Senior students follow the IGCSE – Cambridge A Levels. AIS is the only School in Vietnam authorised to

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Canadian International School SC 39, Panorama Building, Nguyen Duc Canh, Phu My Hung, D7 Tel: 5412 1549 Residential Quarter 13C, Nguyen Van Linh, Phong Phu Commune, Binh Chanh www.cis.edu.vn cis@cis.edu.vn The first Canadian international school in Vietnam offers classes from kindergarten to grade 9 for local and foreign students.

Teaches core Ontario curriculum and awards Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), recognized by universities worldwide. Vietnamese programme taught by local teachers.

German International School 257 Hoang Van Thu , Tan Binh Tel: 7300 7257 info@giss.vn / www.giss.vn A bilingual school with native German and English teachers. The language program is followed in both German and English, alongside the German curriculum. Extra curricular activities are available for all primary school students.

International School HCMC 28 Vo Truong Toan, D2 Tel: 3898 9100 www.ishcmc.com One of 136 schools around the world to be accredited as an IB World School. Offers all three of the IB programmes from primary through to grade 12. The school is fully accredited by CIS and NEASC and has a strong focus on community spirit and fosters an awareness of other languages and cultures.

International School Saigon Pearl 92 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh District Tel: 2220 1788/89 www.issp.edu.vn Opening in August, 2011, the single purpose-built campus will cater for nursery through grade five. In the second year, sixth grade will be added. ISSP’s long-term strategic plan includes complete middle and high schools. In the spring of 2011 ISSP will host the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (the largest American accreditation agency in Asia). Accreditation will allow children to easily transfer to schools abroad.

The Little Genius International Kindergarten 102 My Kim, Phu My Hung, D7 Tel: 5421 1052 Kindergarten with U.S.-accredited curriculum, modern facilities and attractive school grounds.

Montessori International School International Program 42/1 Ngo Quang Huy, D2 Tel: 3744 2639 Bilingual Program 28 Street 19, KP 5, An Phu, D2 Tel: 6281 7675 www.montessori.edu.vn Montessori utilizes an internationally recognized educational method which focuses on fostering the child’s natural desire to learn. The aim is to create an encouraging environment conducive to learning by de-

veloping a sense of self and individuality.

A wide array of curriculum/extra-curricular activities are on offer including Bilingual programs.

Renaissance International School 74 Nguyen Thi Thap, D7 Tel: 3773 3171 www.rissaigon.edu.vn IB World school, one of Vietnam’s international schools operating within the framework of the British system. RISS provide a high quality English medium education in a stimulating, challenging and supportive environment. The purpose built, modern campus has excellent facilities.

RMIT 702 Nguyen Van Linh, D7 Tel: 3776 1369 Australian university located in District 7, offers a highly regarded MBA and undergraduate courses in various fields.

Saigon Kids Centre 104A Tran Quoc Toan, D3 Tel: 3932 5579 saigonkidscentre@yahoo.com An international childcare centre for children aged between two and six years old.

Offers a homely and warm environment for children to play and learn.

Saigon South International School Nguyen Van Linh Parkway, D7 Tel: 5413 0901 www.ssis.edu.vn An International school environment offering an American/international program in a large, spacious campus, to children from age 3 to grade 12. Great facilities, extra-curricular activities and internationally trained teachers giving unique opportunities to learn.

Saigon Star International School Residential Area No. 5, Thanh My Loi Ward, D2 Tel: 3742 STAR Fax: 3742 3222 enroll@saigonstarschool.edu.vn www.saigonstarschool.edu.vn

Offers a British primary curriculum approved by Cambridge University and integrated Montessori programme for nursery and kindergarten. Qualified, experienced teachers and small class sizes cater to individual needs and abilities.

18 months to 6 years of age. Taught by Vietnamese and native English-speaking teachers. Outdoor play areas, swimming pool, music and art & craft rooms where students can play and learn in a safe environment.

Singapore International School (SIS) No.29, Road No.3, Trung Son Residential Area, Hamlet 4, Binh Hung Ward, Binh Chanh District Tel: 5431 7477 44 Truong Dinh, D3 Tel: 3932 2807 Ground floor, Somerset Chancellor Court, 21 - 23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1. Tel: 3827 2464 The Manor, 91 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh. Tel: 3514 3036 www.kinderworld.net Students play and learn in an environment where the best of Western and Eastern cultures amalgamate to prepare KinderWorld’s students for today’s challenging world drawn from both the Singapore and Australian curriculum. The school offers International Certifications such as the iPSLE, IGCSE and GAC.

The American School 172 - 180 Nguyen Van Huong, D2 Tel: 3519 2223 info@tasvietnam.edu.vn An independent and private collage preparatory school with a highly individualized and personalized program, The American School of Vietnam offers a strong, US based curriculum for Kindergarten through Grade 12.

SmartKids 1172 Thao Dien Compound, D2 Tel: 3744 6076 26 Street 10, D2 Tel: 3898 9816 www.smartkidsinfo.com An international childcare centre that provides kindergarten and pre-school education for children aged between 18 months and 6 years. A fun and friendly environment, the school focuses on learning through play.

Stamford Grammar 214 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3 Tel: 3930 7343 4Bis Phung Khac Khoan, D1 Tel: 3822 3339 www.stamfordgrammar.com enquiry@stamfordgrammar.com International kindergarten following a Singapore curriculum for children from

ENTERTAINMENT Diamond Plaza 34 Le Duan, D1 The top floor arcade and bowling alley is bound to keep your little ones entertained for hours with an impressive array of video games. Some child-friendly dining options too, with Pizza Hut on hand, a KFC and a New Zealand Natural ice cream concession.

Gymboree Play & Music Somerset Chancellor Court 21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1 Tel: 3827 7008 www.gymboreeclasses.com.vn The Gymboree Play & Music offers children from newborn to 5 years old the opportunity to explore, learn and play in an innovative parent-child programmes.

Parkson Plaza 39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Arcade game after arcade game line the top floor here with a bowling alley and a decent food court thrown in on the floor below. A good place to take the kids after trawling through Parkson’s numerous concession stands.

Vincom Center 72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3936 9999

A six-storey shopping centre that houses the world’s most famous luxury brands plus more than 250 fashion retailers and various restaurants. Each level has a coffee corner to help weary shoppers recoup while looking over the city. Open daily from 9 am to 10 pm.

Vinpearl Games Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Features fun and games for a wide range of ages. Air hockey, sports games and traditional arcade video games and a small children’s play place.

PARTIES A2 196 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D3 Well-known toy shop that also does a substantial line in fancy dress costumes and partywear. Also has a concession at An Phu Supermarket.

Beatrice’s Party Shop 235 Le Thanh Ton, D1 A lovely little shop selling everything you need to throw your little ones a good party. A catalogue of entertainers showcases a number of party favourites such as magicians, circuses and more.

Nguyen Ngoc Diem Phuong 131C Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1 A curious shop stocking a range of hand-made fancy dress costumes such as masks, superman outfits and much more. The stock changes seasonally, so this is a good place to stock up on Halloween, Christmas and other holidayspecific party costumes. Prices are also on the cheap.

The Balloon Man Tel: 3990 3560 Does exactly as his name suggests – balloons. Great service has earned this chap a reputation around town for turning up almost instantly with a superb selection of balloons. Also provides helium balloons.

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finance

listings

living

Following on from last month when I was talking about pensions and how they can either make your dreams come true or become a thing of nightmares, this column will focus on retirement.

The historical rationale is that you place your pension into low risk funds that ensure you do not lose anything that you have worked hard enough to put into your portfolio.

Yes, I understand you have worked your whole life and you want to make sure that your nest egg is protected.

But, is it a good idea to place your pension pot into bonds, gilts, money market cash investments, short-term treasury deposits and low risk mutual funds? You have to consider that after retirement, your pension pot has to sustain you for up to 30 or 40 years.

The costs of growing older are not cheap. One of the major expenses you may come across if you have had a family later in life are education fees and the associated costs of supporting an older child. (Hopefully they get a good job and get together with a good partner.

If not, you could still be supporting them into their late 20s—at least.)

Medical fees are another thing to consider. When you read your policy documents on your insurance plan, make

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sure that they will cover you after your 65th birthday.

If they still cover you, you could see a major hike in your premiums.

Like I said earlier, the traditional rationale is to place your retirement pot into low risk areas. Doing this for such a period of time could be detrimental, though. I’m not suggesting you put all your money into risky investments. What I’m saying is that each year you should be taking 4 percent from your plan as an income. (This sum will increase every year as inflation pushes the cost of living up.)

You may want to consider placing some of your money into an aggressive exchangetraded fund portfolio, or an aggressive in retirement portfolio consisting of mutual funds. Retirement itself can last 30 plus years so thanks to an improvement in health and healthcare, your retiree portfolio asset allocations may need to go the full distance.

If you have a family that you worked your nuts off for to give them a good education and they are in a situation to support you, that’s great. If not, you need to look after yourself.

Paul McLardie is a partner at Total Wealth Management. Contact him at Paul. mclardie@t-wm.com

Phong Vu Computer 264C Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1 Tel: 3933 0762 www.vitinhphongvu.com The biggest and busiest of the PC stores in town. Known for good, efficient service, in-house maintenance and aftersales repair on the second floor.

BUSINESS GROUPS

CONSULTING

AmCham New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai, D1 Business Centre, Room 323 Tel: 3824 3562 www.amchamvietnam.com

Concetti 33 Dinh Tien Hoang, D1 Tel: 3911 1480 www.concetti-vn.com Consulting and research company for technology transfer and investment.

AusCham TV Building, Suite 1A, 31A Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D1 Tel: 3911 0272 / 73 / 74 www.auschamvn.org

Embers-Asia Ltd. Level 9, Nam Giao Building, 80-8 Phan Xich Long, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3995 9163 www.embers-asia.com With a focus on experiential learning, Embers-Asia has been creating and delivering high-performance training and development solutions for corporations, embassies, international schools and NGOs throughout Southeast Asia since 2002.

British Business Group of Vietnam 25 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3829 8430 execmgr@bbgv.org www.bbgv.org

Pension Plan

By Paul McLardie

Future World 240 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3 Authorized reseller of Apple computers and products, as well as some off-brand items like headphones. Excellent service and English-speaking staff. Accepts credit cards.

Citibank Sun Wah Tower, 115 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, D1, HCMC Tel: 3824 2118 International Center, 17 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi Tel: 3825 1950 Citibank Vietnam offers a wide range of banking services to both consumer and corporate clients. Services include corporate and investment banking, global transaction services, and consumer banking. In Vietnam for 15 years, Citibank has a presence in both HCMC and Hanoi.

Eurocham 257 Hoang Van Thu, Tan Binh Tel: 3845 5528 www.eurochamvn.org German Business Group 21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1 www.gba-vietnam.org Singapore Business Group Unit 1B2, 21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1 Tel: 3823 3046 www.sbghcmc.org

CAMERAS Le Duc 5B Huynh Tinh Cua, D3 A shop for all your professional accessory needs. From lighting equipment to tripods and reflectors, the shop offers the best equipment and service in HCM City.

Pham The 11 Le Cong Kieu, D1 An authorized service centre for Nikon camera that also specializes in repairing all camera makes. Measurement equipment and spare parts also available.

Shop 46 46 Nguyen Hue, D1 Small shop run by photographer and collector. The owner’s more collectible pieces are pricey, but entry-level manual focus SLRs from the 70s and 80s are affordable.

COMPUTERS Computer Street Luong Huu Khanh, D1 between Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and Nguyen Trai This stretch of District 1 is literally wall to wall with small shops selling computers, printers, monitors and everything computer related, more so toward the NTMK end of the drag.

Ernst & Young Saigon Riverside Office Center, 2A-4A Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3824 5252 www.ey.com Professional service firm specializing in advisory, assurance, tax, transactions and strategic growth markets.

Grant Thornton Saigon Trade Centre, 37 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3910 9100 www.gt.com.vn International business advisors specializing in auditing, management consulting, corporate finance, risk management and information technology.

IF Consulting IBC Building, 3rd Floor 1A Me Linh Square, D1 4th Floor, 5 Ba Trieu Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi Tel: 3827 7362 Fax: 3827 7361 Email: pascal@insuranceinvietnam.com Private insurance and finance.

Indochine Councel Han Nam Building, 65 Nguyen Du, D1 Tel: 3823 9640 www.indochinecounsel.com Business law firm specializing in legal services to corporate clients in relation to their business and investment in Vietnam.

International Management Initiative for Vietnam (IMIV) info@imiv.org www.imiv.org The International Management Initiative for Vietnam (IMIV), a non-profit initiative within VinaCapital Foundation that promotes excellence in business leadership and management by bringing to Vietnam proven international executive education and professional development programmes.

Phuong Nguyen Consulting TPC Business Center, 92-96 Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 3829 2391 www.pnp-consulting.com Specializing in business facilitation, conferences, education counselling, market-entry research and IT/business consulting.

Prism Information Technology Services Level 4, YOCO Building, 41 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1 Tel: 3829 6416 info@prism.com.vn A foreign-owned information and com-

munications technology company that offers value-added IT solutions. Enables local businesses to attain and maintain international IT standards to be more competitive in the marketplace.

Rouse & Co. International Abacus Tower, 58 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D1 Tel: 3823 6770 www.iprights.com Global intellectual property firm providing a full range of IP services including patent and trade mark agency services.

TMF Vietnam Company Limited Unit 501, 5th Flr, Saigon Trade Center 37 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3910 2262 www.tmf-group.com With 87 offices in 67 countries, TMF Group is the world's leading independent provider of corporate compliance outsourcing solutions, TMF Vietnam specializes in accounting outsourcing and consulting.

Total Wealth Management 66/11 Pham Ngoc Thach, D3 Tel: 3820 0623 www.t-wm.com Specialists in selecting and arranging tax-efficient savings and pension plans for expatriates. Offers councel on private banking services, wealth protection in offshore jurisdictions, currency risks and hedging strategies.

Towers Watson Vietnam (formerly Watson Wyatt and SMART HR) Sun Wah Tower, 115 Nguyen Hue, Suite 808, D1 Tel: 3821 9488 Global HR consulting firm specializing in executive compensation, talent management, employee rewards and surveys, HR effectiveness and technology, data services and total rewards surveys.

and random paraphernalia. Large prints are sold at USD $60 each and small prints cost $25.

Vietnam-Quilts 64 Ngo Duc Ke, D1 Tel: 3914 2119 www.mekong-quilts.org NGO enterprise specializes in quilts and sells a range of appealing handmade products created by underprivileged women in Binh Thuan Province.

ELECTRONICS Hi End Audio 84 Ho Tung Mau, D1 A standout that stocks the very latest and greatest in home entertainment.

Retails in everything from giant plasmascreen TVs to audio equipment. Most top brands are available.

Nguyen Kim Shopping Centre 63-65 Tran Hung Dao, D1 Tel: 3821 1211 www.nguyenkim.com Stocks DVD/CD players, cameras, TVs, hi-fis and more from Sony, Sanyo, Panasonic, Philips and other major manufacturers. Also a good place to pick up electronic kitchen supplies like coffee makers and rice cookers, as well as large and small appliances, from hot water heaters to regrigerators.

Save time: See all pictures & details online.

Updated daily.

www.snap.com.vn

Tech Street Huynh Thuc Khang Street between Ton That Dam and Nguyen Hue, D1 Sells compact discs, DVDs, electronic money counters, video games and systems, Discmans, mp3 players and portable DVD players.

FURNITURE

Decosy 112 Xuan Thuy, D2 Tel: 6281 9917 Producer of a large selection of European styled furniture and interior fittings, specializing in wrought iron and patine (distressed) wood finishes. Also stocks a wide-range of decorative accessories, crockery and fixtures. Custom design services available upon request.

AustinHome 20 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3519 0023 Outstanding quality and style for your home. The shop says its products are hand-picked by an American furniture expert from the best factories in Vietnam. Upholstery, accessories, antiques and more.

Dogma 175 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3836 0488 www.dogmavietnam.com Located upstairs from Saigon Kitsch, this art gallery deals in Vietnamese propaganda posters, apparel, accessories

For rent in Dist.2, HCM: An Phu, Thao Dien, & Tran Nao

Savico 117 Ho Tung Mau, D1 Tel: 3821 7993 One-stop electronics and home appliance superstore. All products have a one to three-year warranty.

DECOR

Aquarium Street Nguyen Thong Street, D3 between Vo Thi Sau and Ly Chinh Thang Dedicated street has everything one needs to display fish: tanks, decor, feed, filters and the fish themselves.

Houses & Villas

Appeal 41 Ton That Thiep, D1 Tel: 3821 5258 A small, upscale shop that offers modern accents for the sleek dining room.

The colours of the over-sized vases and fruit bowls are either glistening red or lacquered black.

Catherine Denoual 15C Thi Sach, D1 Tel: 3823 9394 Beautiful showroom with clean lines and a sumptuous array of bedroom products including bedside lamps, linens, pillowcases and duvet covers.

112 Xuan Thuy Ward Thao Dien District 2 Ho Chi Minh City Tel/Fax. (+84) 8 62.819.917 shop-hcm@decosy.biz

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Decosy 112 Xuan Thuy, D2 Tel: 6281 9917 Producer of a large selection of European styled furniture and interior fittings, specializing in wrought iron and patine (distressed) wood finishes. Also stocks a wide-range of decorative accessories, crockery and fixtures. Custom design services available upon request.

Esthetic 11 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh Tel: 3514 7371/7372 Fax: 3514 7370 esthetic@vnn.vn www.estheticfurnishing.com.vn Design and manufacture as order with a mixture of antique and modern furniture.

Friendly staff speak excellent English.

Furniture Street Ngo Gia Tu, D10 between Ly Thai To and Nguyen Chi Thanh

Very affordable furniture can be found on this stretch: couches, mattresses, desks, chairs, etc. It often takes some looking to find a gem. A connected sidestreet, Ba Hat, features woodworkers’ shops.

Gaya 1 Nguyen Van Trang, D1 Tel: 3925 1495 www.gayavietnam.com Four-floor store featuring the work of foreign designers: home accessories and outdoor furniture by Lawson Johnston, linens by Corinne Leveilley-Dadda, furniture and lighting by Quasar Khanh, laquerware decor by Michele De Albert and furniture and decor by vivekkevin.

Linh’s White 37 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 6281 9863 Furniture shop that focuses on solid wood furniture and decorative items ranging from pillows and lamps to

bedding. Also offers kids’ furniture and custom pieces.

companies, investment projects, and mergers & acquistions.

Remix Deco 222 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3 Tel: 3930 4190 www.remixdeco.com Boutique furniture store in sprawling white with modern furniture including sofas, tables and seating from around the world. Featured designers include Le Corbusier, Ray & Charles Eames, Philippe Starck and Ludwig Mies Van der Rhode.

LIGHTING

Tran Duc Homes 33 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D1 Tel: 7300 0777 Level 5, Wonderbuy Center, 27b Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D1 Tel: 6291 8485 B2-25, Vincom Center, 70-72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3993 9700 Wood solutions partner for high-end residential and resort projects. Experienced in manufacturing and installing wooden modular housing, interior fittings and contemporary indoor and outdoor furniture.

LEGAL

Frasers International Unit 1501, 15th Floor, The Metropolitan, 235 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3824 2733 www.frasersvn.com Full service commercial law firm providing international and Vietnamese legal advice to both foreign and local clients specializing in transactions in Vietnam.

•Moving Services •Orientation •Pet Relocation •Work Permits •Home Search •And much more...

HCMC: +84 8 3933 0065 HANOI: +84 4 3941 0805 info@santaferelo.com.vn • www.santaferelo.com

_ We Make It Easy _

IT SERVICES

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Limcharoen, Hughes and Glanville Havana Tower, 132 Ham Nghi, D1 Tel: 6291 7000 www.limcharoen.com Full service international law firm with head office in Thailand. Main focus on real estate in Asia.

Phillips Fox Saigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3822 1717 Full service law firm providing legal services in healthcare, education, crime, banking and hospitality among others.

Pricewaterhousecoopers Legal Saigon Tower, 29 Le Duan, D1 Tel: 3823 0796 www.pwc.com/vn Part of a network of international legal and financial advisors, PWC gives both specialist and general legal advice with a focus on mutli-territory projects.

Rödl & Partner Somerset Chancellor Court 21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1 Tel: 3824 4225 www.roedl.com European legal firm assisting foreign investors with structuring/establishing

Light House 92 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D1 Tel: 3914 2662 Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Small retail shop is packed with ceiling and wall light fixtures, and a good selection of desk and ceiling lamps. Most of the stock is decidedlly modern and sleak.

Luxury Light 1483 My Toan 1, Nguyen Van Linh, Phu My Hung, D7 For those who really want to bring a touch of luxury to their homes, this place deals with Italian imported lighting from the ultra - modern to the traditional Murano style chandeliers. Extremely expensive reflecting the quality of the design and workmanship.

Mosaique 98 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 One of the best and most diverse selections of lamps in town with everything from the ordinary decorative lotus silk lamp to more inventive and original designs in lacquer and silk.

MOTORBIKES Automotive Street Ly Thai To Street, D10 starting at Dien Bien Phu and running southeast Services include mending motorbike seats and sound system installation. Products range from zebra print motorbike seat covers to car and motorbike tyres, hubcaps, rims, subwoofers and sound systems by Xplode.

Bike City 480D Nguyen Thi Thap, D7 Luxury motorcycle shop carries a range of accessories, including apparel. Sells Vemar helmets, a brand that passes rigorous European Union standards.

Protec Helmets 18bis/3A Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1 248C Phan Dinh Phung, Phu Nhuan 417B Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3 American nonprofit manufacturer makes helmets with densely compressed polystyrene shell with ABS, PVC or fiberglass exterior, available with polycarbonate shatterproof shield. Lots of options for kids.

REAL ESTATE CB Richard Ellis Me Linh Point Tower, 2 Ngo Duc Ke, D1 Tel: 3824 6125 www.cbre.com International property consultants and developers with both commercial and private properties for sale, lease and rent.

InterContinental Asiana Saigon Residences

Corner of Hai Ba Trung & Nguyen Du, D1 Tel: 3520 8888 saigon@interconti.com www.intercontinental.com/saigonres Contemporary residential space in the heart of the major business and cultural area in District 1. There are 260 one, two or three-bedroom units plus health club and outdoor swimming pool.

Namhouse Corporation 24 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 0989 007 700, 0989 115 511 www.namhouse.com.vn Provides rental properties, construction services and interior decorating.

Supports professional services and after-sales.

Sherwood Residence 127 Pasteur St., D3 Tel: 3823 2288 Fax: 3823 9880 Hotline: 0917470058 leasing@sherwoodresidence.com www.sherwoodresidence.com Sherwood Residence is a luxury serviced apartment property and the first property certified by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Modern living spaces meet prime location, comfort and class with 5-star facilities and service.

Snap Tel: 0989 816 676 www.snap.com.vn Online Real Estate service providing information on rental properties exclusively in District 2. Full listings online.

RECRUITMENT First Alliances #609, Saigon Trade Center 37 Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3910 2080 Fax: 3910 2079 www.firstalliances.net cv@firstalliances.net As Vietnam’s most established recruitment consultancy, First Alliances operates across all major industry sectors and at all levels of seniority. Also providing HR outsourcing solutions for staffing and payroll,overseas employment and education services.

HR2B / Talent Recruitment JSC Thien Son Building, 5 Nguyen Gia Thieu, D3 Tel: 3930 8800 www.hr2b.com HR consulting advises businesses on how to improve employee productivity.

The search team specializes in matching senior level Vietnamese professionals

and managers to top level opportunities in both major cities.

Navigos Group 130 Suong Nguyet Anh, D1 Tel: 3825 5000 www.navigosgroup.com Recruitment agency offering a complete portfolio of HR services including executive search, HR advisory, training, online recruitment, and print recruitment advertising.

Opus Vietnam 2A Rolanno Offices, 128 Nguyen Phi Khanh, D1 Tel: 3827 8209 www.opusasia.net Established in HCMC in 2005, Opus services local and multinational companies seeking to recruit high quality personnel.

An Associate of Horton International, one of the world’s leading search groups with over 30 offices worldwide. For more info contact info@opusasia.net.

STATIONERY Custom Signage Street Le Lai, D1 between Truong Dinh and Nguyen Thai Hoc Offers custom-designed signs and custom engraving on trophies and plaques made of plastic, wood, metal and glass.

Fahasa 40 Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 3822 5796 Bookstore chain carries an expansive stock of office and home stationary; a one-stop shop for basic needs.

Pi-Channel 45B Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3822 0253 www.pi-channel.com Boutique shop carries up-market collections of pens and notepads, as well as desktop organisers, clocks, calendars and frames. Corporate services offered.

Stationary and Printing Street Ly Thai To Street, D3 starting at Dien Bien Phu and running southeast More than 25 stores providing photocopying services, from business cards to flyers and colour prints to invitations.

Vietnamworks.com 130 Suong Nguyet Anh, D1 Tel: 5404 1373 www.vietnamworks.com Excellent section on advice for jobseekers focusing on topics such as resume writing, cover letters, interview technique and more.

RELOCATION AGENTS Allied Pickfords Satra Building, Room 202, 58 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3823 3454 kevin.hamilton@alliedpickfords.com.vn www.alliedpickfords.com With more than 800 offices in 45 countries, Allied Pickfords is one of the leaders in worldwide removal services. In Vietnam services include overseas relocation, domestic and office moves and storage.

Crown Worldwide Movers 48A Huynh Man Dat, Binh Thanh Tel: 3823 4127 www.crownrelo.com International moving company serving diplomats and private customers, employees and expats, providing domestic and iternational transportation of household, office and industrial goods.

Santa Fe Relocation Services Thien Son Building, 5 Nguyen Gia Thieu, D3 Tel: 3933 0065 www.santaferelo.com Provides a range of services including home/school search, language/cultural training, tenancy management and immigration/visa support.

Established since 2001 Design, Interior/External Decorations of High Quality Wood Products Manufacturing for Export, Construction Projects, Retails,...

Copy-Antique Productions, Modern Designs and Made to order

11 Nguyen Huu Canh, Ward 19, Binh Thanh Dist, HCMC

More than 10 years experience

Website: www.estheticfurnishing.com - Email: esthetic@vnn.vn

Devoted premium services/after sales services, every time, every where

Tel: (84 8) 3514 7371/7372 - Fax: (84 8) 3514 7370 - Hotline: Ms Nhat Thu (Director) 0903 849 232 asialife HCMC 87

people matter

listings

fashion ACCESSORIES Accessorize 48 Dong Du, D1, Tel: 3822 1081 Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 www.monsoon.co.uk/icat/accessorize Fashion-forward accessories including necklaces, handbags, wallets, flip-flops, sunglasses, hair accessories, belts and more.

Fitting in at a New Job

By Gary Woollacott Did you change your job recently and are now settling into a new company? Have you taken the time to ensure that the transition is smooth so that you are successful?

This month I’m going to discuss how important it is to prepare for a new environment.

One of the most striking mistakes that people can make when they go to a new job is to turn up filled with selfimportance and perhaps even arrogance. As the new ‘star’ recruit, it may be tempting to feel that way but your new colleagues won’t appreciate your attitude. Instead, think about fitting in with the existing culture a little more; there will be friendships and alliances that you aren’t aware of, so take the time to observe—but don’t be a snob.

Then you can make your move, knowing that you have analysed the situation and can make your best impression, professionally and personally.

Every manager is different and has a different style.

When working with someone new, don’t be afraid to ask: how would you like me to report to you? I've done this each time with a new job and the differences are astonishing. Some managers want to be involved every step of the way, others are content to let

88 asialife HCMC

you get on with it and report every two weeks or so, highlighting issues of concern— though always available for urgent matters. You can see that these are extremes and appreciate the frustration if you are thinking one thing, your manager is thinking another and you haven't taken the time to discuss this fundamental issue.

Are there strict standards that everyone is expected to adhere to? They may not have been discussed during the recruitment process, but you’d better find out. Some companies give a lot of latitude to staff, some control them more rigorously—find out about yours and act accordingly. But remember there’s a saying about giving someone enough rope to hang themselves— professional freedom is empowering and gratifying but it carries accountability and responsibility too.

As usual, let me know if you have any particular topic you would like to see covered here.

Gary Woollacott is the Chief Representative for Opus Executive Search in Vietnam and Thailand. He can be reached at +84 8 3827 8209 or gary@opusasia.net. Opus is an associate of Horton International.

Alfred Dunhill Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1 A timeless style in male luxury providing formal and casual mens accesories tailored for the discerning man. Also stocking handcrafted leather goods.

Anupa Boutique 17/27 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3825 7307 anupaboutiquevietnam@anupa.net The ever-changing boutique retails in the elegant design of anupa accessories made from high-quality leather. Collections available range from men, women, executive, travel, spa, yoga, board games, boxes and semi-precious stone jewellery. Collection changes on weekly basis. Also carries childrens wear, toys, furniture and homewares.

Bally Rex Hotel, 141 Nguyen Hue, D1 Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1 www.experience.bally.com Flagship store in the Rex Hotel providing luxury Italian-made accessories for men.

Among these are shoes, belts, wallets and a collection of male jewellery.

Banana 128 Ly Tu Trong, D1 Women’s accessories and more, from bags, clutches and belts to clothes and jewellery, all at reasonable prices.

Cartier Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan This well-known designer brand displays a wide range of accessories for men. Famous for its watches, Cartier also stocks pens, key rings, belts and sunglasses.

Cincinati 177P Dong Khoi, D1 www.cincinati.vn info@cincinati.vn Vietnamese brand of genuine leather bags, shoes, accessories and personal goods for men and women such as notebooks for a classic vagabond look.

Quality leather from crocodile, horse, snake and fish made with excellent local craftsmanship.

Cleo-Pearls 30 Nguyen Dang Giai, An Phu, D2 Tel: 091 3587 690 Jewellery designer Birgit Maier operates Cleo-Pearls from her home, specializing in necklaces, bracelets, earrings, key holders and bag accessories. All pieces created with gemstones, fresh water pearls and beads.

Coconut 100 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Bags of all shapes and sizes rule the roost in this small shop. Made of silk and embroidered to the brim, these unique bags start at about USD $30, and many are suitable for both day and night.

Creation 105 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3829 5429 A two-storey shop selling scarves, intricate handbags (from USD $30), tailor-made silk dresses and tops. Has a wide range of materials on the second floor. Prices start from $65 for an ao dai with simple embroidery.

Gallery vivekkevin FAFILM Building, 6 Thai Van Lung, D1 Tel: 6291 3709 info@vivekkevin.com www.galeryvivekkevin.com Handcrafted pendants, necklaces, rings and bracelets. The gallery’s focus is on design, craftsmanship and finish, as well as educating clients on the intricacies of each piece.

Gucci 88 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 6688 Located on the main shopping street in HCMC, this flagship store brings Florentine fashion to an array of luxury leather goods such as briefcases, luggage and a selection of men’s shoes for office or more casual occasions.

Ipa-Nima 85 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3824 3652 New World Hotel, 76 Le Lai Well-known Hanoi-based fashion brand.

Founder Christina Yu is a former lawyer turned designer who produces eclectic and eye-catching handbags. Also stocks costume jewellery and shoes.

J. Silver 803 Nguyen Van Linh Parkway, D7 Tel: 5411 1188 Make a statement without being ostentatious with handcrafted silver jewellery from the boutique store. Expect big, interesting pieces that are simple yet glamorous.

Laura V Signature 11 Dong Du, D1 Tel: 7304 4126 www.laurav.net Vintage designs aplenty with everything from jewellery and hair accessories to funky styled sunglasses, umbrellas and colourful maxi dresses.

Lovely Lien Jewellery 20 Le Loi, D1 A small and unassuming jewellery store with beautiful and reasonably-priced necklaces, bracelets and earrings. You can also bring your own precious stones or ask the designers to make something unique for you.

Louis Vuitton Opera View, corner of Dong Khoi and Le Loi Tel: 3827 6318 Designer brand name housing traditional craftsmanship of luxury leather goods for men and women. An array of bags, wallets, cuff links and watches are available.

Mai O Mai 4C Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3829 4007 A superb little place with beautiful jewellery and accessories to suit all budgets.

Silver necklaces, bracelets, rings and more in both classic and imaginative designs, as well as gorgeous handembroidered bags.

Mont Blanc Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan Notable for fine writing instruments, Mont Blanc also houses cuff links and other male accessories Scorpion Vincom Center B1, 70 - 72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3993 9889 www.scorpionbag.com Selling high-end leather products for both men and women, including shoes, handbags, belts and other accessories.

Features a variety of leather in bright colors and styles.

Tic Tac Watch Shop 72 Dong Khoi Tel: 0838 293519

www.tictacwatch.com Elegant show room displaying some of the world’s most recognized Swiss brands such as Rolex, Tag Huer, Baume & Marcer, Omega and Hirsch. On-site watch repair service and complementary watch evaluation available. Also carries a small collection of vintage Rolexes.

Tombo 145 Dong Khoi, D1 Of all the embroidered and sequined bags, shoes and tidbits (or “Zakka” shops) that can be found in Dong Khoi, this shop’s has products that are prettier than most. Shoes can be custom-made and the sales staff is friendly.

and trucks, this small shop is stocked with bookbags, skate sneakers, track jackets and t-shirts emblazoned with your skateboard company of choice.

Bo Sua Local Streetwear Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3993 9599 www.bosua.vn An offshoot of the Boo street-style skater fashion brand made popular in Hanoi, this brand translated as “Cow Milk” features fun colourful t-shirts, women’s casual wear and sneakers that celebrate the quirky street life of Vietnam.

Tumi Rex Hotel, 151 Nguyen Hue www.intl.tumi.com Tumi houses an opulent selection of Italian-made luggage geared towards men. Briefcases, messenger bags and backpacks are among those on display.

“ello 263 Huynh Van Banh, Phu Nhuan This tiny little shop on Phu Nhuan’s hipster fashion strip is stocked with some of the coolest trend items in HCMC. Carries a frequently refreshed selection of T-shirts, skinny pants and women’s tops.

Umbrella 35 Ly Tu Trong, D1 and 4 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 6276 2730 www.umbrella-fashion.com Sophisticated boutique showcasing a diverse range of imported women’s accessories. Also houses women’s garments from office wear to cocktail and party creations.

FCUK 127 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1 Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1 Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3914 7740 www.frenchconnection.com Trendy UK brand with a selection of fashion-forward dresses for women and smart workwear and funky casual wear for men, all at middle-market prices.

Luggage Street Le Lai Street, D1 between Ben Thanh Market and Truong Dinh.

Duffle bags, backpacks, messenger bags and carry-on suitcases are all available on this stretch of District 1.

ACTIVE WEAR China Beach Surf Club Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1 Stocks famous surf and surf-inspired brands like Reef, Rip Curl and men’s wear from Volcom. It has everything you’d need for a visit to the beach and more. There are string bikinis, tees, board shorts, caps and thongs, just to name a few.

Pinko Rex Hotel, 146-148-150 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3827 2240 Spacious and simple store displaying women’s sportswear imported from Hong Kong and China. Body lotion and perfume imported from America.

Roxy and Quiksilver Parkson Plaza, 39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1 The original active living and extreme sports brands, Roxy and Quiksilver products combine form and function. Choose from outdoor gear to cool indoor clothes.

TBS Sports Centre 102 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan This store stocks a range of good sports clothes and equipment from big name brands such as Puma, Adidas, Ecco, Nike and Converse.

Volcom Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1 Chic and funky ladies’ apparel brand from America. Lots of tank tops, minis and shorts for day tripping with girlfriends or lazing on the beach.

READY TO WEAR unisex 2bling 246 Huynh Van Banh, Phu Nhuan Specializes in urban streetwear, with a range of t-shirts, sneakers, baseball caps, hoodies and more. Tees are both imported from around Asia and designed in-house.

BAM Skate Shop 174 Bui Vien, D1 Tel: 0903 641 826 In addition to a range of decks, wheels

Hagattini 1A Pham Ngoc Thach, D1 Tel: 2244 8105 www.hagattini.com Vietnamese brand housing clothing for all occasions. Normal to office wear, casual to party outfits using materials imported from Hong Kong and designed and made in Vietnam.

Konheo 32 Dinh Tien Hoang, Binh Thanh Tel: 6653 4187 info@konheo.com www.konheo.com Founded and run by a group of local Vietnamese guys, this T-shirt store flaunts simple-cut T-shirts with playful prints and humorous printed texts. Also does custom made t-shirts for 160,000 VND. Levi’s Flagship Store 19–21 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3500 1501 The 320-square-metre retail space spread over three levels offers the city’s largest and most exclusive collection of Levi’s bottoms, tops and accessories.

L’Usine 151/1 Dong Khoi, D1 Lifestyle store and cafe housed in a period building restored to evoke the aesthetic of an early 20th-century garment factory.

Carries an exclusive, frequently refreshed line of imported men’s and women’s fashion, including T-shirts and footwear, and a range of unique accessories. Entrance via the street-level Art Arcade.

Lu.Xu.Bu 320 Huynh Van Banh, Phu Nhuan Well known among the HCMC hipsterati, this trendy shop is mostly given over to T-shirts (many by young, Bangkok-based designers), but also carries jeans, button shirts and more.

Orange 238 Pasteur, D3 Funky little boutique carries unique accessory pieces a good selection of T-shirts with quirky, unique graphics for very reasonable prices. A smaller outpost is located at the corner of Pasteur and Le Thanh Ton in District 1.

Rok Factory 382 Huynh Van Banh, Phu Nhuan www.rokexchange.com Small shop founded by local artist/

photographer carries streetwear for the rock-oriented lifestyle, including T-shirts, hoodies, socks and accessories.

Replay Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 116 Nguyen Trai, D1 187 Hai Ba Trung, D3 Tel: 3925 0252 Wide variety of shoes, clothing, denim for teens and university-age men and women. Carries boots, sandals, pumps and sneakers at mid-range prices.

Runway Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3993 9988 runway.sg@global-fashion.vn Massive and minimalist design-led interior lets ultra high-end designer garments stand out. Carries men's, women's and children’s clothing, swimwear, shoes, accessories along with home décor. Brands include Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga, Sergio Rossi and Eres.

See By Harajuku 130 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3 Tel: 090 986 8622 Small, friendly store stocking both men’s and women’s streetwear, channelling Japanese and Korean fashion trends.

Bright and funky T-shirts and maxi dresses, as well as accessories and footwear. New stock every month.

Versace 26 Dong Khoi Designer brand in men’s formal wear.

Houses suit jackets and trousers, shirts as well as an array of men’s accessories.

Also stocks womens clothing and shoes.

VOV Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1 403 Huynh Van Banh, Phu Nhuan www.vovietchung.com Retail base for Vo Viet Chung, one of Vietnam’s best-known designers. VOV is

known for blending traditional form with contemporary cuts, colours and textures.

men Lucas 69A Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3827 9670 Fashion store housing contemporary designs in casual, office and evening wear imported from Hong Kong.

Massimo Ferrari 42-A1 Tran Quoc Thao, D3 Tel: 3930 6212 Bespoke menswear shop also boasts its own brand of contemporary preppy attire tailored for the tropics. Carries a line of European-quality shoes, bags and accessories designed in-house, as well as exclusive Orobianco unisex bags, designer fragrances and eyewear.

Mattre 19 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3925 3412 This local men’s clothes shop has some funky tops and jeans for more fashionforward males. Apparel in sizes that fit the typical Western man’s frame are often available. Another store is located on Hai Ba Trung and Ly Tu Trong Milano Sheraton Hotel, 88 Dong Khoi www.milanogoods.com A conjoining shop with D&G offering a selection of men’s shoes and accessories with a sideline in women’s clothing. D&G provides a collection of menswear, from casual jeans and T-shirts to uniquely designed suit jackets.

Mizada 150 Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3822 2508 mizada07@yahoo.com An A-to-Z collection of men’s clothing with an influx of new fashion arriving on the racks regularly. Carries smart, casual shirts, trousers, jeans and jackets, as well as bags and scarves.

New Urban Male 226 Ly Tu Trong, D1 Tel: 3824 4416 www.newurbanmale.com Caters to a wide range of consumer tastes from beach duds to streetwear.

The goods include international men’s brands such as Havaianas, C-IN2, Jabs Waterboys, Rebel Jeans and aussieBum. Also carries men’s grooming products.

Timberland Parkson Plaza, 39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Sells everything the brand is known for, from heavy-duty boots to tops and trousers that are both smart and casual.

The emphasis is on muted tones and unobtrusive logos for men who don’t like to show off.

women Axara Vincom Center B1, 70 - 72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1 21 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3993 9399 www.axara.com Carries women’s clothing suitable for work, weekends or evening. Luxurious fabrics and simple cuts and styles all at reasonable prices. Also carries handbags and accessories.

Balenciaga Rex Hotel, 155 Nguyen Hue Tel: 6291 3572 Sporting modern shapes and elegant items crafted from natural, raw and artificial materials.

BCBGMAXAZRIA Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 American brand sells women’s day dresses and tops, evening gowns and wear-to-work attire in many prints and colours. Also carries a small selection of accessories, sunglasses and watches.

Bebe Saigon Center, 65 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 3914 4011 www.bebe.com An international brand that specializes in contemporary, modern tees and sexy, elegant dresse, tops and party attire.

Bon Mua Boutique Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 3993 9888 www.itamoda.com.vn Luxury women’s clothing store with racks organized by designer. Carries small collection of unique pieces from designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Alberta Ferretti, Blumarine, Valentino, Philosophy and Brunello Cucinelli.

Caro Zen Plaza, 54-56 Nguyen Trai, D1 Local designs and tailoring of elegant tops and dresses with a distinctly Eastern influence. Provides a range of attire for both the office and a night out. The friendly staff is eager to help find an outfit for any occassion.

Chloe Rex Hotel, 155 Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 6291 3582 Parisian-influenced fashion house specializes in simple, traditional designs with a feminine and fashionable twist.

Jeans, satin dresses and a wide array of accessories are on display.

Contraband Parkson Plaza, 39-45 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Ready-to-wear brand for hip, modern women. Range includes office wear to evening wear. The collection is updated each month with new international trends.

Dieu Thanh Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 140 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3824 5851 www.dieuthanh.com

Experienced tailor shop also carries its own line of clothing. Once specialized in swimwear and cotton clothing but has expanded to sell business suits, evening dresses, luxury fabrics and accessories.

ER-Couture Boutique 43 Thao Dien, D2 Tel: 3744 2411 www. er-couture.com erolskov@er-couture.com Exclusive Scandinavian brand offering designer garments. Versatile fashion for women in European sizes 34-44. Each style is released in limited quantities and can be tailored to individual taste.

Esprit 58 Dong Khoi, D1 Outpost for the international brand of colourful, preppy men’s and women’s casual wear.

Etam 188 Hai Ba Trung, D1 Famous all over the world for their French style. There’s a large range of shirts, T-shirts, dresses and more. Also available in Zen Plaza and Diamond Plaza.

Gaya 1 Nguyen Van Trang, D1 Tel: 3925 1495 Carries a range of couture and pret-aporter garments and silk and organza dresses in vibrant colours created by Cambodia-based designer Romyda Keth.

Geisha Boutique 85 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3829 4004 This Australian fashion label offers a contemporary range of casual and evening wear, with an exotic Asian influence. Styles, using natural fabrics, include printed t-shirts, singlets, scarves, silk camisoles and maxi dresses.More than just a clothing store...upstairs is a quaint café with comfy sofas and more.

Open 8am – 10pm daily.

Kiwi 74/1 Hai Ba Trung Tel: 3822 1191 Small and intimate shop with a modern collection of fashion items geared towards the young and active urban female. The showroom has a wide collection, from casual clothing to office wear.

Kookai Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi French brand stocking classic, feminine, styles with a twist. Gypsy day dresses and classic little black dresses at mid- to high-range prices are perfect for twentyand thirty-something women.

La Senza 47B–47C Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3925 1700 65 Le Loi, Saigon Centre, D1 Tel: 3914 4328 www.lasenza.com Boutique carrying a wide range of bras, panties, pyjamas, accessories and lounge wear.

Labella 87 Pasteur, D1 This three-storey shop will take care of all your wardrobe needs: affordable clothes, shoes, bags and lingerie, all well made and fashionable.

Le Samedi 21 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3925 5013 Boutique retailing in clothes imported mainly from Italy and France, from cocktail dresses to chiffon skirts.

Lulu Lacy www.lululacy.com Boutique label featuring retro designs in high-quality fabrics. Website frequently refreshed with latest offerings, including maxi-dresses, tailored blouses and shorts. Shop online or request a party at your house.

Mekong Creations specialises in unique locally produced household and gift items, including papier mache, silk, bamboo, and water hyacinth products.

Mekong Creations also produces items for luxury French brand Terre d’Oc and has permission to sell these designs locally.

Mekong Creations is a project of parent NGO Mekong Plus, that supports community development programmes in remote villiages in Vietnam and Cambodia. The key objective is to generate employment for women. All profits from products sold are returned to the villages. Mekong Creations focus is to provide rewarding employment, increase family incomes and improve conditions for children in these remote communities.

Our producers are trained in production techniques for their field and supported in design and marketing

by Mekong Plus. All products are made in the villages allowing more time to be spent with families.

Mai Lam 132-134 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 2733

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www.mailam.com.vn Boutique store housing an eclectic mix of vintage designer clothes and accessories made in Vietnam. Specializing in hand-sewn, multi-dimensional embroidery, the re-design of the traditional ao dai and an army vintage collection.

Mango 96 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 Tel: 3824 6624 Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1 Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 A favourite with fashion-conscious women, this mid-range store stocks clothes from simple tees and jeans to evening wear.

Marc Jacobs Rex Hotel, 155 Nguyen Hue , D1 Tel: 6291 3580 This spacious shop with high-ceilings carries up-market clothes, shoes and accessories from the internationally recognized designer brand.

Muse Boutique Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1 Boutique store carries well-known international brands like Miss Sixty, BCBG, Rock Republic, True Religion, Tbags and Killah.

Nang Boutique 181 Dong Khoi, Room 209, D1 iheartnang@gmail.com Houses an assortment of mix-andmatch skirts, floral dresses, chiffon lace-trimmed gowns and accessories, such as hats, shoes, bags, scarves and jewellery.

CHILDREN Be Happier 181 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan Dist A small outlet providing children’s clothes from 1 to 6 years old, using only cotton.

Mid to high-range prices for quality apparel.

Children Planet 90 Vo Thi Sau, D1 Mid to high-range prices for quality apparel, imported material from Singapore.

Offering from the age of 5 to 14 years old boys and girls.

Dabs Kids Fashion 222 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3 A good selection of both casual and formal clothing for kids aged five to ten.

Party dresses, simple T-shirts, trousers and more are all good quality and very reasonably priced. Backpacks and other accessories are also on sale.

Debenhams Vincom Center, 70 - 72 Le Thanh Ton, District 1 A superb range of unique and beautiful clothing for young children (from newborns to 12 years old) imported brand from UK. High to mid-range prices.

Nino Max 189B Hai Ba Trung, D1 A local popular brand of active-casualwear t-shirts, jeans and khakis. Local pricing. You can also find their other outlets in Zen Plaza and Diamond Plaza.

DLS Paris 17/5 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, D1 Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1 Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 A superb range of unique and beautiful clothing for young children (from newborns to pre-school age) at high to midrange prices. The quality compensates for the price. Bedding, baby equipment and furniture and organic and natural supplies also kept in stock.

Peacock 35 Ton That Thiep Tel: 3829 7045 Moulin Rouge-themed boutique housing an interesting selection of women’s clothes designed and produced in Vietnam, including dresses, shirts and t-shirts, as well as jewellery.

La Maison 226 Nguyen Van Huong, D2 On the second floor of this upscale furniture store is a lovely range of pretty dresses and other cotton apparel for kids, from babies to pre-school age.

Prices are reasonable.

Rana Abodeely Villa Anupa, 17/27 Le Thanh Ton, District 1, Tel:3825 7307 Luxury resort wear in soft, feminine styles. Made with 100% Vietnamese silk with signature glass bead detailing.

Comfort, ease and elegance are the main forms of the collection.

Little Anh – Em 41 Thao Dien, D2 A French brand made in Vietnam offering a wide selection of colourful, simply packaged and thoughtfully collated “sets” of garments for girls and boys from newborn to 10 years old. Lifestyle pieces also available include sleeping bags, bedroom accessories and bags.

Shae 101-103 Nguyen Trai, D1 www.shaeny.com New York brand housing streetwear such as cardigans, dresses, shorts and accessories.

Song Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1 76D Le Thanh Ton Offers women’s fashion designs by Valerie Gregori McKenzie, including evening dress, tops and hats.

Tracey Kociuruba Fashion Gallery 43 Ton That Thiep in District 1, 2nd fl.

Tel: 3915 3242 www.traceykociuruba,com Eastern European-inspired fashion boutique with eclectic yet elegant designs with intricate hand-spun details—50sstyle jumpsuits with bustier necklines, silk kaftans and high-waisted shorts and skirts.

Valenciani Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 3821 2788 66-68 Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 7302 4688 valenciani.sg@gmail.com www.valenciani.com Homegrown luxury boutique carries silk

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dresses, velvet corsets, chiffon shawls and a range of accessories, all designed in-house.

Ninh Khuong 44 Le Loi, D1 Tel: 3824 7456 83 Dong Khoi, D1 Tel: 3827 9079 220 De Tham, D1 Tel: 3920 3224 222 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, D3 Tel: 3930 9183 www.ninhkhuong.vn Well-known hand-embroidered children’s clothing brand using 100% cotton. Newborn to 10 years old (girl) and fourteen years old (boy). Also stocking home linens. Prices are reasonable.

REVE Villa Anupa, 17/27 Le Thanh Ton, District 1, Tel: 3825 7307 High-end cashmere, lace, and cotton clothes designed by a French mother/ daughter team. All pieces are handmade and tailored for infants to kids 2 years of age.

Small is Beautiful 227 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Tel: 38 23 87 54 contact@smallisb.com www.smallisb.com This newly opened boutique aims to be the chic shop for kids in the city. There is a selection of brand name clothing, accessories and creative toys. Clothing

comes from international designers such as Baby Dior, Sonia Rykiel and DKNY. Tuti Bella Vincom Center, 70 - 72 Le Thanh Ton, District 1 75 Mac Thi Buoi, D1 49A Nguyen Trai, D1 Tel: 3993 9088 www.tutibella.net Self-described as a “chic and trendy children boutique.” Carries high-end causal clothes, formal wear, shoes and accessories for ages 1 to 12 years.

SHOES

Catwalk 80 Pham Hong Thai Tel: 3829 6819 www.catwalkshoes.com Carries a unique range of Spanish shoes and bags.

Charles & Keith 10 Mac Thi Buoi, 18-20 Nguyen Trai Tel: 3925 1132 Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 www.charleskeith.com Singapore brand housing youthful and trendy shoes of a contemporary, high fashion design.

Converse 186 Hai Ba Trung, D1 148 Nguyen Trai, D1 122 Ba Thang Hai, D10 Tel: 3827 5584 www.converse.com.vn Sells iconic Chuck Taylor, Jack Purcell and All-Star sneakers and Converse brand clothing and accessories. Also at department stores around HCMC. Dr. Marten’s 173 Hai Ba Trung, D3 Tel: 3822 4710 Air Wair sandals and shoes here feature the classic yellow stitching and chunky rubber soles. Also stocked with clothes and accessories by Replay and Kappa tracksuit tops.

Footwear Street Ho Xuan Huong Street, D3 between Cach Mang Thang Tam and Ba Huyen Thanh Quan Le Thi Hong Gam in D1 between Pho Duc Chinh and Calmette Selection ranges from leather loafers to plastic thongs and everything in between.

Nine West Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi, D1 Vincom Center, 70/72 Le Thanh Ton, D1 Stocks an extensive range of designer footwear for women. Handpicked by a global community of independent trendsetters and stylists.

Sergio Rossi 146AB Pasteur, D1 Rex Hotel, 141 Nguyen Hue, D1 World-renowned Italian brand stocks a diverse European-style collection of up-

market shoes and bags made of quality materials, from crocodile and python skin laterals to garnishings of Swarovski crystals and colourful beads.

Star Polo 97B Nguyen Trai, D1 Mix of imported shoes and locally made footwear crafted from Australian leather for men and women as well as imported ones. Sizes from 38 to 42 for men, and from 34 to 40 for women.

TAILORS Dieu Thanh 140 Pasteur, D1 Tel: 3824 5851 www.dieuthanh.com Experienced tailor shop specializes in swimwear and cotton clothing, as well as business suits, evening dresses, luxury fabrics and accessories.

Dzung 221 Le Thanh Ton, D1 One of the most reliable and respected men’s tailors in town with prices and production time to reflect the quality of the workmanship. Shirts start from US $30.

Fabric Street Hai Ba Trung, D1 across the street from Tan Dinh Market.

Spools upon spools of fabric manufatured locally and abroad, with more than ample variety of textures, colours and materials to choose from.

Fair Fahion 69/20 Duong D2, Binh Thanh Tel: 3899 4198 www.fairfashionvn.org A non-profit retail store offering ready-towear and custom-made fashion. Dresses and formal gowns for women, suits and shirts for men, made by highly skilled former sex trade workers trained to haute couture sewing levels.

Massimo Ferrari 42-A1 Tran Quoc Thao, D3 Tel: 3930 6212 Traditional Italian sartorial techniques are employed to offer a full wardrobing service and custom tailoring for men. Stocked with imported fabrics primarily from Italy.

In-office and workplace fittings available.

Thuy Nga Design 7 Lam Son Square, D1 Conveniently located at the Opera House, this local boutique is a one-stop shop for both men and women. The range includes clothes, men’s and women’s accessories and costume jewellery.

Uyen 13 Nguyen Thiep, D1 An excellent option with English-speaking staff and a good selection of fabrics (although the price takes a dip if you bring your own) and some off-the-rack staples to copy. Reasonable prices.

LINH‘S WHITE PLEASANT LIVING MINIMALISM 37 THAO DIEN (OPPOSITE AN PHU SUPERMARKET) 67 XUAN THUY - DISTRICT 2 PHONE: (84) - 62819863 - 62818488 E : linhnguyen@hbdecor.com.vn

- www.linhfurniture.com

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Photos by Fred Wissink and Miguel Lopez.

La Habana DOSE Party @ Flow Liberated Art

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boxoffice

Rango

127 Hours

The Adjustment Bureau

Just Go With It

As a chameleon, it’s Rango’s very nature to blend in—but, what he really wants is to be a hero.

Voiced by Johnny Depp, the family pet finds himself in Dirt—a lawless desert town home to countless bandits mirroring characters from a Western. In this gun-slinging, gritty outpost, the sheltered lizard finds that for once in his life he does stand out.

Rango establishes himself as a “good guy” and takes to the streets to fight the crime that plagues the town. He’s unaware though that Dirt’s graveyard is filled with the tombstones of other “good guys”.

Appointed town sheriff, the residents of Dirt pin all their hopes on him and Rango is forced to be courageous. And gradually he becomes the hero he always dreamed of being.

James Franco plays real-life mountaineer and adventurer Aron Ralston in 127 Hours, a true story that shows the sacrifices one man makes to survive.

When a loose boulder falls, crushing Aron’s arm beneath it and trapping him down an isolated canyon on the outskirts of Utah, he tries everything in his power to extricate himself.

With the dodgy pocket knife in his backpack he scrapes for hours at the rock and even constructs a pulley from climbing rope in an effort to move it.

With time to reflect on his life—his friends and family— and what he may miss out on if he doesn’t escape, Aron realises he has the courage to do whatever it takes to keep on living.

Based on a short story written

by Phillip K Dick (Total Recall, Minority Report, Blade Runner), The Adjustment Bureau questions whether we have any control over our destiny.

In the thriller, ambitious politician David Norris (Matt Damon) meets stunning ballet dancer Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) and begins to fall in love with her. As his feelings begin to grow, David starts to notice mysterious men conspiring to keep them apart—at any cost.

He discovers that these men are members of The Adjustment Bureau—agents of Fate itself.

Their role is to ensure David and Elise’s preordained path is kept to by keeping them apart.

David must decide between letting Elise go and accepting Fate’s will, or defying it to be with the woman he loves.

Danny Maccabee (Adam Sandler), a successful LAbased plastic surgeon, was left heartbroken on his wedding day twenty years ago. Still jaded, he pretends to be in a loveless marriage to get women. The only woman who knows the truth is his faithful assistant Katherine Murphy (Jennifer Aniston).

When Danny meets Palmer, a beautiful teacher, he takes his wedding ring off and they sleep together. Afterwards, she finds the ring and accuses him of adultery.

To woo her back, Danny enlists Katherine to be his estranged “wife” to prove to Palmer that he’s telling the truth. The lies keep compounding, and after a vacation they all take together, Danny realises his true feelings.

Opening Dates CINEMAS G: Galaxy www.galaxycine.vn

M: Megastar www.megastarmedia.net

T: Thang Long www.giaitrithanglong.com/cinema

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Just Go With It (March 4) The Adjustment Bureau (March 11) The Warrior's Way (March 11) 127 Hours (March 18) Rango (March 4) Drive Angry 3D (March 18)

The information on this page was correct at the time of printing. Check cinema websites for screenings.

bookshelf Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

The Weird Sisters

Penguin Press

Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam

Amy Chua

In Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Yale Law professor Amy Chua explains how she raised her two daughters (now teenagers) in a strict Chinese fashion. Brought up in the American Midwest, Chua believes that Chinese parenting has everything to do with mindset and little to do with ethnicity. Throughout she discusses her tough-love techniques: forcing her girls to practice their musical instruments for hours per day, or banishing her three-year-old from the house and into the cold of winter for being disobedient. Mama Grisly, as she coins herself, scoffs at lax Western-style parenting and suggests that the stereotype of brilliant Asian kids exists for a reason.

Three Seconds Anders Roslund & Borge Hellstron Silveroak

Pegged as the next Stieg Larsson-esque thriller, Three Seconds is set in Stockholm and promises to be as much a pageturner as the Millennium Trilogy. Written by odd couple journalist Anders Roslund and ex-con Borge Hellstrum, the nearly 500page book centres on criminal-turned-police informant and now undercover operative Piet Hoffman. With a mission to take down the drug mafia dominating Sweden's prisons, Hoffman is tasked with infiltrating the country’s most infamous maximumsecurity institution. A top-secret undertaking, Hoffman must convince the law of his true identity when the plan goes awry.

Eleanor Brown

Eleanor Brown’s debut novel centres on the Andreas sisters, the daughters of an English professor whose specialty is Shakespeare. Such is his fascination, each girl is named after a heroine from a Shakespeare play (Rosalind, Bianca and Cordelia). He teaches them to speak like “our boy Bill”, as they refer to the playwright, and so they tease their classmates with taunts of “fat-kidneyed rascal”. Fittingly, the girls each possess some of the traits of their namesakes. As adults, their mother gets cancer and the Weird Sisters return to the family home and begin the process of getting to know each other properly.

Twin: A Memoir Allen Shawn Viking Adult

In his memoir, Allen Shawn, a composer and the son of legendary New Yorker Magazine editor William Shawn, writes about his autistic twin sister Mary who he was separated from at age eight when she was committed to a psychiatric facility. Shaw writes of his inability to really communicate with Mary and of the effect her absence from his life had on him.

He alludes that his family’s less-than-perfect dynamic plus the challenges of raising a mentally handicapped child may have been the impetus for his father’s 40-year plus affair with a colleague, as well.

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soundfix album review

DEERHOOF VS. EVIL

by Mai Lynn Miller Nguyen

JAMES BLAKE James Blake

Deerhoof Deerhoof has never shied away from experimentation throughout their 11 album career. Deerhoof vs.

Evil is no exception, offering an amalgam of offbeat ditties. Bassist Satomi Matsuzaki lends her charmingly peculiar Japaneseaccented vocals to the majority of songs, with guitarist John Dieterich singing in his languid manner on a couple tracks—in “Must Fight Current”, both vocalists are pitted against each other for a screwy effect. Lyrics are along the lines of voices heard by madmen, or a conversation among very young children. Traces of hard rock, with screeching train guitar breaks, are splashed throughout and punctuated with all sorts of jangles and flourishes. “No One Asked to Dance”, which begins with a flamenco-styled scale, is Deerfhoof at its dreamiest, featuring Matsuzaki’s girlish sighs. Some songs are a bit over the top, but never boring. If it’s Deerhoof versus the evil forces of monotony and predictability, it’s Deerhoof who comes out the victor.

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When BBC announced its Sound of 2011 poll of promising British artists in December, the greater public was introduced to a young man named James Blake.

He’s been around the music scene for a while—a classically trained pianist who honed his DJ skills in London clubs— and now he’s one of the bright young things on both sides of the Atlantic. His eponymous full-length debut marries singer-songwriter style with an electronic, sometimes nearly dubstep, backdrop. Though Blake knows his way around a mixing programme, his soulful voice is perhaps his most striking instrument. In a feat of multiplicity, Blake samples himself and creates choruses of his own vocals layered in unison. On a cover of Feist’s “Limit to Your Love”, he strips down the ballad to create one of the album’s most stirring tracks. He knows that sometimes staying simple, memorable, yet not too unconventional, can be the best way to secure acclaim.

VALHALLA DANCEFLOOR

BLUE SONGS

British Sea Power

Hercules And Love Affair

Naming the band “British Seapower” has always been an invitation for comparisons to the Royal Navy’s devaluation. It’s a metaphor the group plays on, naming one album The Decline of British Seapower, but always fights against. The Brighton-based group have yet to take a downturn. Although their fifth album may not contain any stellar breakthroughs, the calibre is high enough to satisfy long-term fans and even win over a few more. Waves of eighties-style rock always have their devotees, so the fact that Valhalla Dancehall could well have topped the charts in the 1980s isn’t a deterrent. Joy Division comparisons are fitting, and British Seapower has yet to stray too far from the parallel.

The anthemic “Heavy Water” is an easy favourite, though “Mongk II” has appeal of the post-punk variety. Interpret the title of track “We are Sound”, as you like—this album shows the group is staying on a steady course, which isn’t a bad thing.

Hercules and Love Affair has always been a rather ragtag crew that manages to make ragtag, yet triumphant, music. Members change from record to record, though songwriter and producer Andy Butler and singer Kim Ann Foxman remain a constant.

With Blue Songs, Hercules and Love Affair mix up a generous dose of house, a sparkling touch of disco and a few exuberant dashes of electro-gospel.

Though lacking last album’s star, Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons, they’ve managed to get by with the help of a few friends. Kele Okereke of Bloc Party contributes on “Step Up”, a sleazy melody destined to get clubbers grooving, though its intermittent 'Go!' chant grows pesky. Opener “Painted Eyes” and “Answers Come in Dreams” are characteristic party numbers, whereas “It’s Alright” goes for slow-tempo reflections.

“Dictations and force in Afghanistan”, croons Foxman, adding, “it’s gonna be alright/cause the music plays on and on.”

xoneFM top ten

endorsed

Official xoneFM Vietnam Top 10 this last

week week

title

artist Avril Lavinge Britney Spears Greyson Chance

1 2 3

9 1 8

4 5 6 7

5 3 6 NEW

What The Hell Hold It Against Me Waiting Outside The Lines S&M Price Tag Grenade Rocketeer

8 9 10

14 NEW 7

Safe Bad girls Rolling in the deep

Rihanna Jessie J feat BOB Bruno Mars Far east movement feat Ryan Tedder Westlife MIA Adele

title

artist

Born This Way Firework Grenade Black And Yellow F**kin' Perfect Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)

Lady Gaga Katy Perry Bruno Mars Wiz Khalifa P!nk Enrique Iglesias Featuring Ludacris & DJ Frank E Cee Lo Green Rihanna The Black Eyed Peas Britney Spears

US Top 10 this last

week week 1 2 3 4 5 6

NEW 3 2 1 4 6

7 8 9 10

16 31 19 10

F**k You (Forget You) S&M The Time (Dirty Bit) Hold It Against Me

Austrailia Top 10 this last

title

artist

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Born This Way S&M Just Can't Get Enough Dirty Talk Happiness What The Hell More E.T Tonight Im Loving You Yeah 3x

Lady Gaga Rihanna The Black Eyed Peas Wynter Gordon Alexis Jordan Avril Lavigne Usher Katy Perry Enrique Iglesias Chris Brown

week week NEW 1 3 2 5 8 7 6 4 9

Marmite

By Jonny Edbrooke I can safely say that I have been eating Marmite for 45 years. I checked with my mother who confirmed that I was sucking on Marmite soldiers before my first birthday, so the slogan “The growing up spread you never grow out of” definitely rings true, for me at least.

The humble little brown bottle (from which it is named as it first came in small earthenware pots, which the French called a marmite) filled with savoury goo was first brought to the British breakfast table 113 years ago in Burton-onTrent, basically made from the dregs of the Bass brewery.

It’s most popular in the UK, though only 25 percent of households are said to have a bottle at home, but there are also versions in South Africa and New Zealand.

Of course Marmite on a bit of toast or just plain bread is the quickest way of getting a Marmite hit, but thanks to my mother Marmite appears in a lot of my diet: Marmite fried bread, welsh rarebit with Marmite, any cheese is helped along with a tad and nothing makes gravy taste better than a dollop of Marmite.

Gary Rhodes, British Celebrity chef and fan of Marmite, went out to prove this with the

Marmite recipe book showing the stuff goes beyond a humble spread. Such recipes as fillet of red mullet with Marmite pissalidiere tart and Marmite vinaigrette, globe artichoke and mushrooms with Marmite béarnaise sauce and a spring vegetable ragout, coffee ice cream with chocolate Marmite sauce and Marmite syrup coffee ice cream and a Marmite Bloody Mary, show the spread's versatility.

Because of the Vitamin B12, folic acid and sodium in Marmite it is great as a hangover “cure”. One recommendation is a teaspoon of Marmite and a glass of water before bed, though not mixed. You just suck the marmite raw and sip the water, however I think Gary’s Bloody Mary might do the trick a bit better.

Then my life changed, when along came Marmite XO. Made from yeast extract and matured for at least 28 days, four times as long as traditional Marmite, it’s like comparing a 12-year-old Balvenies to a 30-year-old, both excellent but the latter being much finer.

Obviously the majority of the world doesn’t care about the last 400 words, as Unilever put it you either love it or hate it, but for the love it faction the brown goo just got better.

asialife HCMC 101

radar To the future with love

loveletterstothefuture.com This Greenpeace initiative provides a forum to address climate change. Users can send in their own love letters to the future, in the form of videos, photographs or postcards. Some entries are awfully poignant, holding little hope for the future: “Silverback gorillas were incredible, human-like creatures. They looked at us like equals, but we were the lesser being.” In December 2009 during the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the top 100 love letters were sealed in a steel time capsule, set to be open in a century. Fingers crossed we heed Greenpeace’s message and stop some of the scarier prophecies from coming true.

An exercise in gratitude thxthxthx.com

Leah Dieterich’s mum taught her the art of writing thank you notes, and it’s a practice the creative director has continued to keep up. Each day she posts a scribbled letter in her own handwriting thanking everything and anything, including the most mundane. “Dear Tea,” she writes, “Thanks for being able to be decaffeinated merely by steeping you three times. If only you could show cigarettes how to be decancerated, I’d be really impressed.” And in an ode to flatulence: “Dear Farts, Thanks for being so funny.” It’s a daily exercise in gratitude and a reminder that there’s much to be thankful for.

Good f***ing advice

whattofuckingdoinsaigon.com Here, someone we presume is a HCM City expat provides some solid tips on how to approach Saigon head on and with gusto. With liberal use of the F-bomb, the writer certainly has a way with words and gives guidance on everything from going to the toilet (say f**king goodbye to solid shit), culture (a hair on your mole is a f**king status symbol) and safety (wear a f**king helmet).

We even get a shout out: Getting your picture in AsiaLIFE takes some f**king effort. Just click the circle in the top right corner for more f**king advice.

102 asialife HCMC

Weddings and Other Catastrophes HAVING ATTENDED HIS FAIR SHARE OF NUPTUALS, BRETT DAVIS CONTEMPLATES THE STRANGE AFFECTS OF THIS RITE OF PASSAGE. PHOTO BY FRED WISSINK. For roughly ten years from your late twenties you enter a period I like to call the ‘wedding dropzone’. This is about the age many people begin to pair off in a more permanent fashion.

You may have taken that long walk yourself, but either way as your friends make the leap the one thing you can be sure of is you will be invited to a lot of weddings.

I love a good wedding. Everyone is dressed to kill, in a great mood and there is an open bar – what’s not to like. As an added bonus, when you are single you can convince yourself there will be plenty of other available guests in an amorous mood (in my experience, this is almost never the case. The film Wedding Crashers was unfortunately not based on a true story). For the married guests, there is the incomparable joy of taking in every exquisite detail and knowing you had no part in the hell

of organising it all.

Whichever side you experience the marriage ritual from, one thing becomes all too clear: weddings, and all things related to weddings, make normally semi-sane people act completely nuts.

My own wedding a couple of years ago is a fine example. In order to bypass the attendant hoopla, we arranged to fly half way around the world to elope on the banks of the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls. It seemed like the perfect plan until the mother of the bride found out and, to put it mildly, had a fit. The trip was already booked and paid for, so we had no choice but to arrange another ceremony, at great additional expense, in only eight weeks.

A more bizarre and brutal two months than I have otherwise encountered.

While that is a story for another day, and quite possibly

a therapist’s couch, it does raise the issue of weddings in distant locations. In recent years I have noticed a trend among couples who build the ceremony into the honeymoon by getting married in places such as Thailand. It’s picturesque, exotic, and a pretty good way to thin the numbers and keep costs down if you are really honest about it. When we initially decided to get married in Africa, one of the upsides was that we were pretty sure nobody would offer to make the trip.

Of course, the tables are turned when you live in Vietnam and close friends and family are getting married in your home country. It feels like the obligation to make the trip is much greater. Getting time off work and the cost of flights are a significant hurdle, and this is multiplied when you are in the aforementioned ‘wedding dropzone’. In the few months we have been in Vietnam we have

had to pass up invitations to two weddings (and I’m talking about top-tier affairs with our very good friends) because we simply weren’t in the position to travel back to Australia. There are also another two early this year that we will have to decide between.

I think you just have to hope people are understanding, which for the most part I believe they are. Although, it is probably a good idea to send a nice gift. It can be a minefield, and you never know when someone will suffer a bout of the wedding crazies. Remember that extra wedding my wife and I had to organise and pay for to keep her mother happy? It was a magical day, but turns out it still wasn’t the dream wedding she had imagined for her daughter so she hasn’t spoken to us since. That was two and a half years ago.

Best money I ever spent.

asialife HCMC 103

THE TWO OF US Kirsten Whitford left Canada on a globe-trotting adventure before a chance encounter in Australia brought her and boyfriend Brett Findlay together.

They tell the story of their ongoing journey to Brett Davis.

Brett

Kirsten I was on a trip around the world and decided to stop in Australia.

I moved to Melbourne because my friend Nicky, who I met in Argentina, was there and she had a room available.

We went out one night and my mission was to find someone for her to prove there were still good guys around. That was when I noticed this guy across the room with a sticker on his back saying ‘I’m Rick James, bitch’. It just sort of took me home, because I understood the Dave Chappelle reference straight away.

It was Brett and I just went up to him and started talking and he was very funny and candid.

He was hanging out with his family and I could tell he was a good guy and had great values.

I said, “You should meet my friend Nicky”.

Brett and I exchanged numbers and we all hung out the next day. A couple of weeks later I told Nicky that I kind of liked this guy and would she mind if

Photo by Brett Davis

104 asialife HCMC

I saw where it went. Thankfully she was totally fine with it.

We always knew I would be leaving, so we just tried to make the best of the time we had. I was going to Jamaica then to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. The plan was to meet in Vietnam a few months later, but both of us were skeptical of long-distance relationships I have never used Skype so much and being apart made me realise how much I missed him.

I got a call one night just after the Olympic opening ceremony from Brett saying he could get a good deal to fly out to meet me earlier and we could go to Vietnam together. I thought, ‘How could this day get any better’.

We are going to travel more after Vietnam. I don’t know where we will end up, we’ll work it out. We have a very communicative relationship, it’s one of the reasons I absolutely love him. He is a very reasonable, understanding man, but I won’t tell him that all the time.

If you had of said to me 14 months ago I would be here in Vietnam teaching English I would have asked what you were on.

My plan was to buy a house, have kids, I was going to start a business with my cousin. But that didn’t work out, so at the time I was coming out of a big breakup and still had a lot of issues to sort out.

The day after we first met I caught up with Kirsten and her friend Nicky in St Kilda. I couldn’t actually remember her name and I only had it stored in my phone as ‘Rick James’.

Finally after about 45 minutes I overheard her use her name to make a reservation. I could tell right away she was super smart, and a bit cheeky and very funny. The chemistry between us was obviously there.

I was just enjoying myself at the time and didn’t want anything serious. Kirsten was mortified at the idea of commitment because she’d also

just come out of a relationship.

You only had to mention the ‘C’ word to freak her out. Then things started to change.

We went on a trip to New Zealand, it was my first time overseas, and had a great time. I knew halfway through the year she was leaving and she had her flights booked. After she left I got a job on the railroads and it paid heaps and gave me some time to myself. It had been a full-on year and I needed to make sure if we were to meet up that I was doing it for the right reasons.

We want to see more places still. I really want to go to Canada and meet her family. We haven’t really talked about kids and that sort of stuff yet, we’ll see how we go. We are both pretty open, flexible people. It’s about the things you say and the things you don’t say. Kirsten has that great smile and sense of humor, and she really knows how to call a spade a spade.

Photo by Jirka Roith

After 18 months back in Canada, visa in hand, and a rush of last minute preparation and farewells, I am once again relocating; destination, Prague, Czech Republic.

As I explore the nooks and crannies of this country, I am often surprised and it’s hard not to feel like I am back in Vietnam at times.

Vietnamese people in the Czech Republic are the first very visible and sizable immigrant group (around 61,000 residents). They began settling here in the 70s, during the Communist period, when they were invited as guest workers by the Czechoslovakian government.

I can even go to Prague’s very own Ben Thanh Market, known as Sapa Market. I can’t begin to describe the resemblance. I even paid way too

much for our shopping. Next time, I will be pulling out my Vietnamese and we’ll see how far that gets me.

My Vietnamese sucks, but at least I was able to understand and communicate on a good day in HCM City. My Czech on the other hand is non-existent.

Vietnamese is hard because it’s tonal. Czech is hard—period.

At least the Czechs are forgiving. It’s refreshing to hear even the native speakers admit how difficult their language can be and even a waste of time for foreigners to learn. But I am determined to try because I am already getting annoyed hearing my own voice—“What did they say? What is going on?”— every five minutes. I feel bad for my poor partner who has to translate for me.

The government love “official” stamps of approval here

just about as much as they do in the East—this I discovered when I tried to register with the foreign police. What I thought would take at most a couple of hours ended up taking two whole days of running around in circles, a la Vietnam. But rest assured, I have my stamp and am now legal in this country.

Prague has it’s own unique quirks, too. I arrived just in time for Christmas, which is celebrated on the 24th and not on the 25th, as I am used to in Canada. We had carp for dinner instead of turkey and Jizisek (Baby Jesus) flew through the window that night with gifts for all the little boys and girls, replacing Santa Clause.

I have also been told about an old Czech Easter tradition, which made my jaw drop. On Easter Monday, to bring good luck and a good summer’s

harvest, men and boys whip the women and girls with braided willow twigs. The females also have water thrown on them by the men, to 'cleanse' them prior to the whipping. In exchange for being whipped, the woman is expected to give the man eggs, candy or some small gift—nowadays alcohol is popular. Whose idea was this to get the men carrying the whips drunk? Even more surprisingly, women who aren’t whipped are said to be a little hurt, since no one bothered to give them any attention. Even assuming that this is done in good fun, I can’t imagine this going over well in North America!

These are just some observations after two months. There are other things too trite to mention, and much more I have yet to discover. This I am looking forward to.

asialife HCMC 105

pub quiz 1) The Zloty is the currency in which European country?

2) What name is given to the study or collection of money?

3) What coin was first minted in 1967 to help market South African gold?

4) Which ASEAN currency translates into English as “jagged”?

5) Which country that was not a British colony used “shillings”?

23) Who was the third man on the Apollo 11 moon mission, who didn’t get to walk on the moon?

24) What is the name of Barbie`s younger sister?

25) Who was the first British footballer to be transferred for one million pounds?

26)

Nhaø XuaáT baûn toång hôïp TP. Hoà Chí MINH 62 Nguyeãn Thò Minh Khai, Q1 ÑT: 38225340 – 38296764 – 38220405 – 38296713 – 38223637 Fax: 84.8.38222726 Email: tonghop@nxtphcm.com.vn Website:www.nxthcm.com.vn - www.fiditour.com

365 Days Advertising Trading Services Co.,Ltd L4,159 Phan Xich Long, P7, Phu Nhuan District Tel: +84 8 3517 2208 27)

Director: Jonny Edbrooke jonny@threesixfive-days.com

Managing Editor: Brett Davis brett@asialifehcmc.com

Deputy Editor: Beth Young beth@asialifehcmc.com

Production: Nguyen Kim Hoa nguyenhoa@threesixfive-days.com

Photo Editor: Fred Wissink fpwphoto@gmail.com

Editorial Assistant: Stephy Thai yen@asialifehcmc.com

Editorial Intern: Grace Lewis

Photography Interns: Miguel Lopez Nguyen An Vinh, Alex Belikov

Art Director: Johnny Murphy johnny@threesixfive-days.com

Fours 11) Name the four hobbit members of the Fellowship of the Ring.

12) What are the four “tarot card suits”?

13) What are the four colours of “process printing inks”?

14) What are the four sections of a modern orchestra?

15) What do the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse symbolise?

Chòu traùch nhieäm xuaát baûn: Nguyeãn Thò Thanh Höông Bieân taäp: Nguyeãn Vónh Trung Söûa baûn in: Löu Thuûy Trình baøy: Coâng ty TNHH QC TM DV Ba traêm saùu möôi laêm ngaøy Bìa: Coâng ty TNHH QC TM DV Ba traêm saùu möôi laêm ngaøy

Thöïc hieän lieân keát xuaát baûn: Coâng ty TNHH QC TM DV Ba traêm saùu möôi laêm ngaøy In laàn thöù nhaát, soá löôïng 4000 cuoán, khoå 20,5cm x 27,0cm GPXB soá: 50-11/CXB/102-123/THTPHCM Ngaøy 12/01/2011 In taïi Coâng ty ITAXA, ñòa chæ 126 Nguyeãn Thò Minh Khai, Q.3.

In xong vaø noäp löu chieåu thaùng 12/ 2010

No Money!

6) “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, Rich Man, Poor Man.” What comes next in the nursery rhyme?

7) For which film did Ang Lee win the Academy Award for Best Director?

8) In which country is the village of Poortugaal?

9) What medical dressing is used to express having no money in Cockney rhyming slang?

10) Complete the T-shirt slogan: “No Money”…

Thoâng tin du lòch vaø vaên hoaù ôû Vieät Nam ASIALIFE HCMC

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30) 1) Poland 2) Numismatics 3) Krugerrand 4) Ringgit 5) Austria – ok – Schillings 6) Beggar Man, Thief 7) Brokeback Mountain 8) The Netherlands 9) Boracic lint 10) No Honey 11) Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregin Took 12) Wands, pentacles, cups, swords 13) Cyan, magenta, yellow, black 14) Brass, woodwind, strings, percussion 15) Pestilence (or conquest), War, Famine and Death 16) Alicia Silverstone 17) Marble 18) That’s All Folks 19) Samuel Pepys 20) Wilma Flintstone 21) John Christie 22) Sir Alexander Fleming 23) Michael Collins 24) Shelley 25) Trevor Francis 26) Michael Douglas 27) Christian Bale 28) Colin Firth 29) Johnny Depp 30) Rene Zellweger

Writers All answers contain the name of a famous writer 21) Which murderer lived at 10 Rillington Place?

22) Who invented penicillin in 1928?

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Stoned!

16) Who starred in the films Clueless and Batman and Robin?

17) From what stone is the Taj Mahal built?

18) What is the appropriate quote on the gravestone of Warner Brothers cartoonist Mel Blanc?

19) Which famous diarist had a two ounce stone cut from his bladder in 1658?

20) Pearl Slaghoople is the mother of which famous cartoon character?

Senior Designer: April Hunt april@threesixfive-days.com

Pub Quiz Answers

Money, Money, Money

Where

The Love Lives Booking for; private parties, weddings, and corporate events.

78A Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Mui Ne, Binh Thuan Province T: +84 (0) 62 374 1122 email: info@sankaravietnam.com www.sankaravietnam.com