Ola Hale - Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

Our visit to Ola Hale on September 13, 2024, was a positive experience, thanks to the excellent service we received. The restaurant itself is attractive, offering beautiful views of the Pink Cathedral Church. The three-floor layout provides various dining options, with the first and second floors dedicated to dining and the top floor housing a bar with scenic views. While we initially preferred outdoor seating, a sudden rain shower led us to transfer inside.

The cocktails were beautifully presented and flavorful, and while we only had a few small bites, we were impressed by the quality and variety. The staff throughout the restaurant was friendly and helpful, creating a comfortable and enjoyable dining experience. The prices were reasonable, and the restaurant was clean.

However, what truly stood out was the exceptional service provided by the security guard. Upon arrival, he greeted us warmly and escorted us inside, demonstrating his attentiveness. As we waited for our ride during a heavy downpour, he went above and beyond, patiently waiting with his raincoat, offering umbrellas to guests, and even greeting arriving customers. His genuine concern for our comfort was appreciated.

He thoughtfully provided tissues for us to wipe and when our ride arrived, offered an umbrella despite being wet himself. His actions were commendable and exemplified the spirit of hospitality we experienced in Vietnam.

The security guard's dedication and kindness made our visit to Ola Hale memorable. We are planning to return to enjoy the delicious food and the warm welcome of this exceptional...

We came to get a coffee here because we heard you could get a great view of the cathedral from here. Everything was normal until we started to order. I saw “Vietnamese black coffee” on the menu, so I naturally thought this is pure black coffee with no milk and sugar. There was also an item below named “Vietnamese milk coffee”. I knew that Vietnamese coffee is often made with condensed milk which I didnt want. I just wanted local black coffee with milk. So I went and told the lady who took our order if I could get a Vietnamese black coffee with milk (they charge extra for fresh milk). And then the weirdest thing happened, this lady said then it’s just Vietnamese milk coffee! She was practically yelling and laughing at the same time as if something I said was really funny or dumb. I asked her if the milk coffee came with condensed milk, and she said yes that’s the milk coffee… I said I didn’t want any sugar or condensed milk that’s why I wanted black coffee with milk… She said then it’s black coffee and milk! By that point I was speechless. I then said that’s what I ordered… I just wanted simple black coffee with milk. The conversation was just really strange to me. You would’ve thought black coffee is just black coffee with no milk or sugar. The facial expression of that lady was also very interesting. Besides this, everything else was great. The vibe is good, the decor is on point and the view to the...

Honestly only went here because I wanted a different angle of Cho Tan Dinh (The Pink Church across the street). The 3rd level patio deck probably has the best view of the church for pics. I ended up getting a better angle street level, go figure. Probably not worth the $475k VND I paid but an experience I have now. 😂

Decor and service were great. Food, not so much. Especially if you’ve traveled to the Hawaiian Islands or lived anywhere where there is good Island Cuisine.

Got the Huli Huli Chicken and side of “Macaroni” with Saigon Beer.

I thought the chicken was cooked well, solid texture from grill and was moist. As far as the usual taste of what someone would expect from Huli Huli Chicken, IMO it was off base. Tasted good though in its own right. The chicken came on top of a pumpkin or some sort of gourde puree (probably listed on menu) with a small salad, toasted pumpkin seeds and mini cubes of some sort of pumpkin or gourde, again probably listed in the menu description that I don’t remember.

To my dismay, the “Macaroni” was literally just boiled noodles with some sort of oil and maybe some sort of salt. I thought I had confirmed in both English and Vietnamese that it was the Mac Salad that is usually served with islander food but was bummed when I saw/tasted it.

Presentation was great. Just not you’d expect if you’ve had Huli Huli...