Best hamburger in town at poseurs’ paradise - Central Cafe
By Derek Milroy in HCMC
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| The delicious Bacon Cheeseburger with fries is a treat and a half at Cafe Central Nguyen Hue in District 1 - Photo: Nga Phan |
One of the most important locations a westerner has to find in a new city when he finally gets his bearings is a top-notch hamburger joint.
Now having been a Saigonese expatriate for two years it has taken me a while to do just that. I was tired of searching for a decent place to enjoy a tasty burger and decided it was Vietnamese all the way for me as even some of the Indian restaurants have denied me a good curry.
But alas I finally was given a taste of heaven when my good lady took me to the poseurs’ paradise that is Central Cafe in downtown Saigon.
You only have to ride or walk past to see the beautiful people sitting there in Nguyen Hue Boulevard not really to enjoy the street view of the city, but for people to look at them. It has to be said there are a number of fine-looking ladies there and it was pointed out to me that some were actresses/models/singers. Well I’m no celebrity writer, I’d be able to spot Van Trang or Ngoc Diep if I’m lucky, but I took my group’s word for it.
After a long day I was starving and was too hungry to even look at the menu so opted for the Bacon Cheeseburger with fries. As I say my burger experiences had been fruitless thus far but this time it was a big hit as I scoffed the lot in about five minutes before the assistant had even returned with sauces.
I was so impressed I asked to speak to the boss and Nghiem Tuan Dat, the Assistant Restaurant Manager, informed that the city’s most iconic downtown hangout had been opened for decades.
He added: “We welcome every customer of course but we do have a number of patrons from the Vietnamese showbiz world. We also have a large number of business people and travelers looking for a good spot of citylife.
“A lot of people enjoy the alfresco along Nguyen Hue Boulevard with a cool aperitif or filling meal or our specialty pho.”
Cafe Central Nguyen Hue, managed by Windsor Real Estate Management Corporation (WMC), is located at Sunwah Tower, 115 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (84.8) 3.821.9303.