• 4
• A head above the crowd... definitely worth a try

We were really impressed with Lien Hoa. I (a vegan) took a carnivore there and we both felt it was one of the best meals we've had in Viet Nam. Our warm, cheerful servers didn't speak a word of English, and the English on the menu is pretty broken and sometimes impossible to parse, but we did some pointing at pictures and wound up with a well balanced multi-course meal including fresh veggies and some guilty pleasures (fried comfort food), all of which was exceptionally tasty. And the bill for this feast for two? About US$8 including drinks. Worth a try: the nem rau (fried spring rolls) here are Hue style, a change from what you'll find elsewhere in the country. And also recommended, to make sure you get some good fresh veggies to balance the fried stuff: there's a tasty melange with a poetic moniker like "Missing and Affection" or something to that effect. The atmosphere was great: lively and good for local people-watching without being unpleasantly loud even when busy. My only reservation is for vegans: unless you're lucky enough to find a server who can tell you which items to avoid, you may wind up accidentally ordering dairy, honey, etc. (I'm not sure if eggs are used here.) Enjoy!