A recent revisit to Saigon, where the menu has changed, a couple of the dishes above are gone, and some new ones are available, including this absolutely rocking, albeit small (then again, for the lunch special price of, now 200 pesos or barely $10, including a beverage and a springroll on the side, it’s a good value), “Vietnamese Ceviche”, with pristinely fresh fish, lime, cilantro, mint, red onion, and chili.

Well, again, that was just the waiter, and it was in the middle of Koreatown, where it’s still somewhat rare to see non-Koreans eating at the more traditional places. I didn’t even bring up in the post that we were the object of much attention throughout our meal, as the older Koreans in particular in the place kept coming over to peek at us, as if to verify that such apparitions were actually present.

It’s far more expensive to live here than it was when you visited. It’s pretty much as expensive as most metropolitan cities in the U.S., maybe leaving out NY/LA/SF. And no, businesses don’t insist on dollars – it’s rare for locals to have them, so that would make it difficult. They just constantly raise their prices to keep pace with inflation and the devaluation of the peso.

As usual, I’m starving after reading your entries. I really need to visit again. Unrelated, is the cost of living a lot more than it was a few years back? Do more businesses insist on being paid in dollars, even from Argentines?