3T Quan Nuong Vietnamese Barbecue (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

Tôm nướng muối ớt (Roasted Prawn with Salt and Chilli) (100g) 58,000 VND (S$3.50)

3T Quan Nuong (3T Quán Nướng) is a roof top Vietnamese Barbecue (BBQ) / Grilled restaurant. 

3T Quan Nuong is located along Ton That Thiep Street, a 5 minutes walk away from Saigon Centre. It is located just next to Fanny Ice Cream. It was not easy getting to 3T Quan Nuong. When we saw Fanny Ice Cream, we were knew that 3T Quan Nuong was next door. But yet we could not find it, we had to ask the locals. We were directed to the right side of Fanny Ice Cream.

3T Quan Nuong was located above Temple Club (an upscale fine dining Vietnamese restaurant where Brad Pitt and Angelina JolieBrad Pitt and Angelina Jolie once dine at). Hence, if you are going to 3T Quan Nuong, look out for the Temple Club Signage instead.

Once you located the building, you would need to walk pass a long narrow corridor which is dimly lighted to the stair case and proceed to the roof top. If we had not done any research before hand, we would not have walked through this corridor. It seemed sleazy and doggy! 

Tada, the reward! Open air roof top BBQ! About one third of the dining area was sheltered while the rest was not. I wonder what happens when it is the monsoon season (rainy season). When we reached at around 630pm on a weekday, the restaurant was not even half full. But by the time we left at around 8pm, the place was nearly full! We noticed that most of the customers were locals except for two other tables.

Menu

Menu

Menu

3T Quan Nuong had both Vietnamese and English menu available. I do wonder if there are any differences in price between both menus. Do note, not all the serving staff understand English. Whenever we had questions or wanted to order an item, they would always send a particular waiter who could speak and understand basic English.The staff were friendly and when they noticed we were foreigners, they would assist us and show us how to cook the food items.

Ceramic tiles table with a grilling stove in the middle.

Noticed the small container with a stick? It contain oil and the stick was actually the brush. You would need to oil the grill so that your food would not stick to it.

Cơm Trắng (Steamed Rice) 50,000 VND (S$3.00)

We ordered a Cơm Trắng (Steamed Rice). It was served in a cute little ceramic 'pot'.

Tôm nướng muối ớt (Roasted Prawn with Salt and Chilli) (100g) 58,000 VND (S$3.50)

As we did our research before hand, we knew what to order. The Tôm nướng muối ớt (Roasted Prawn with Salt and Chilli) was one of the highly raved about dish! As there was only the two of us, we decided to order 100g (4 prawns) which cost 58,000 VND (S$3.50).

The prawns were still alive when they were served on wooden skewers. Salt and chilli were sprinkled over it. These prawns were still alive as they were taken from the tanks full of prawns at the kitchen. To ensure the freshness, these prawns were taken out from the tanks only upon order.

Grilling the live prawns

Brush some oil over the grill and you are ready to grill the live prawns. I know this is cruel.. as the prawns were put over the grill, they were still moving.

Left to right: Grilling the live prawns, Lime with salt and chilli dip

Needless to say, the prawns were fresh. The shells came over so easily. In addition, the meat was firm and sweet.

To further enhance the taste, squeeze the lime over the salt and chilli powder. Then dip the prawn into it. The different dimension in taste of the prawn, lime, salt and chilli was just out of the world! Top notch! This is a must try! Wish that we had ordered more!

Bò nướng mật ong (Roasted Beef with Honey) 85,000 VND (S$5.10)

The next item we ordered was the Bò nướng mật ong (Roasted Beef with Honey) 85,000 VND (S$5.10). It was served together with a plate of vegetables (kang kong, lady finger, etc.)

Grilling the beef with vegetables

When the Roasted Beef with Honey was served, the waiter helped us to oil the metal grill again before helping us to put some of the beef meat onto the hot sizzling grill. The beef meat was delicious, but I can't detect any hint of honey if any.

Heo nướng sả ớt (Roasted Wildboar with Lemongrass and Chilli) with salad 110,000 VND (S$6.60) 

The Heo nướng sả ớt (Roasted Wildboar with Lemongrass and Chilli) which cost 110,000 VND (S$6.60) was served with a plate of salad.

When this was served, the staff replaced our metal grill with a new one without us requesting for this to be done. =D

Heo nướng sả ớt (Roasted Wildboar with Lemongrass and Chilli) 110,000 VND (S$6.60)

The Roasted Wild Boar with Lemongrass and Chilli was a little too tough. I wonder if its because of our 'cooking skill'. In short, this dish did not wow me.

Rau muống xào tỏi (Deep Fried Kangkong with Garlic) 100,000 VDN (S$6.00)

As we required some greens, we ordered a plate of Rau muống xào tỏi (Deep Fried Kangkong with Garlic) 100,000 VDN (S$6.00). It was well fried! The kang kong was crunchy and tasty. Do note that it was not deep fried as indicated in the menu. I was impressed that I could get such a decent dish in a Vietnamese restaurant.

As we were enjoying our meal, a big group of around 15 locals arrived and ordered a whole lot of prawns! They requested for the staff to grill it for them. And the staff had to heat up two metal grills and spent a good 20 minutes grilling all the prawns! What great service!

After the meal, the restaurant served us complimentary fruits (watermelon and pineapple) and tea. The highlight of the meal was definitely the Tôm nướng muối ớt (Roasted Prawn with Salt and Chilli)! The staff here were warm, friendly and attentive. They seemed to pay extra attention to tourist, coming over to assist and demonstrate how the cooking should be done, adjusting the temperature of the grill when it was too hot, helping to brush oil on the metal grill, changing of metal grills, etc. All the little things that matter!

Do note, you would smell of BBQ food despite it being very windy at the roof top. Nevertheless, this was worth it!

Ending off with a Instagram video (aka Instavideo) which I took. 

3T Quán Nướng Vietnamese Barbecue (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

29-31 Tôn Thất Thiệp

Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: +84 (08) 3821 1631
Opening Hours: Daily 5pm to 11pm

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Ikkousha Hakata Ramen Singapore: 1 For 1 Ramen Promotion (9 to 10 Jul 2014)

Source: Ikkousha Hakata Ramen Singapore

Ikkousha Hakata Ramen Singapore: 1 For 1 Ramen Promotion (9 to 10 Jul 2014)
1 For 1 Ramen (Tonkotsu/Shio Tonkotsu)

- Valid from 9 to 10 Jul 2014 from 1130am to 10pm
- Valid at Ikkousha's new outlet at Chijmes (30 Victoria Street #01-07)
- Tickets are redeemable from the Jpassport page
- Offer valid for J Passport mobile members only

Cuc Gach Quan (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

Cuc Gach Quan (Cục Gạch Quán) is a "country side" restaurant which specialises in serving traditional Vietnamese cuisine. The owner aims to bring back to the modern city a slice of the old countryside with his motto “eat green, live healthy” where the emphasis is on fresh ingredients and Vietnamese flavours with no preservatives or MSG added.

The restaurant is tucked away at the quiet street of Dang Tat; a private residential area at Ward Tan Dinh in District 1. The three storey air-conditioned restaurant is easy to miss as it looks like a typical house from the exterior with a security guard seated in front of the restaurant. Despite its (remote) location, this restaurant is very popular. It ranks number 14 in tripadvisor and was visited by Brad and Angelina in 2010. After reading all the reviews on it, I had high expectations of this restaurant and decided to visit during my trip to Ho Chi Minh.

Menu cover (English)

They had a English only menu with wide product offering. It was easier researching the items to eat and to ask the so friendly staff for recommendations. A quick observation, most of the customers in the restaurant seems to be tourists.

Mixed Fruit Juice 80,000 VND (S$4.80)

Sugar free Mixed Fruit Juice which cost 80,000 VND (S$4.80). What was unique was that instead of a conventional straw, the straw was actually the stem of a morning glory! In additional, the stopper of the bottle was also made of pandan leaf. 

Gỏi Cuốn Tôm Thịt (Fresh Spring Roll with Shrimp) 20,000 VND (S$1.20)

Gỏi Cuốn Tôm Thịt (Fresh Spring Roll with Shrimp) 20,000 VND (S$1.20) was average. Can skip.

Cải Bẹ Xanh Cuốn Bò (Lettuce Roll with Beef) 20,000 VND (S$1.20)

The Cải Bẹ Xanh Cuốn Bò (Lettuce Roll with Beef) 20,000 VND (S$1.20) was also average. Can skip.

Bông Bí (Pumpkin Flowers)

This is the first time I am trying Bông Bí (Pumpkin Flowers). It was stirred fried with garlic. This seemly simple dish was wonderfully cooked and tasty. It was not too oily and not too salty, very well executed. 

Đậu Hũ Trứng Chiên Xả Ớt (Deep Fried Home Made Tofu with Lemongrass and Chilli) 90,000 VND (S$5.40)

Đậu Hũ Trứng Chiên Xả Ớt (Deep Fried Home Made Tofu with Lemongrass and Chilli) 90,000 VND (S$5.40) as its name suggested was home made with no preservatives added. Each cube of tofu was coated in a thin, crunchy crisp batter while the interior was silk soft. The bits of fried lemongrass and chilli paired off very well with the tofu, providing an appetising aroma and tantalising flavour. These bits also went well with rice.

Unique dish, but not fantastic or a die die must try. 

Cá Chẻm Chiên Giòn Sốt Chanh Dây (Crispy Sea Bass with Passion fruit Sauce) 90,000 VND (S$5.40)

Cá Chẻm Chiên Giòn Sốt Chanh Dây (Crispy Sea Bass with Passion fruit Sauce) 90,000 VND (S$5.40) was unique. The addition of the passion fruit added a distinctive flavour to the crispy sea bass. 

 Steamed Rice and Brown Rice 60,000 VND (S$3.60)

We shared a pot of Steamed Rice and Brown Rice 60,000 VND (S$3.60). The brown rice tasted different from the ones I had in Singapore. It tasted exactly the same as the steamed rice.

We had high expectations for Cuc Gach Quan and were disappointed with the food. The food was not bad, but not fantastic. I should have heeded the advice of my Vietnamese friend who told me that locals seldom visit this restaurant as the food was average yet expensive. The positive aspect was that the restaurant ambience was warm cozy and homely, and the staff were friendly, attentive and extremely helpful.

Cục Gạch Quán (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

10 Dang Tat, Ward Tan Dinh 

District 1, Saigon 

Tel: +84 (08) 3848 0144
Opening Hours: Daily 1030am to 1030pm

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