Cheeseburger in Paradise

For this week's date night, I requested a great burger and a nice frosty mug of beer - see, I am such a simple girl! Now get out your maps kids - Saigon is situated closely enough to New Zealand that we are getting quite accustomed to great beef and great wine (and also great friends!!). We settled on Mogambo based on a recent article in The Word and also word of mouth.


Mogambo is also the name of a 1953 film set in East Africa with Clark Cable, Grace Kelly and Ava Gardner - hence, the decor.


It is a cozy, hole-in-the-wall dive. It was unfussy and uncrowded - exactly the perfect place, in my opinion. The beer was ice cold, the burger was AMAZING and my date was divine. I didn't even mind the "staff" on the wall.


This lovely woman is the owner and also, my new favorite person on the planet. Not only did she ask if I was Erik's daughter, but then she wanted to know if I was a ballerina. I.am.in.love. Now, she may be totally blind, but who cares with compliments like that?? (In my spirit of full disclosure, I did have flowers in my hair and an after-massage glow, so that may have also contributed to her confusion.)

If you ever find yourself in Saigon and don't stop by here, for a burger or a compliment, you are insane.

And honey - if I ever go missing, you are going to want to check Mogambo's first.