Juice and Smoothies: Juice 45

My boss recommended Juice 45 as the best smoothie shop in town.  I don't have a reason to doubt it.  Many smoothie stands give me a stomach ache or taste a little off or whatever, but the taste and quality at Juice 45 stay consistently high.  It is also open in the morning and at lunch, unlike many local businesses.

The owner is friendly, and her smoothie-related English vocabulary is decent.  She has good seasonal fruits, such as pomegranate, when appropriate.  She also has WiFi and indoor seating.

Pikachu bags are the norm in Vietnam.

Juice 45 is located on Văn Công Khai street (Van Cong Khai).  The nearest business known to Google is "McLand Ice Cream," on the other side of the street.

Juice and Smoothies: Tạp Hóa Kim Huệ

Tạp Hóa Kim Huệ (Tap Hoa Kim Hue) is a small convenience store with a juice + smoothies stand out front.  I visit often for healthy options like carrot juice or rau má (rau ma--a traditional vegetable juice).

The prices and quality are good, and the staff are friendly.  One woman even speaks a small amount of English.  The juice and smoothies are available all day long, unlike many businesses in this part of town.

Tap Hoa Kim Hue is located on Võ Thành Long street (Vo Thanh Long), south of Citimart.  Google almost knows where it is, which is mildly impressive in this town.

Google doesn't understand Vietnam, but in this case, it is close.

Services: The Bus Station

The bus station here is called Bến Xe Khách Bình Dương (Ben Xe Khach Bih Duong).  Bus routes begin, end, and link here.  I find the buses to be a reliable method of travel within and between nearby areas, if you can figure out their routes.

There are special buses, such as a direct bus to Cambodia, although I don't know much about these.  I advise you to bring an interpreter if you come to ask.

There are a few buses that travel between Thu Dau Mot and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).  Bus 616 runs along Đại lộ Bình Dương (Dai Lo Binh Duong), which means "Binh Duong Highway."  It goes directly to the center of District 1.  The other main city bus is Bus 4, which goes from Binh Duong bus station to Bến xe Miền Đông (Ben Xe Mien Dong: The East Station).

Mien Dong is in the city limits of Ho Chi Minh City.  When you are in HCMC, you can use the official HCMC BusMap app on your smartphone--it will give you reliable directions, in English, for wherever you want to go.  I haven't found any other good way to navigate the buses in SaiGon, but the app is reliable and user-friendly.  I have traveled extensively within the city by using the app.

Here are some photos I took of the Thu Dau Mot bus schedules:

Again, Bus 4 is the suggested bus for most destinations in HCMC.

Here is the official schedule for Bus 616.  Due to the long drive, it can be a bit loose:

All of this information applies to city buses.  You can find countless private tourist buses that will let you board at a bus stop.  They may or may not take you all the way to the destination they claim--I got scammed by a Korean bus company with a tan bus, but some companies are probably honest.

Binh Duong Bus Station is near the south side of town.  You can ride a bus there, or you can park your motorbike in their secure lot.  It is across the street from a large CO.OP Mart supermarket.

Rice: Cơm Tấm 68

Cơm Tấm 68 (Com Tam 68) is a high-quality example of a typical Vietnamese food.  You get a scoop of rice, plus a limited selection of toppings.  You can find any combination of toppings at Vietnamese rice stands, but each location usually has very few choices.  Com Tam 68 has pork steaks, pork paste, fried eggs, cucumber slices, tomato slices, green onions, and đồ chua (do chua--Vietnamese "pickle," which is carrots and white radish).

All meals come with free tea and a small soup.  Depending on the toppings you order, you can expect to pay about 20,000 VND.

Com Tam 68 is special because the grill master really knows his business.

This man is a professional.

I usually buy eggs and vegetables, but most customers come for the pork.  Everything tastes great here, plus it is safe--the locals love it, so the food gets eaten before it can sit around.  The restaurant has expanded and absorbed nearby businesses in the four months since my arrival.

Com Tam 68 is cheap, fast, delicious, and safe.  It is located near the western end of Thích Quảng Đức street (Thich Quang Duc), across from the park.

Ignore the map pin name.  Google doesn't do very well with Vietnam.
My colleagues refer to Thich Quang Duc as "Snack Street."