Blue Ginger

Description:

• Also called the Saigon Times Club, this Vietnamese bistro is an atmospheric choice with fine local specialties; as a result, it's a tour-group favorite, but that doesn't spoil the atmosphere. It features a nightly performance of folk music, and the dulcet tones mingle nicely with clinking glasses and the low hum of conversation in the candlelit dining room; it makes for a nice, casual evening. The specialty here is a large seafood steamboat, a veritable cornucopia of seafood done like Japanese nabe in a large pot in front of you (for two or more). I had the caramelized pork served in a clay pot, and it was excellent. There are great set menus of up to 10 courses, and the desserts are all there: ice cream, crème caramel, and fried bananas.

• © Frommer's 2013