These delicious breakfast joints in Saigon will start your day off on the right foot, no matter what side of the bed you get out.
We know, because we’ve road-tested them over and over.
The Elbow Room
This place has been around for years and is open early on Sundays for when you’re fangin’ for that post-drinking binge eggs Benedict or stack of blueberry pancakes.
The servings are simple here, but consistently very good, which is what you want after hauling your bum out of bed early with one of those wretched hangovers Saigon does so well.
God help us if this joint ever closes down.
Not that it will.
The Elbow Room is at 52 Pasteur St., District 1, HCMC
[Google_Maps_WD id=73 map=71]For more on The Elbow Room, go to https://www.facebook.com/theelbowroomsaigon/
Bunker Bed & Breakfast & Bar (UPDATE Dec.6, 2019. CLOSED DOWN)
This is an all-day American diner at the end of a small alleyway in the Da Kao neighbourhood of District 1.
Expect hearty American breakies like the “Eggie” with fluffy scrambled eggs, vegies, tomatoes, bacon, hash & toast; or the suitably named The Hangover Cure made from creole scramble with a buttermilk waffle, crispy chicken tenders, bacon & hot honey butter.
If this place doesn’t restore your faith in life again after a massive night out on the booze, then just give up.
Bunker Bed & Breakfast & Bar is at 79/2/1 Phan Ke Binh St., District 1, HCMC
[Google_Maps_WD id=74 map=72]For more in Bunker Bed & Breakfast & Bar, go to https://www.facebook.com/bunkerbedbreakfastbar/
Eden Coffee House
District 7 has been a backwater for some time when it comes to choice for Western-style restaurants.
Decent breakfasts in particular have been few and far between, but Eden has consistently served up quality classics like eggs Benedict and good coffee for quite a while now.
Don’t expect anything too fancy, it’s a café on the ground floor of a serviced apartment, but what they do, they do well.
Don’t forget to bring along the mosquito repellent because at this place you’re not the only thing coming along for a good feed.
Eden Coffee House is at 23 Noi, Khu Hung Phuc 1, Tan Phong, Phu My Hung, District 7, HCMC
[Google_Maps_WD id=75 map=73]For more on Eden Coffee House, go to https://www.facebook.com/edenQ7/
Mekong Merchant
This cafe/restaurant is a must-visit in District 2 and has become an institution since opening in 2004.
They have great coffee, juices & breakfasts, which include healthy options and those indulgent ones with eggs and bacon.
A highlight among many at Mekong Merchant is their bread, especially given this city doesn’t actually have a lot of good quality bread – believe it or not.
Mekong’s service is excellent, and you have the option to eat outside in the courtyard under a shady tree or inside with air-conditioning.
Mekong Merchant is at 23 Thao Dien St., District 2, HCMC
[Google_Maps_WD id=76 map=74]For more about Mekong Merchant, go to https://www.facebook.com/MMsaigon/
Tien Phat Dim Sum
There are literally hundreds, perhaps thousands, of “dim summeries” in Saigon.
This is one we can guarantee.
Located in the heart of Cho Lon, the city’s Chinatown, Tien Phat is open from 6am and generally shuts down around midday, so don’t go there in the afternoon expecting an all-day breaky after a big night out.
Arrive early and hustle for a seat.
Parking is just down the street in a local primary school.
Quality stuff.
Tien Phat Dim Sum is at 18 Ky Hoa St, District 5, HCMC
[Google_Maps_WD id=77 map=75]Pho 84
There are pho joints all over this city, as you would expect with the popularity of Vietnam’s unofficial national dish.
Which one is the best?
Good luck trying to work it out and then finding someone to agree with you.
But what we can say about Pho 84 is that we’ve been coming here for close to 10 years and it hasn’t changed a bit.
Thick, rich broth with good-sized slivers of beef, plenty of ‘shrubbery’, lime and chili, this pho will keep connoisseurs of southern style noodle soup very happy.
It’s open early each day, but expect them to be closed as it nears midday.
Pho 84 is at 84 Tan Da St., District 5, HCMC
[Google_Maps_WD id=78 map=76]Cafe Marcel
From the lads who have fattened us up on Marcel Burger, Cafe Marcel opened this year and is a tasty addition to Saigon’s improving breakfast scene.
So eagerly-awaited was Cafe Marcel’s opening, there were queues out the door for weeks just to get a table at the newest breaky joint in town.
A highlight is their French toast with raspberries, which includes Kusmi Tea-infused mascarpone cream and raspberry coulis. Just look at that above.
Breakfast is all-day and prices start from VND120,000.
Add a Mama Berry smoothie (VND100,000) to your order made with blueberries, banana, vanilla, lime juice and milk.
Yummo.
Cafe Marcel is at 96 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St., District 1, HCMC
[Google_Maps_WD id=79 map=77]For more on Cafe Marcel, go to https://www.facebook.com/cafemarcelsaigon/
Kings Cross
A shining star in an area that’s otherwise disappointing for Western-style breakfasts, Kings Cross does things right, starting with opening at 7.30am on weekdays and weekends.
Their breakfasts range in price from VND58,000 for toast to VND218,000 for their Pan Roasted Breakfast which comes with beef cuts, eggs, smoked bacon, sausages, baked beans, sauteed mushrooms, asparagus and hollandaise with muffins.
However, it’s their eggs Benedict (VND178,000) that gets us to Kings Cross every time. Gooey poached eggs with roasted cherry tomatoes, rosemary baby potatoes, sauteed mushrooms topped with a decadent hollandaise sauce on a split homemade muffin.
They do a solid cappuccino and latte as well (VND68,000) that almost always gets you feeling good about the world again on an early Sunday morning.
And you can sit outside and stare across the small lake into oblivion.
Kings Cross is at 103 Ton Dat Tien St., District 7, HCMC
[Google_Maps_WD id=82 map=80]For more about Kings Cross, go to https://www.facebook.com/kingscrossphumyhung/
Quan Hong Hung
District 7 isn’t all just kim bap and kimchi jigae, although that might hold true in Phu My Hung.
But if you’re willing to explore beyond that area, District 7 has some of the best Vietnamese food in the city, including hu tieu.
Quan Hong Hung located inside Tan My Market among the food vendors at the southern side of the building is arguably the best in the area.
Quan Hong Hung’s VND27,000 hu tieu is a cracker.
It’s richer and more flavoursome than the rest and is jampacked with all the goodies that make this dish a winner in this part of the world.
Run by a tireless middle-aged lady with a husky voice who claims to be still 18 years old, Quan Hong Hung is the duck’s nuts (not sure if they’re in it, too).
Make a bee-line for this vendor whenever you’ve got a hankering for some of that awesome southern goodness.
Quan Hong Hung is located inside Tan My Market, District 7, HCMC, Vietnam
Featured Photo: Cafe Marcel
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