If old-school lanterns and delicious Saigon food is on your radar, head to Den Long restaurant in District 1!
I first came across Saigon’s Den Long restaurant in 2017, way before any bat had even thought about the possibilities of spreading a deadly pandemic…and I’m sure that if you’ve spent any time in District 1, you might have come across it too. The beautiful lanterns hanging outside are an eye-catcher, and I’m sure have helped to draw in many a hungry tourist…
It’s not a huge restuarant, but is spread over a couple of floors, and is delightfully decorated with some real old-school Vietnam charm. I don’t have any pics from the inside, but you can get a taste from some of the Google reviews. My pic here is from 2017…look like the neighbors have long since changed!
Den Long serves up some very decent, authentic Vietnamese cuisine, with roots deeply connected to Hue traditions.
The restaurant believes each dish carries narratives of their people, traditions, and family heritage. I believe them, I truly do, but let’s just say their fried spring rolls are excellent, as well as their banh khot (small, fried savory pancakes topped with fresh shrimp) and grilled pork with lemongrass. There’s a ton of other options on the menu, and they are also vegetarian, and gluten-free friendly.
Den Long is open from 11am to 10pm every day, although the kitchen will probably close a fair bit before that, as seems to be the case in many Saigon restaurants. If you’re stuck finding them, check out their Facebook page for directions and info.
GET HUNGRY AND GO!!!