As of 2024, Saigon remains Vietnam’s most densely populated metropolis, playing host to 9.5 million residents. In the quality of life discourse, this crowdedness is often singled out as a weakness deterring many from living their best life in the city. While this is absolutely a valid concern, as someone who grew up in Saigon and has adapted to urban denseness, I would be the first to point out that this population is also a strength, for without it and a sense of southern generosity, Saigon’s cultural diversity would not be the same.

Apart from attracting migrant workers from every other province in the country, Saigon is also an inviting land for people from outside our borders to visit, fall in love, and maybe settle down if they feel welcome and safe enough. And sometimes, if we’re lucky, they happen to be excellent cooks as well, blessing Saigon and our tastebuds with a smorgasbord of novel and exciting food from their homes. Over the years of running our food series Hẻm Gems, we’ve encountered so many incredible eateries and dishes in the city that started out this way, including Ethiopian doro wot, Japanese curry, or even Nigerian jollof rice.

Cleopatra is located on Trương Quyền Street between residential tube houses.

Ammar, the owner of Egyptian restaurant Cleopatra, also shares this affection for Saigon, which prompted him to eventually settle down in town after having visited numerous times before. At first, he had another job, but his journey with food was kick-started by nothing other than the COVID-19 lockdown, he shared in an interview. Stuck at home without a job, Ammar began cooking, initially as a way to save money. He also sent meals to friends, who instantly recognized his talent in the kitchen.

These friendship meals introduced him to the first catering gig, and one thing led to another; he was soon renting a small kitchen space in District 1 just to cater food for Saigon’s Middle Eastern communities and anyone else who had a hankering for home-cooked meals. After saving enough money from catering, Ammar became an official restaurateur with the opening of Cleopatra Restaurant last year, this week’s Hẻm Gems feature.

Hummus and pita

It’s hard to imagine that a quiet street like Trương Quyền exists right in central Saigon. Just a short stretch that links Điện Biên Phủ and Võ Thị Sáu streets, this quaint street that could pass for a hẻm is where Cleopatra lives — not the Ptolemaic Egyptian queen, but the restaurant. And if you’re too busy basking in the serene neighborhood vibes here, there’s a high chance you’ll miss the entrance altogether, just like I did both times I was here. 

The place’s dining area is rather small and sparsely decorated. At one corner, a TV plays soothing spa music on loop while here and there on the wall, some artworks depicting Cleopatra and quotes in Arabic hang in between ornate tiles. There are two tables that can fit a couple each, and one four-seat table for bigger groups. All told, everything is clean and comfy, and matters much less when the food more than makes up for any shortcomings in terms of interior design.

Beef shawarma

Arabic salad

Cleopatra’s menu has fewer than 10 items, and depending on your luck on any given visit, some might run out. Ammar acknowledged that he didn’t come from a professional culinary background, so whatever’s on offer are signature dishes that he’s confident in doing justice. One should not arrive here expecting an expertly curated Egyptian food experience, just home-cooked meals done exceptionally well. Even though Egypt is technically an African country, its unique position as the geographical meeting point of the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa, and the Middle East means that the cuisine is influenced by many other cultures, not just African.

Anyone looking for a halal meal in Saigon will be happy here, and those who have sampled Middle Eastern food in the past will feel right at home with Cleopatra’s offers like hummus, falafel, and shawarma. The chicken and beef shawarmas are quite tasty and convenient for a quick lunch, and the hummus is fresh and creamy. I especially enjoyed the soft and fluffy pita given to scoop up hummus. Still, the falafels here are a standout treat: light, nutty, golden brown on the outside and verdant green on the inside. It’s hard to imagine that something as humble and readily available as beans could turn into something this addicting.

Falafel

The must-order item on the menu, to me, is the rice with chicken plate, which pleases me to no end as a chicken rice connoisseur. Have you realized that, across Asia, nearly every culture has at least one chicken and rice dish that is a well-loved comfort food? In Vietnam, it’s cơm gà xối mỡ; it’s Hainanese chicken rice for Singapore; India has chicken biryani; and Thailand has kao mok gai. The yellow flavored rice and juicy chicken combo has really conquered our hearts.

A plate of mandi chicken (VND150,000) with salsa and toum sauce.

At Cleopatra, this combo manifests in the form of a whole leg of mandi chicken, served on a big bed of rich basmati rice, and eaten with a zesty tomato salsa. The chicken is grilled to produce crispy skin, though the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, retaining an envious level of juiciness. Even though forks are provided, you probably don't need them. The rice has absorbed all of the stock, spices and chicken fat, becoming plump separate grains of decadence, which is why the acid in the tomato salsa is such a thoughtful addition to the dish that I had to ask for a second helping. All in all, at VND75,000, this chicken rice is generous, well-cooked, and altogether a harmonious meal that balances aspects of texture and flavors well.

Every dish in the menu comes out with a generous portion, pushing us dangerously close to a food coma.

I had added Cleopatra to my to-visit list on Google Maps for a few months and completely forgot about it until another Saigoneer writer suggested that we should pay it a visit. Having now sampled the food here, I regret not visiting it sooner. This was also the story between me and The Lunch Lady’s eatery; and now that she’s passed away, it’s made it all the more bittersweet. If I’ve learnt one thing about Saigon’s dynamic food scene after years of writing about it, it’s that everything is impermanent. So even if, in most cases, your next favorite food vendor probably won’t pass away before you’ve had a chance to visit them, people move, people have a change of career, a landlord might turn evil, or a pandemic might hit the globe. Visit that place you’ve been saving for a special occasion now, before it’s too late.

To sum up

Opening time: 11am–10pm
Parking: Across the restaurant (bike only)
Contact: 0372618581
Average cost per person: $ (Under VND100,000)
Payment: Cash, Transfer
Delivery App: None