If you would like to impress your family and special friends with exquisitely fine Western dinner this weekend while you are not confident to prepare it at your home kitchen, then 12H – Le Petit Coin de Saigon, a small restaurant in town can be on your shortlist to consider.
 
Located on a busy street in HCM City’s centre full of cafes and food outlets, 12H – Le Petit Coin de Saigon stands out among others dining establishments thanks to its stylish Western stylish decor but, more importantly its artistry that goes into each dish
 

BBQ US pork ribs with French fries and mixed salad, a specialty of the restaurant that you should not miss

 
The warm welcome and cosy ambience make you feel at home, but it is the impeccable food and professional service that continues to surprise you.
 
More than 90 dishes are on offer for lunch and dinner, ranging from locally raised or imported premium beef, pork and lamb to seafood, chicken and duck.
 
Hoàng Lan Thanh, the restaurant’s owner, told us that the standout dishes included baked oyster with premium cheese, beefsteak, BBQ pork ribs and pasta.
 
“Vietnamese often assume that Western cuisine is creamy, milky and fatty, and that it’s not easy for locals to enjoy,” Thanh said. “We aim to offer Western food for both Vietnamese and Westerners, so we’ve made a small change in our preparation.”
 
“We rely on Western recipes, but our change includes making the taste a bit stronger. It’s acceptable for locals and Westerners as well as both adults and children,” she said.

Baked oyster with premium cheese is the most frequently ordered dish at Le Petit Coin de Saigon
 

 
The menu also offers a Kid’s Corner. Among the favourites are crispy white cheese served with strawberry sauce (49,000đ), spaghetti Bolognese (59,000đ), grilled chicken thigh with French fries (65,000đ) and baked rice with beef and gravy sauce (79,000đ).
 
As a fan of oysters, my friend and I decided to warm up our taste buds with baked oysters with premium cheese (35,000đ each), the most frequently ordered dish of the restaurant, and the chef’s salad 45,000đ).
 
The colourful salad was perfect from its look to its taste, especially its dressing, featuring white vinegar, mustard, olive oil, salt, sugar, pepper, chopped garlic and chopped parsley. The addition of sugar added a Vietnamese influence.
 
Carefully selected and skilfully prepared, the baked oyster was so fresh and striking that I had to control my hunger. I wanted to have more after finishing the first but three more dishes were already on order.
 
Thanh had recommended that we choose grilled US steak with green pepper sauce and mashed potato (99,000đ).
 
Although I had eaten similar dishes at luxury restaurants in HCM City, the one at Le Petit Coin de Saigon was trully spectacular. The beef was juicy and aromatic thanks to its finely homemade green pepper sauce, a taste that can please both Western and Vietnamese palates.
 
“It is our chef’s secret and the dish that customers think of first when they want a steak dish,” she said.
 
We next sampled BBQ US pork ribs with French fries and mixed salad, one of the restaurant’s specialties (75,000đ), and spaghetti Bolognese (59,000đ).
 
The well marinated BBQ was my favourite dish. The ribs were amazing, tender, tasty and not too fatty. However, the “soul” was in its sauce, an exquisite combination of Western and Vietnamese features, with soy sauce, five-flavour spice, rosemary, paprika, white vinegar, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce, salt and sugar.  
 

 

To achieve the best results, the restaurant uses only fresh and high quality ingredients.
 
“We have to strictly obey this rule,” Thanh said. “The way we cook the food has contributed to our success. We need to ensure that the food is not only fresh and tasty, but also safe for our diners.”
 
The spaghetti Bolognese was also good but as I was nearly full, I only shared a small part of the dish as I wanted to save room for the homemade tiramisu (39,000đ), a favourite choice among kids and female diners.  
 
I usually do not eat anything sweet to end a meal, but this was the best dessert that I had ever sampled. It was not too sweet, and did not taste of alcohol.
 
Besides the restaurant’s popular dishes, there is a long list of signature items that foie gras lovers should not miss, including pan-fried foie gras with baked oyster and balsamic sauce (239,000đ), pan-fried foie gras with salmon steak and balsamic sauce (319,000đ) and pan-fried foie gras with roasted apple and balsamic sauce (399,000đ). All these items are served with pasta.
 
Other must-tries include roast duck with herb sauce (89,000đ), chicken cordon bleu (79,000đ) and roast chicken with mushroom sauce (75,000đ), all of which will have to wait for another visit. 
 

Le Petit Coin de Saigon
Address: 49 Trần Nhật Duật Street, District 1, HCM City