Non-mongering report - Megastar Cinema
When I'm on a long trip (This one will be 27 days total in 4 countries), I like to check out a movie. I saw three theaters listed in the paper in Saigon, with not much exciting. I decided, after a quick BBBJ at Cafe 29, to cool off at a movie.
I had a taxi card filled out by my hotel for the Parkson Shopping Center in District 5. The address is 126 Hung Vuong St. Lower levels are just the shopping center. Supermarket and food courts are on level 3. Movies are on 7th level.
Weekend pricing is 70k, Wednesday special 45k, otherwise 60k. The movie theater is quite nice with good quality seats with raise-able arms.
After the movie was over, I went down to the food court. Decent meals in the 25k-60k range. For the first 40 minutes I was the only obvious foreigner there. Lots of young people and family. I then saw some teenagers come in. I don't know how easy it is to pick up the ladies here, but I did get a lot of attention. Of course, children look at me, and cry and run to their parents, so it's probably that. ;)
This would probably be a good place to take a date to. As long as you get on the elevator quickly, and don't pay the huge bucks for the perfumes at Parkson! Lots of really cute demonstration girls.
Restaurant I really liked Quan An Ngon
Well, as I wrap up my Saigon leg, I thought I'd mention a restaurant that the Hyatt had recommended to me.
It's Quan An Ngon. 138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia. District 1.
I ate here a few times, and always had great food here. Seafood, beef, pork and chicken. Most are in the range of $2.50-$6.00 per entree. I often tried a few different things, and never spent more than $10.
Restaurant: Au Lac do Brazil
238 Pasteur St - District 3. (with 1 other HCMC location, and one Hanoi location)
I saw an ad for a Brazilian style Churrasco restaurant, and decided to give it a try. I like this style of endless tableside meat, if it's done right. I know it's a bit much to expect much in Asia, but I'm always optimistic.
I went around 7pm. Cost is 390k+. You get all the meat you want, plus they also bring by salad, steamed spinach, black beans, etc. Unlike all Churasco places I've been to around the world, this one did not have a buffet part where you got your sides. Everything was brought to the table.
It started with warm bread and two cheese covered clams. Most of the servers brought two dishes, except for the salad server.
The meat is not salted like it is in Brazil, which is probably good, since they often put a bit too much on for my taste.
You get beef, chicken, shrimp, lamb, and I think, pork. One of my favorite combinations was the ham, with roasted pineapple they sliced off. The shrimp wrapped in bacon was also quite good, as long as it was fresh.
Not a great deal, of course, but about 460k with water, and 10% tax. No service charge was added.
Buying prescriptions at Pharmacies
I had run out of Cialis a few months back, so decided to see if I could find some reasonably priced in HCMC.
The first place I tried, I asked for Cialis, and they gave me a generic, but it was actually Viagra, which just gives me a headache. When I went to the Go2 bar, there was a small pharmacy down the street that had original (if the box is to be believed) Cialis for 300k for 4 pills.
I had some other expensive prescriptions for a family member that I was hoping to pick up. I ended up finding some generic versions for 1/10th the price I pay for them, as well as 60% off on some name brand ones.
I also found some generic Tadalafil (Cialis) for 50k per tablet. I used the original Cialis and it seemed to work fine. (I get the 20mg pills and break them into 2-3 parts). I have heard about a lot of fake stuff, so use common sense.
There are a lot of Pharmacies bunched up on HBT. In the 300 or so area. (309, is one I remember). Always price shop, or course. I found variations of 10-20% even in this area.
For other items, I think the closer you get to India, and the source of many generics, the cheaper they are. I found some $1 each generic Cialis in Sri Lanka.
