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La Fourchette

9 Ngo Duc Ke St.

Ho Chi Minh City , Vietnam

84 8 3829-8143

Should you tire of Vietnamese food and crave a heart-stopping infusion of butter, cheese, and cholesterol—in the form of escargots, Brie du Meaux, and saucisson sec—this tiny, charming bistro is for you. Among the city’s better French restaurants, this inviting standby has been perpetually filled with Gallic tourists and expatriates since it opened in 1994, which in Saigon years makes it almost ancient. The gregarious owner, Jean-Luc, greets every new arrival with a boisterous “ça va!” and spends most of the evening exchanging gossip at patrons’ tables.