Truyền Ký - a small Hakka eatery in a tiny alley

I heard about this place long time ago but never had a chance to visit this famous small Chinese eatery in a typical tiny alley in Saigon. Truyền Ký, it's the name of this Chinese House. It seems we have several Truyền Ký in Saigon, but which one is the original, tough to say.
Judging by the number of guests having lunch today, the variety of dishes in the menu, I would say it could be one of the best. After the first visit, three weeks later I was back here with my other friends for dinner. Talking to the staff, I learnt that the business started back to 1950s, now managed by the third generation. The dish they serve is from the Hakka cuisine.

             We may never expect to find such a good eatery located in a tiny quiet residential alley...

Some stories by the year end...

From today to the Lunar New Year - 15 days left. Hmm, again?
When I was kid, every time while sitting in the classroom, I heard the drum beat, the sound of cymbals from the street, sign of a coming Tết, it made my heart beating to their rhythm too, the excitement, the impatient eager for Tết. But now...that feeling has gone, or partially (!), maybe a little bit of it - still left somewhere, and not only me but for many people, many companies -Tết is a big burden of many things: bonus to the staff, gifts to the business partners, some inexplicable duties to the authorities (!?) and obliged duties to the big families : from left to right (i means relatives in any sides), from head to toes ( I mean the lucky money that we should give to the old - to wish their longevity, and to the kids - to wish them to grow fast!). Tết is still good?
Anyway I got some small stories to share before the arrival of the Horse.

              The final retouch on the body of the symbol of 2014 - The horse. 

The temple of the Lady of the Sea (Chùa Bà Thiên Hậu)

I'm not a buddhist, although we have a Buddha statue at home…and I rarely go to the pagoda, temple or shrine to pray, unless I have to accompany my friends. Why I'm writing about this temple ?
There  are some reasons: my very first time was...quite long in the past when I just started my corporate career and during our New Year some of my old colleagues asked me to join them to visit this Temple. My first impression at that time : so crowded, so smoky, it was very hard to breath, tears in my eyes...I did pray anyway but can't recall what I prayed. The second time to this Temple when I accompanied two friends visiting Saigon, one from Taiwan, another from Malaysia. They told me…even in Taiwan they hardly find the temple like this - all new, so this place is unique. But another reason could be most important to me is I'm really fascinated by the porcelain diorama on the roof of this temple. I wish to have a better look at them.

            Look at the figurine's clothes, finely detailed ornament and their gesture…just amazing!

The New Year Eve & my first night out for the fireworks

The last day of 2013. Over the past ten days, the weather in Saigon was unusually cold , the temperature was down to 19oC and it was very very rare for the tropical city like Saigon. And we liked it - the cold. It suddenly reminds me of the whole night out in the winter in Osaka few years ago when I was there for the New Year Eve at the Universal Studio, it was so cold, we were almost freezing while queuing for the games.
Today it's getting a lot warmer, probably because of the festivities atmosphere!
Tonight for the very first time I celebrate the NYE with friends by hunting the best shots of fireworks - the symphony of light, to mark the end and the beginning.

            The countdown is starting with the laser show, brightening up the city...

L'usine - a good cafe place with the shop-in-shop concept

The coffee-shop style in Saigon is something really incredible! Probably nowhere in the world has that much to offer like here. Everywhere - from right on the street, very cheap one, to those huge places, good and popular for the majority…up to the real classy for young trendsetters.
Whatever taste you have, you definitely find something suitable, I guess. Before people just need a cup of black coffee to start a working day…but now having a coffee at a nice place could be a new lifestyle, a true pleasure.

            A corner at L'usine - a nice place to have coffee and light food in Saigon. 

Christmas weekend in Saigon

Only a few days left to Christmas. Weeks before we already feel the holiday atmosphere, the hurry-up mood everywhere in the city, especially this morning, probably thanks to the cold air from North, Saigon's weather is suddenly and unusually getting colder . Perfect for X-mas time. In the North, up to Sapa, the highland, it's recently heavily snowing. Imagine…snowing in Vietnam, it's not a global warming!?  

             To avoid the night crowd many young people prefer the morning shoot.  

"Vitamin" drink ?

Vitamin drink - it sounds funny, and it's not a drink mixed with various medicine, it's actually the way we call a blended fruit drink (very similar to fruit smoothie) in Vietnamese - sinh tố (i.e vitamin). To be honest I don't know how we came up with this name, surely because of the fruits. Sinh tố was, still always remains a very popular, favourite and healthy drink like coffee in Saigon (coffee is healthy?!) Everywhere here you can find a small stall of sinh tố, but the good place could be hidden somewhere else in a small alley of the big city.