Twice as Delicious

[LCB] Basic Pastry Week 5,6,7,8 & 9

Posted on July 5, 2012 by P

This gallery contains 18 photos.

And this marks the end of Basic Pastry at LCB. It has been an enjoyable (and somewhat relaxing & therapeutic) journey so far – hence, it is not at all a difficult decision to continue on to Intermediate Pastry next … Continue reading →

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[Ho Chi Minh City] La Fenetre Soleil – Timeless Charm

Posted on July 2, 2012 by K

La Fenetre Soleil is one gorgeous, stylish café located in the heart of Saigon.

The café is located very near Vincom Center (Less than 3 minutes away) but I had a hard time finding the café as the shop numbers are not in order. You have to look real hard in order not to miss the small signboard.

Similar to L’usine– you have to climb a fleet of stairs to reach the cafe.

What I really like about the charming cafe is the rustic settings and mismatched furniture. I adore the concept that every guest can pick the chair that fits his/her personality when they step into this quaint cafe.

The café’s interior has several counter seats with high stools (the cafe transforms into a bar at night) and a side of the wall decorated with mismatched frames – LIKE.

Overall – La Fenetre Soleil is a charming little space that ticked all my right boxes of a stylish cafe design. It’s a perfect place for a quiet afternoon alone with a book. 🙂

La Fenetre Soleil
Tel: +84 (08) 3824 5994
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 12 midnight, Daily
Add: 44 Ly Tu Trong Street, District 1, 2nd floor, Ho Chi Minh City

Posted in Bar, Café, Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam, Vietnamese | 2 Comments

[Ho Chi Minh City] Banh Khot – Savory Coconut Rice Cakes

Posted on June 28, 2012 by K

Banh khot is a delicious street food in Vietnam. It’s like a mini size savory pancake with pork or shrimp toppings . The main ingredients in the “cake” are rice flour, coconut milk & mung beans.

The best banh khot I had in Saigon was at this street vendor based at the corner of Tue Tinh Street and Cong Chua Ngoc Han Street in district 11. This humble stall is owned by two camera shy Vietnamese ladies who dish out hundreds of these tasty little treats everyday at the roadside with only 3-4 small tables .

They serve two versions of banh khot i.e. pork & shrimp. The rice cakes here were extremely addictive – fried to a crispy golden brown on the outside while maintaining a creamy, melt in the mouth texture inside. THUMBS UP!

I have a mega craving for banh khot now – Anyone knows where I can find this snack in Singapore? 😦

Posted in Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam, Vietnamese | 5 Comments

[Ho Chi Minh City] Up Cafe – Up Up and Away

Posted on June 27, 2012 by K

An Up House Replica by National Geographic – Image from its website

I love the movie Up. It’s my all-time favourite Disney movie. The movie was so touching and deep that I sometimes wonder whether the targeted audience (i.e. children) understand the meaning of the show.

I was really intrigued to check out the Up Café in Saigon after my friend told me about the Café’s interesting concept.

There were no giant balloons tied to the roof and it definitely won’t bring you soaring through the sky. The twist here is …….. everything in the cafe is UPside down, including the facade and the entrance to the cafe. SPOILER – you can only push open the entrance door from the left and not the right because it’s upside down. Geddit? 🙂

[LEFT] Upside Down Frames – This would be a brilliant new decoration idea especially if you have a haunted house. 😛 The air-cons were not inverted for good obvious reasons.
[RIGHT] Upside Down Cabinet and Window

Upside Down Grand Piano – Perhaps Jay Chou can try this stunt in his next concert.

Up Cafe House Specials – The drinks here were average but hey, the whole point of coming to Up Cafe was for the concept.

Overall – Up Cafe is a nice chill out place with an innovative concept. It’s definitely worth at least a visit for the unique experience. Enjoy!

Up Cafe
Tel: +84 (08) 3845 2155
Opening Hours : 7am-11pm, Daily
Add: 269 Nguyen Trong Tuyen Street, District Phu Nhuan, Ho Chi Minh City (15 minutes cab ride from District 1)

Posted in Café, Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam, Vietnamese | 17 Comments

[Ho Chi Minh City] L’usine – P.S. I Love You Too

Posted on June 25, 2012 by K

I read about L’usine in many magazines and I regreted that I did not try this “PS. café” alike until my most recent trip there. I can imagine that this would be my every Sunday hangout if I were still staying in HCMC.

The pretty cafe is located conveniently in Dong Khoi but you need to pass by the dodgy carpark with a flimsy banner and climb up a fleet of stairs.

The café is always full of people at anytime of the day – This is probably also where i see the most number of Caucasians in Saigon!

I so so love the use of big chalkboards and the display of pretty desserts at the counter! The ambience is chirpy and inviting.

[Left] Menu – They have a really good Western menu. It’s not easy to find such food offerings in Saigon.
[Right] Vietnamese Caramelized Pork & Herb Sandwich with Lime Dressing – Basically a foreigner friendly banh mi and I actually like it. 🙂

[FROM BACK] Strawberry & Red Velvet Cupcakes – I absolutely have to rave about their sweets (by Sweet + Sour Bakery). The cupcakes were moist & fluffy with very fresh thick
frosting. I tried several flavours and all of them were consistently good. Do pair the cupcakes with a cup of coffee for a killer combination!

Overall, L’usine is a real gem in Saigon. To me, it’s PS. cafe (missing truffle fries :P) at a fraction of the price and with better service. It’s a very foreigner friendly place (all the servers can understand English) and conveniently located in the heart of Saigon. I will definitely return in my next visit!

L’Usine
Tel: +84 (0) 8 6674 3565
Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm, Daily
Add: 151/1 Dong Khoi St., 2nd floor, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Posted in Café, Dessert, Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam, Vietnamese | 20 Comments

Twice as Delicious

[LCB] Basic Pastry Week 5,6,7,8 & 9

[Ho Chi Minh City] La Fenetre Soleil – Timeless Charm

[Ho Chi Minh City] Banh Khot – Savory Coconut Rice Cakes

[Ho Chi Minh City] Up Cafe – Up Up and Away

[Ho Chi Minh City] L’usine – P.S. I Love You Too

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