Review: Is Bambino worth the hype?

If you haven’t already heard of Bambino, you’re missing out on what is already coined ‘Saigon’s best Italian restaurant’.

This newly-opened Italian spot is unlike any other. Here’s why.

First of all, Bambino unveiled itself with an exclusive collaboration with Maison, a luxury fashion house in Vietnam that saw the restaurant transform into a sexy, sultry and silky social enclave aptly named the ‘Fabric Room’. In its first month of opening, the ‘Fabric Room’ was filled with Saigon’s coterie of who’s-whos and let’s just say for many seeing it for the first time (like myself), it was amore.

Secondly, it’s also the first brainchild of new food and beverage lifestyle group ‘The Leftovers’, which is aptly named to reflect ‘leftover’ members such as Thomas Ho and Ryan Ng who are ex-founding members of popular hospitality group HYLO (previously HypeAsia, best-known for its nightlife concepts like Bam Bam and Commas as well as restaurants including Godmother and Octo Tapas).

*New-in-Saigon Josh Fry joins Bambino as culinary mastermind and Head Chef (Source: The Urban List)*

The Team

That’s not all. Besides an impressive and experienced founding team, the opening team behind Bamino’s food and drink menu is also worth a mention. These include industry stalwarts Vicky Lam, operations maven behind some of the city’s most well-known concepts like CTY Kitchen and Bar as well as new-to-Vietnam Executive Chef Joshua Fry, who arrived in Saigon recently to bring you a curated menu of back-to-basics simple yet stunning staples like Beef Tartare and Prosciutto with Melon that retain their flavours and integrity while being redefined in subtle yet significant ways. His dedication to simplicity comes as a breath of fresh air amidst Saigon’s ‘fusion-frenzy’ and ‘foie gras galore’ for purists (like myself) craving a delicious five-ingredient dish.

The Food

*Very generously-sized appetisers at Bambino*

To start, we opt for the tasting menu, which included five starters, two mains and a dessert for 1,490,000 (per person). The tasting menu was available during the soft opening alongside an a la carte menu. Prices now range from approximately 350 - 450,000 vnd for an appetiser and 400,000 to 650,000 vnd for a pasta.

Of the five starters presented, the standout for me was easily the more-than-generous MB5 Australian beef tartare thanks to a secret ingredient - burnt onion. Caramelised with butter and anchovies for 45 minutes, the burnt onion is then chopped and mixed with Mayonnaise, Worcester sauce and Crème fraîche to give birth to a one-bite flavour sauce bomb that’s equal parts creamy yet sweet and spicy. Do yourself a favour and get a dollop of tartare sprinkled with dehydrated burnt onion salt on your polenta crisp and thank me later.

Another must-try appetiser is the Prawn Cocktail. To be honest, I wasn’t convinced (or impressed) at first take, especially after many disappointing experiences with this dish but my worries were put to rest very quickly. Like all of Bambino’s creations, don’t let this dish’s simple appearance belie the effort behind it.

Here, tiger prawns are seasoned in a 10% salt brine with lemon zest and extra virgin olive oil before steaming for 20 minutes to whip up firm, plump and succulent prawns with a subtle yet salty aftertaste. Then, they’re generously dressed in a sauce derived from a crockpot reduction of roasted prawn heads and shells mixed with garlic, shallots, paprika and tomato paste, cooked over 200-degree heat for 4 hours!

Nothing gets wasted under the watchful eye of Chef Josh and his ‘nose-to-tip’ culinary ethos. This means shells, prawn heads, tender prawns and all the good stuff (brains, veins and juices) all go into one pot. The result? Delicious.

For mains, I opt for the Pasta Alla Vodka. Thankfully, the macaroni that replaces the typically-used Rigatoni arrives much bigger than I imagine and perfectly al dente as well as laden in a creamy tomato sauce interrupted by nothing but the subtle heat of Japanese chilli paste coupled by the sweetness of sous vide onions.

Unlike many, I love a good ol’ Tiramisu in an Italian restaurant. Espresso and rum-soaked ladyfingers combined with creamy mascarpone custard and whipped cream left my dining partner and me satisfied (very full), happy and perhaps even a little tipsy. One thing to note is desserts are on rotation and are currently on a ‘ask your waiter’ basis, so while the Tiramisu might not be available, other dolce delights are.

After 10 pm, Bambino’s ‘Supper Club’ comes out to play

Bambino is more than a restaurant. While its food stands out, comparing it with other Italian restaurants in the city does not do the concept justice. After 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, Bambino’s 'Supper Club’ comes to life. Tables are slowly stowed away, lights are dimmed, music is turned up and a dancefloor is slowly revealed. And while dinner service is finished, the evening is just getting started.

Instead of trying to position itself as a day-to-night restaurant like many others in the city, Bambino successfully wins the night-to-morning crowd by cleverly transitioning from a restaurant to an evening destination that’s neither a crowded nightclub nor a cocktail bar. It’s a first-of-its-kind similar to the likes of Carbone in New York - a restaurant, social club and club, all in one.

The popularity of the venue within just a month of its opening is a testament to an unmet gap in the market for a lifestyle destination that marries elements of food, fun, music and entertainment with a closing time that’s past 10 pm. For millennials like myself that can’t bear standing in a crowded nightclub or bar and being shoved around, it’s a much-welcomed (and long-awaited) addition to Ho Chi Minh City.

The Verdict

Yes, Bambino’s price point is comparatively higher than many Italian restaurants in the city vis-a-vis food. But, for a multi-sensory dining experience featuring spot-on service, music, cocktails, food and an incredibly rare alluring vibe, it’s worth every dollar (or dong).

If you’ve visited Bambino, let me know in the comments below whether it lived up to your expectations!

Address: Tầng 3, 29-31 Tôn Thất Thiệp, phường Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Opening hours: 5pm to 11pm (2am on Friday and Saturday), closed on Sunday and Monday
More info: https://www.facebook.com/bambinovietnam