IL CORDA | CHARCOAL STEAKHOUSE — Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

The nice thing about trying new places is you never know when you might find your new favourite restaurant.

I’d been meaning to try this place because I do love a good steak. And when it comes to food, the Japanese usually excel.

The decor is ok but I was expecting a table and was sat at a long table which was not that comfortable (refer photo).

Ordered a draft beer while I reviewed the wine list and it was flat ! The restaurant identified the problem, changed the keg and poured me another which was perfect. Not a great start.

The wine list is not that extensive and only had one Shiraz which I ordered. According to Vivino the wine I ordered costs usd8 and was being sold for 1.3m Dong in the restaurant ! Now we all know wine is expensive in Vietnam but I was really disappointed with this. The wine was actually pretty terrible which is a shame because the steaks were amazing.

As for the steaks, there is an impressive range of cuts of various sizes and qualities. The pricing was on par with el Gaucho (which is probably the most expensive steak place in Vietnam). I ordered a 300g ribeye - medium.

The steak arrived and I have to say was beautifully cooked. It was an amazing tasting steak too. Probably the best I’ve had in Vietnam. But also probably the most expensive. So for the price point I was not at all disappointed. Very high quality indeed.

The service was what really impressed me. The restaurant manager was attentive and keen to make sure everything was perfect.

I settled on 3 stars only because the wine list was not great and it was a very expensive meal by local standards. The wine list had too many Merlots and Cabernets for my liking (which I personally do not think makes a great match with beautiful wagu steaks). Something with more power and acidity would, in my opinion, work better with the richness of this meat. So on balance while the food was excellent, the wine I selected let the overall meal down.

So is it my new favourite steak restaurant? Sadly no, but I will try it again sometime if they improve...

Food is just ok. The restaurant is a bit over pricing. Service was good but not professional as a steak restaurant with the prices. They take the plate very fast even without asking. However, I would say this is about training and not the attitude. All the staff are very happy and friendly. Just not really well trained at the steak house service.

Set menu normally should be a signature of the restaurant. However, we don’t feel that there’s really good as a set menu from appetizer to the main course. It was really just below average to compare with similar price level of steakhouse.

Beef tongue was a bit disappointed. And also for other appetizers.

We were trying to order well done steak and been suggested to change to medium well done. However, when we receive the steak becomes medium rare. There’s no sides that come with the steak. The oyster sauce also taste out the oyster was not really fresh. Anyway, if you are looking for a restaurant is really cozy with polite service. Yes, they are. Food, I would recommend that Saigon do have a lot better options.

The Italian bread probably really the only good one that...

It is a must to try out this resturant! The atmosphere was dark and classy, and the decor was exceptional. I had the set dinner “Signature Omakase” which had beef tartare at the beginning, a delicious onion salad, and an anti pasta with 3 appetizers: a smoked eggplant, a pickled scallop, and the best out of the three, cows tongue. I personally found the pickled scallop to be the worst, the flavor of the dill was too strong. Next, we had spaghetti bolognese, which was not anything special, but was a great palate cleanser. Then, we had the main dish: an AUS black sirloin steak, accompanied by red wine sauce, asparagus, and mushrooms. The steak was absoloutelt amazing and cooked to perfection, while the sauce was perfectly complementary with it. We ended the night with a tiny strawberry desert. Overall, I would say it was a bit pricey, however the steak was worth it. I would recommend to go solely for the steak menu and skip out on...