Celebrity food travels: Class 95 DJ and musician Rai’s top places to eat in Ho Chi Minh City

Musician and Class 95 DJ Rai Kannu’s love for Ho Chi Minh City is evident in the fact that he’s visited the Vietnamese metropolis four times since pandemic travel restrictions were lifted. He’s even learned to say “Happy new year” in Vietnamese.

In this city that’s “a proportionate mix of order and chaos”, “I love that you get the best of all worlds there, from streetside fare and humble food shops to more sophisticated, French-influenced offerings,” he said.

He’s also played gigs here, where he discovered an audience comprising an eclectic mix of Vietnamese youths who love grunge music and teachers from all over the world. “We did have a few people up on the tables of Yoko Cafe, banging their heads fervently to our encore track by Rage Against The Machine,” he recalled.

Off-work, the joy of travel for Rai is in long walks, soaking in the culture and dining where the locals do.  

Although he’s “one those who can be categorised under ‘eats to live’,” he said, “I do enjoy quality food and drink. I’d like to think I know what is good and what is not.”

For affordable accommodation, he recommends Hammock Hotel, where “the rooms are chic and cosy. They have beds – you don’t need to sleep in the hammocks – but what I loved about it was the 24-hour pantry with a free flow of drinks all stocked up in a fridge, beer included.”

His travel tip for discovering the city is to “break your journey up into parts. It’s no point exploring different districts far apart from each other in a short span of time. Plonk yourself somewhere – District 1 is a good start – and walk your way to every nook and cranny you can find. You’ll uncover your own little gem collection of banh mi, pho and egg coffee, as well as art, history and culture.”

Here are his top recommendations for food and drink in Ho Chi Minh City.

BUN THIT NUONG CHA GIO

I’ve been here regularly since I first discovered it, and no, there is no menu. You just order according to how many bowls you want. Bun thịt nuong is a popular Vietnamese dish of cold rice vermicelli topped with grilled pork and fresh herbs like basil, mint and veggies.

The bun thit is cooked streetside, beneath a rustic building, and you sit across the road, along an uneven pavement, on plastic chairs with legs half sawn off. Quite like squatting with some support. I don’t know if it helps the crowd to move along since one can’t sit back and relax, but the pork is sublime and you don’t really need to find another spot to have this dish.

PHU VUONG PHO

Simple. Basic. Hearty. That’s all you need to look for when having one of Vietnam’s most popular offerings. I always have the mixed bowl, because a pho is not a pho unless you have everything in it, tripe included. A no-frills place with reasonably priced pho.

HUM GARDEN

I found this spot because I was planning for a more elegant date night – a place with dim lights, clean food and good service. I highly endorse Hum Garden especially when you are looking for vegetarian fare that is fresh and cooked to traditional tastes, containing a slightly modern twist. All the veggies are sourced directly from farmers too.

I’d five-star this place in a heartbeat because it fulfilled all that I was looking for, and greens never tasted better. One of my favourites was the steamed brown rice with purple yam, lotus seeds and peas. Even something as simple as stir-fried chayote with peanuts was mind-blowing!

YOKO CAFE

I am particularly biased to Yoko Cafe because I have performed a few times there with my grunge tribute band DYRT, and done some open mic sessions as well.

Simply put, it’s a dive bar with music. That’s probably the best way to describe the place. The decor reminds me of the legendary Crazy Elephant at Clarke Quay – rustic and woody with a mix of high and low tables and chairs.

From what I know, they don’t have a particular regular band but instead they do lots of showcases, open mics and jams. As a musician, I’m glad they know how to set up a good sound system, and coming from the frontman of a band playing 90s grunge, that helps a lot! One for those who enjoy the gritty, indie singer-songwriter type feels. Primary objective: Drink beer, watch bands.

KRYSTALINI HIDDEN COCKTAIL BAR

Getting here is a mini adventure in itself. It’s located in a more commercial area of the city, but the hunt to find the place is almost like marching up People’s Park Complex in Chinatown, and getting lost while you’re at it. The musty smells of an old stairwell accompany your trek to Krystalini, but once you’re there, it’s a small, plush, yet cosy little hideout with friendly bar staff ready to make you your fix or fixes for the night.

I wanted something with a bit of a kick in the butt so I went for a Golden Glow, which had bourbon, Fireball whisky, amaretto, lime juice, Angostura bitters and a touch of cinnamon. Spiced, tasty and definitely strong enough.