Best Dining Bets

Cha Ca La Vong (Hanoi; tel. 04/3825-3929): A Vietnamese institution and a tourist rite of passage, really. A meal here is a memorable, do-it-yourself affair on the beat-up second floor of a restaurant as old as the hills (and it looks like it has never been painted). The food does all the talking: a unique dish of whitefish flash-fried in lots of peanut oil with dill and turmeric.

La Badiane (Hanoi; tel. 04/3942-4509): The hottest table in town, La Badiane offers affordable French cuisine in an atmospheric colonial mansion.

Mango Rooms (Hoi An; tel. 0510/391-0839): The atmosphere is fast and furious as hip young owner Duc slings a unique brand of Asian-fusion fare, heavy on grilled items and delicious light ingredients.

Le Rabelais (Dalat; tel. 063/382-5444): Fine French cuisine served with real panache at one of Vietnam's most luxurious rural hotels.

Quan An Ngon Restaurant (Ho Chi Minh City; tel. 08/3829-9449): Its popularity has spawned a number of small offshoots, including a specialty restaurant focused on northern rice dishes and another new outlet for buffet dinners, but the original restaurant near the Reunification Palace is the best. A virtual survey course of authentic Vietnamese cuisine from every region of the country, this restaurant is the town's most atmospheric, friendly, and busy.