Restaurant: Gia Đình Đậu (Bean Family)

Bean Family is a new vegetarian restaurant with a very interesting menu.  They have a number of dishes with fresh vegetables (unlike some restaurants that are nearly all fake meats).  The food is good and the menu is quite diverse.

They have a number of traditional and modern desserts in a variety of flavors, many of which use soy milk instead of cow's milk (uncommon for Vietnam).  As with the food menu, the quality is high.  I love their blended ice drinks, and the black sesame dessert (che me den) is a rare treat!

Bean family is located in the southeast part of the city.  It's a bit out of the way unless you live at the new Tiamo apartments (in which case it would be extremely convenient), but they got themselves registered with Google, so you can map it.

It's worth the drive.

Here is their website: http://beanfamily.vn/

The ambiance is nice.

Business card.

A feast!

It's a bit out of the way, but not too hard to find.

Tea: M!x Tea & Some More

M!x is a nice new tea shop with a lot of fresh fruit.  (The "more" is simple sandwiches and dessert toast.)  They have some basic green, dark, and oolong milk teas, but they don't have many add-ins like other tea shops.  (They don't have pudding, jelly, yogurt balls, etc.)

The focus here is on fresh fruit.  They have a variety of fruit blends to put in their tea, all blended from fresh fruit when you order.  The tea seems to be good quality, some of the fruit blends are quite good, and their upstairs area is a very pleasant space for work or relaxation.

They have a frequent customer bonus program, too.

M!x is on Thich Quang Duc ("snack street") and Google Maps does have the correct location.

Fresh fruit.

 

Nice seating.

Easy to find.

Street Food: Takoyaki

Takoyaki is a Japanese treat with octopus and vegetables fried in rice flour and topped with sauces.  Many Japanese and Korean restaurants serve it, and it is also a common street food.

I don't have much to say about takoyaki, but I recommend it if you haven't tried it.  Just be careful--the inside stays hot for a while, it's easy to burn your tongue.

The map shows the three carts that I visit.  They open in the late afternoon.

It usually has mayo too, but I don't like mayo.

Coffee in Thu Dau Mot

I don't drink coffee, so I can't say much about it.  Still, it's popular enough to mention--this list is based on the coffee-drinking habits of my friends and colleagues.

This list does not include relaxing garden cafes, as those are interesting enough to get a separate post.

L3 Coffee

My boss recommends L3 for both the coffee and the atmosphere.

Apparently it's a good work/study space.

Milano

The official coffee of ILA Binh Duong.

They focus on coffee.

Mosquito

They decided "Mos" wasn't a trendy name, so now they are "Mosquito."

They also have excellent baked goods, seafood pizza, and sherbet.

Delicious.

Passio

Passio has good sandwiches and grilled paninis.

There aren't many other places selling sandwiches at lunchtime.

Their cookies are overpriced, though.

The Nanny

The Nanny has awesome cakes, flans, sherbet, and matcha.

I eat here even though I don't drink coffee.

(My colleagues do go for the coffee.)

The pumpkin flan is awesome, especially with adzuki beans.

Location Map

Google actually has the right locations for these.  How odd.

Milano, Mosquito, and Passio are all pretty close together.

Street Food: (nameless) sticky rice cart

Many street vendors sell xôi, or "sticky rice."  It can be sweet, savory, fancy, simple... The varieties are endless.  This particular vendor, located across from Citimart on Waffle Street, has a good selection of both rices and toppings.  Her presentation is more professional than most, and her products are above average.

I became interested in this vendor when I noticed she was selling out around 7 AM (despite having a well-stocked cart).  That's quite early, even for Vietnam.

If you're looking for authentic Vietnamese culinary experiences, this business is a nice example.  Just make sure you get here early!

I had to arrive at 6:15 AM to catch her with this much on hand.

She wraps the rice in a cute little leaf.  Classy.

Mr Cuu does not exist, but Ms Sticky Rice is near the map pin.

Thai Food: Vị Thái

Vi Thai is a Thai restaurant with great food and reasonable prices, AND it is open for lunch.  One of my colleagues found it recently, and we have all been eating here quite often ever since.  Local office workers frequent it as well.

They mostly serve noodle dishes and rice dishes, but they recently added a couple of soups and curries.  You can order most dishes with seafood, chicken, beef, or tofu. They also have drinks and desserts, including some very good tra da (Vietnamese iced tea).

They will sometimes deliver if you place a huge order.

Current phone number as of July 20, 2017:

091 888 4089

Pad Thai and Papaya Salad (a personal favorite)

Thai Sukiyaki, a yummy tomato-based dish, in two forms: Soup and stir-fry.

It is on the north side of the road, close to the displayed map pin.

Street Food: Bánh Mì Kebab Táo Đỏ

This sandwich stand serves pork meat from a kebab.  It has the traditional round baguettes available, but there is also the option for grilled flatbread.  The available vegetables include cabbage and lettuce, making the sandwiches taste a bit more "western" than some.

The sandwiches are pretty good here, and the business is popular with both locals and expats.

Banh Mi Kebab Tao Do is closed between 10 AM and about 3:30 PM, which is a normal schedule for sandwich stands in Thu Dau Mot.

A yummy sandwich.

The business is on the southeast corner of the street, near the market area.

Street Food: (nameless) fruit cup cart

This is the fruit lady.  There are many like her, but this one is ours.

It is easy to find carts selling fresh fruit in Vietnam.  This cart is directly across from Mos coffee.  My colleagues and I frequent her because she is friendly, her fruit is fresh, and her cart is clean.  (The man who is two storefronts east of her is grumpy, has older fruit, and lets his cigarette ashes get on the fruit while he prepares it.)

She is open for most of the day, although she may run low on some fruits later on.

Papaya, my personal favorite.

She is across the street from Mos.

Street Food: Bánh Kếp Miền Tây

This street food lady sells waffles for 6,000 VND each.

They are waffles.

I am told this is an authentic example of a traditional crepe batter, or something. I'm pretty sure they're just waffles. But they're yummy.

"Bánh Kếp Miền Tây" means "Pancakes, Western Style."

I feel the urge to start naming some of these nameless businesses.

They are waffles.

She is immediately south of MQ Coffee, on the same side of the street.

Street Food: MQ Coffee "Eggos"

MQ Coffee is a chain of coffee houses.  Many of them have recently started making Hong Kong-style "egg waffles."  They're just regular waffles with little bulbs full of chocolate, matcha, cheese, or whatever.  They taste good, and they are also fun to eat or share because you can easily break them up into bite-sized chunks.

MQ itself uses about 80% correct English, which is usually a sign of a legitimate business.

This is one of the businesses that lead me to designating this street: "Waffle Street."

Vy and I share a snack.

Google knows MQ Coffee.

Tea: Gong Cha

Gong Cha is a popular high-quality Taiwanese tea shop that just opened a branch in Thu Dau Mot.  They serve a wide variety of excellent milk teas and fruit teas, plus their famous "milk foam" (which seems to be whipped cream--a rare thing in Vietnam).

Gong Cha has a nice selection and I am happy it exists in Thu Dau Mot now, but I myself don't usually visit.  Like many Taiwanese tea businesses, Gong Cha focuses on sweet products and desserts.  Tra Tien Huong remains the best business for tea itself.

Gong Cha is on the west side of the highway, across from the Becamex tower.
(It replaced the bank that Google is displaying in this screenshot.)

Tea: Trà Tiên Hưởng

Tea!

Variety, quality

Healthy tea, unhealthy tea, hangout space

This high-quality tea house is probably my favorite single business in Thu Dau Mot.

Tra Tien Huong ("Fresh Tea")

They have room to relax, enjoy the air conditioning, and use the wifi.

Tra Tien Huong is on Snack Street.

Street Food: (nameless) milk-like drinks

Singular

Efficient, exceptional

Soy milk, mung bean milk, and basic snacks

A unique drink stand that gives Thu Dau Mot part of its special charm.

a nameless bean drink cart

A cheap glass of hot, unsweetened mung bean drink is one of my favorite things in Thu Dau Mot.  A corner vendor serving fresh bean drinks is not a common sight in Vietnam, and it helps that this one is quite good (plus thoroughly healthy).  This is one of the key endearing businesses that secures Thu Dau Mot a special place in my heart.

This vendor opens around 6:00 PM and stays open relatively late.  (I have visited as late as 9:45 PM.)

They have a good view of the fountain.

The vendor is just south of the roundabout, between Highlands and the Park.
It is easy to see because it is always busy.