Saigontourist Tet celebrations

Lemongrass Restaurant on level 14 of the Palace Hotel Saigon has great city views and delicious meals - Photo: Courtesy of Lemon Grass Restaurant

Hotels and tourist sites under Saigontourist in HCMC are preparing food programs for the traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

Rex Hotel Saigon (141 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1, tel : 3829 2185)

The hotel will host a Tet welcoming buffet party on Lunar New Year’s Eve on February 2, accompanied with entertainment, lion dance, music performances and fashion shows.

Rex hotel is an ideal place for tourists to see the fireworks. Tickets are US$89 per adult and US$44 per child.

Continental Hotel Saigon (132 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, tel: 3829 9201)

The hotel will offer a set menu with typical Tet dishes priced from VND500,000 per person and VND800,000 for two. The program runs from January 30 to February 6.

First Hotel (18 Hoang Viet Street, Tan Binh District, tel: 3844 1199)

The program “Spring comes knocking” will be hosted every night of the first four days of the New Year (February from 3 to 6). Enjoy music shows, lucky draw and unicorn dances by Nhan Nghia Duong lion dance troupe.

Que Huong Liberty 4 (256 Pham Ngu Lao, District 1, tel: 3836 5172)

The hotel’s Gio Noi Restaurant will prepare a buffet with more than 60 dishes on weekend nights from Fridays to Sundays. Tickets are VND198,000 per adult and VND98,000 per child.

Liberty Central Hotel (179 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, tel: 6291 7977)

The hotel introduces new dishes made of ostrich including spring rolls, stir-fry, grilled with herbs or chilly salt. The hotel also serves buffet breakfast priced at VND199,000 per guest and lunch for office workers at VND59,000.

Thien Hong Hotel (52 Tan Da Street, District 5, tel: 3855 4435)

On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the hotel will prepare a buffet program with more than 30 dishes made in Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine, accompanied with music show and lucky draw. Tickets are priced at VND229,000 per adult and VND149,000 per child. Buy 10 tickets, get one free.

Bong Sen Saigon Hotel (117 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, tel: 3829 1516)

The hotel’s Buffe Ganh Restaurant will hold “New Year lucky buffet” program with an ethnic music show. The buffet lunch is priced at VND220,000 per adult and VND110,000 per child and buffet dinner is priced at VND320,000 per adult and VND160,000 per child.

On the seventh and twelfth floor, there will be buffets with lucky New Year traditional Tet dishes.

Van Thanh Tourist Area (48/10 Dien Bien Phu Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3512 3025)

The buffet called “Back to hometown for Tet” will run from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. from February 4 to 6 with traditional dishes. Guests can join folk games to win prizes and enjoy a piano performance. Tickets are priced at VND190,000 per adult and VND120,000 per child.

Binh Quoi 2 Tourist Area (At the end of Binh Quoi Street in Binh Thanh District, tel: 3556 5470)

The buffet called “Great dishes from the coast” will have over 70 seafood and barbecue dishes. Buffet lunch is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and buffet dinner is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., along with flamenco music show, juggling and circus performances. Tickets are priced from VND170,000 per adult, inclusive of a jug of Russian beer and VND100,000 per child. Guests can take a cruise around Thanh Da Peninsula for VND50,000 per adult and VND30,000 per child. Buy 10 tickets on the cruise, get one free.

Saigon Ship Restaurant (Bach Dang Wharf, District 1, tel: 3823 0393)

The buffet named “Spring cruise on Saigon River” will be on for lunch from February 4 to 6, with more than 50 Tet dishes. Enjoy live music, juggling and circus performances. Tickets are VND190,000 per adult and VND120,000 per child. At night, the cruise leaves the wharf twice - 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Tan Cang Tourist Area (A100 Ung Van Khiem, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3512 8775)

The area will host a program “Back to hometown for Tet celebrations” from February 6 to 8” and “Tan Cang grilled hotpot” with more than 80 dishes and seafood hotpots. Tickets are priced from VND250,000 per adult and VND140,000 per child, inclusive of a jug of Russian beer, fresh ice-cream and fruit juices.

Tickets will be discounted 30% on February 8.

Binh Quoi 1 Tourist Area (1147 Binh Quoi Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3556 5891)

From February 4 to 7, the tourist area will hold buffet lunches and dinners with more than 70 selected dishes in the garden area, along with ethnic artistic performances. Tickets are VND180,000 per adult and VND100,000 per child.

The area’s restaurant will serve Vietnamese dishes, accompanied with juggling and music show.

Saigon Hotel (41 Dong Du Street, District 1, tel: 3822 4845)

The hotel will prepare a buffet for Lunar New Year’s Eve with about 40 Western and Asian dishes on the ninth floor overlooking the Saigon River and fireworks display. Tickets are VND399,000 per adult and VND199,000 per child, inclusive of one jug of beer, and free for children under 3.

Saigon-Phu Quoc Resort and Spa (1 Tran Hung Dao Street, Phu Quoc District, Kien Giang Province)

On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the resort will put a 6m-high yellow apricot tree on the floating sea stage. There will be a Tet party with traditional food, folk games, showmanship and a cruise along the beach. Tickets are US$69 per adult, US$35 per child.

Palace Hotel Saigon (56-66 Nguyen Hue, Dist. 1, HCMC, tel: 38292860)

The Golden Palace on level five of the four-star hotel will launch its buffet program named “Luck, Prosperity & Longevity” featuring fine seafood including abalone, oyster, shrimp, crab, caviar and salmon. The buffet will also serve Tet specialties, golden carp, royal meat roll and pork pies, golden roasted goose with a free flow of  wine, beer, soft drink, fruit juice, tea and coffee.

The restaurant will be decorated with colorful fish and three deities of Luck, Prosperity and Longevity will welcome guests at the door.

It runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Lunar  New Year’s Eve (Feb. 2) until the forth of the first lunar month (Feb. 6). The price on Feb. 2 is VND550,000++  per adult and VND350,000 from Feb. 3 to Feb. 6.

Lemongrass Restaurant (level 14, Palace Hotel Saigon, 56-66 Nguyen Hue Blvd., Dist. 1, HCMC, tel: 3829 1520)

On the New Year’s Eve (Feb. 2), the Lemongrass Restaurant on the 14th floor of the Palace Hotel Saigon will hold a Lunar New Year’s Eve Party featuring mouthwatering dishes made from sea food like grilled shrimp paste, grilled squid paste, shark fin & crab soup, tuna salad with Wasabi sauce, grilled tuna served with ginger sauce among others. There’s a free flow of drinks like Tiger draught beer, Heineken and soft drinks.

Enjoy folk music performance and folk dances. The hotel’s roof top on level 15 & 16 is an ideal place for watching fireworks and Nguyen Hue Flower Street. The buffet which is available from 7:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. on Feb 2 is priced at VND1.3 million ++ /adult, and VND830,000++/child.

Calibre Charner (level 1, Palace Hotel Saigon, 56-66 Nguyen Hue Blvd., Dist. 1, HCMC, tel: 3829 2860)

The restaurant offers two luxury set menus for New Year’s Eve. The first menu consists of Russian salad, potato soup with smoked salmon, grilled lobster, dessert and Palace flan. The second one includes salmon salad, abalone soup, American beef with baked potatoes and cakes for dessert. The buffet which is available from 7:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 2 is priced at US$59++.

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Turkey countdown

Only two weeks until Thanksgiving… do you know where your turkey is?

Thanksgiving Day has become America’s day to eat.

Every year, right around this time, US newspapers abound with pie recipes and methods for staving off Turkey-induced comas.

The holiday allegedly dates back to the 17th century when a group of Native Americans made the mistake of giving food to a starving group of European settlers.

(They’re like raccoons, if you feed them, you’ll only attract more!)

In 1863, after a great number of America’s gracious Indians had been displaced, killed or relocated, the United States declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.

Every year afterward, on the fourth Thursday of every November, Americans have gathered together to give thanks. Most families gather to eat a tremendous feast and express feelings of thankfulness and gratitude to their family, friends and neighbors.

The more likely scenario, however, is that everyone gets together and drinks and eats too much.

Here in Ho Chi Minh City, famous chefs in five-star restaurants are amassing intricate menus and rolling up their sleeves to prepare a nice and meaningful dinner for their customers on Thanksgiving Day.

The kitchen staff at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel are busily crafting a buffet for Thanksgiving Day at the Café Rivoli Restaurant.

The restaurant, bedecked in elegant and modern décor will stock a full buffet featuring fresh roasted turkey and all the traditional trimmings.

The dessert menu is slated to feature cheesecake, traditional apple pie and fresh fruit accompanied by free drink.

WHERE TO GO

Customers can go to the following restaurants in HCMC to enjoy a Thanksgiving Day dinner: Café RivoliSofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel 17 Le Duan Boulevard, District 1 Tel: (08) 3 824 1555 Email: fb@sofitelsaigon.com.vn Nineteen Ground Floor Caravelle Hotel 19 Lam Son Square, District 1 Tel: (08) 3 823 4999 Email: fbd@caravellehotel.vnn.vn Atrium CaféLegend Hotel Saigon 2A-4A Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1 Tel: (08) 3 823 3333

The Thanksgiving Day party will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on November 25. Admission will cost VND750,000++ for an adult, VND375,000++ for a child from six to 12 and free for kids under five years old.

For those interested in eating their Thanksgiving meal in a homier atmosphere (or tricking their in-laws into believing that they can cook) the five-star hotel will be selling turkey and other Thanksgiving essentials at their Gourmand shop in the lobby.

A kilogram of a roast turkey and condiments will sell for VND495,000++.

The hotel has already begun taking orders for whole birds (cooked, of course). Orders must be placed at least one day prior to your pick-up date.

If you do attempt to cook an entire Thanksgiving meal and fail, consider Nineteen Restaurant, located in the luxurious downtown Caravelle Hotel.

The hotel staff is gearing up to carve whole roasted turkeys and serve out traditional condiments – stuffing, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce.

The traditionally terrestrial menu will be accompanied by a bountiful seafood selection of oysters, salmon fillets, marinated sea-bass, king prawns, and flower crabs, cooked to order and accompanied by a host of delicious sauces.

Caviar and fish roe stations will offer sea grapes, salmon roe, lumpfish (black and red).

The main selections will be accompanied by appetizers, soup, cheese plates, roasted meats and desserts. The buffet will cost VND938,000++ per person.

Customers can also pass by Legend Hotel Saigon to enjoy a buffet at Atrium Café Restaurant.

The buffet lunch will cost VND420,000++ for an adult and entire Thanksgiving meal and fail, consider Nineteen Restaurant, located in the luxurious downtown Caravelle Hotel.

The hotel staff is gearing up to carve whole roasted turkeys and serve out traditional condiments – stuffing, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce.

The traditionally terrestrial menu will be accompanied by a bountiful seafood selection of oysters, salmon fillets, marinated sea-bass, king prawns, and flower crabs, cooked to order and accompanied by a host of delicious sauces.

Caviar and fish roe stations will offer sea grapes, salmon roe, lumpfish (black and red).

The main selections will be accompanied by appetizers, soup, cheese plates, roasted meats and desserts. The buffet will cost VND938,000++ per person.

Customers can also pass by Legend Hotel Saigon to enjoy a buffet at Atrium Café Restaurant.

The buffet lunch will cost VND420,000++ for an adult and VND210,000++ for a child, including soft drinks, tea and coffee.

The buffet supper costs VND760,000++ for an adult and VND380,000++ for a child, including wine, tea, soft drinks, beer and coffee.

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Saigontourist Mid-Autumn dinner deals

A buffet program at Van Thanh Tourist Area in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District - Photo: Courtesy of Saigontourist

Saigontourist has dinner specials at the following venues for the Mid-Autumn festival.

Van Thanh Tourist Area (48/10 Dien Bien Phu Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3512 3025)

A buffet program for children will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on September 21 and 22. The buffet will feature over 35 dishes such as fried shrimp rolled in flour, grilled chicken wings and snail steamed with banana and beans. Kids can enjoy folk games, puppet shows and circus performances and walk in a lantern parade with Moon Fairy and Moon Boy.

Tickets are priced at VND190,000 per adult and VND120,000 per child.

Tan Cang Tourist Area (A100 Ung Van Khiem Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3512 8775)

A grilled hot pot buffet will open everyday from 5 p.m. in the garden area. The buffet has 80 grill, hot pot and seafood dishes with salads, fruit, cakes, ice-cream, fruit juices and drinks. Enjoy music by violin, guitar and flamenco players and games for children.

Tickets are priced at VND250,000 per adult and VND140,000 per child, and are discounted 30% for September 21. On the Monday night, the program is free for children accompanied by their parents. Each ticket includes one jug of Fifth Ocean Russian draught beer.

De Nhat Restaurant (18 Hoang Viet Street, Tan Binh District, tel: 3844 1199)

Children at the hotel’s First Grill Restaurant can join a lantern parade for kids, listen to legends, laugh at the water puppet shows and circus and join lucky draws. Children will receive photos, Givral moon cake, Monterosa ice-cream and many gifts from the Monterosa brand from Pham Nam Company and Sacombank.

Central Restaurant (177-179 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, tel: 6291 7977)

The restaurant will host a buffet accompanied with circus and juggling shows. Tickets are VND299,000 per adult and VND199,000 per child.

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Buffet programs for National Day

Thursday is the National Day, workers will off working and students will be off school. To make sure guests have a nice holiday, some hotels and restaurants in HCMC under Saigontourist are preparing buffet programs.

Dong Khanh Hotel (2 Tran Hung Dao B Street, District 5, tel: 3923 6404)

A seafood buffet will be prepared from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday. The buffet will feature tasty dishes such as sauté crab, grilled eal, loc fish mixed salads, crab spring rolls, salty egg spring rolls and mushroom spring rolls, steamed snail or curry seafood and crab noodle soup.

Tickets are priced at VND189,000 per adult and VND152,000 per child.

Binh Quoi 1 Tourist Area (1147 Binh Quoi Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3556 5891)

Tourists can enjoy buffet lunch at 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or buffet dinner from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday. The buffets are companied with folk games, lucky draw and traditional music show.

Tickets are priced at VND180,000 per adult and VND100,000 per child.

Saigon Hotel (41-47 Dong Du Street, District 1, tel: 3829 9734)

The hotel’s Saigon Paris Restaurant on the ninth and 10th floors is suggested for tourists to enjoy the city fireworks display. The restaurant will serve a buffet with delicious dishes of ostrich, beef, fish and many kinds of hot pot.

Tickets are priced at VND199,000 per adult and VND149,000 per child.

People booking 10 tickets in advance will get one free.

Bat Dat Hotel (238-244 Tran Hung Dao Street, District 5, tel: 3857 8252)

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the hotel will serve a buffet with more dishes of Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. The program will be accompanied with music and game shows.

Tickets are VND200,000 per adult and VND129,000 per child. Customers purchasing ten tickets will get one free.

De Nhat Hotel (18 Hoang Viet Street, Tan Binh District, tel: 3844 1199)

The hotel will host a music show featuring timeless songs from the 1950s, 60s and 70s performed by Canadian and Vietnamese singers at the hotel’s First Grill Restaurant, nights September 2 to 5.

The hotel will host a lucky draw.

Tan Cang Tourist Area (A 100 Ung Van Khiem Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3512 8775)

The grill, hot pot buffet offered at the hotel recently has gained a lot of attention from gourmets. On Thursday, Tan Cang will prepare a buffet in its spacious garden area with more than 80 dishes of grill, hot pot, salads, fruit, cakes, ice cream and many kinds of soft drinks.

Revelers can also enjoy violin, guitar and flamenco performances.

Tickets are priced at VND250,000 per adult and VND140,000 per child. Each ticket will be given one jug of Fifth Ocean beer.

Tickets are discounted 30% on Tuesdays, and free for two children accompanied by their parents. For National Day, customers buying 11 tickets in advance will be given one free.

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Big buffets for National Day

Guests select from the delicious buffet at Binh Quoi 2 Tourist Area in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District - Photo: Courtesy of Saigontourist

Some hotels and restaurants under Saigontourist in HCMC are preparing special food programs for Vietnam National Day on September 2.

Fireworks night at Majestic Hotel Saigon (1 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, tel: 3829 5517)

The program will feature seafood dishes at the Breeze Sky Bar on the hotel’s fifth floor from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

The bar is also ideal for guests to enjoy the National Day fireworks show with live music, juggling and bartender performances. Tickets are priced from VND918,000 per adult and VND458,000 per child, inclusive of wine, soft drinks and mineral water.

At the hotel’s Serenade Restaurant on the seventh floor, guests can enjoy buffets with European and Asian dishes, accompanied with a free drink and entertainment. Tickets are priced at VND728,000 per adult and VND368,000 a child.

The hotel’s M.Bar on the eighth floor is another good venue for tourists to join with family or friends to admire the fireworks and enjoy live music performed by the Coco band.

Gala buffet at Grand Hotel Saigon (8 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, tel: 3829 4046)

The hotel will serve a buffet program with selected dishes such as seafood, mixed vegetables with Ha Tien seaweed, a delicious range of sushi, grilled clams with cheese, roast turkey American style and Russian style grilled pork.

Buffet lunch on September 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the hotel’s Chez-Nous Restaurant will cost about VND149,000 per adult and VND99,000 per child, inclusive of a bag of Russian beer or fruit juices.

Buffet dinner at the restaurant will be prepared from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on September 2, accompanied with ethnic music performed by Phu Sa band and singers Bich Phuong, Phuong Thuy and Anh Tho. Tickets are VND319,000 per adult and VND159,000 per child, inclusive of drinks such as Russian beer, cocktail and wine. After the buffet, stay to dance with the Philipin band and enjoy the fireworks from the hotel’s rooftop 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are priced at US$20.

People who purchase 10 tickets before August 31 will get one free.

Grilled seafood buffet at Gio Noi Restaurant (265 Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1, tel: 3836 5172)

Come to the party on the ninth floor and take in the panoramic view of Saigon by night while the chefs grill the fresh seafood. Tickets are priced at VND320,000 per adult and VND160,000 per child, inclusive of beer and soft drinks. Guests that purchase tickets before August 31will get 10% discount.

Binh Quoi 2 Tourist Area (At the end of Binh Quoi Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3556 5470)

The buffet will be served with more than 60 dishes from coastal regions and new grill dishes. Buffet lunch will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and buffet dinner will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the price of VND170,000 per adult and VND100,000 per child. There are a flamenco show with the Latin Eyes band plus circus and juggling performances by sorcerer Tran Long to entertain gourmets.

Van Thanh Tourist Area (48/10 Dien Bien Phu Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3512 3025)

A buffet featuring more than 50 dishes will be served in the garden from 5 p.m. on September 2. Guests can also join folk games and children can have fun making sand paintings or coloring figurines. Tickets are priced at VND170,000 per adult and VND100,00 per child.

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Vegetarian buffets for Vu Lan festival

Diners enjoy a buffet at Van Canh Restaurant in District 1- Photo: Courtesy of Saigontourist

In the seventh month of lunar calendar, Vietnamese traditionally eat vegetarian food to express gratitude and filial piety to parents and forefathers during the Vu Lan festival or Ghost Festival.

Some restaurants under Saigontourist Holding Company in HCMC are holding vegetarian buffets.

Van Canh Restaurant has the “Tro ve coi nguon” (Back to the origin) buffet  celebrate the festival.

The program runs from August 10 to September 8. Buffet lunch is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and priced at VND110,000 per adult and VND140,000 per adult for buffet dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

On the full-moon day, August 24, tickets are priced at VND140,000 per adult for lunch, VND150,000 for dinner and VND70,000 per child.

The restaurant is also offering a promotion of buy ten tickets get one free, 5% discount for the next time and gifts.

Apart from vegetarian dishes such as salads, soup, steamed and fried dishes, this year the restaurant will offer many dishes made of noodles such as  bun mam, bun ca Nha Trang, bun bo Hue, bun thang Hanoi and bun khen Phu Quoc.

The restaurant also serves vegetarian moon cake made by Givral as dessert.

Tan Cang Tourist Area will host a vegetarian grill and hot pot buffet on August 23 and 24 (14th and 15th of the seventh lunar month) with traditional Vietnamese vegetarian dishes. The program will be at 5 p.m. in the garden space near Saigon River with more than 80 hot pot and grilled dishes, fruits, cakes, ice cream and fruit juices.

The program will be accompanied with music shows of violin, guitar and flamenco artists.

Tickets are VND250,000 per adult and VND140,000 per child. Tickets will be discounted 30%.

The Thanh Binh 2 Hotel’s Thanh Binh Restaurant will also offer guests a vegetarian buffet on August 24, featuring Vietnamese dishes. Tickets are priced at VND119,000 per adult and VND79,000 per child.

Tan Cang Tourist Area is at A100 Ung Van Khiem Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3512 8775.

Van Canh Restaurant is at 184 Calmette Street, HCMC’s District 1, tel: 3829 4963.

Thanh Binh 2 Restaurant is at 15 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, HCMC’s Tan Binh District, tel: 3971 5158.

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