Gánh - Truly Vietnamese Cuisine — Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

Viet local food restaurant next to hotel in District 1.

Food is good BUT BE WARNED. VERY dishonest waiter (the ONLY male).

He came to our table and recommended the most expensive dish on menu (440,000) which is a grilled/fried fish item with vege and wrap but a family member dun take fish. (We noticed and overheard he did the same recommendation to few other tables who are tourist and are walk in diners!) He immed roll eye and tsk! in front of us when we proceed to order other dishes. Bill came and total was 1,004,400. We gave him 1,500,000. He gave us back 75,000. We took a while to process the change as the number is quite astronomical with the zeroes. All the while he was trying to hurry us out saying “Thank you” repeatedly. When he see that we are relentlessly counting if the change is correct, he said loudly - “you TIP ME 20,000” (I googled afterwards, tipping is not compulsory in Vietnam but he “announce” we tip him 20,000 - which to us is super alright, just about SGD 1) Just outside the door, we confirm he gave us WRONG change, which should be 495,600. Assuming “we tipped him” 20,000, we should be getting back 475,600. He was with us at the door giving us some discount voucher for a spa service opposite and we alerted him of the wrong change given. He was NOT APOLOGETIC and tried to confuse us further and after I used a calculator WITH HIM doing his Math, he said he will bring us the other 400,000 and went in to the counter.

I saw him making small conversation with the 3 waitresses and they smiled like a plot failed and looked at us at the door. (Somehow body language and facial expression doesn’t register that it is a genuine mistake nor they felt apologetic. Ironically, it lean towards an act they might have used on other tourists too to “give wrong change”)

So, he did bring back 475,000 and again, exclaiming “YOU TIP ME 20,000” and after tallying 475,000; we ignored the 600 (too small in SGD) when he said to us again, YOU TIP me...

Went in with my wife on the 29/5/19 thinking we wanted authentic Viet food... we were so wrong in choosing to eat here and here are the reasons: food was expensive they were serving 4 table including our table in all 8 people and they had 2 waiters & a manager... the manager was only concentrating on 2 German tourist to the point the manager might as well spoon feed the 2 German gentleman. We were left to our own devices. The other 2 waitresses were only there waiting for instructions from there manager to give him forks, plates & etc... food we ordered that had meat, spring rolls was not nice... meat was dry, and spring rolls seem was made without been test tasted, it was awful. Honestly I expected it to be better than back home in Australia but it was worst than than the worst in Melbourne. the place was not clean, table was sticky and there were alot of food on the table even after the staff had cleaned it. It was a disappointing experience. For one i am a paying customer and should not be treated as though i was seeking free food... not returning ever & would not recommend this place to anyone. Ganh I think is a large franchise business, not sure but in any case this is why business disappears after...

Unacceptable - Metal Scouring Pad in Food & Indifferent Response I am writing this review with extreme disappointment and concern after a shocking incident at this restaurant. During our meal, which cost over 2,700,000 VND, we discovered a piece of a METAL SCOURING PAD (the kind used to clean pots) in our fried rice. This is not a minor issue like finding a hair; it is a serious health and safety hazard. We immediately brought this to the staff's attention. The response we received was a perfunctory, hollow apology with no explanation, no concern for our well-being, and no accountability. What if I had swallowed it? The potential for internal injury is terrifying. Even though I did not, the mere presence of such a hazardous foreign object raises grave questions about the restaurant's hygiene standards in the kitchen. How does a piece of a metal scrubber end up in a customer's plate? What other lapses in safety are happening...