Nights in Saigon have a way of getting out of hand. Before you know it you could be on Bui Vien, several shots deep, balloons, smoking even though you promised yourself last month that that pack then would be your last. Then again, maybe that’s just how it goes with me and my friends. It’s not a weekly occurrence but it happens once in a while. Stumbling home at three, four, or when it’s really bad, with the sun peeking over the horizon. When that light hits your eye you cower, pants-down, naked, wanting nothing more than darkness’s sweet embrace in an air-conditioned room. You might regret it, but stopping yourself from doing it again is hard. One drink is rarely ever one, and if you’re with the wrong—or, right?—people, one drink can quickly lead to an unofficial bar crawl around the city. Maybe I’ve got to get a grip, stop boozing, grow up. Maybe learning how to call it around midnight is the measure of an adult, that ability to book a Grab in the heat of the fun and head on home for a decent amount of sleep. Who knows. I’m sure some nights will continue to get out of hand. Others aren’t so bad. This is about those. The ones that begin with a movie, are followed by a meal, and end with a few midnight drinks. It’s a trifecta, really. It’s not patented. It’s not trademarked. But it became something of a custom with one of my good friends and a third of District 0, Aidan.
We always catch a movie at the CGV Cinema in Landmark 81. The first time was back at the start of 2024, when Oppenheimer had just been released in Vietnam. It’d been the talk of the world for a while now, owing to the whole Barbenheimer hoopla that had dominated the box office narrative in the summer of 2023. While we had to wait several months, you get used to things taking a little longer when living in Vietnam. Patience is key. Don’t let temptation get the better of you, don’t stream it on your tv or, worse, laptop just because some site claims it’s in HD now. This is true for most films, but especially one directed by Nolan—You’d be doing the movie a disservice if you didn’t watch it in the cinema. Preferably on the biggest screen you can get. Preferably in IMAX. So we waited several months, finally got to see it, thought it was good. Nothing revelatory.
By the time the movie ended it was dark out. We left Landmark 81 with that disorienting sense we’d lost a few hours. Didn’t matter, we were hungry and needed a place to eat. We’d been to the Greek spot—Nhà Hàng Cừu Non—on Hoang Sa a few times already and for whatever reason no other restaurant seemed an appropriate choice that night. Off we went, two separate Grab bikes, made a bet to see who could get there first—First drink on the loser.
Aidan won that time round. When I arrived he was sitting at one of the tables outside, smoking a cig, bottle of ice cold Bia Saigon already poured into glass. I sat down, asked for one as well, we said cheers and made a few more passing remarks about Oppenheimer. I told him it was good we were living in Saigon instead of back home in Tokyo. They still weren’t showing it there, what with the bomb and all. In any case, enough of that. We were at the Greek spot, one of those if-you-know-you-know restaurants. I had no idea how I found out, whether someone took me, but to this day it’s among my favourite eateries in the city. I know some disagree. Claim that it’s not really Greek, more Vietnamese Greek and that if you really want a taste of Greece, well, you’re going to have to go there. To such naysayers all I can say is: what’d you expect? While it might not be as authentic as a taverna in Athens, every time I’ve been I’ve left satisfied, and how could you not? Situated on Hoang Sa, in the evening the ambience is everything I want it to be: motorbikes whizzing by, the neon reflection from billboards playing along the canal, a sense of calm, of ease as office workers toast for the sixteenth time, as a man and a woman enjoy a date and wonder, Are they the one?
Granted, I know outdoor seating isn’t for everyone, but if you’re in Vietnam there’s really no better way to enjoy a meal. And while most plastic stool eateries in the country are great, sometimes you’re hungry for a taste of something different. The Greek spot provides just that, whether it’s a greek salad, hummus, moussaka, or any one of their lamb dishes: a grilled lamb steak, lamb chops, or lamb kebabs with a tzatziki sauce so good I’m sure the Olympians would’ve gone to war with the Titans for ownership over the recipe. Leaving the eatery, you’re sure to have a belly full of lamb, pita, maybe even a few glasses of wine. So, call it a night? You could, but Aidan and I have one last stop.
A short walk away, Cipherz is another one of those hidden-but-not-so-hidden-gems. There always seems to be a DJ playing, decks set up in the middle of the rooftop seating area that’s lush with greenery and makes you feel as if you’re tucked away in some far corner of the city. The music’s always good but it’s never so loud you can’t have a conversation with whoever you came. Some whiskey to settle the stomach, sink into that lazy, swampy feel of a day well spent. Aidan and I won’t stay out too late, call it a little after midnight, go home, get some sleep…
And so the trifecta’s complete. A movie, a meal, a few midnight drinks. It’s not patented, not trademarked, but it’s a nice way to spend a day in Saigon. Remind yourself why you love being in this city. It’ll happen every once in a while—When a good movie finally comes out, off we’ll go to Landmark 81, already knowing what’s next, what the night has in store for us. Better that than another night forgotten after who knows how many beers. Least this one we’ll remember.
