Prem Bistro and Cafe — Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

I have put off writing this review for months, because I genuinely like the design and vibe of this place, and the food is innovative and usually nice. But three times in a row I’ve had terrible service, and now I want to talk about it.

Basically, the staff at Prem Bistro is less concerned with your dining experience and more keen on getting you out of the door. From the moment you walk in, be it at lunch or dinner, they will start telling you that their kitchen will close at X hour and so you must order promptly. The first time this happened, I believed it was my fault for going in at 2:15 PM (when they close at 3 PM). But then, it happened again last week - when I went at 8:30 PM for dinner, despite the fact that their kitchen remains open till 9:20 PM or so and the restaurant itself closes at 10. While handing us the menu, the first thing they told us was how soon the kitchen would close.

Very well - We ordered right away, a soup and two main dishes. By 8:40 PM, the food was ordered. Fifteen minutes later, it arrived - ALL TOGETHER. I told the server that this is not how it’s done, they should wait until the soup/starters are finished before bringing the main course. How is one supposed to have soup and the main course at the same time? He argued vehemently with me, with the usual refrain - “Our kitchen will close at 9:20, so we had to bring it all together”. He offered to take the main course off the table and bring it back when we were done with the soup. How does that help? It’s still going to go cold!

I was pissed but said no more to him. For the rest of the evening, he made no effort to check on our table or ask us how the food was, or if we wanted any more. To be clear, it’s not like any of the staff were under any pressure - only 2 tables were occupied.

I understand every establishment has rules it plays by, but it is honestly crazy that they will send you everything to the table at 8:55 PM, because they want to close the restaurant an hour later. Why even keep open? Why offer your services when you view your customers as a nuisance?

Oh, and the portion sizes are another story. I ordered the mushroom dill balls once and they came with a minuscule portion of hummus (smeared on the plate for some reason, instead of being in a bowl). The dish was very dry and nearly inedible, with an overpowering taste of turmeric in the quinoa. So I asked for a little extra hummus to finish the mushroom balls with, and they gave me a weird look. I have eaten in enough places around Saigon to know what size a dip should be - I wasn’t asking for anything out of the ordinary.

At the end of the day, pretty wall hangings and Instagrammable corners can only do so much. The essence of a restaurant is in the food itself, and how it is served. On both those counts, this place has let me down enough times now that I won’t walk...

Prem Bistro - Vegan Restaurant Review (4th Floor)

Located in District 1, specifically in the Đa Kao area, this restaurant is easy to reach. It’s tucked away in a small alley and spans four floors. The first floor serves as a coffee shop, the second floor sells goods, and the third and fourth floors are dedicated to vegetarian dining.

The third floor hosts “Pi,” specializing in Asian-inspired vegetarian dishes, while the fourth floor is home to “Prem Bistro,” which focuses on Western and European-style vegetarian cuisine. Today, I had the chance to try Prem Bistro on the fourth floor.

Ambiance

The ambiance on the fourth floor is similar to “Pi” on the third. It’s spacious, with simple yet pleasant decor. Overall, I’d rate the ambiance 8/10.

Service

The staff was friendly, attentive, and efficient. Service was quick and courteous, which added to the overall experience.

Food

I ordered a pizza (two-cheese with burrata), a salad, and some drinks. Here are my thoughts: • The pizza took a bit longer to arrive. The toppings, especially the cheese, were excellent. However, the crust seemed to be made from frozen dough, as it was a bit hard and dry after baking. • The salad was delicious, well-seasoned, and portion sizes were generous. • The restaurant also offers chili sauce and ketchup to cater to local Vietnamese preferences when eating pizza, which is a thoughtful touch.

One notable aspect is that the restaurant uses sugarcane syrup as a substitute for honey, which makes it more suitable for vegan diners. However, I’m not entirely sure if the restaurant is strictly vegan.

Pricing

The price per person ranges from 350,000 - 400,000 VND if you order three dishes. If you order more, it could go up to around 500,000 VND per person. This price point is relatively high compared to other vegetarian options in the area.

Overall

I’d give Prem Bistro an 8.5/10. While the pizza crust could be improved, the toppings and salad were excellent. The ambiance and service also contributed to a pleasant dining experience. If you’re willing to spend a bit more for vegetarian cuisine, Prem Bistro is...

cons- my biggest grievance is that they try to save $ on ingredients- the most important part! for example the pad thai. they used maybe 5 noodles (all bleached white kind found at the local market extremely cheap). the vegetables were all THE cheapest ones available in VN- carrots, sprouts, chili peppers. then to cover up the low quality they made it so spicy we couldn't think. to rub salt on the wound they gave us warm water. i would have got a smoothie but they use homemade peanut butter made with dairy butter. why add butter to something like that? this place has vegan options but is not vegan friendly as almost all drinks are vegetarian.

pros- nice decorations and environment.

3 stars instead of 2 because they have tempeh burger (albeit with yogurt randomly added). if they make this a vegan friendly restaurant that caters to animal abusing vegetarians rather than the other way around I'll bump it up to 4 stars. 5 if they stop skimping on ingredients.

edit

added another star because when we went back our food was much better. try the couscous and chickpea dish as well as...