Khói Thơm

Khói Thơm is reputed to be the source of the best Mexican food in Saigon, many had said without hesitation. On entering Khói Thơm, I was impressed with the décor & the frontage. It is bright, cheerful, with a strong Mexican influence & a quaint, inviting approach.

Once at our table, we were given nachos with salsa. A nice touch & made perusing the menu a less pressured task, even with the waiter loitering within feet of us! We chose queso fundido (75,000đ) followed by mary tierra fajitas platter (250,000đ). A pineapple juice & a passion fruit, honey & coconut smoothie (35,000đ & 45,000đ) were our chosen drinks.

The drinks arrived & I was struck by the fact that the pineapple juice was tasteless, an amazing feat to make a drink with absolutely no taste! The juice was clearly not fresh as described. The passion fruit smoothie on the other hand was refreshing with a fantastic tang. Shortly after the starter came, a bowl of melted cheese topped with cilantro and herbs. This lacked a depth of cheesy flavour & was nothing special in the slightest, not something I will order again. The platter of sizzling steak, chicken & prawns was served with dips, refried beans & tortillas. This was good, possibly over spiced & the dips lacked flavour & quantity. The chicken & steak were incredible, the 2 prawns were tasty but lacking in quantity.

This may be the best in Saigon but it is leaps & bounds behind Mexican I have sampled elsewhere. The service is void of customer focus, a higher priced establishment should have higher quality service in my view. I advise people to be aware of the 5% service charge & to leave high expectations at home before venturing here.

Khói Thơm translates as fragrant smoke, a name which hints at this hidden jewel’s previous incarnation as a Viet-Mex fusion restaurant. Now, though, its metamorphosis into a fully-fledged Mexican eatery is complete - complete with an imported Mexican chef - and Khói Thơm enjoys a reputation as the best Mexican in town. Latin rhythms play incessantly beneath the hubbub of conversation, while the décor is garishly colourful - a vibrant combination of pinks, purples and turquoises. The menu offers an array of old favourites: burritos, fajitas, quesadillas, tacos and nachos, alongside less well-known dishes such as Veracruz- style seabass and Carnitas-style pork belly. For those in need of stronger refreshment, there is an extensive and original cocktail list, as well as tequila slammers for 18,000đ to get the night off to a raucous start.

We ordered cheese nachos, followed by chicken enchiladas and the aforementioned pork belly, and we were not disappointed. The nachos were well made; crispy and cheesy, though there was a little too much guacamole. They whet our appetite for the main course, which was on its way shortly. The enchiladas, though small, were mouth-watering and packed a pleasing chipotle punch. The pork belly was accompanied by rice, beans and flour tortillas, and which combined well the succulent meat. Our meal was topped off with a couple of margaritas from the wide variety available on the menu - one could spend an interesting evening working through the list!

At upwards of 300,000đ per person, Khoi Thom is not the cheapest option. However, its authenticity, pleasant setting and overall experience mean its reputation of excellence is well deserved - there’s no smoke without fire.