Square One. Express Business Lunch at the Park Hyatt

Saigon does lots of things well and a good fast business lunch is no exception.  There are loads of places around town where they pride themselves on good food, great service and the ability to get you in and out in under an hour.  The Park Hyatts signature restaurant happens to do a fabulous one of these deals.  These lunches are a great opportunity to sample what some of the best restaurants in town have to offer without breaking the budget.  Eating at most of these places in the evening would cost a lot more, so if you are a traveller, these deals are perfect!  The lunch is 330,000VND ++ per person which is about 17 dollars.  Considering this is arguably  one of the best restaurants in town, it's a steal! This gets you the obligatory bread basket, a choice of about 5 entree and main sets, a scoop of ice-cream or sorbet for dessert and tea or coffee to finish.  Now THAT'S hard to beat!

Square One is located on the mezzanine level of the Park Hyatt.  The setting is plush and inviting with just the right amount of bustle to make it not too sterile.

No fancy while table cloths make it a pretty relaxed vibe.  The service was extremely attentive.  Almost overly so!

What is obviously home baked bread with a capsicum reduction is complimentary.

Never too far from the action, you can watch the team prepare the meals.

The wine was quite expensive by the glass at around $10 but there are some reasonably priced bottles available for around $35.  What's a girl to do?

My entree was a persian fetta tomato salad.  Small but tasty.

Nick had prawns.

My main was pan seared sea bass on cauliflower puree with spinach.

Nick had the curry.

Nick had vanilla ice cream and I had raspberry sorbet.

Coffee to finish.

We really enjoyed it!  All in all I think it's a pretty good deal.  The meals are not huge but designed for the 3 courses so we were definitely satisfied when we finished.  The Park Hyatt is located pretty much in the centre of town on Lam Son Square overlooking the rear of the Opera House.  We hadn't made a booking but they had no trouble fitting us in.  A great way to sample the fare of one of the classier places in town at a fraction of the cost.

Teeth Whitening in Vietnam

Whilst not really an overall fan of cosmetic tourism, way too risky in my opinion, when it comes to dentistry, Vietnam can be a great option.  The trick is to find a reputable place.  In Australia dentistry can be terribly expensive.  As an expat living overseas, it can be a good opportunity to make the most of it and get some work done. As I recently noted on the blog I had my 4 wisdom teeth removed and also all of my old mercury fillings replaced as there was decay under them. I have a terrible fear of the dentist.  I mean a REALLY bad one.  There was a stage in my life when I shamefully admit I went well over 25 years without visiting one.  Due to this I decided the way to go for me with the extractions was to use sleep dentistry. A qualified anesthesiologist is brought in to the clinic and I slept whilst the procedure was performed.  Apparently it took over two hours but obviously felt to me like 2 minutes.  It all went very well and set me back just under $2,000.  A lot, I know, but for me well worth it.  

Now that all of those ugly silver fillings were gone I felt I may as well finish the job and went in last week for teeth whitening. I chose to have the in chair whitening at a cost of just under $300.  I was in and out in under an hour.  I had had this done about 4 years ago and vaguely remember some discomfort so I took some asprin before hand. There were a few seconds of a "zinging" sensation on about 4 occasions but other than that it was fine. I already had the trays so bought some extra gel so I can top up once a year.  They were $20 per tube and one tube is enough for a once a year top up.  I actually thought that my teeth were pretty white to begin with but when you look at the before and after shots it shows that it really is very effective.

We use West Coast on Dong Khoi St.  Dr Andrew removed my Wisdom teeth and it was their dental hygienist who did the whitening procedure.  We have been using this clinic for 3 and a half years and I have no hesitation in recommending them.  They are an international clinic with a wide range of services.  So now that I have had all of this done I have no intention of entering a dentist for a few years.  Having said that, my fears have abated somewhat and I really do need to set a good example for the children.  They are booked in for check ups this week and Christopher will be getting fluoride treatments for his brand new grown up teeth.  So if you are living here or even holidaying, check out their webpage.  They are happy to make appointments over the web and you could save yourself some money to spend at the markets!

The Southern Women's Museum of Vietnam

With my shopping very much curtailed due to the fact that our belongings are on a boat somewhere between Vietnam and Australia and with payday not until Thursday, it was time to find some things to do around town that are easy on the hip pocket.  Now there is not much easier on the hip pocket than free.  That is what it will cost to visit the Southern Women's Museum of Vietnam.  Located at 202 Vo Thi Sau, just head up Le Quy Don until you reach the end and you will see it across the road.  Open early from 0730 but closes for lunch.  When I arrived at 0900 there was no one there and the guy was running around for me turning all of the lights on!

The museum is divided over 3 levels and the displays recount the role of southern Vietnamese women in both national construction and defense.  It opened in 1985 and sits on the former palace of the Police Force General in Saigon.

I have been trying to find out who this lady is and for the life of me I can't figure it out.  If anyone can enlighten me that would be great!

The first level holds a lovely display of costumes and jewelry through the ages.  From the evolution of the Ao Dai to minority dress and jewelry its a fascinating peek.  There was no air-conditioning but it was large and airy with plenty of fans.

The whole museum itself is separated into about 10 rooms each focusing on a different aspects of women's contributions to the country.  As you leave this room you will enter one that shows the skills of loom weaving and silk making/colouring.

 As you leave that room and head up to the next level the mood becomes much more sombre.  The next 2 levels pretty much outline the large contribution that Southern Vietnamese women have made during the many conflicts and uprising over the years.  There is no sugar coating however it it absolutely fascinating to read and see their impact.

Most of the artifacts/letters/displays have brief english translations.  The one above did not require one.

The women of Vietnam were not the type to sit at home and stoke the fire whilst their husbands and sons fought.  Oft times they were right there beside them.  Whether that be in battle or in prison.  I was fascinated to read of the numerous Political female prisoners held in Con Dao Prison.  No wonder no Vietnamese people want to go there for a holiday!

This series of photos particularly touched me. They call them the Heroic Mothers and they have all lost numerous family members, usually multiple sons, in conflicts.

How do you lose 8 children and 2 grandchildren to war and keep going?

This is Vo Thi Sau. A schoolgirl guerilla and a Martyr in Vietnam. She became a contact for a local guerilla group after many of her friends and family joined  the resistance against the French.When she was 14 she threw a grenade, killing a French soldier and wounding 12 others but escaped undetected.  In 1949 she attempted to throw another grenade at a Vietnamese chief but was captured.  She was sent to 3 different prisons but was finally executed at 19 years of age. She is not only remembered here as a revolutionary but also as an ancestral spirit.  The street this museum is on is named for her.

I really think this museum is underrated.  Everyone tourist goes to the "other" one but this one is definitely worth a look.  I think to begin to really understand this country and its culture, a great place to start is to  understand its women. I left feeling sad, proud and highly impressed.  I have the utmost respect for the women of this country, both in the past and the ones of today.  They have had such an influence on making Vietnam what is it today and surely this shall continue into tomorrow as Vietnam grows into its potential.

The Lost Art of Jewelry Cleaning

Who knew?  One of my rings was looking a little dull so while I was out this morning I decided to pop into one of the many jewelry shops near the Market.  I was led to the back of the shop and was introduced to what I can only assume is the lost art of cleaning the shiny stuff.  I'm not kidding.  My ring just had the jewelry equivalent of a day spa!

Firstly the piece was assessed and a plan formulated.

It was then give a good polish.

He then wrapped a piece of copper wire around it and dunked it in this concoction.  Don't ask, I have no idea. It bubbled away in it's little spa for a good 3 minutes, raising out for a breath and an inspection every so often.

He then went all mad professor on me.  He attached in to a machine, twiddled the dials and rotated it through 3 different science beakers filled with I have no idea what.

I kid you not....he then gave it a blow dry.  Talk about a happy ending! (well if I am totally honest it was not THAT happy because he dried it with toilet paper).

And there you have it.  One sparkly ring ready to go in under 15 minutes.  How much for this incredible jewelry day spa I hear you ask.  50,000VND.  Thats about $2.50.  I KNOW!  If you are over here on a holiday it might be worth spending a few bucks and getting your stuff cleaned.  I have no idea what it would cost back in Aus but I doubt it's less than $2.50!

Yersin Market - not your average market!

Cho Dan Sinh, or Yersin Market (named after the street it sits on), is not your average market!  If you are an Aussie you will understand what I mean when I say it is kind of like Aussie Disposals on steroids.  Want to get all the good gear for a camping trip....head here.  Want to find "real" war memorabilia.....here is your market.  Want to mobilise an army in full gear...look no further!  I took a wander through the other morning.  I am nothing if not versatile, any market is a good market to me!

I ended up buying these cool blank dog tags from this lady.  I shall get them engraved by the guy on the corner of Pasteur and Le Loi and use them as suitcase tags.  She had an astounding array of torches, lasers, compasses etc.

Quite deceptive from the outside, the place is a huge bunker which appears to take up nearly a whole block.  Even then, it spills out into the surrounds of District 1.

Need some crime scene tape, they got you covered!

The old memorabilia I assume would be a bit hit and miss with regards to it's authenticity.  I have no doubt some of the stuff is real but I do remember reading a statistic once that stated there were more dog tags here than serving personal.  

Whilst the dog tags might be a bit iffy, I'm pretty sure some of the other little gems are the real deal.  I mean, why would you reproduce foot powder?

Vietnam LOVES a uniform!

Once you have stocked up on you metal detecting wand to satisfy your inner airport security guard and picked up that night vision gear and gas mask you have been meaning to buy, head to the other section.  There you will find just about every sort of tool and device that any bloke (or chick) could desire for their handyman needs.

It's very low key shopping.  The vendors pretty much leave you alone.  When it's time for a snack there is a small kitchen that was whipping up a feast as I went past.

There are a few shops like this one that I pottered around in for about an hour.  Old photos and postcards, lamps, coins, medals, military tools and the like.  Very eclectic mix.  It's fascinating stepping back in time.   One mans trash is another mans treasure so they say.

They also have a great range of electrical appliances.  A lot of it is industrial sized but I may even head back to get one of those industrial strength blenders for $90.  Just like the ones you see in all of the juice bars.  I think this place is definitely worth a look if you have time.  I love just wandering through and chatting to the vendors and seeing what is out there and what is left over from the past.  Yes, you can even buy the kitchen sink.

Yersin Market
104 Yersin
District 1