Dine under pretty, embroidered lamps

Southern delicacy: Ca loc kho to (stewed fish in clay-pot) served at An Vien is a Southern Vietnamese specialty. Old favourite: An Vien, on Hai Ba Trung Street, serves classic Vietnamese spring rolls. Tasty treat: Roast chicken served with deep-fried sticky-rice cakes work wonderfully together. An Vien Restaurant Address: 178A Hai Ba Trung Street, District 1, HCM City Phone: (84 8) 3824-3877 Prices: VND50,000 – VND400,000 (US$2.5 – $20) Hours: 10am – 2pm; 4pm – 11pm Comments: middle – to high-end restaurant; cozy, warm ambience; authentic Vietnamese cuisine; professional staff.

Although the foreigners' knowledge of the Vietnamese past may be limited, the cuisine, which has won accolades worldwide, remains a favourite attraction of tourists and expatriates.

Last Tuesday, I invited an American friend, David, who loves Vietnamese food, to dine out while he was on a business trip in HCM City.

Because David had already tried the well-known Quan Ngon restaurant, which serves a variety of local food, I decided to introduce him to another place that is definitely worth a visit.

I chose An Vien restaurant because of its cosy, luxurious ambience and delicious food.

Located on an alley off Hai Ba Trung Street in District 1, An Vien is a middle – to high-end restaurant that has attracted a number of high-end diners who have a passion for authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

Opened in 2003, An Vien is housed in an old French colonial villa that has been renovated and decorated with a mixture of Western and Eastern furniture and lighting.

Comfortable sofas and wooden chairs and tables on each floor, along with delicately embroidered lamps and warm silk pendant lights, create an ambience that is perfect for a business meeting or family get-together.

With a variety of spaces in the restaurant, guests have the option to eat in a warmly lit room downstairs with flowers and candles on each table, or dine upstairs where they can view the bustling city at night.

A professional staff of 27, all of whom can communicate in simple English, serves you attentively.

My friend was especially fond of the menu, covered with a silk-like cloth with embroidered lotus flowers.

The restaurant accommodates up to 100 diners and has a diverse menu with more than 100 authentic Vietnamese dishes made in a special house style.

My friend had sampled many Vietnamese dishes like pho (traditional noodle soup), nem nuong (grilled meat roll) and bun bo Hue (noodle in Hue style), but had never had a complete meal typically served in Vietnamese homes.

A common meal for the average family often includes bowls of com (rice); thit ca (meat, fish or seafood) that have been grilled, boiled, steamed, stewed or stir-fried with vegetables; rau xao (stir-fried vegetables) and canh (Vietnamese-style soup).

We ordered many separate dishes to have such a meal, including fried rice in clay-pot, served with chicken and bamboo shoots (VND160,000 or U$S8).

For the meat and fish, we could choose from pork, beef, chicken, fish or eel, most of which are cooked in a traditional style, such as the stewed pork in clay-pot (VND130,000 or $6.5) and stewed fish in clay-pot (VND140,000 or $7).

We chose the roasted chicken served with deep-fried sticky-rice cakes, accompanied by a special soy chilli sauce.

The cakes, crispy on the outside and soft inside, were especially delicious and made the somewhat bland chicken more special when mixed together.

For vegetables (VND130,000 – 150,000 or $6.5 – 7.5), we ordered stir-fried rau muong (kang-kong) with garlic. The menu also offers other dishes, including stir-fried vegetables with pork and kidney (VND140,000 or $7).

Our soup was canh chua ca loc (fresh water fish and pineapple and tomato in sour soup) (VND145,000 or $7.2), a popular item in Vietnamese cuisine.

Another specialty is the An Vien hot-pot (king prawns in sour hot-pot), VND400,000 or $20 for two persons and VND800,000 or $40 for four persons ($20 – 40).

Vegetarians can take heart as the restaurant also serves many kinds of dishes priced at an average of VND100,000 ($5).

In addition, the restaurant offers many appetizers (VND55,000 – 250,000) like deep-fried spring rolls made of pork and shrimp, banh xeo (Vietnamese pancakes) and many kinds of salad, especially the tri-season salad that I later learned is a house specialty.

Desserts are also included (VND40,000 – 45,000), including mixed seasonal fruits, battered bananas, caramel, coconut caramel, che sau rieng dau xanh (sweetened porridge with durian bean) and che troi nuoc (sweetened porridge with floating stick-rice balls).

Soft drinks, fresh fruit juices and cocktails cost from VND15,000 up to 90,000 ($0.75 – 4.5).

Nguyen Van Bui, the restaurant's manager, assured us that most of the dishes are prepared to order and not cooked in advance.

We left the An Vien fully satisfied and declared it a successful gastronomic experience. But we noted that for some diners, the prices may be out of their price range, except on special occasions. — VNS

Dine under pretty, embroidered lamps

Southern delicacy: Ca loc kho to (stewed fish in clay-pot) served at An Vien is a Southern Vietnamese specialty. Old favourite: An Vien, on Hai Ba Trung Street, serves classic Vietnamese spring rolls. Tasty treat: Roast chicken served with deep-fried sticky-rice cakes work wonderfully together. An Vien Restaurant Address: 178A Hai Ba Trung Street, District 1, HCM City Phone: (84 8) 3824-3877 Prices: VND50,000 – VND400,000 (US$2.5 – $20) Hours: 10am – 2pm; 4pm – 11pm Comments: middle – to high-end restaurant; cozy, warm ambience; authentic Vietnamese cuisine; professional staff.

Although the foreigners' knowledge of the Vietnamese past may be limited, the cuisine, which has won accolades worldwide, remains a favourite attraction of tourists and expatriates.

Last Tuesday, I invited an American friend, David, who loves Vietnamese food, to dine out while he was on a business trip in HCM City.

Because David had already tried the well-known Quan Ngon restaurant, which serves a variety of local food, I decided to introduce him to another place that is definitely worth a visit.

I chose An Vien restaurant because of its cosy, luxurious ambience and delicious food.

Located on an alley off Hai Ba Trung Street in District 1, An Vien is a middle – to high-end restaurant that has attracted a number of high-end diners who have a passion for authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

Opened in 2003, An Vien is housed in an old French colonial villa that has been renovated and decorated with a mixture of Western and Eastern furniture and lighting.

Comfortable sofas and wooden chairs and tables on each floor, along with delicately embroidered lamps and warm silk pendant lights, create an ambience that is perfect for a business meeting or family get-together.

With a variety of spaces in the restaurant, guests have the option to eat in a warmly lit room downstairs with flowers and candles on each table, or dine upstairs where they can view the bustling city at night.

A professional staff of 27, all of whom can communicate in simple English, serves you attentively.

My friend was especially fond of the menu, covered with a silk-like cloth with embroidered lotus flowers.

The restaurant accommodates up to 100 diners and has a diverse menu with more than 100 authentic Vietnamese dishes made in a special house style.

My friend had sampled many Vietnamese dishes like pho (traditional noodle soup), nem nuong (grilled meat roll) and bun bo Hue (noodle in Hue style), but had never had a complete meal typically served in Vietnamese homes.

A common meal for the average family often includes bowls of com (rice); thit ca (meat, fish or seafood) that have been grilled, boiled, steamed, stewed or stir-fried with vegetables; rau xao (stir-fried vegetables) and canh (Vietnamese-style soup).

We ordered many separate dishes to have such a meal, including fried rice in clay-pot, served with chicken and bamboo shoots (VND160,000 or U$S8).

For the meat and fish, we could choose from pork, beef, chicken, fish or eel, most of which are cooked in a traditional style, such as the stewed pork in clay-pot (VND130,000 or $6.5) and stewed fish in clay-pot (VND140,000 or $7).

We chose the roasted chicken served with deep-fried sticky-rice cakes, accompanied by a special soy chilli sauce.

The cakes, crispy on the outside and soft inside, were especially delicious and made the somewhat bland chicken more special when mixed together.

For vegetables (VND130,000 – 150,000 or $6.5 – 7.5), we ordered stir-fried rau muong (kang-kong) with garlic. The menu also offers other dishes, including stir-fried vegetables with pork and kidney (VND140,000 or $7).

Our soup was canh chua ca loc (fresh water fish and pineapple and tomato in sour soup) (VND145,000 or $7.2), a popular item in Vietnamese cuisine.

Another specialty is the An Vien hot-pot (king prawns in sour hot-pot), VND400,000 or $20 for two persons and VND800,000 or $40 for four persons ($20 – 40).

Vegetarians can take heart as the restaurant also serves many kinds of dishes priced at an average of VND100,000 ($5).

In addition, the restaurant offers many appetizers (VND55,000 – 250,000) like deep-fried spring rolls made of pork and shrimp, banh xeo (Vietnamese pancakes) and many kinds of salad, especially the tri-season salad that I later learned is a house specialty.

Desserts are also included (VND40,000 – 45,000), including mixed seasonal fruits, battered bananas, caramel, coconut caramel, che sau rieng dau xanh (sweetened porridge with durian bean) and che troi nuoc (sweetened porridge with floating stick-rice balls).

Soft drinks, fresh fruit juices and cocktails cost from VND15,000 up to 90,000 ($0.75 – 4.5).

Nguyen Van Bui, the restaurant's manager, assured us that most of the dishes are prepared to order and not cooked in advance.

We left the An Vien fully satisfied and declared it a successful gastronomic experience. But we noted that for some diners, the prices may be out of their price range, except on special occasions. — VNS