After a 4 day stay in my old hometown of Singapore, I started the next leg of my Southeast Asian Tour i.e. traveling to countries I've never visited. Ho Chi Minh, or Saigon, was my first stop. We started the trip off on a great note at the Majestic Hotel. The elegant hotel is located across from Saigon River in District 1 (the district with the most action). It's been around for almost a century and you still get a feel of the French colonial influence in the architecture and decor, but the hotel is anything but old or shabby.
Most importantly, our room prices came with free buffet breakfast.
We started off with a sweet but strong Vietnamese coffee, and a mimosa (price not included).
Thanks to the French history, the Vietnamese pastries were really good. I am a croissant snob and I thought their mini croissant was amazing - buttery and fresh, with a tinge of sweetness.
So excited for the pork congee which came with an assortment of toppings. I loaded up on the century egg and salted yolk. Lots of fried shallots and dried shrimp added the right amount of salt.
Pate for breakfast, how French.
The dim sum selection was standard but thankfully didn't taste frozen.
One of my favorite dishes was the pho which the chef assembled to order. It included a fragrant broth and topped with beef slices and beef balls. Unfortunately no tripe or tendons here. The addition of fresh squeezed lime, herbs and chili made for a lovely breakfast. One bad thing was that I was sweating bullets while eating this in the 90 degree humid weather.
I love the fresh tropical fruits in Southeast Asia - things you would be hard pressed to find here in the States. This plate included dragonfruit, pomolo, pink guava, passionfruit and papaya.
Hotel Majestic
1 Đồng Khởi
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
(08) 3829 5517
www.majesticsaigon.com
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