If you have a yearning for Thai food while traveling in Vietnam, you cannot go wrong with Lac Thai Restaurant in Saigon’s District 1, one of the best Thai restaurants in Saigon.
It’s a bit of a challenge to find, as the restaurant resides in a cool old French-style house down an intriguing alleyway on Mac Thi Buoi Street, not far from Nguyen Hue Street in the heart of Saigon. But it’s definitely worth the search, as it’s a mighty fine restaurant indeed.
To start, the interior of the restaurant is as charming and relaxing as is the exterior. It’s an eclectic mix of Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese. The exposed-brick dining room on the ground floor welcomes you into the atmosphere.
You may think you walked into an art gallery, rather than a restaurant, with the paintings and sculptures that adorn the place.
I prefer a table on the second floor, where it’s a little more relaxing.
The exterior of Lac Thai. Look for a small alleyway off Mac Thi Buoi Street.
Try Lac Thai’s Exquisite Specialties
Lac Thai serves all the favored Thai specialties. I always like to start with a nice hot bowl of tom yam gung, the traditional soup made with lemongrass, lime juice, fish sauce, and chili paste. It’s absolutely delectable and there’s nothing like the taste of just about anything cooked with lemongrass.
If you feel like a salad try either the som tam or yam woon sen (hot & spicy glass noodle salad with seafood). Som tam is served with either crab or dried shrimp. The one with crab is probably more traditional, but I prefer the one with dried shrimp. I have also had this dish in Bangkok in restaurants where I was the only non-Thai in the place, so it’s authentic.
The yam woon sen is excellent and one of my usuals at Lac Thai. It’s quite tasty and satisfying. The dish’s base is warm glass noodles topped with generous portions of large shrimp and squid, ground pork, cilantro, sliced carrot, and peanuts. It’s served with a tangy sauce that’s a perfect complement to the salad.
Hot and spicy glass noodle salad with seafood
Vegetarian Delights Are Delicious
For vegetarians, there are meatless salads available. In fact, this restaurant serves about seven dishes that are totally vegetarian.
Another delicious favorite is the stir-fried seafood with red or green curry. It’s a real treat but a bit filling, so make sure you’re hungry if you order this dish.
Speaking or curry, be sure to try it when you can. There is just no taste quite like it. I have had it many times in Thailand and in other Thai restaurants both in Saigon and elsewhere. Usually, it’s served a little too thin for my liking. What I love about Lac Thai’s green curry dishes is that they’re a bit thicker and richer.
Lac Thai’s Green Curry with Chicken – yummy!
Please note that white rice is not served as part of the meals; you have to order (and pay) extra. This is a little irritating, especially for the prices they charge, but I always order it because what’s a Thai meal without white rice?
Lac Thai’s pad Thai is also a good choice. If you’re new to Thai food, this is a good dish to start with. It’s a very traditional dish with rice noodles stir-fried in a tamarind-based sauce, egg, scallions, firm tofu, bean sprouts, and peanut. You have your choice of chicken or shrimp when you order this. Ask for lime wedges and the special hot sauce made of sliced chili soaked in vinegar. It’s what makes pad Thai so good.
The chef’s monthly recommendations are always worth a try, and tend to alternate between seafood, beef, and chicken delights.
Lac Thai has an adequate wine list, with about 12 selections each of red and white. To me, white wine seems to go better with the spicy food. If you’re more of a beer drinker, you’ll find a decent selection of that here also, including Singha, the Thai national beer. Non-alcoholic beverages include soft drinks, tea, coffee, and fresh juices. The Thai iced tea, which I love, is done very well here. If you’ve never tried it, go for it! It’s a real treat.
Service is always decent and professional, but I would not rate it as great. This is one area this venue could improve on. The staff are not overly friendly or welcoming. But it’s certainly not anything to keep you from enjoying the delicious food served at this restaurant, as it really is one of the best Thai restaurants in Saigon.
Lac Thai’s menu shows all their offerings and prices.
Getting to Lac Thai Restaurant
Address: 71/2 Mạc Thị Bưởi, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Bến Nghé, Ho Chi Minh City, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Web: lacthairestaurant.com
Tel: +84 28 3823 7506
Wes is originally from Florida, but has been living and working in Vietnam since 2008. He has traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and enjoys taking photographs and writing about his experiences in order to share with others. See his story or feel free to contact him.
