The Q Bar is almost legendary in Saigon (and now in Bangkok), the favourite watering hole for many expatriates and visitors to the city now named Ho Chi Minh Ville. The bar originally opened its doors to a style-starved public in 1992, one of the first foreign-invested bars in Vietnam, and certainly setting new standards for the few that existed at the time.
Its founding partners were an accomplished expat American photographer - David Jacobsen - and Viet Kieu American beauty Phuong Anh Nguyen. The pair achieved rapid celebrity in the city and beyond and Q Bar was quickly recognised as not only the hottest bar in Vietnam, but perhaps in all of Asia.
Q's eclectic style, exotic ambience and diverse and comprehensive drinks list, together with cutting-edge music from Vietnam's most up-to-date collection of CDs made the bar a firm favourite with expats, tourists and locals alike, while the venue became a regular stop for visiting celebrities.
As the bar's fame spread, the Q phenomena was extensively covered in the regional and international press, featuring in such publications as Time, Savoir and the New York Times colour supplement among others.
Heady times indeed. However, all good things come to an end, and for Q Bar the writing was on the wall as a long-planned restoration of Saigon's Opera House (in whose basement the bar sat) became a reality. In late 1998, after an incredibly successful six years of operation, Q Bar closed its doors, perhaps forever. David moved to Bangkok, Thailand, and worked his magic there with the opening of Q Bar Bangkok in December 1999. The bar remains the hottest spot in town for young Thais, expats and visitors to the City of Angels.
Following the closure of Q Bar Saigon, Phuong Anh returned to the United States where she continued working in the f&b trade in New York and Los Angeles, her last venture there being Dominick's - a West Hollywood mecca for the film and music glitterati.
But still she dreamt of re-opening the Saigon classic, that dream becoming a reality in December 2001 following several months of hard work and re-investment. Today, nine months from the re-launch of the venue, Q Saigon is rapidly achieving the same levels of success as in its previous incarnation.
The venue has been extended, now featuring a pair of bars, a relaxing, chill-out lounge area and ever-popular outdoor terrace seating beside the historic Opera House.
A collection of the finest single malts, an extensive range of vodkas and other spirits too numerous to list again form the heart of the bar, while the signature Vodka Martini remains a favourite of many patrons. The sounds are still infectious, with unique mixes from Europe and America produced exclusively for Q Bar.
Food is also now available with pizzas and Sushi providing sustenance to the peckish. Finger food is also available at Q's regular wine tastings, featuring wines from around the world, particularly Chile, Spain, South Africa and Italy - many previously unknown or unavailable in Vietnam. The most outstanding often find their way onto Q's wine list.
The new Q is already echoing its former glory, with special features in both Marie Claire (Japan) and Elle Decor (USA) magazines, and word of the venue continues to spread wide and far. With the city's expat community rapidly expanding, and local spending power increasing every day, for Q Bar and Phuong Anh the future looks bright indeed.
And as the bar settles into the new Saigon scene, success seems guaranteed, but Phuong Anh is not one to watch from the sidelines. her newest venture is Qucina - a high-style Italian eatery adjacent to the bar, offering cutting-edge Italian cuisine and fine wines, and bringing yet another stylish option to Saigon's discerning diners. And hot on its heels comes Q Wines, a retail wine store featuring state-of-the-art cliamte control to keep the wines (and imported Cuban cigars) in perfect condition.
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