The Garlik Restaurant, Ho Chi Minh - Restaurant Review

Cuisine: Modern Vietnamese
Location: District 1 - Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon
Price: £££
Food: 4/5
Style Points: 4/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

By the time I visited The Garlik in the popular party street of Bui Vien Street, I knew that Saigon was home to some fantastic restaurants that did justice to European/Western fine-dining cuisine and when giving a modern twist to classic Vietnamese dishes. 

Although it’s located on a street that I soon came to realise was awash with a concoction of people, music, and entertainment of all sorts, The Garlik acts more like a refuge and provides a more relaxed, even romantic vibe. It’s quite a small restaurant but it only adds to its charm and I really liked the dark colours, low lighting and black and white lacquered flooring. It definitely has its own identity amongst the many restaurants popping up all over this part of the city. 

The Food?

The menu is quite concise but it offers a range of dishes that are sure to please everyone and offers Vietnamese classics like Spring Rolls, Bun Cha, and Tomyum Soup as well as more modern dishes that make use of the wonderful fish, meat and vegetables that can be found up and down the country. 

For starters, we tried the Deep Fried Crab Claw Spring Rolls. I absolutely loved the plating of the spring rolls which were elegantly placed on a bed of spring onions and chilis with a crab claw prodding out of the end of each spring roll. It’s just a bit of fun but it was really impressive and certainly stood out from the countless spring rolls I’d had during my trip thus far. Deep fried with minced pork and crab meat, the four hefty sized spring rolls were loaded with meaty and sweet flavour although they were quite greasy.

We also tried the Grilled Beef Wrapped In Betel Leaf which came as a Do It Yourself kit with fish sauce and various fillings including lots of herbs, nuts, onions, rice noodles, pineapple and star fruit. It’s a bit of razzle dazzle and helps to add a little wow factor for tourists who haven’t had a chance to experience a Vietnamese cooking class before. The dish itself tasted very nice and was a big enough that is more than enough for two people to share. 

For mains, we tried the No - Escape Chicken and Pan-fried Sapa Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce with a side Wok-Fried Mushrooms. The chicken was served in Western fine-dining style with three ballantines of chicken wrapped in fried sticky rice, hence for no escape for the chicken. On top of the chicken was a spring onion salsa which gave the dish some more texture and was a great accompaniment to the nicely cooked chicken.

The mushroom sauce which surrounded the chicken was also very nice and rich in mushroom flavour. The salmon, a specialty of the town of the Sapa, was cooked perfectly and went very well with the citrusy lemon butter sauce that was drizzled on top and around the salmon. The vegetables on the plate were a little soft for my liking but the garlic seasoning was delicious.

The wok-fried mushrooms, a favourite of the manager who also insisted that we order it, was one of the highlights of the meal. The many varieties of mushroom were cooked with wok-fried with plenty of garlic and chili to give it a nice garlicky aroma and taste with a nice kick of chili in for good measure. It was great and I could’ve happily had it as a main dish with some plain rice. 

To go with our mains we tried a couple of cocktails from the extensive drinks menu - The Rooster (Ciroc vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, sugar syrup, pepper, chili, lemongrass) and Amen (Bourbon whisky, homemade cinnamon and ginger syrup, dry cinnamon stick.) Both cocktails were great and I could definitely spend a night at the bar trying a few more cocktails from the signature range of cocktails. 

For dessert, we shared the Chocolate Fondant with some Vietnamese Coffee. The chocolate fondant was cooked perfectly and tasted great with the vanilla ice cream and the fruity pineapple salsa which was dotted around the plate. It was a lovely end to the meal and it’s safe to say that we were well and truly stuffed!

The Price

The total price of the dinner including two cocktails came to 1.875M Dong which is £64.59/$80.72. This is very good value for money considering the quality and quantity of food you receive. It’s a little pricey compared to other restaurants but for a fine-dining establishment it is around the correct price mark for the area.

Overall?

The Garlik is a fantastic restaurant that should definitely be on your list of restaurants to visit in Saigon. The relaxed atmosphere, dazzling cocktails and delectable food all combine to create a fabulous and memorable dining experience. Even if you don’t stop to dine it’s a great place to grab a few cocktails before getting lost in the wild party scene outside its doorstep.

Book your table at Garlik, Ho Chi Minh today.
Address: 216 Đường Đề Thám, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam

A special thanks to Garlik Restaurant for their hospitality!