A new lunar year has begun, and that's something worth celebrating. As I wrote in my Japan Times column this time three years ago, China and its vast diaspora may make the most noise, but it's no less of a big deal in Vietnam.
To mark the arrival of Tet, here are a few more pics from dinner at The Majestic on Kotto-dori. It's not necessarily the best Vietnamese restaurant in town, but its recreation of the old colonial style of Saigon rings some welcome bells of nostalgia for me. Here are a few more images...
The goi cuon are freshly rolled to order and laid out with care.
Ditto the mixed appetizer plate. And what else to wash it down with than Bababa (333 beer)?
Our favourite of all are the cha gio, crisp, stubby deep-fried spring rolls served in quaint bamboo baskets.
Besides the two main dining areas, there are also cheerful little private booths.
Hidden away in the basement of the Ohara building, the Majestic looks quite grand from the outside. It's actually very laidback, and the Vietnamese aunties in the ktichen are nothing but down to earth.
Chuc mung nam moi — Happy New Tet.
The Majestic has its own web site now (the one given in my column is no longer extant).
