Fashion/Lunch

Start this shop-athon at soft furny delight Catherine Denoual Maison / 15c Thi Sach / (see Décor), then turn left and down Le Thanh Ton. Red Door Deco is at #31a / call ahead to check they’re in / (see Advanced Shopping) / and French resto La Cuisine is on the right at #48 / 2229 8882 / lacuisine.com.vn. Now, schlep down Le Thanh Ton until you reach the wedding cake-like Hotel de Ville (now HCMC People’s Committee) before turning right up Pasteur, and either take a right again for a quick reccy down Ly Tu Trong for Liti at #40d / litishop.com / with vintage brooches, kitsch keepsakes and retro kids clobber, and a spot of tea at boho dolly La Fenêtre Soleil / #44 (see Bars), or continue further up Pasteur for no-nonsense Vietnamese at always-rammed Nha Hang Ngon / #160 (see Lunch). Plunge back down Pasteur, and cross Le Thanh Ton for stores galore. La Bella at #8587 / 3823 0172 / labellagreen.com / is a two-storey wonderland of funky fash for the gal about town, and Geisha at #85 / 3829 4004 / geishacafe.com / offers racks of pretty print dresses and weary pins a well-earned rest at the cutesy café. Maison de Bunga at #81 / 3823 0087 / bungadebunga.com / is chock-full of bright flowery Nippon-ish threads, hats and leather bags, then skip down to #71 Ipa-Nima for ultra girly handbags, and #63 SÔNG for fab natural fabrics fit for home and body (see Standout Stores for both). Retrace and turn left back on to Le Thanh Ton, and trot along to Shoko at #87 / 3824 8274 / for kooky Japanese-y fash and accessories in cotton prints. Thanh Thuy at #93 / 3822 4893 / thanhthuy.com.vn / has adorable embroidered sprogwear, and Le Hang at #101 / 3827 3596 / is a bead and crystal heaven. If you’re about ready to eat your bra grilled with a light salad, totter on to the junction with Nam Ky Khoi Nghia and you’ll find alfresco Barbecue Garden at #135a Nam Ky Khoi Nghia / 3823 3340. Otherwise, simply continue along Le Thanh Ton for further munching options, sidetracked by stylish Mandarina at #171 / 3827 5267 / for ready-made and bespoke ladies footwear in satin, silk and snakeskin. Skip across the road to Kenly Silk at #132 / 3829 3847 / kenlysilk.com / for detailed silk couture, and the unfortunately named Rat Hue at #136/11 / 3822 7282 / (enter via the alley at #136), or homely neighbour Nam Giao / 3825 0261 / both serving trad Imperial Viet street food fit for a king. If you fancy yourself a bit of a bargain hunter, cross for Ben Thanh Market, otherwise, continue along Le Thanh Ton for Kin / #198 / 3502 3090 / up-and-coming Vietnamese designer Cong Tri’s chic boutique. Across the street, Dung at #221 / 3829 6778 / tailor-makes shirts and suits, and further down is Casa / #243 / 3822 9081 / for all things homey. Now, turn right up Truong Dinh and right again into Ly Tu Trong to check out local designer Do Manh Cuong’s flagship store DMC at #213 / 3521 0122 / dmc-vn.com / for bold colours, cuts and elaborately ruffled creations (w). If you’ve still got energy to burn, continue up this stretch of Ly tu Trong for the city’s more polished boutiques, including Vo Viet Chung’s trad ao dai shop at #115 / 3914 2008 / vovietchung.com, and casj femwear at Tylho / #84 / 093 315 6388. Wowza! Olympic gold shopper medal for you!