Darren Joe ’02 Pairs Saigon’s Hidden Alleyway Gems With Tourist Spots

When I was 31, I drank my first coffee in the mountains of Vietnam. I was with my best friend, and we had chosen Cafe Tùng, a historic meeting place for artists and intellectuals, for this first sip. Afterwards, we wandered the streets nearby and a local market. Finally, my friend chimed in, “Dude… I have never heard you… talk so much.”

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Darren Joe ’02

Nicky Woo

Vietnamese coffee is notoriously strong, a head spinner — much like my adopted hometown of Saigon (now called Ho Chi Minh City), where I have lived for more than a decade. But, did you know most coffee shops here offer trà đá (iced tea) to mellow out your coffee? You can’t have one without the other. Trà đá is like the chill side of Saigon, the hidden gems in back alleys and old buildings that offer respite from the motorbikes and sweat of 10 million people responsible for a quarter of the nation’s GDP.

On April 30, Vietnam celebrated the 50th anniversary of National Reunification with parades, fighter jets, and fireworks. Major roads were closed for a week, quadrupling travel time. Thousands slept overnight on sidewalks for a front row seat.

I watched from home. Condensed, Saigon’s energy is too explosive for me. I spent the holiday walking my neighborhood, and revelled in finding a garden shop and billiards hall I had motorbiked past hundreds of times.

When friends and family visit, I tell them to soak in Saigon. Wander. Get lost somewhere.

The city is so dense and fast-evolving that no matter where you are, you’ll find something memorable. You just need to poke around. As my mom said during her visit: “Now I know why you love it here. There are so many young people, and there is so much to do!”

If Princetonians were to visit, I’d take them to these hẻm gems (alleyway gems) paired with Saigon’s tourist spots, where they can taste local life and see Saigon for what it is now: an international city with a rising middle class, full of ambitious Vietnamese and foreigners chasing opportunity, adventure, and love.

The tourist spot: War Remnants Museum 
The hẻm gem: After visiting the somber War Remnants Museum, which covers the impact of the Vietnam War, in the afternoon, grab a few bags of craft roasted coffee from Là Việt (57A Tú Xương) as gifts. Then walk south to Ngô Thời Nhiệm Street. Enjoy a Jasmine IPA at Pasteur Street, Saigon’s first craft beer outfit, and then live music at Acoustic Barfrom up-and-coming local artists. After, sit roadside on preposterously small stools and nhậu (drink) at B3 Beer, just watching the world pass by like locals do.

The tourist spots: Presidential Palace, Saigon Central Post Office, and Notre Dame Cathedral 
The hẻm gem: Visit nearby JapanTown off Lê Thánh Tôn Street as the sun sets. With Vietnam attracting so much foreign investment, such cultural enclaves are increasingly common, and add great color to the city. Start at Sushi Tiger, where you can get fresh sushi at incredible prices — you’ll have to stand though! Move to Mangetsu Shochu Bar and enjoy the after-work atmosphere at this cozy izakaya (pub). Still hungry? Dodge beckoning massage ladies in áo dài (traditional vietnamese dresses) and find Tori Soba Mutahiro at the end of an alley for award-winning chicken ramen. End the night at universally recommended MiuMiu Spa for a foot and back massage.

The tourist spot: Bến Thành Market
The hẻm gem: Sample delicious food from Huế — Vietnam’s ancient, imperial capital — at Nam Giao, tucked away in Hẻm 136 Lê Thánh Tôn. My favorites include steamed rice flour cake with fresh ground shrimp and sautéed baby clams over baked rice paper. Then take Saigon’s just-opened subway from Bến Thành to Thảo Điền, ranked as one of the world’s coolest neighborhoods by Time Out. Explore Xuân Thuỷ Street, from the wet market on the West to chic Thảo Điền street on the East; here, you can experience Saigon’s evolving character and lifestyle, all in a single kilometer. Wind down at The Deck Saigon, and enjoy the riverside breeze over the Mekong. Take the new Saigon Water Taxifrom Thanh Đa back to Bạch Đằng, passing under Saigon’s new Ba Son Bridge and ever-growing skyline.

The tourist spot: The ear-splitting bars on Bùi Viện, Saigon’s backpacker street
The hẻm gem: Skip the noise and walk five minutes north to 35 Nguyễn Văn Tráng. This repurposed, 65-year-old apartment houses my favorite English bookstore, Pages of Passion, along with boutiques and cafes on every floor, full of students from nearby Hoa Sen University. This is the new Vietnam, entrepreneurial and international, yet most comfortable in old Vietnamese spaces. Nearby is Saigon’s most famous banh mi stall, Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa, but I prefer Bánh Mì Chim Chạy, a five-minute walk away. Find a shady bench and enjoy your sandwich at 23/9 Park, where students practice English with foreigners. Parks are the great meeting place in Vietnamese society. You’ll find groups of all ages practicing badminton, martial arts, even salsa.

The tourist spots: Nguyen Hue Walking Street, Saigon Opera House, and Đồng Khởi Street (the old Rue Catinat) in Saigon Ward
The hẻm gem: Invest in a motorbike tour with XO Tours and experience a handful of Saigon’s 168 outer wards, each with their rich history and ambiance.! From street seafood in gritty Vĩnh Hội Ward to Vietnam’s tallest building in Bình Thạnh, Saigon must be experienced by motorbike — it unlocks the city, and thousands more hẻms to explore.