Blame it the Rain

We arrived to an empty  Lonely Planet recommended restaurant Le Jardin.  There was a couple outside in the covered area chatting over a laptop but the restaurant doors remained closed with a young Vietnamese woman walking back and forth to the window and ignoring our every attempt to make contact with her.  We were starving and decided to break the ball and chain of the Lonely Planet to find another place to satisfy our hunger when the skies began to open up.

Without umbrellas we started walking down Le Thanh Ton street in search of some food.  We saw no decent looking sit-down restaurants in the general vicinity until we saw Bibi restaurant.  There was a Vietnamese man sitting on a chair at the entrance and he invited us in (without speaking English) to get out of the intense rain.   Upon entrance, it was apparent that the restaurant was not open as it was quiet and empty.

Did Not Know what to Expect

As we sat in Bibi’s high backed, soft, comfortable upholstered booths we noticed how quiet it was.  The only noise we heard was the tropical downpour as we sat alone in the restaurant.  There was no staff in the restaurant other than the guy that let us in as we waited for some kind of service.  Five minutes later the guy at the front door brought me a cell phone with a woman who told me in English that the restaurant didn’t open for another 45 minutes but we were welcome to stay and have a drink.

As a couple restaurant workers showed up we were brought a plate of warm potato chips to wait until the staff arrived which was okay with us during the rain storm.  I ordered wine about 5 times but the Vietnamese guy didn’t understand so I ordered my usual, “Tiga Beea” which was easily understandable in Asia.

Chat with the Owner

A business casual dressed Caucasian man was sitting alone at the corner table and we figured he was the owner which he was.  Valentin was a 1/2 French and 1/2 Vietnamese gentleman who talked to us about the restaurant scene in Saigon as well as other helpful information about the night club scene and more.  He even invited us to attend a party at Bibi the next night but we had other plans.

What You can Expect

The food at Bibi was excellent.  I am not a French food connoisseur but I can tell you I had the best steak I’ve had in Asia at Bibi outside of Tokyo.  The rest of the food was excellent and tasty as well.  My travel buddy who consumes fine dining on a regular basis was equally impressed with the quality of the food especially the foie gras.

I apologize for writing an entire blog entry about Bibi Restaurant without providing a detailed explanation of the food but you can rest assured you will be satisfied.  I also do not remember the exact price but I remember comparing it something comparable in the USA and like most things in Vietnam, Bibi was well worth the price. If you are a Lonely Planet follower and are heart broken that there is a huge wait at Le Jardin don’t be.  Walk up the street a little bit, take a right and find Bibi and have a nice, quiet delicious meal for an extremely fair price.

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