Five Oysters restaurant is located in the Phan Ngu Lao area surrounded by many other eateries. What it makes Five Oysters different is that unlike most of its neighbouring restaurants, which are owned by foreigners, Five Oysters is owned, managed and run 100% by Vietnamese.
A huge menu covers Vietnamese food from North to South, also specialising in seafood. It has been open for almost 18 months and its rooftop is very popular in the evenings and weekends, not only for food, but for drinks, which are very cheaply priced.
Starters and salads are priced between VND35,000 and VND70,000, with a great selection of vegetarian food with prices starting at VND30,000. Most if not all main courses don’t exceed VND90,000, including crab and, commensurate with the neighbourhood, prices of local beers start at a mere VND10,000.
We tried the local pancake, banh xeo, with a mix of meat and seafood - very tasty and quite filling. The spring rolls offered a bright taste, with a mix of meat and veggies, served with a delicious chili sauce.
The rice with pork was awesome, served separately with huge pieces of pork, however very soft, almost melting in your mouth. The morning glory with garlic was lovely and fresh - a great dish to balance the meat and seafood.
However my favourite was the Saigon fried noodles. Lots of fresh seafood and very thin noodles cooked in a lovely sauce, bringing lots of nice flavours to your palate.
Portions sizes are generous and service is fast.
Five Oysters offers a very friendly atmosphere and service, with tasty food and good prices. And watch out for promotions - for example, every Friday evening you can get fresh oysters from Nha Trang at just VND10,000 each.
Open 7 days a week from 9 am until late.
Five Oysters. 234 Bui Vien. District 1. HCMC. T: 0862916847
Note: The author of this review, Alfredo de la Casa, is a freelance reporter specialising in food, beverage and culture, who writes for several of the top lifestyle publications, and author of 9 books, including 4 related to Vietnam; he is a wine educator and runs www.wineinvietnam.com. He has written this review independently with no influence from the restaurant or third parties. Nor he nor the photographer nor Saigoneer were paid for the review which was done totally based on the personal experience of the writer.
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