Cafe: Bonheur

Bonheur is a new cafe that was recently opened by one of my coworkers.  The cafe is cute and cozy, and the WiFi seems consistent.  There is also a good Thai restaurant next door.

Bonheur has some common Vietnamese tea, coffee, and snacks.  However, its top feature is a better selection of flower teas than most cafes have.  I like a combination of rose with butterfly pea flowers.

The orange-peach-lemongrass tea is also a nice option here.

Rose + Butterfly Pea Flowers

Bonheur is, conveniently, adjacent to Vi Thai.

Shopping: Thuy Van Fabric Shop

Fabric shops are extremely common in Vietnam.  Parts of Ho Chi Minh City are famous for their fabric shops, but good fabrics are available in Thu Dau Mot as well.

I had trouble finding a good local shop until my tailor recommended "Cửa Hàng Vải Thúy Vân" (Thuy Van Fabric Store), centrally located near the big cathedral.  There's a good selection for both men and women, and the staff are much more knowledgeable than average.

Thuy Van is one block west of CMT8, two blocks south of the Yersin roundabout.

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: (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.

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: (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.

Bakery: Thiên Thuận Phát

I tend to avoid bakeries for health reasons--they're a bad place for nutrition and (in Vietnam) a bountiful source of food poisoning.  That said, Asian bakeries make a lot of fun treats.  Thien Thuan Phat is a bit pricier than most, but they have delicious baked goods and they are currently the only bakery I trust for hygiene.

I love their donuts, Vietnamese pastries (especially with mung beans), croissant bread, vegetarian steamed buns, egg tarts, and coconut flan.  My girlfriend particularly enjoys their "Hong Kong" flan with a hint of coffee taste.

Thien Thuan Phat has two locations in Thu Dau Mot.  I took pictures at CMT8.  The other branch is on Yersin, slightly west of the highway.

Sweet loafs.

Banana bread and cassava bread.
I prefer western banana bread, but the cassava bread is delightful.
(Cassava is the plant that tapioca is made from.)

Coconut flan in a decorative coconut shell.  Yummy.

  

They also have snazzy business cards.

Street Food: (nameless) bánh tráng cuốn

Favored

Delicious, convenient

Rice paper, eggs, vegetables

A rare pork-free example of a common street food.

a nameless banh trang cuon cart

"Banh trang cuon" means "rice paper rolls."
The contents vary from shop to shop, but this place is my favorite.

Conveniently located on the corner of Snack Street and Waffle Street, across from Com Tam 68.
They open around 2:30 PM.

Street Food: (nameless) bún thịt nướng

Enticing

Cheap, delicious

Grilled pork, grilled "nem" sausage, sandwiches

It smelled so good that we had to stop when we drove past.

a nameless bun thit nuong cart

("bun thit nuong" is grilled pork on a bed of noodles)

Location is approximate.  The cart is on the south side of the river.

Groceries (Vegetarian): Thiện Từ Tâm

Legitimate

Varied, suitable

Instant meals, ingredients, snacks

This is where you buy vegetarian food that ISN'T just fake meat.

Thien Tu Tam

This is another (rare) example of a business Google knows about.

Soup: Mai Súp Cua

Exceptional

Delicious, healthy

Just sup cua!

One of the top five best soup places I have ever eaten.

Mai Sup Cua

Note: She opens around 3:00 PM, but she often sells out by 7:00 PM.

This is a street cart on the east side of CMT8, a little bit north of a roundabout.

Soup: Phở Tín

Reliable

Tasty, tender

Beef, meatballs, bo kho

The location and the consistency make this a favorite.

Pho Tin

Pho Tin is in the Citimart building, on Vo Thanh Long street.
I call Vo Thanh Long "Waffle Street," but nobody else does.