If you happen to pass by Bach Dang Wharf at night, you’re bound to see several floating restaurants on the river. Usually twinkling with lights and bustling with people, they serve as an iconoclastic image of modern Saigon’s riverfront.
Taking full advantages of the scenic Saigon River, tourist companies have lined the waterways with boat-restaurants serving night time dinner cruises around the city. Presently, there are around five boat-restaurants operating along the river. The veteran among them is Tau Nha Hang Saigon or Saigon Restaurant Boat, which belongs to Binh Quoi Village Resort under the umbrella of Saigontourist, and has floated on this river for ten years. Its international and local customers arrive mainly in groups for birthdays, anniversaries and meetings.
The boat has an on-board capacity 600 diners, after being recently upgraded. It now has a more beautiful and luxurious air and offers new services to attract visiting gastronomists from around the world.
Tau Nha Hang Saigon has three levels. On the first and second level Chinese and Vietnamese food is served, and there is nightly live music performances and fire dancing. It is suitable for wedding, birthday or anniversary parties. On the third level, diners can find western dishes. There is also a bar serving drinks and cocktails as well as light music performances. Every Sunday night, there is a band playing from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. as guests arrive.
As early as 5 p.m., the boat anchors at Bach Dang Wharf to welcome diners. Along the path leading to the restaurant’s staircase stand two beautiful girls, dressed in sailor uniforms and smiling to welcome you. After boarding, you’ll receive a warm welcome from staff who will then arrange seating for you.
Around 8:30 p.m. the boat departs, heading to Nha Be. The trip is pleasantly windy and cool, a welcome respite from a hot day in the city. As the boat pulls further and further away from the dock, the city becomes only blinking lights, the noise muffled by the wind and the sound of the river. This is the perfect time to snap photos of a spectacular view of the riverside city. The boat returns to the dock at 9:30 p.m.
Specialties for offer include black tiger fish steamed with coconut milk, salads, hot pots, steamed crabs or crabs steamed with beer. There is a set menu at a cost of US $10 per person, or food can be ordered individually with dishes beginning at around VND 20,000 each.
Lunch on Saturday and Sunday consists of a special buffet program called Thu Gian Tren Song Saigon or Relaxing on Saigon River, with a menu boasting some 50 selected dishes for your choice. The boat will traverse the axis of Bach Dang Wharf to Binh Quoi in Thanh Da Peninsula. During the journey, you can take part in entertainment like karaoke, films, chess, or a cooking show. The buffet program costs VND 99,000 per adult and VND 69,000 per child.
