Promotions and news in HCMC and beyond…
Very Ngon Robes
Try Very Ngon Homewares’ newest addition - the uni-sex kimono-style robe for a multitude of occasions. The robe comes in three designs – the ever popular Duy Tan/ Boy Emperor; the lively Dong Khoi Street/Rue Catinat in Saigon and a new image featuring two opium smoking women from the north.
In addition to robes, Very Ngon Homewares have also added drawstring lingerie/shoe/whatever-you-like bags to their steadily growing range. Ideal for travelling, storage at home or as a lightweight gift, this accessory is generous in size, features a knotted drawstring and comes in a range of designs including the Saigon Opera House, Guitar Woman and Dap Cau Street in the north.
Very Ngon’s latest tea towel design also features Hanoi’s iconic building - the Opera House, completed in 1911, and was designed in the architectural likeness of the Paris Opera House.
Established in 2010, Very Ngon Homewares hand-prints home accessories using images of early 1900s Indochine. For further info or to order call Lise Nguyen-Owen (093 803 6920) or Nguyen Thi Minh Hieu (090 377 0291) or visit www.facebook.com/VeryNgonHomewares.
Family Getaways
Take a break from your busy lifestyle and discover the fresh, clear highland summer at Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort and Spa with your family. Enjoy their summer Family Getaways package from VND3,150,000 nett/family/night with benefits including one-night stay in Villa Studio with daily breakfast for family with two adults and two children or three adults, credit of VND500,000 for F&B, round trip airport transfers, personal butler service, and 20 percent discount on spa treatments. Promotion valid to August 29, 2014. Apply for booking with minimum two night stay. Complimentary upgrade to Villa Suite (subject to availability) and extra bed if required.
For enquiries, email sales-dalat@anamandara-resort.com or call (84) 3555 888.
New Barbecue Garden Restaurant
Barbecue Garden (www.barbecuegarden.com) opens a second restaurant at 134 – 136 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D1. The 1200-meter- square Barbecue Garden 2 is a deep green garden decorated with sparkling lanterns. The outdoor section is open air with a retractable roofing system when the rain comes. The restaurant offers more than 100 barbecue dishes made of various ingredients, including pork, beef, chicken, wild boar, deer, goat, rabbit, lamb, fish, shrimp, squid and crab.
Exhibition
Galerie Quynh presents Truc-Anh’s second solo exhibition at the gallery on 65 De Tham, D1 from May 22 - July 19. Titled oNiReaKHoWaRiGNoRaLiSMe, the show marks a stylistic shift from the artist’s Croire/Douter series with its dominant black and white compositions to vibrantly colored painting. This new body of work draws from the artist’s continued interest in the dichotomy of belief and disbelief, of certainty and doubt, reality and imagination, and the ambiguity of chaos. The title of the exhibition, the first part which is pronounced ‘oneiric,’ poses itself as a riddle and reveals some of the diverse ideas, concepts and sources of inspiration for the artist, which range from art and human history to the history of representation and contemporary popular culture. The ‘isme’ (ism) ending of the indecipherable word suggests a school of thought, to which the artist adheres and which he invites us to participate in. Truc-Anh will be giving an artist talk on June 17 at 6pm.
The Taste of Thailand
Experience the Best of Thai cuisine from June 2 to 8 at Novotel Saigon Centre (email h7965-mk@accor.com for info). The hotel is proud to host the Thai Food Promotion with Chef Warinn Tissaruk and Chef Patcharaporn Kaewrueng from Novotel Impact Bangkok. Tickle your taste buds with flavor of Thai with tom yum goong, beef massaman curry, mee kra-ti, pla rad prik - fried whole fish and much more.
Massive Parking Area
Saigon’s first multi-storey parking lot has just opened on Vo Van Kiet in District 1. The 10 level building can accommodate 1,000 cars and 500-800 motorbikes. The ground floor is designated to offer maintenance and washing services. It has five elevators for carrying vehicles and three for people. The Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (Samco) is said to have invested USD24 million to build the massive car park. Car parking fee costs VND2 million per month (VND20,000 per hour).
Executive Development Program
RMIT Vietnam’s Executive Development Program will hold its first course in June as part of a significant initiative by the university to support growth in the number of Vietnam’s highly skilled and qualified professionals. The program draws on its capability as a global university of technology, design and business with more than 10 years of operations in Vietnam. Program participants will have access to a pool of experienced facilitators residing in Vietnam, who bring international experience across a diverse range of disciplines including human resources management, marketing, communications, advertising, management, telecommunications, high technology manufacturing and energy.
The first program includes courses in accounting, leadership, creativity, risk management, project management, capital budgeting (finance) and intercultural competence. Courses consist of 21 hours of face-to-face learning supplemented by work-based activities and can be taken as a stand-alone or can be grouped to complete the full RMIT Vietnam Executive Development Program. The courses are designed to assist talented middle and senior managers and entrepreneurs to grow into well-rounded leaders for their organizations.
Visit www.rmit.edu.vn/develop-your-workforce for details.
Treats for Fathers
On June 13-15, New World Saigon Hotel’s (76 Le Lai, D1) Parkview Restaurant offers Father’s Day brunch priced at VND1,200,000 per person including a free flow of house wine, draft beer and soft drinks, or VND1,350,000 per person including additional champagne and Father’s Day dinner priced at VND960,000 including one glass of red or white wine.
On the same days, Dynasty will present a set menu to celebrate the influential role of fathers in society. Priced at VND630,000 per person and available for both lunch and dinner, the six-course set menu starts with roasted suckling pig and Cantonese style roast duck, double- boiled chicken soup with melon and dried scallops, and more. Dad will be treated to a shot of “Linh Chi Dai Bo” wine, and receive a special gift set, and a 20 percent discount voucher redeemable at Dynasty in July 2014.
Meanwhile, on June 1-30, The Lounge offers drinks for fathers with birthdays during the month of June priced the same as their age. Pricing for other guests starts from VND90,000 per drink. And on June 7-15, The Spa offers a 90-minute hot stone massage for VND1,370,000 per person, with an additional complimentary 30-minute neck and shoulder treatment.
Mövenpick Hotel Saigon June Promotions
Visit Mövenpick Hotel Saigon every Sunday in June for a lunch buffet featuring a wide range of family and children favorite dishes. The food package is priced at VND449.000++, 50 percent off for children under 12, complimentary for children under five. Entertainment such as clowns, games, face painting, balloons and a special gift await children.
Cafe Saigon’s Seafood Night on all Fridays and Saturdays in June offers a food package for VND880,000++ per person. Lotus Court’s Express Dim Sum Lunch every day is priced VND149,000++ per person and the Dim Sum Brunch every Saturday and Sunday at VND350,000++ per person.
Stay at Mövenpick Hotel Saigon and enjoy up to 30 percent off with its Summer Sunshine Promotions and Weekend Getaway Package. Starting from USD90 per night, Summer Sunshine offer is valid for stays between June 1 and September 30, 2014.
For booking inquiry, email hotel.saigon@moevenpick.com.
InterContinental June Promotions
Market 39 (corner of Le Duan and Hai Ba Trung, D1) restaurant celebrates Children’s Day on June 1 by offering children from 6-12 a buffet at VND400,000++ per child and complimentary for child under six (child must be accompanied by an adult). The buffet for adults is priced VND1,098,000 ++ each person including free flow of selected house wines, Tiger draught beer, soft drinks and signature cocktails.
And on June 15, Market 39 offers a lavish meal including champagne, salmon, steak, lobster and a variety of desserts to celebrate Father’s Day. Father’s Day brunch is priced at VND1,599,000++ per person including free flow of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, cocktails, house-wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee and tea. A buffet dinner is priced at VND1,098,000++ per person including free flow of selected house wines, Tiger draught beer, soft drinks and signature cocktails.
Fundraiser
The American School of Vietnam teamed up with Score Tech, Al Fresco’s and Heartbeat Vietnam with the goal of raising USD5,000 in a one week fundraiser to save the lives of five children in desperate need of heart surgery. It is estimated that there are currently as many as 30,000 children in Vietnam in need of heart surgery. Heartbeat Vietnam identifies the most critical cases of children who need immediate surgery and provides them with life-saving surgery.
The American School of Vietnam has undertaken this fundraiser as a way of fulfilling one of its stated goals of altruistically giving back to the community. Students and teachers have actively raised money through a variety of activities, including: donation envelopes, bake sales, pizza sales, Tee shirt sales, carnival-style games, and a variety of other fun events. The fundraising week kicked off with an all-school assembly on May 19th with live music, videos, and guest speakers. The fundraising also had a “Fun Dress” week at TAS with themes each day, including: Red Shirt Day, Crazy Hat Day, Hawaiian Shirt Day, Cowboy/ Cowgirl Day, and Superhero Day.