3G Trois Gourmands (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

3G Trois Gourmands  is a French Dining Restaurant opened by Gils, a France native living in Ho Chi Minh, passionate in French culinary using natural products. The restaurant previously known as Le Toit Gourmand first opened in 2004.

3G Trois Gourmands is located in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), District 2. It is around 20 minutes to 40 minutes drive away from the city centre depending on traffic conditions. The restaurant is located in a traditional colonial house and its interior is beautifully furnished giving it a classy modern look. The setting inside makes it a perfect place for a romantic meal between couples or gathering between friends.

We had actually wanted to visit La Villa French Restaurant, another French restaurant recommended by my Vietnamese friend. However, by the time we reached our hotel and asked the hotel to reserve a place for us, the restaurant was fully already booked. Hence, we settled for the next option recommended by my friend; 3G Trois Gourmands and got the hotel to assist us in making the reservation. (Note: It is highly advisable to make reservations as these two French restaurants are popular among locals and tourists. You would not want to travel all the way there to find out that it is full.)

Menu cover

The menu cover.

Set Menu and Entrées (Starters)

The Set Menu offers a choice of 5, 6 or 7 Course meal at a nett price of USD40, USD45, USD50 respectively. Do note the price has increased, hence its different from the photo.

We went for the 6 Course Meal which costed USD40 / VND 840,000 (S$50.40) per pax then. The 6 course meal consisted of Truffe Scrambled Eggs (Brouillade Aux Truffes), Homemade cheeses (Assortiment de fromages maison) and a choice of 2 Entrées (Starters), a main dish and a dessert.

Main Dish Menu: Viandes (Meat), Poissons (Fish)

The Main Dish menu consisted of Viandes (Meat) and Poissons (Fish).

Desserts (Sweet Desserts), Glaces Bellany (Bellany Ice Cream)

The Desserts menu which consisted of Desserts (Sweet Desserts) and Glaces Bellany (Bellany Ice Cream).

Truffle Scrambled Eggs (Brouillade Aux Truffes)

The meal kicked started with Truffle Scrambled Eggs (Brouillade Aux Truffes). The scrambled eggs were light, fluffy and buttery. I was impressed by the strong and consistency of the truffle flavour present in it. What a great start!

Entrées (Starters): Scallops Mashed Potatoes Truffle (Coquille St Jacques avec sa Purée de Pomme de terre aux Truffes)

The Scallops Mashed Potatoes Truffle (Coquille St Jacques avec sa Purée de Pomme de terre aux Truffes) was the first Entrées (Starters). This was our favourite starter!

The panseared scallops were incredibly succulent, firm and fresh. Caviar was added on top of the scallops which were laid on a bed of truffle mashed potatoes and seafood bisque foam. The taste of all 3 (scallops, mashed potatoes and seafood bisque foam) was just divine. I was scrapping off as much foam as I could from the plate. If I had it my way, I would be licking the foam off the plate =P.

The both of us wished that we had ordered two portions of this instead of sharing it. This is a must order!

Entrées (Starters): Homemade Smoked Salmon (Saumon Fumé Maison)

The second starter we had was the Homemade Smoked Salmon (Saumon Fumé Maison). This was also excellently executed.

Entrées (Starters): Goose Liver Spring Roll (Nem de Foie Gras)

Entrées (Starters): Burgundy Snails in Garlic and Parlsey Butter (Escargots de Bourgogne au Beurre)

The next two starters we had was the Goose Liver Spring Roll (Nem de Foie Gras) and Burgundy Snails in Garlic and Parlsey Butter (Escargots de Bourgogne au Beurre).

For the former, I preferred the foie gras terrine compared to the foie gras macaron and the foie gras spring roll. Maybe I am too used to having my macarons and spring rolls with their normal fillings. As for the escargots, they were fresh and interestingly, the garlic flavour was much milder compared to those I had in Singapore.

Lime Sorbet

After the starters, the Lime Sorbet was served. This was light and refreshing, probably to cleanse the palate before the main course.

Viandes (Meat): Beef Filet Pepper Sauce or Morels Sauce (Filet de Boeuf Sauce Morilles ou Poivre)

For my mains, I was in a dilemma on whether to order the Beef Filet or Beef Cheeks. In the end I chose the former; Beef Filet Pepper Sauce or Morels Sauce (Filet de Boeuf Sauce Morilles ou Poivre). The beef filet was ordinary. The pepper and morels (mushroom) sauces that accompanied it was the game changer. (The sauces were served separately)

Sides

The potato and zucchini served at the side were awesome too!

Viandes (Meat): Duck Breast with Orange Sauce (Magret de Canard à l' orange)

The partner ordered the Duck Breast with Orange Sauce (Magret de Canard à l' orange) which came as a surprised to me as she was not exactly a duck fanatic.  But after hearing how the staff recommended this dish, she decided to order this.

Viandes (Meat): Duck Breast with Orange Sauce (Magret de Canard à l' orange)

The Duck Breast with Orange Sauce did not disappoint her. The Duck Breast was so tender and the orange sauce served at the side was richly flavoured but did not overwhelm the meat.

Pepper Sauce, Morels Sauce, Orange Sauce

The pepper, morels (mushroom) and orange sauces served separately. We could add the amount of sauces onto our mains according to our own preferences (the little things that matter).

Homemade cheeses (Assortiment de fromages maison)

After we were done with the mains, the Homemade cheeses (Assortiment de fromages maison) was served. We were shocked by the sheer variety and amount of cheese served. Nine types of homemade cheese ranging from goat cheese with truffle, spring onion cheese, red wine cheese, rosemary cheese, saffron cheese, cow cheese and other aged cheese. The both of us were not cheese fanatics and just sampled a little of each. Our favourite among the nine was the red wine cheese.

A video of all nine cheese. It was a waste giving us that much, but I understand that they serve this much for everyone, even if you are dining alone you get these. Cheese lovers would love them.

Desserts (Sweet Desserts): Gils Dessert (Dessert de Gils)

For desserts, we ordered the Gils Dessert (Dessert de Gils) which was recommended by the staff. It consisted of a combination of crushed meringue, nougat, berry coulis, strawberries with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet. This dessert was fantastic! It had different texture and taste and was so addictive. Even though we were full, we had no problem polishing this up.

Desserts (Sweet Desserts): Chocolate Fondant (Fondant au Chocolat)

Our second (last) dessert was the Chocolate Fondant (Fondant au Chocolat). This was something that you could taste else where too. But still I must admit that it was well executed.

The chocolate cake was moist with molten chocolate flowing out of it. Berry and mango coulis was served next to the vanilla ice cream for additional flavour.

Lime Macaron

Just when we thought that we had came to the end of a fantastic fulfilling meal, we were each served a mini Lime Macaron!

Never mind that we missed out visiting Le Toit Gourmand. It was a blessing in disguise as we had such a satisfying meal at 3G Trois Gourmands. Not only was the food delicious, the staff were also very well trained. They were so friendly and hospitable. As the menu offers too many choices, I always make it a point to ask them for recommendations. They would them recommend the dishes and even went down to the extent of describing how the dish looks or tastes like. Their English was perfect! It was a breeze communicating with them.

Even though this was the most expensive meal we had, it was so value for money and affordable. It would be hard finding such food at such prices in Singapore. If we visit Ho Chi Minh again, we would visit 3G Trois Gourmands again even though we have to take a 30 minutes cab ride. This time I would go for the 7 Course Meal =) This is a must try!

3G Trois Gourmands (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)
39 Tran Ngoc Dien Street
Thao Dien Ward, District 2
HCM City, Vietnam 
Tel: +84 (08) 3744 4585

Website

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The Shibuya Wagon (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

Matcha Toast 95,000 VND (S$5.70)

The Shibuya Wagon's bright colour signboard was so eye catching that we saw it on a mini bus while on the way back to our hotel. We did a quick google on this place and found that it was a Japanese restaurant serving Japanese food and desserts (e.g. Shibuya Toast).

The first thought that came to our mind when we read Shibuya Toast was our experience at After You Dessert Café in Bangkok. The thought of being able to try this again was too hard to resist. Hence, we slotted The Shibuya Wagon in for tea. 

When we arrived at 4pm on a weekday, the eatery was empy

With the environment, it did not felt like we have stepped into a Vietnamese restaurant. Even the menu was in English language only. 

Matcha Toast 95,000 VND (S$5.70)

There was a variety of toasts to choose from such as the Original Shibuya Toast, Stick Toffee Toast and Mega Toast. We settled for the Matcha Toast 95,000 VND (S$5.70). The Matcha Toast was served with Matcha ice cream, whipped cream and syrup. 

Matcha Toast 95,000 VND (S$5.70)

Sadly, the Matcha Toast failed to match up to our expectations. The toast was dense and not as soft and fluffy as what I had expected. In addition, the buttery fragrant in the toast was lacking. What a let down.

The Shibuya Wagon (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

258 Lê Thánh Tôn, 

Quận 1 

Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Tel: +84 (08) 3827 0770

Opening Hours: Daily 1030am to 10pm
Facebook

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Dr Café Coffee: Free Drink at Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3 Outlet (29 Aug 2014)

Source: Dr Café Coffee

Dr Café Coffee: Free Drink at Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3 Outlet (29 Aug 2014)

- Valid on 29 Aug 2014 from 1130am to 230pm
- 1,000 free drinks for redemption (choice of Iced Coffee Latte or Ice Lemon Tea
- While stocks last

teadot: 1 for 1 Breakfast Special at Westgate (till 30 Sep 2014)

Source: teadot

teadot: 1 for 1 Breakfast Special at Westgate 

- Valid daily till 30 Sep 2014, except PH and eve of PH.
- Valid only till 12 Noon
- 1 For 1 valid for choice of Egg Benedict or Scrambled Eggs Special
- Valid for a limited period

Banh Xeo 46A (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

Gỏi Cuốn (Pork Prawn wrapped in Rice Paper) 30,000 VND (S$1.80)

We have heard quite a fair bit about Banh Xeo 46A (Quán Bánh Xèo 46A) which serves authentic Vietnamese Pancake known as Bánh Xèo. This eatery is located along a small narrow road between shop houses. 

Banh Xeo 46A offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The photo above shows the outdoor seating. We visited at around 2pm on a weekday after our lunch for tea. The place was nearly empty except for a couple of locals. 

'Open kitchen' concept. 

The food prepared before hand. I was initially worried about the hygiene and that there would be lots of flies around the food. Upon a closer look, I was relieve that there was no flies. =)

The menu cover with its address and opening hours. 

Part of menu

Another part of the menu. 

Condiments and toothpicks place on every table. 

Chả Giò (Spring Rolls) 20,000 VND (S$1.20)

This was the Chả Giò (Spring Rolls) 20,000 VND (S$1.20). The fish sauce at the left was a dipping sauce for the Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Pancake). 

Chả Giò (Spring Rolls) 20,000 VND (S$1.20)

The deep fried pork spring roll was amazingly delicious! One of the best I have ever tried! 

Gỏi Cuốn (Pork Prawn wrapped in Rice Paper) 30,000 VND (S$1.80)

The Gỏi Cuốn (Pork Prawn wrapped in Rice Paper) 30,000 VND (S$1.80) was served with dark brown dipping sauce with peanuts which was sweet in taste.

Compared to the Spring Roll, the Pork Prawn wrapped in Rice Paper dwarfed in comparison in terms of taste. Should have ordered more Chả Giò (Spring Rolls) instead. 

Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Pancake) 60,000 VND (S$3.60)

The last dish to be served was the Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Pancake) 60,000 VND (S$3.60)

Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Pancake) 60,000 VND (S$3.60)

The pancake was crisp, thin and slightly sweet with a hint of coconut fragrant. As for the interior, it was slightly moist and was filled with beansprouts, shrimps, onion, pork and mung beans. Do note that the shrimps were not deshell. 

A plate full of fresh herbs and vegetables was served together with the Vietnamese Pancake. 

Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Pancake) 60,000 VND (S$3.60)

We were unsure how to eat this and observed how the locals ate it. The way to enjoy this was to first grab some vegetables and herbs, arrange them on top of one another with the biggest being placed at the bottom. After that, add the Vietnamese Pancake along with the ingredients in it. Next, roll it up and then dip it into the dipping sauce. It was delicious and hard to stop at one!

The Vietnamese Pancake tasted good even on its own! A must try!

Banh Xeo 46A is certainly a place to visit if you are making a trip to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). Their Chả Giò (Spring Rolls) and  Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Pancake) are a must try! Your trip to Ho Chi Minh would not be completed without trying these 2 items! 

Quán Bánh Xèo 46A (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

46 Đinh Công Tráng

Tân Định, Quận 1

Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Tel: +84 (08) 3824 1110

Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 9pm

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Fun Toast: 1 get 1 Free at Fun Toast Westgate Mall (till 31 Oct 2014)

Fun Toast: 1 get 1 Free (Hot Kopi O / Kopi / Kopi C / Teh O / Teh / Teh C) at Fun Toast Westgate Mall (till 31 Oct 2014)

- Valid till 31 Oct 2014
- Present  Fun Toast's 1 for 1 Facebook picture
- Choice of Hot Kopi O/ Kopi/ Kopi C/ Teh O/ Teh/ Teh C
- Limited to 1 redemption per customer
- Not valid with other promotions or discounts
- Complimentary drink must be of the same or lower value than the purchased beverage
- The management reserves the right to amend the terms & conditions without prior notice.

Cơm Tấm - Bún bò Huế (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

Canh Khổ Qua Nhồi Thịt Chay (Bitter Gourd stuffed with Minced Meat Soup)

My Vietnamese friend had told us that we had to visit a Cơm Tấm at Nguyễn Văn Cừ, P4, Q5 for its Cơm Tấm Sườn Bì Chả (Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chop) and Canh Khổ Qua Nhồi Thịt Chay (Bitter Gourd stuffed with Minced Meat Soup). Having written down the name of the shop in Vietnamese and the dishes to order, my partner and I managed to slot this in at a last minute and took a cab down. 

The cab driver was not familar and we was very helpful in trying to help us find the location. We stumbled upon a stall named Cơm Tấm - Bún Bò Huế along the road and thought that this had to be the shop as there were no other such shops nearby. 

In addition, this shop was like my friend described. No frills, no air conditioners, basic furnishing, only the locals knew of the place and that the staff would not understand English. 

This stall was similar to our Economy Rice (Cai Fan) stalls in Singapore. Where the dishes are cooked in advance and customers order what they want.

Since we had eaten lunch only half an hour ago, we showed the staff what our friend had written for us and indicated using sign language that we were sharing it. 

Cơm Tấm Sườn Bì  Chả (Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chop), Canh Khổ Qua Nhồi Thịt Chay (Bitter Gourd stuffed with Minced Meat Soup), Trứng (Fried Egg)

We ordered the Cơm Tấm Sườn Bì  Chả (Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chop), Canh Khổ Qua Nhồi Thịt Chay (Bitter Gourd stuffed with Minced Meat Soup) and Trứng (Fried Egg). 

Canh Khổ Qua Nhồi Thịt Chay (Bitter Gourd stuffed with Minced Meat Soup)

We were both most impressed with the Canh Khổ Qua Nhồi Thịt Chay (Bitter Gourd stuffed with Minced Meat Soup). The bitter gourd sliced into half was cooked till it was so soft. The minced meat was nicely seasoned and the soup was surprisingly tasty and light. I have not tried this before and would love to have this again! 

Trứng (Fried Egg)

Trứng (Fried Egg) topped with spring onions. Ordinary and on the oily end. 

Cơm Tấm Sườn Bì  Chả (Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chop)

This was the Cơm Tấm Sườn Bì Chả (Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chop). 

Cơm Tấm Sườn Bì  Chả (Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chop)

The Sườn Bì Chả (Grilled Pork Chop) was average. The pork was well marinated and tasty, however it was a tad too hard for my liking.

It was only when we got back to our hotel and sent the photo of the shop to my friend, then did we realised that we went to the wrong shop! The right one should be the Com tam Nguyen Van Cu at 165 Nguyễn Văn Cừ. Well at least we managed to try the Canh Khổ Qua Nhồi Thịt Chay (Bitter Gourd stuffed with Minced Meat Soup). =D

Cơm Tấm - Bún Bò Huế (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

213 Nguyễn Văn Cừ

Phường 02, Quận 05
Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

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Manhattan Fish Market: $42.42 (50% off) Lobster Platter (till 31 Aug 2014)

Source: Manhattan Fish Market

Manhattan Fish Market: $42.42 (50% off) Lobster Platter at Kallang Wave Mall, Suntec City and Marina Square only (till 31 Aug 2014)

- Valid for till 31 Aug 2014 at at Kallang Wave Mall, Suntec City and Marina Square only
- Valid for dine-in only
- Limited to 50 sets per store per day

Pho Nho (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

Phở Áp Chảo (Saute Beef Noodles Soup with Slices of Round Steak) 55,000 VND (S$3.30)

Pho Nho is an eatery my local friend highly recommended for beef noodles. We were told that it was way better than Pho 2000 (1-3 D Phan Chu Trinh) and Pho Hoa (260C Pasteur Street). I can't really compare as I have not tried them before. In addition, Pho Nho served Northern (Hanoi) style pho where as the Pho 2000 and Pho Hoa served Southern style pho. 

Pho Nho is located along Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, near War Remnant Museum and Ngoc Suong Marina (refer to location map) where we had seafood dinner the night before. 

The interior of the Pho Nho was unique and nicely designed. 

The walls were decorated with murals of the Hanoi street. In addition, the traditional street lights and foot paths completed the picture, making us felt as if we were dining along the streets of Hanoi.

The eatery was spacious with lots of seating capacity.

If required, you can request for English menu.

Fresh herb and vegetable

This plate of Fresh herb and vegetable was served as we had ordered Phở. Customers would be able to add the types and quantity of herbs or vegetables according to their own preferences into the bowl of Phở.

Phở Áp Chảo (Saute Beef Noodles Soup with Slices of Round Steak) 55,000 VND (S$3.30)

The Phở Áp Chảo (Saute Beef Noodles Soup with Slices of Round Steak) cost 55,000 VND (S$3.30). At most eateries, the beef served were not fully cooked (still slightly reddish in colour). Customers who preferred to cook their beef a little longer can just stir the beef into the soup and noodles and let the beef cook a little longer in the pipping hot soup.

The rice noodles looked similar to Kway Teow, though it was smoother and thinner. The bowl of pho was very forgiving. The clear, light brown soup broth was tasty and flavourful yet not overwhelming in beef flavour.

Crispy Chinese Roller 30,000 VND per piece (S$1.80)

The best part was dipping the Crispy Chinese Roller (dough fritters) into the pho. It was just dipping dough fritters into a bowl of Bak Kut Teh Soup back home in Singapore. Letting the dough fritters absorb all the essence of the soup!

 Sữa chua nếp cẩm (Yogurt mixed with Coconut Milk and Sweet Sticky Rice) 25,000 VND (S$1.50)

The Sữa chua nếp cẩm (Yogurt mixed with Coconut Milk and Sweet Sticky Rice) 25,000 VND (S$1.50) was listed as a drink in the menu. It was more like a dessert to me. It was served cold with ice cubes.

 Sữa chua nếp cẩm (Yogurt mixed with Coconut Milk and Sweet Sticky Rice) 25,000 VND (S$1.50)

Give it a good mix till its like the above picture and you are ready to enjoy it! Shiok! 

Phố Nhỏ (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

170 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu

Phường 6, Quận 3 

Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam 70000

Tel: +84 (08) 3930 5739

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Food Republic: Weekday Lunch Special at 112 Katong (till 30 Sep 2014)

Source: Food Republic

Food Republic: Weekday Lunch Special at 112 Katong (till 30 Sep 2014)

Buy 1 Get 1 Free Mountain Dew canned drink with a minimum of $6 spend in a single receipt at Food Republic.

- Valid till 30 Sep 2014
- Valid on weekdays from 12pm to 230pm (exclude eve of PH and PH)
- Not valid with other discounts or promotions
- The management reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions without prior notice