The Nightlife Review: Saigon

Dan Q Dao stays awake in Asia's city that never sleeps.

Ho Chi Minh City, known colloquially as Saigon, is Asia’s city-that-never-sleeps. This is true every day but particularly on weekends, when clubgoers spilling out onto the street at 6am overlap with street vendors who’ve been awake for hours preparing their dishes. Even on a calmer Sunday, the streets are full of life.

Returning to Saigon on one such Sunday night after a month of travel, I’m summoned to a local watering hole in my neighborhood, Thảo Điền in District 2. On paper, Twist is a lesbian bar, but in reality caters to a very mixed crowd of expats and locals. A few beers in, and I’m persuaded to hop on my bike and head across the river into District 1. My first stop is Summer Experiment, an Aussie-run cocktail spot with one of the most ambitious menus I’ve seen—even after 12 years of living in New York City. After a sweet-and-salty gimlet, made with Vietnamese plum spirit, we head directly downstairs to CỘI, a live jazz venue.

From there, it’s time for a pick-me-up—in Vietnam, people drink coffee and tea all day and all night. Indeed, this cafe, Thức (meaning “awake”), is open 24/7. As we sit on sidewalk plastic stools enjoying iced teas, a street vendor selling dried squids and quail eggs pulls up. We indulge in the latter.

By 1am, it’s time to check out the rooftop club Observatory—beloved for its rambunctious Friday and Saturday parties ranging from techno raves to drag nights. It’s quieter than usual here, but there’s still some lovely house music to close out a Sunday in Saigon.

All photos by Dan Q Dao.