Miss Wong Bar

In the last trip to Siem Reap, following the hotel staff's recommendation, we went to Miss Wong cocktail bar for a drink after dinner. I was quite impressed about this Chinese - Shanghai old style bar which is inspired by the owner's impression of Miss Wong from China.

It's totally different compared to the rest of the bars in Siem Reap which were all modern and a bit tasteless. Miss Wong is lit with low red lights, chinese style tables and chairs and interesting photos. I do love their menus designed sharplywith Miss Wong photos on the top.

They make very nice cocktails particularly the Mojito and Margarita. I also enjoyed the China white cocktail very much and I think the staff have been trained very well. They speak quite good english and they are very friendly.

Anyway, good to know another place in a small town to hang out next time and have some of the best cocktails in town.
Address : The Lane , Siem Reap behind pub street
Phone : 855/92.428.332

Jam?

My friends and I went to the Jam Club for the first time on a Wednesday a few months ago. It was great as I saw the small hiphop show where customers competed in a dance-off together. The girl who won was a great dancer, looked great and really enjoyed herself. The Jam Club is a new world for me compared to other clubs in Hanoi and is currently one of the most popular clubs for Hanoi's young folk. I wondered whether their parents know where they are, how much they are spending on drink and clothes.

I returned to this club last Friday night with some friends as they wanted to listen to some dance music. 90% of the club's clientele is Vietnamese. My friends had never been to the Jam Club before and they were very surprised about how crowded and crazy it was. This club is kind of a replacement for the New Century Dance Club which used to be in Trang Thi street but was closed down by the police. However, Jam is much much smaller and a bit pricey as well. Beer is 50,000Vnd per bottle, with wine and other liquor over the top as well. But most tables seem to have 2 or 3 different kinds of liquors, from Black Label to Gin.... Where do these kids get the money from? Unluckily for us, the Jam Club has $1 Carlsberg beers every sunday, monday, tuesday and thursday... except on wednesday and weekend!!!

They don't allow anyone to take photos here or bring alcohol in from outside. Damn!

Rainbow Bar

The Rainbow Bar in Phu Quoc is the coolest and most relaxed bar on the island. Located right on the beach, furnished with simple tables and chairs and hospitable staff, it is the place to while away a few hours over drinks, a meal or a book.

During my recent trip to Phu Quoc, I visited this bar at various times of the day and enjoyed at least one meal here on each day of my stay. One particular dish which I couldn’t resist was their sour fish broth, a specialty of the south and one that is real comfort food for me. As a son of the south, raised in Nha Trang, I have very fond memories of my mum and sister cooking this soup at home. The Rainbow Bar produces a very fine version of it.

The French owner of the bar understands the need for drinks to be cold in this tropical climate. The beer was frosty at all times and he was mindful of wine drinkers, too, making sure that the bottles are cellared and stored adequately and served at the correct temperature. I enjoyed some lovely Chilean Sauvignon Blanc one evening.

The Rainbow Bar opened on the island five years ago after a successful period trading in Nha Trang, also beachside. When the local government reclaimed the land to develop the foreshore, the owner was forced to re-locate and saw the potential of Phu Quoc as a growing tourist destination. He hasn’t looked back since.

It’s easy to understand why. He has a great location. Who wouldn’t want to sit overlooking the sea, watching seafood grill on the evening barbeque, beer in hand and sunset in view. The seafood needs to be ordered in advance to avoid disappointment so I found myself planning my dinner at breakfast time. A fluent speaker of Vietnamese, the owner is a great resource of information on the island.

All in all, the Rainbow Bar is my kind of place.

Nha Trang - Happy New Year 2008!!!

Chinese New Year in Viet Nam is called Tet. All over Vietnam, Tet is the family reunion time where everyone is supposed to return home for a few days. That includes me. I went back home for two weeks to be with my mother and my sisters and brother. Back in Nha Trang for two weeks isn't really enough as I couldn't try as much local food as I would like but at least I had such a great time with family and good friends.

My family and I chose the Sailing Club to welcome the new year. This is a really beautiful bar right on the beach BUT it is a bit of a rip off place as well for beer as it's almost double price compared to other places in town. They have really good music, a great location right on the beach and everyone seemed to come here on New Years Eve for a drink or two and to see the fireworks. They also charged a $4 entrance fee that you can exchange for a small bottle of beer, soft drink or an awful jar of cocktail. Anyway, we had a great new years eve and I was a bit drunk at the end.

My mother was preparing lots of food at home waiting for us to return home. In Vietnam, it's very important that the first person to enter the home after the new year is someone who will bring the family good luck for the coming year. It also depends on that person's year of birth and normally the family choose. With my family, I am usually the first person every year because I always come home earlier than other people but not this year as my brother came home first. I hope we will have the greatest year this year.

Happy New Year everyone and best wishes for the coming year. Welcome to 2008, the year of the Rat!!!

Solace Bar

There are hardly any good bars in Hanoi because Hanoi is the capital city and the police are pretty strict. Shops and bars have to close at a certain time. This is a beautiful city of lakes with thousands of beautiful old trees along the streets. Everything seems right here except the entertainment.

We went out with our friends for dinner at the Russian restaurant and most of my friends went to Le Pub but Mark and I went to Solace Bar to meet our Belgium friends, Sarah and Bart for a weekend dance. The bar is nothing special, it also can be called a hole :) but they hired a quite good DJ and very friendly staff which is the most important. This bar used to be Titanic Bar which was also very popular as a late bar for both locals and westerners.

Finally, I can say that I've been there, as I have heard people talk about it so many times. It's located on an old boat and on the side of the Red River, one of the most quiet parts of Hanoi at night. They have a small area as a dance floor which is packed from around 1 am to 4 am. Amazingly there's no police coming to check like the other bars in the old quarter, they must have a really good relationship.

If you are tired of dancing and feel like eating something, go to the left hand side of the bar. There is a pregnant lady who's selling french fries, sausages, hotdogs, sandwiches, and BBQ... She told me that I shouldn't take any photos of the menu because her writing's awful then she laughed out loud. She's a really friendly woman. Check out her food after you've had a few beers.

Solace bar
Phuc Tan area

Lush In Saigon

If you go past in the day time, you wouldn't recognise Lush bar, one of the nicest bars in Saigon. Simply decorated and nicely lit, Lush has a cool feeling and great music.

I say this because I was there twice with my friends while I was down south recently. I was impressed by the staff, the drinks and the price - not expensive at all, compared to other bars in Saigon but you will get the same quality of drink, maybe higher service quality and a better atmosphere. You can choose a seat inside both down or upstairs with air conditioning or outside with a fan. Another pleasant thing about this place was the lack of prostitutes hanging around. I was surprised. Maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough.

Lush Bar
Ly Tu Trong Street- District 1
Ho Chi Minh City

Renaissance Riverside Saigon Hotel

Eating in hotels can be a bit boring because there are so many which serve acceptable food in a very formal atmosphere. The Riverside Cafe in Saigon where I went recently with my friends is great, quite expensive compared to other places but worth the money. There are lots of options to choose: salads, main courses and desserts are available from the international buffet. A soft drink and water are included.

Sit on a comfortable chair in the non-smoking area to make your meal more enjoyable. Plates are changed after each serving which is good and the staff are friendly, beautifully attired and well trained.

I also went to an amazing bar on the 5th floor called the Atrium Lounge. I ordered the best Mojito ever at this bar and was really pleased with the very relaxing music. It was a nice surprise. It’s not as expensive as I thought either, and all long drinks and cocktails start from $6. For a special occasion or a drink before a meal, I recommend this place. Remember, it's on the 5th floor.

Check these places out at: Renaissance Riverside Saigon Hotel
8-15 Ton Duc Thang Street
Tel:(84)8.822 0033
Ho Chi Minh City

Old Quarter

For 1,500Vnd you can have a glass of Bia Hoi- Draught beer, which can vary in quality but is maybe the cheapest beer in the world. You also can order a grilled pork stick with a bread roll which could be your dinner. In the old quarter in Hanoi, there is one particular corner (Dinh Liet) where there are three bia hoi bars where heaps of backpackers and tourists hang around.

A bit further up the road, Bia Minh's is a good place for meeting friends with cold beer and you can see things happening down on the street from the second floor. It has a very friendly owner but don't ever order Bò Lúc Lắc, which is horrible.

The Maquis is my favortie bar in Hanoi which has the most friendly staff, good music, nice pictures, good cocktails, and the only bar using stubby holders for keeping cold beer. A small, late night bar with charactor and so popular with French people who live in Hanoi.

The popular backpacker bar now is Le Pub which is not very far from the lake in Hang Be street. Cold beer, friendly staff and art exhibitions for expat artists are the highlights here.

How about coffee? Cafe Năng, yes, only 5000Vnd that you can have a greatest coffee in Hanoi and sit right on the pavement watching all kinds of action going past.

Another popular bar is the Polite Pub, a nice place to catch up with friends, where there is a happy hour til 8pm. It has a friendly owner, really good, cold draught beer and good music that keeps me coming back.

Sailing In Nha Trang

The Nha Trang Sailing Club is the best location in town, right by the beach and is popular for both tourists and locals. They always serve cold beer and good cocktails, in surroundings with amazing sea views. The high standard service and the best DJ in town create such a great atmosphere. Three cool foreign public relations staff go around fixing problems and providing free cocktail shots throughout the night.

This is the only place open till 4AM and food is served till 2AM - Indian and Italian food. The curries and pizzas are the best in Nha Trang and not badly priced. They also have Japanese food here as well which is the most popular and always busy but not open very late.

The best diving club is here. It's called Padi which is 5 star with professional, knowledgeable and friendly dive guides. They provide high quality equipment and lots of promotions.

Relaxing on the beach on a sun - chair or in private in a gazebo for an Asian massage is another service supplied at the Sailing Club.

For further information, do not hesitate to contact the club on the following telephone number (84)(58) 826528 - 524628 or check their website http://www.sailingclubvietnam.com/ .