Cô Liên Bò Lá Lốt 12 Nov 2017

The next destination which we intended to go is Cô Liên Bò Lá Lốt. After that we only realised that the shop is just located opposite across the road from the Bánh Cuốn Hải Nam.

We immediately loved how they had all the Bò Lá Lốt , and other meats neatly displayed in a cabinet facing the street. Most of the things were pre-grilled and kind of ready to eat. We can still able to eat after the Bánh Cuốn Hải Nam.

We can see there were newspapers cuttings on Mark Wein’s blog about the 25 Must Eat Dishes in Saigon, and Cô Liên Bò Lá Lốt is one of the eating places inside!

The menu at Cô Liên Bò Lá Lốt was simple, yet included everything you could want to eat at a Bò Lá Lốt restaurant. Alvin decided to get one order of Bò Lá Lốt and one order of Bò Mỡ Chài.

The Bò Lá Lốt and Bò Mỡ Chài were tossed on the grill, right along the sidewalk at the entrance of the restaurant, and we could immediately smell the herb aroma of roasting leaves and sweet beef.

At the front of the grille are the Bò Lá Lốt , and then at the back of the grille are Bò Mỡ Chài, little Vietnamese sausages without the leaf wrapping.

Besides the Bò Lá Lốt and Bò Mỡ Chài that we ordered, it came along with the generous amounts of side dishes – herbs, pickles, chilies, sauces just like nearly all others Vietnamese dishes.

We got a handful of Vietnamese coriander, sweet basil, lettuce, chives, and I think there may have been a few other leaves on the bottom too. A bowl of Vietnamese pickles that includes daikon, carrot, and slices of green un-ripe banana.

We began with a sheet Vietnamese rice paper, then layered on a few base leafy vegetables like lettuce, then some more herbs, and bun vermicelli rice noodles, then the Bò Lá Lốt , and then the garnishing goodies like chilies and sauce. Everything wrapped up!

Along with the Bò Lá Lốt , we also ordered Bò Mỡ Chài , which was on the menu, and something that’s commonly served and eaten with a meal of Bò Lá Lốt .

I’m not totally sure how the recipe differs, but Bò Mỡ Chài , to me, tastes a lot like Bò Lá Lốt , minus the outer wild betel leaf wrapping. They are also a little meatier.

They were like little sausage shaped Vietnamese hamburgers, and while they were also good, we preferred the Bò Lá Lốt for that extra boost of smoky green herb flavor.

We were so busy wrapping and eating the Bò Lá Lốt and Bò Mỡ Chài until both of us also did not take much photos of the dishes on our plate! We left about 5.00pm. We spent about 1 hour for both restaurants, what a record making!

Bún Bò Hue Chú Há 12 Nov 2017

There are a near infinite amount of noodle dishes to try in Vietnam, and what seems to be a favourite for many locals, along with a few others, is Bún Bò Hue.

As the name suggests, it is originally from Huế, in central Vietnam, but it is widespread and highly enjoyed in Saigon, at both indoor restaurants and street food stalls throughout the city.

We were walking to one of the shop which selling Bún Bò Hue, which is  Bún Bò Huế Chú Há. The restaurant is sort of half indoors, openly facing the motorbike filled street, yet tucked into a small room, so you have a chance to take a break from the hot crowded streets.

The food is served off a portable cart, which is permanently situated at the front of the restaurant, and proudly displays, the necessary ingredients used to compose a bowl of Bún Bò Hue.

The most noticeable ingredients we saw is the massive pile of tingly medium sized rice vermicelli noodles, of the fresh variety.

But before drowning the noodles in soup, the lady first layered on a few thin slices of beef, plus a piece of some type of Vietnamese sausage as well.

Next, she ladled on a cup of red oily soup broth, and finally sprinkled on a handful of both chopped white onions and green onions, before delivering it to our table.

Most Vietnamese noodles are garnished with an assortment of herbs like cilantro and sweet basil, chili flakes and chili slices, and freshly cut limes, and Bún Bò Hue is no different.

One of my favourite parts of eating noodle soup is getting to garnish it according to my liking – and I like it with little of lime juice, probably too much chili, and as many herbs and vegetables as are available.

Along with raw basil and cilantro, we also received a nice plate of blanched water morning glory, banana flower, and bean sprouts to accompany.

The broth of the Bún Bò Hue at Chú Há was wonderful, with a smooth beef flavour, a bit of red oil floating on top, salted to perfection (with likely some MSG included), and with a slight citrusy component to it.

We were served with a small bowl of what tasted like sweet tamarind sauce, which the mom of the kitchen motioned for meat to dip my slices of meat into, giving the meat a slightly fruity tart flavour.

Along with serving their version of Bún Bò Huế in an awesome clear see-through glass bowl, the soup was nicely balanced, and the beef was tender and flavourful.

Bún Bò Huế Chú Há is one of perhaps thousands of places to eat Bún Bò Huế in Saigon, Vietnam, but it’s a good place, and the kind service that we experienced will keep me coming back for more.

Bánh Cuốn Hải Nam 12 Nov 2017

We took a cab to one of the well-known restaurants in Saigon that serves Bánh Cuốn, which is Bánh Cuốn Hải Nam. It was almost 4.00pm when we reached the shop and there were not much customers.

Bánh Cuốn, or Vietnamese noodle rolls, are yet another delicious food to try in Vietnam. Although it is a northern Vietnamese dish, it’s widely available throughout the south as well, and you’ll find it frequently throughout Saigon.

Bánh Cuốn literally translates to rolled cakes, but I like to call them noodle roll-ups. It is known as Chu Cheong Fan in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

The menu at Bánh Cuốn Hai Nam included quite a few different Vietnamese dishes, all sorts of noodle and roll dishes, but I think by far the main thing they sell, and what they have really made a name for is Bánh Cuốn .

One of the convenient things about the restaurant is that the menu is printed in Vietnamese but includes English descriptions to make it easier to order.

The first thing I ordered was their normal plate of Bánh Cuốn, which I think anyone who walks in the door of the restaurant automatically orders.

The plate included two pretty decent sized noodle rolls, filled with a generous supply of the minced meat filling, then topped with a handful of shredded lettuce and blanched bean sprouts, and finally a sprinkle of fragrant crispy shallots.

Finally, Bánh Cuốn would not be complete without sauce. The sauce, known as Nước Chấm, is a sweet type of Vietnamese fish sauce. It was salty, and sweet, and you don’t want to miss adding some fresh crushed chilies to your sauce as well. Dipping bites of Bánh Cuốn into the sweet fish sauce and chilies was marvellous.

I noticed all the ingredients such as the batter, the meat filling with mushrooms and the shredded lettuces and the crispy shallots too at the kitchen near to the entrance of the restaurant.

After we headed to our next stop of destination - Bún Bò Hue Chú Há.

Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens 12 Nov 2017

It was a hot sunny Sunday. As we were finding our ways to the Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens, we just went into a restaurant sat down.

The weather was so hot that we wanted to order cold drinks, and at the same time we ordered one portion of the fresh spring rolls and Annabelle wanted the crab soup.

We filled up our stomach and continue our journey. Finally, we cannot beat the heats then we called a cab to go to the Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens.

After we bought the entrance tickets, we entered to the park. It was quite a surprise to me that I can see an amusement park just in the centre of the zoo.

We were too tired to walk about, so we decided to purchase the tram tickets. Clustered together in the same park, is both the Saigon Zoo and the Botanical Gardens.

The zoo, that is the animals part of the zoo, is not so great – the animals don’t look too happy, and the cages aren’t set up very well. It reminds me of our Malaysia National Zoo that is much more better than that.

However, the Saigon Zoo exhibits a diverse range of animals including monkeys, tigers, tigers, hippos, lions, elephants, turtles, snakes, and etc. We saw the animals on the tram tour.

The entire zoo is a botanical garden, full of lush greenery and natural vegetation. But if you keep walking around, you’ll eventually come to the specific botanical garden section.

The gardens throughout the zoo and the wide paths surrounding by natural lush vegetation was a beautiful.

When we were there, it looked like many Vietnamese had come to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens just to hang out, relax and socialize with friends.

It looked like many spent the day at the zoo, to use it more just like a peaceful garden park, like an escape from the noisy motorbike roads of Saigon.

As with us, you probably would not be impressed with the animals or the conditions of the zoo, but the gardens are beautiful, and it’s a good place to walk around for some peace and nature within Saigon.

In addition to creatures and plants, the zoo and botanical gardens also have the Saigon National Museum and the World War I monument within its vicinity.

The museum covers the entire history of Vietnam and includes war weapons from the French colonial era and thousands of important documents within its walls.

We did not manage to go to both the Saigon National Museum and the World War I monument. By the time we finish our visit at Saigon Zoo, we unable to visit both above as the tickets counter was still close for lunch hour.

Finally, we decided to go for our food hunting in the afternoon.

Saigon Jade Emperor Pagoda 12 Nov 2017

After the Church we walked quite a long distance to the Jade Emperor Pagoda. This is the one and only attraction that near to our Church.

Dedicated to the Jade Emperor, one of the highest powers and deities in Taoism, the Jade Emperor Pagoda is one of the most important Taoist temples in Saigon.

As soon as we set our foot into the compound, immediately we can see the front courtyard is shaded by draping banyan trees, with a spattering of pigeons, and a cloud of incense smoke that burns both inside and outside the temple and sets the mood by making the entire area hazy.

There is an overcrowded tortoise pond in front of the temple grounds and feeding the animals is considered part of the merit-making, temple-going rituals.

Inside the temple, there are two main sections, the back section is where the statue of the Jade Emperor sits, surrounded by various other deities and statues.

Jade Emperor Pagoda In the main hall, the Emperor Jade Chua Ngoc Hoang or the 'God of the Heavens' reigns supreme. Aided by two assistants, the Emperor decides who can enter this higher realm. Those who don't pass this gate will meet with the formidable 'God of Hell', on the left, who will send sinners to one of the 10 levels of hell.

In a different hall, the goddess of fertility Kim Hua, surrounded by figures of women and small children, blesses childless couples who pray for an offspring here. The goddess of mercy Kuan Yin, who forms a very important part of any Taoist temple, has an altar in a room on the top floor.

Emperor Jade Pagoda is a living and working shrine very much in use by the locals who come here to prayer or make votive offerings of flowers, and light candles and joss sticks.

With worshippers coming and going, the temple can get busy and feel a little cramped. Its dimly lit, the narrow passageways filled with smoke lend an atmospheric feel to the place, adding to its charm.

We spent around 20 minutes in the Jade Emperor Pagoda. We were searching for some food and drinks as we were headed to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Tan Son Nhat Branch 12 Nov 2017

It was a Sabbath in a different country. Before came to Saigon, Alvin had searched on the internet, the nearest branch that our family can attend for the Sacrament Meeting.

We took a cab and we reached early, walking for awhile to look for the right unit number. And, we found it!

LDS Tan Son Nhat Branch

16A Phan Tôn,

Đa Kao, Q.1,

Hồ Chí Minh, Việt Nam

The building is actually a residential house, that convert into the chapel. It looks new and beautiful with the architecture and little court yard in the centre. Adjacent to the main building is the kitchen or the food preparation area and the wash rooms.

It have 3 levels, whereby the sacrament meeting at the ground floor, the rest of the 2 levels up housed the Primary rooms, Elders Quorum room, and Relief Society room.

We have been given sets of headphones as the the Sacrament Meeting was to conduct in Vietnamese language and there is Missionaries Elders whom translated to English language for Non-Vietnamese speaking visitors or members.

Our family took a few photos at the Chapel area. The messages that the speakers given were exactly the same as our last Sacrament Meeting back in our home country!

After the Sacrament Meeting, we left the Chapel and continue our exploration in this lovely country.