Accordingly, Saigon ward is more than 3 km2 wide, with a population of more than 47,022 people, established on the basis of merging ward 1, Nguyen Thai Binh ward; ward 5, 6, 8, part of ward 4, ward 10 of Da Kao ward and Ben Nghe ward.
Saigon Ward and familiar shops… are about to reach the 100-year milestone
Saigon Ward is famous for many historical relics, artistic architecture, headquarters of agencies, units, museums, and typical works. Not only that, Saigon Ward is also a familiar place for many diners in Ho Chi Minh City, when many famous restaurants are nearly a hundred years old here.
In Saigon Ward, there is a famous delicious Thanh Xuan noodle shop. This afternoon, June 29, the shop is busy welcoming diners from near and far.
PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN
Among them, the most prominent is Cao Van Pho restaurant on Mac Dinh Chi street, opened by Mr. Tran Van Phon in 1947, and now has nearly 80 years of experience and is famous throughout Ho Chi Minh City.
Mr. Phồn, born in 1924, from Ha Nam , is the founder of this pho restaurant. In 1947, Mr. Phồn took his younger brother to Saigon to push a cart to sell pho, knocking "xèng xèng" wherever he went to let customers know. Even though he sold on the street, he had a rule of being punctual because he was afraid that his "regular" customers at the next place would have to wait a long time.
The old man worked hard to sell pho until he was 96 years old, although he was weak at that time, he still stayed at the restaurant to oversee the business. In 2020, Mr. Phồn passed away, many diners expressed regret and disappointment when they could not see the old man with white hair and black glasses sitting in front of the restaurant. Later, Mr. Tran Van Phung (44 years old), Mr. Phồn's youngest son, took over the business, keeping the restaurant that his father devoted his whole life to.
Pho Cao Van is the memory of many generations of diners, now belongs to Saigon ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN
"My father did not teach me anything about cooking pho because I just looked at the housework and did it. Cooking pho has been with me my whole life, I was born seeing the broth. My brothers and sisters all settled abroad, I followed my father's profession, otherwise the family tradition would be broken", Mr. Phung, the current owner of Cao Van pho restaurant, shared.
PHOTO: DUONG LAN
After a while, he decided to stop selling at a place on Tran Cao Van Street (District 1), selling until 1960 after buying a house not far away on Mac Dinh Chi Street. Moving to this new location, customers still called it Pho Tran Cao Van, the owner thought it was too long so he kept Pho Cao Van as it is now.
Cao Van is a Northern pho restaurant that caters to Southerners by serving vegetables, bean sprouts, and black bean sauce on the side. Normally, Northern pho only has green onions, lemon, and garlic soaked in vinegar, without vegetables or bean sprouts.
Thanh Xuan noodle shop at 62 Ton That Thiep has been around for nearly 80 years and is famous for its delicious food in Ho Chi Minh City. The shop is located at the beginning of a small alley, only about 2 meters wide. The kitchen and glass cabinet containing ingredients such as noodle noodles, shrimp, meat, heart, liver, etc., along with a long row of three tables and chairs, are placed by the owner on one side of the alley to leave a path.
Many diners still know the restaurant with the story that around 1945 - 1946, there was an old teacher named Do Van Khue from My Tho who came to Saigon. He was given a place to stay by some people in Cha Va pagoda, and then opened a noodle shop right next to the pagoda until now. Cha Va pagoda is an Indian pagoda, so before that, only Indians lived in the area around the pagoda.
Thanh Xuan noodle soup passed down through many generations still retains its old taste
PHOTO: LE NAM
Ms. Tuoi, the third generation owner of Thanh Xuan restaurant, once shared about the restaurant's name: "Thanh Xuan comes from my husband's name. In the past, he was the most loved person in the family, so my father used his name Xuan Thanh, reversed to Thanh Xuan, as the name of the restaurant."
Not only is the nostalgic sign loved by many diners, Thanh Xuan noodle soup has also preserved both the flavor and soul of the dish for nearly a century.
Many interesting culinary destinations
A must-visit culinary destination in Saigon is Alley 76 Hai Ba Trung, known as the "cheapest" snack alley in District 1. The alley is one of the famous snacking spots in the center of Ho Chi Minh City.
Amidst modern high-rise buildings, this alley is modestly nestled in a space about 3 meters wide and nearly 20 meters long. There are nearly 20 food stalls next to each other, selling all kinds of dishes from full meals to snacks, such as: grilled meat rice, crab noodle soup, Thai vermicelli, crab soup, bread, offal, snail dishes, sweet soup, spring rolls...
Alley 76 Hai Ba Trung is also a familiar culinary destination for diners in Ho Chi Minh City.
PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN/HUYNH NHI
From 2pm to 6pm every day, the alley is bustling with visitors, mainly students, office workers, domestic and foreign tourists.
In Saigon ward, it is impossible not to mention Bach Dang ice cream located in the most prime location in Ho Chi Minh City, at the corner of Le Loi and Pasteur, opened for sale since 1983.
Many long-time Saigonese still remember the memories of the old Bach Dang ice cream shop with its huge, uniquely decorated ice cream cups. There was even a time when the ice cream shop was so famous that many people told each other that if you come to Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City and haven't eaten Bach Dang ice cream, it's like you haven't been there. In particular, for Ho Chi Minh City residents, the story of Bach Dang ice cream shop's coconut ice cream has become very familiar.
Famous Bach Dang ice cream in Ho Chi Minh City
PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN
Sharing with Thanh Nien today, June 29, the owner of a Vietnamese restaurant on Pasteur Street also said that she was quite excited and pleased that her restaurant's premises were located in Saigon Ward (HCMC). The owner said that she would soon change the restaurant's sign when she had time.
"People often call Ho Chi Minh City Saigon. The name Saigon given to the ward where I do business is also very nice. I believe this new meaningful ward name will also be an interesting detail when people come to my shop," the owner added.
Do you have any other favorite restaurants in Saigon Ward? Please share with Thanh Nien in the comment section below.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phuong-sai-gon-tphcm-co-pho-cao-van-hu-tieu-thanh-xuan-con-quan-nao-lung-danh-185250629125320297.htm
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