Kumho Link is opened

Photo : http://www.ngoisau.net

The 10 Feb 12 issue of Vietnam News reported that Kumho Link has just opened. Located at the junction of Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan in District 1 (next to Intercontinental Asiana Saigon Hotel), this was the previous Kumho Asiana Plaza that closed due to poor traffic and business. It now boast "14 interesting international restaurants" - Brotzeit (a German restaurant), Subway, Bobby Chinn, Lion City (yes, Singapore food but I've never been impressed with this chain), Sushi Bar, Dae Jang Gum, Sejong, Lau Xe Lua (Train hotpot), MOF, Hard Rock Cafe, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf etc.

Well ... at least there's another place to explore on Sunday.

PS : Found the website : http://kumholink.com.vn/en/

CNY 2012

This is the only long break that we have each year. Came back home 19 Jan to 1 Feb 2012. Met and caught up with many old friends.

CNY at Mum's place














Dinner at Tuan's place with PS Class of 86

Dinner at Fong's new home with Angie and Hwei Leng, and the guys!!

Annual CNY dinner with Mr Chow & Co

Lunch with Elizabeth Poey

Breakfast with Raj, Chee Meng & Clarence

Crescent Mall

Went to Crescent Mall in Phu My Hung (District 7) yesterday to check it out since it has just opened its doors in end Nov 11. It's a huge mall, and a huge disappointment. It's boring ... ground floor has many big brands with big discounts for Tet ... but who's gonna buy Gap or Tommy Hilfiger when Saigon Square and so many other places have "copies" at a fraction of the price? Looked for a bookstore but there was none. Looked for a restaurant and only MOF and Pizza Nut were available. And you can give MOF a miss there (we had lunch there) - the quality of food sucks, poor service and poor value for money. You're better off going to the one in Le Loi Street in District 1. The foodcourt is nothing fantastic. Giant Supermarket at the basement is also huge but prices seem higher than normal. There's a big Cholon electronics supermart next to Giant.

While it wasn't exactly a waste of time, it wasn't a good shopping experience for us at Crescent Mall either. To top it all, the quality of finishing in the mall is pathetic. Many tiles are stained and the wooden floor parts have started popping out after just 2 odd months - someone should be "shot" for that.

Website : http://www.the-crescent.com/trung-tam-thuong-mai

Wooden tiles popping out

Stains like these all over the place

Gyu Jin ShabuShabu & Sukiyaki Hotpot Restaurant

Happen to drive by this evening. The restaurant looked interesting so we decided to have dinner there. It near Bui Vien Street in Pham Ngu Lao so those staying at the backpackers' area can just walk there. It's a ShabuShabu & Sukiyaki Hotpot Restaurant. We took the Combo at 300,000vnd (S$18) each - unlimited servings of beef, seafood, vegetables, mushroom, etc - good value for money if you love good beef. Saw this 2 men at the next table eating nothing but beef, beef and beef!!!

Address : 102 Cong Quynh, P. Pham Ngu Lao, Q1

Website : www.gyujin.com.vn

Tet - Chinatown

Tons of Tet decorations for sale in Cholon (Chinatown) in HCMC. Nowhere else will you be able to find the range and quantity of Tet decorations save for here. Small-time retailers buy from these shops for resale in other districts.

The new Quan An Ngon

We finally stepped into the "new" Quan An Ngon Vietnamese Restaurant last night - about a year or so after it reopened. The old restaurant was demolished and a new one rebuilt in its place. The old Quan An Ngon was famous for its wide variety of Vietnamese food and more importantly, for its really reasonable prices...but that was more than 3 years ago.

Prices have increased 2-3 times. This makes it no more fun to dine there (as far as I'm concerned). For instance, a sinh to (fruit shake) costs 42,000vnd, a coconut 25,000vnd, a bowl of pho 42-48,000vnd, a cafe sua da (ice milk coffee) 32,000vnd, and crab cost 460,000vnd/kg. The quality of the food is just average. I think the only reason I would want to go there again is probably to bring some visitors there because the wide range of Vietnamese food under one roof.

Address :

Quan An Ngon 138

138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia

District 1

(Diagonally opposite the entrance to the Reunification Palace)

New Year's Eve in HCMC

It's New Year Day. Went for dinner at Dragon Noodle after mass last evening. Caught a bit of the New Year's Eve madness in downtown Dong Khoi Street - it's going to be packed later in the night. It's like Vietnamese have no where to go except to town ... actually to some extent, that's true. Can't blame them. Anyway, we "ran" away back home after dinner to a more peaceful environment.