A new breed of young Saigon restaurateurs is taking Vietnamese cuisine back to the fresh simple flavours of the family kitchen. Secret Garden, which opened in 2013, is a worthy exponent of the style in a fashionably rundown rooftop with its very own spice garden.
And over the past couple of years, Secret Garden's taken off. It's now packed most nights. You should book to ensure your climb up the five flights of stairs isn’t in vain.
If you do get a table, the climb is worth the effort both for the view across Saigon's old and new skyline and for a little serenity in a city where peace and quiet are rare commodities.
Head up in the late afternoon and catch the sunset before dinner. This may not be the best place for a meal if a wild Saigon storm is approaching.
In addition to good well-priced food, there's also a selection of juices.
If the five flight climb and the crowds dampen your interest in Secret Garden, the same owners opened another restaurant, Secret House, with a similar concept, atmosphere and menu at street level in downtown Saigon. The address of Secret House is: 55/1 Le Thi Hong Gam, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Disclosure
Rusty Compass recommendations are always independent. We list the places we think you should know about. That’s it. We’ve paid our way for all our meals at Secret Garden and Secret House and no money changed hands for this listing.
1 comment so far
Wow. Fast-paced, hectic, exciting and full to the brim. A walk down a parking laneway, at the end and to the left, up 5 flights of stairs and along another corridor. Then, suddenly, you're out in the open with 50 other people. I would recommend making a booking. Despite not having one, they still managed to squeeze us in without a long wait. As always in Saigon, the staff were friendly and the service was lightning fast. We ordered fried rice, sweet and sour pork, beef and leaf, pork stuffed prawns, omelette and enough liquid to sink a ship. Everything was delicious.