Thuy Restaurant - Restaurant in Thao Dien, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City

Perched along Ung Van Khiem facing the Saigon River in Binh Thanh, Thuy Restaurant draws a steady crowd of local Vietnamese — office groups, families, and regulars who return trip after trip — rather than the tourist circuit. The bamboo and wood interior opens toward a riverside terrace where the water breeze keeps even a packed Friday night dinner feeling relatively cool.

The kitchen runs on whatever arrived live that morning. Diners pick directly from the tanks: squid, prawns, various fish including snakehead. The signature preparation is the squid sauna — a tableside dish where hot stones go into a clay pot, fresh squid is stacked on top, and broth is poured in to steam everything to order. The result is clean and briny, the squid tender rather than rubbery. Fried baby squid is a simpler option, the spice blend light enough to leave the natural flavor intact. Grilled prawns on skewers arrive with a lemon mint chilli sauce — a high-acid, herby condiment that pairs as well with cold beer as it does with the prawns. Seafood tofu rounds out the table for rice-focused diners.

Prices sit at the reasonable end for the portion sizes, though service slows during peak hours, particularly on weekends. Reservations are strongly advised — the dining room fills with locals who treat it as a regular. Staff speak enough English to navigate the menu, but the pace and character are firmly Vietnamese. The Saigon River view is the clearest differentiator over other seafood houses in the city; tables with water sightlines book first.