"Hòa Bình" Sidewalk Coffee

If you’re looking for something different, a great view, cheap drinks, and a boisterous atmosphere in Saigon at night, do make a stop for some drinks at the Hòa Bình ‘sidewalk café’ next to the Notre Dame.

Just opposite of the city’s post office, you’ll find an elementary school called ‘Hòa Bình’. At night, there are little drinks stands in front of the school, with tiny tables and chairs. Usually only locals come to places like these, but if you don’t mind the lack of hygiene and the noise (in fact, the noise is one of the things that make this place very Saigon), this is a great choice. They don’t really have a variety of drinks, mostly just lime juice, coffee, coke and other carbonated drinks, but there’s a special one: salted dry apricot juice, called ‘xí muội’. Do go for this one if you want to try something new. The drinks usually cost about 8,000 VND to 20,000 VND each. However, people come here not for the drinks, but for the view.

Sitting on the sidewalk in front of ‘Hòa Bình’ elementary school, you’ll find the Notre Dame right in front of you, the city’s post office on the other side of the road, the HSBC tower to your right, and the ‘Hàn Thuyên’ park to your left.  This area at night, no matter weekdays or weekends, always brings a lively atmosphere. Under the night lights, you’ll often see balloons tied to bicycles of the sellers, hucksters and their shoulder poles with a variety of food and a whole bunch of other stuff, from shades to keychains, you name it. You’re surrounded by all kinds of noises. You’re sitting on the sidewalk of one of the busiest streets of Saigon, with motorbikes, cars and constant chattering.

I’ll be honest, the service is quite bad. Sometimes they forget your drinks, or take forever to make them. Don’t expect privacy, sometimes you’ll have to share your tiny table with another couple, and by ‘tiny’ I mean TINY! On weekends, there’s a chance you might have to sit on the concrete edges surrounding the trees on the sidewalk. They’ll give you some old newspapers to sit on, and do enjoy that, I’m sure you don’t see that one everyday ;)

 However, the thing about this ‘sidewalk café’ is that you’ll find a unique Saigonese experience: being among locals, being a local, even. This is one of those places that don’t exist in travel books, I can assure you. It’s a little noisy, a little messy, but you’ll get to see a different side of Saigon than the ones you see when looking out from the window of a skyscraper. It gives you this feeling, that this is Saigon, this is Vietnam, do close your eyes and try listening to the noise, because this is one of those things that money just can’t buy.

Well, on a more personal note, for me, it simply feels like home.

+: Great view, great price

-: Lack of hygiene and privacy

My rating: 7/10

 Review by Tram Bui
Photograph by PNM