Ho Chi Minh for 3 Weeks

Vietnam is such an underrated country. I had the opportunity to travel to Ho Chi Minh City for 3 weeks on a work trip. I was fully immersed in the culture, the people, and most importantly, the food! Although I was working most of the day, I have featured some of my favorite places to visit, places to eat, and where to shop in Ho Chi Minh!

Where to Visit

Tan Dinh Pink Church

Also known as "Barbie's House", this super cute pink church is an Instagrammer's dream. It was built during the French colonial period in the 1870s and is the second largest church in Ho Chi Minh, after the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Notre Dame Cathedral

In the bustle of Ho Chi Minh City there is a Roman Catholic Church that was built in 1863 during the French conquest of Saigon. All of the building materials were imported from France and it's the largest church in Ho Chi Minh. When I was visiting, the church was being remodeled so we weren't allowed inside, but it was still a beauty to see from the outside!

Saigon Central Post Office

This working post office was designed by Gustave Eiffel in 1886, the same designer of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. You can go inside, shop the local vendors for a post card and ship it back home!

Where to Eat

L'usine

There are a few locations spread out Ho Chi Minh, but this restaurant is a blend of amazing Vietnamese food with a coffee shop with a retail store. It has a great ambiance and the food is so good. My girlfriend introduced me to this spot and I absolutely loved the vibes!

Propaganda Saigon

One of my favorite restaurants for Vietnamese food. They had one of the best Bun Bo Hue (beef noodle soup) that I have ever had! They also have an extensive menu with something for everyone: banh mi, salads, rice dishes, pho, etc! I also loved all the artwork and the pop of colors in the restaurant.

Pho Vietnam

Voted the "Best Pho in Vietnam", hence the name Pho Vietnam I guess? Definitely lived up to the hype! It's a local spot, the pho broth comes in a stone bowl that comes boiling hot to your table when you order. You can then add your noodles, raw meat, and vegetables into the boiling pot to cook. The broth was amazing, it really felt like the authentic way to eat pho.

Hokkaido Sachi

This Japanese restaurant is delicious! The sashimi here is super fresh and reasonably priced. There's a genuine Japanese feel to this restaurant as you walk in and there are tatami seats as well! There's also an extensive sake list on the menu. Make sure to make a reservation though, the line could get long around dinner time.

District Federal

About a week into living in Vietnam, I was craving Mexican food badly! Wow, this place in District 2 blew my mind, the cook is from Mexico and all of the dishes were so legit! I had three different kinds of tacos (al pastor, pescado, and carne asada), taquitos, nachos, and even elote. I highly recommend the passion fruit margaritas. I literally wanted to try the entire menu, it was so good. Also, I loved the ambiance and artwork!

Rice Field

Ambiance, ambiance, ambiance, and amazing local Vietnamese food. This place was just beautiful, you eat on the rooftop and there are rice plants everywhere, it felt like we were eating in a jungle. This is the type of place you go, grab a couple beers, and share everything on the menu as you enjoy the view. This was another one of my favorite restaurants that I went to in Vietnam.

4P's

Burrata! This restaurant officially sparked my obsession with burrata cheese! Other than restaurants in Italy, this place is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the world! Not kidding, I know it's weird that such amazing Italian food is in Vietnam but trust me, amazing pizzas, salads, pastas, and desserts.

Yen Sushi

This restaurant really made you feel like you were in Japan. You have to make a reservation and you get your own tatami room with your own waitress. The sushi here was quality, it was super fresh and the dishes were very authentic to Japan.

Saffron

Saffron was a great spot for Mediterranean food. This cute little restaurant is great for an intimate dinner, the wine is great, and the food specials are really delicious.

Cafe Apartment

This old apartment converted to a bunch of coffee and dessert shops, restaurants, and bars. The whole building is filled with different themed shops, it's super fun to explore all of the floors.

Where to Shop

Saigon Square

Saigon Square is filled with counterfeit product, from Louis Vuitton to Supreme to Northface. There are also a few vendors selling local items but at a high price. If you like to haggle, this is the place.

Anam Gourmet Market

I loved coming to this market. It was filled with local and international foods and drinks. This is where you could get local Vietnamese coffee, to Swiss chocolate, to American cereal.

Saigon Kitsch

Just like it's name, this store was a souvenir shop filled with kitschy items. There were a lot of Vietnam propaganda items for the home, really unique bags, pillows, art, bowls, chopsticks, and tons of fun things to bring home.

Libe

This clothing store was so cute! It's located in an old apartment building turned into a bunch of clothing shops. It's a bit hard to find, but once you find the building, it's awesome! The store was filled with cute clothes for a reasonable price (around H&M prices). Just make sure to try the clothes on and size up! Vietnam sizing is smaller.

Gago

This was another cute store on the 3rd floor of the old apartment building turned into shops. It had very unique pieces and accessories. I walked out of this store with two shopping bags of clothes!

The Craft House

This store had locally crafted goods from purses, to teas, stationary, home decor, and awesome vintage lamps! I bought two vintage lamps and some coasters! It's a great store to buy souvenirs or just buying cool stuff from Vietnam for yourself.

Takashimaya

I was obsessed with this mall when I visited Japan, so it was awesome to see this mall chain in Vietnam! Remember to check out the food court when you are here, amazing to-go lunch boxes or you can eat in as well.

So there you go! All of my top places to eat, visit, and shop in Ho Chi Minh! Three weeks was enough time to do all of the touristy things first and then start to go where all the locals go. I had met a coworker who lived in Ho Chi Minh who recommended a lot of these spots and I am so grateful for her! There are definitely more places I had on my list that I never made it to, but I know I am definitely going to come back to Vietnam. If you are visiting Ho Chi Minh, I hope you enjoy all these spots too!

<3,

Laura C.