With the freshest possible ingredients Chi Nghia Restaurant creates a plethora of exquisite northern style dishes in a wonderfully relaxed setting, says Carol Jardine
Tucked just around the corner from Ben Thanh Market, is the most delightful and delicious Vietnamese restaurant that I have visited in my eight months in Vietnam The restaurant features plain but stylish wooden decor, attractive baskets of ginger, ginseng and dried herbs, while the walls are decorated sepia photos of Halong Bay and ‘Old Vietnam’.
The rattan roofing provides an ethnic and cosy feel, and the simple but exotic display of bird of paradise flowers gives the place a sense of class and an ambience that is rare in the bustling, noisy streets of Ho chi minh city Soothing Vietnamese music plays in the background, and the atmosphere is quietly sophisticated in an informal way. Service is courteous and polite, and the food is cooked lovingly by the lady of the house, Chi Nghia. For less than VND200,000 we treat ourselves to a banquet.
The Field crab and spinach soup is subtly flavoured and nutritious. We follow that with deep fried shrimps served with the freshest, tastiest herbs, and a delicious peanut dip, and tender melt-in-your-mouth tofu, cooked in lemongrass and chilli.
Next we try some Pho Cuon, the perfect springroll for summer, which feature tasty spiced beef and fresh herbs rolled in sheets of pho, and cost a mere VND6,000 per roll. Then we devour Chi Nghia’s piece de la resistance White fish grilled in freshly crushed strips of lemongrass and chilli – again, the fish simply melted into perfection in your mouth. With over 100 hundred dishes on offer you could choose something different every time you come to Chi Nghia Restaurant. The sublime blend of fresh herbs and spices leaves no doubt about the quality of the ingredients.
The meat and fish dishes are cooked with the precision and skill that once earned the chef a handshake from Bill Clinton when she was the head chef of the Asian Kitchen at the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi (She was also head chef at the Sofitel Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City until she opened her own place in 2006).
We only drank the complimentary tra da, but good French wines were available by the glass for VND50,000, with bottles costing VND300,000. With a relaxing atmosphere, excellent food and service and good value all around – who could complain?
Chi Nghia Restaurant comes highly recommended either for a romantic meal for two or if you need a quiet meal to catch up with a friend. Upstairs houses larger tables for groups. The restaurant is open from 10am to 11pm daily.
Chi Nghia Restaurant 53 Thu Khoa Huan street District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 08 823 5563, www.chi-nghia.com
(Source:Timeout)
Tag: Asia , Halong , Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh , Vietnam , Vietnamese Northern delights - Vietnam Restaurant
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