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Monuments to ancient gods abound in Southeast Asia
Vietnam Restaurants
HO CHI MINH CITY/SAIGON
To sample top-rated Vietnamese specialties in a colonial mansion setting, head to the elegant Indochine (32 Pham Ngoc Thach; 84-(0)8-823 9256) and order their succulent honey-stewed beef. Superb French cuisine paired with fine wines can be savored at La Camargue (16 Cao Ba Quat St.; 84-(0)8-824 3148), housed in a gorgeously restored villa with an outdoor terrace. The city's best moderately priced Vietnamese fare can be had at Temple Club (29 Thon That Thiep; 84-(0)8-829 9244), a converted Chinese temple with colonial decor, mood lighting, and a romantic ambience. If you get homesick, get your fill of American comfort food at the hugely popular Café Mogambo (20 Bis Thi Sach St.; 84-(0)8-825 1311) where ex-pats chow down on juicy burgers and steaks in a cozy dining room decked out with animal heads and hide.
HOI AN
Celebrated as a top gourmet destination in Vietnam, Hoi An has some local specialties that you simply can't miss, including cao lau, beautifully flavored rice noodles with pork slices and bean sprouts, and banh bao (white rose) shrimp or crab rice-paper dumplings. Relish these culinary delights, or even learn how to prepare them yourself by signing up for a cooking class in a tranquil garden setting of a riverside mansion that houses the upscale Brother's Café (27 Pham Boi Chau St.; 84-(0)510-914 150). To sample these treats for less, head to the nifty and always busy Mermaid (2 Tran Phu St.; 84-(0)510-861 527). Delicious international cooking can be savored at the atmospheric Tam Tam Cafe (110 Nguyen Thai Hoc St.; 84-(0)510-862 212), where homemade Italian pastas, Spanish tapas, and Australian steaks are paired with an extensive drink list that even includes mojitos.
HANOI
Even the French foodies go ooh-la-la after trying the fine French restaurant with Vietnamese touches served at the Green Tangerine (48 Hang Be St., 84-(0)4-825 1286) in a lovingly restored French villa in the Old Quarter. You can enjoy similar, but more affordable fare, at Cyclo Bar (38 Duong Thanh St., 84-(0)4-828 6844), where you'll actually eat from a converted cyclo-table. For yummy north Vietnamese steamboat dishes made to share, and paired with medicinal liqueurs of herbal, animal, and fruit origin (try the five snakes concoction if you dare!), don't miss Highway 4 (www.highway4.com; 5 Hang Tre; 84-(0)4-926 0639), set in a dark collection of rooms on three floors topped by a cozy covered rooftop. Once you've had your fill of rice dishes, an excellent alternative is Mediterraneo (www.mediterraneo-hanoi.com; 23 Nha Tho St.; 84-(0)4-826 6288) where well-executed pizzas, pastas and other Italian treats are served in a snug multi-level space; note the great-value daily specials and excellent wine list.
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