19/02/2026: This is a very honest and authentic Vietnamese canteen (no more of the Chinese restaurant we used to frequent). They offer soups and stew-like dishes. A delicious and rather surprising beef curry, for which you'll want to skip the classic white rice, is served with water spinach sautéed with garlic, which was quite good, though perhaps a touch undercooked. Tradition is upheld: you can ask to have lunch on the terrace, even if it's very chilly, and we weren't the only ones (a Vietnamese woman with her enormous bowl of soup kept us company under that rare winter sun of February 2026). The beer selection is limited (no Shinga, the only one that really packs a punch in terms of hops).
Aside from the somewhat restricted menu, which is very much in the canteen style (no real signature dish), everything is perfect.
02/02/2026: February 1, 2026
L’Indochine is no more. The name is now NHA HANG VIÊT NAM. New decor, new team just a few days ago. New menu probably coming soon. Still in the trial phase.
Reopening after renovations. The welcome is still warm. I had the Hu Tieu Sai Gon soup. It was delicious.
I went back. The welcome is still friendly. This time I tried the My Vit Quay soup with Peking duck. Really very good. Plus, the Peking duck is boneless. It's an excellent place.
Another discovery: Bun Cha. I hadn't tried it before. It's good.
Another visit in early December 2022. Still just as good, the welcome still pleasant. To warm up, I had the Mi Vit Quay soup (the one with duck). Delicious. Served with a duck breast (boneless). L’Indochine is truly one of my favorite places.
February 2023: New dishes, but still just as good. This time it was the Bo Luc Lac (beef loclac). It was hot, the egg yolk was perfectly runny. The stir-fried meat was satisfying on its own, but there was also a small bowl with salt, pepper, and a lemon wedge, julienned pickled carrots, and fresh cilantro. Another excellent lunch served by an efficient and friendly team.
New discovery: mi xao tom thit, stir-fried noodles with various meats including shrimp and vegetables. Delicious and healthy.
September 2024. I stayed away from Chinatown for a few months. A friend told me that many pho factories had opened there. After a very mixed experience at one of these new eateries, I decided to go back to Indochine. I had never tried their pho. I should have. It was very good. The broth had a hint of black cardamom and a few "eyes" (the small, round pieces of meat that formed when it came to broth). In short, as always, it was very good and the service was friendly. I will definitely go back.