VIVA Market: Street Treats

Viva Market....Street Treats
By Aly Abaquin

If you want to visit a mall and dash towards having a quick bite of the vietnamese cuisine check out Viva Market. Under one roof they incorporated the basic food a tourist must have or at least taste before going back to his/her home country.

It is an unlikely location for its in the third floor of a Lotte Mall in Dist 7and too far too, Hoping there would be one in Dist 1 much nearer to tourist.

We chance upon this quirky colorful and street smart resto that houses all the hawkers fair or street treats as we say.. when my friend Carol and family visited me and she wanted to visit and see Dist 7 Phu My Hong the new developing piece of real estate wherein expats are now housed and living... TRIBING is a approriate word ...and see the newest addition of a Mall Lotte Mall...MALL CULTURE now present in HCMC...

Viva Market :it stages a street scenario out from a movie set or shall we say a Broadway production of Hcmc street scene.. wherein all the hawkers/ food stalls are lined up, configured in corners and its interior designed making use of re-use, recycled window frames, wood, metal, old tiles,vietnamese lanterns in red, white and yello,, bird cages in vibrant colors ... even the roofing mis-matched to evoke a street scene.. only missing are people wearing thier hats and shouting their wares...as if you stamble upon or step inside this one alley way in downtown HCMC...Colorfully & artistically improvised.

Its safe and clean eating here. Food are good in taste and if one is afraid to try the hawkers fair in Cho Ben Thanh market...and if you have kids to feed like my friend ... so we settled in this safe food haven... this is an alternative..of course to those who are not a culinary daredevil as for myself who has accustomed my stomach in trying all the street fares has to offer...

Viva Market its Good Food & Cheap eats in a modern mall... One only remark is that its Neon sign of VIVA MARKET is kindda LAS VEGAS... not at all appropriate.. i think they need to re configure this one out....