Diep of Khoai has been inviting me for the longest time to visit her restaurant that serves authentic dishes from Nha Trang.

Found right behind the Reunification Palace along the quiet Le Quy Don St., you’d think there aren’t much people who go near this place.  I was mistaken.

Khoai was teeming with people during the lunch hour.  The waiters were kept on their toes by the flow of customers — a mix of office workers, tourists, and us — the in-between. 😀

It was really nice of Diep to reserve a table for us because really, lunch during weekdays IS busy.

Typical of any Vietnamese restaurant, no forks ! 😀  My grandma will be sorely saddened.  Hehe!

I ordered this one — it’s pork barbecue.  This was yummy!

Our group loves banh khot so we ordered this with the shrimp.

We actually saw this prepared right outside the restaurant.  This is a good way to advertise your food!

Another winning tasty spicy dish, the jelly salad (if I remember correctly) —

The pork ribs were good too!

We were so hungry that I didn’t get to take photos of the salted fish fried rice.  The saltiness of the fried rice balanced the spiciness of the salad.  Perfect combo!

Honestly, the food here is delicious and won’t cost you an arm and a leg.  Best to avoid the crowds so come a bit earlier than the lunch hour.  I’m not sure how the crowd is during dinner.

Haven’t brought the family here so we’ll be sure to head back and try the other dishes!

Khoai
3A Le Quy Don St., D1, HCMC