When you’re about to have an adventure of a lifetime – teaching kids how to create their own comics stories, getting to know your cultural roots, and exploring the coffee scene in the 2nd largest coffee export country in the world, where should you stay for all this?
Well, I actually stayed at my Saigonese friend’s place, but for the first night, I did experience the wonderful Nhà Saigon – a coffee apartment…
I found this gem on Airbnb. When you arrive, you will first enter a coffee shop called, Nhà Saigon or “Saigon Cafe.” After checking in at the front, the friendly staff will lead you up a long spiral staircase to your room, and this is what it looks like:
As you can see, it’s very Vietnamese – with many conical hats and that Indochine vintage decor.
My favorite section is the exposed brick wall. The first reaction that I had was, “Hey! That’s a map of Vietnam!” To which my friend replied, “I can see why you would think that, but it’s not.” Okay, it might not be the map of the country, but it sure makes a lovely backdrop for a Vietnam-themed photoshoot!
As for the coffee shop downstairs, its cozy atmosphere will make you feel right at home. Not only does it offer a full coffee menu, but it also has food (like a lot of coffee shops in Saigon, actually). The place opens from 7:30am to 10pm, so if my day’s schedule doesn’t allow me to explore new coffee shops, then I can always start my morning here instead. Also, if I come back late at night (I did teach from 8am – 8pm on some days), then I can simply have dinner back at “home.” The convenience of having a cafe right downstairs is wonderful, and the icing on top of the cake is that it’s a vintage looking one, with a nod to old Saigon…
The vintage decor certainly gives off a nostalgic feeling, but in a strangely authentic personal way to me, and it’s probably due to the fact that my grandparents and parents used to live in this city. Is there a word that describes an uncanny feeling of experiencing so many memories, but in a place that you have never been to before? If there is such a word, then that’s how I felt when I had this simple breakfast dish called, bánh mì ốp la (bread and sunny-side up eggs). After all, my grandmother made it for me all the time. Bánh mì ốp la simply consists of sunny side-up eggs, pâté, a baguette, and a side of Maggi sauce (like soy sauce) with chili paste (like Siracha).
Oh, and on a random note: These gold Vietnamese coffee filters. When I saw them, I made it a mini mission to find one for myself during this trip. Spoiler alert – I eventually did find one! I will work on a “How to Make Vietnamese Coffee” post in the near future with my newly mined coffee gold.
Lastly, here’s a sample of a late night dinner (or any mealtime) that you could have at Nhà Saigon: Mi trộn (mixed noodles) and da ua dâu (strawberry yogurt drink).
Overall, Nhà Saigon was the perfect introduction to an upcoming trip full of food, coffee, culture, and of course, comics…
With that said, let the Panels & Me project in Saigon begin… shall we?
*Note: In regards to the PAM in Saigon blog posts, there is a slight change in plans (again). Instead of posting 4 separate weekly travel posts, I will write up a cumulative “report” post on the whole experience. It just makes more sense to do it this way, since it’s a post-trip reflection. I will still do smaller posts of the trip (i.e. “How to Make Vietnamese Coffee”), which will lead up to the big report one. Please stay tuned!
