The mother-in-law's flavors draw foreigners — a rooftop restaurant in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
"LuLi’s Skyview Bar" opened in April 2026 on the rooftop of the 6th floor of a residential building at 40E Ngô Đức Kế Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. It's run by Frenchman Timothée Rousselin and his Vietnamese wife Eley Nhung Rousselin. In charge of the kitchen is his mother-in-law Lê Thị Ngọc Trinh (54). Ninety-five percent of customers are foreigners — that's where this family-run rooftop restaurant stands today.
40 home dishes and 10 cocktails
The menu lists about 40 Vietnamese home dishes. Along with standards like banh xeo, banh khot, cha gio (fried spring rolls), and fresh spring rolls, there's also Tay Ninh's specialty banh trang (rice-paper rolls) and, as vegetarian options, mushroom nem cuon and vegetable curry.
There are 10 cocktails. It's a lineup selected by Timothée, including the Paper Plane and the Man-O-War.
The location overlooking the Nguyen Hue pedestrian street makes an excellent viewpoint at dusk.
Background — the "authentic Vietnamese home cooking" foreigners seek
Ho Chi Minh City has countless restaurants aimed at foreign tourists, but there are surprisingly few shops that serve "the dishes actually eaten in Vietnamese homes." The reason LuLi’s can win 95% foreign customers is that mother-in-law Trinh's home cooking provides that "authenticity."
Timothée had originally opened his first location, "LuLi’s Kitchen," on Pasteur Street in November 2024. This rooftop shop is an expanded version adding the location and a cocktail menu.
Menu structure
| Categories | Signature items | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fried and grilled dishes | Banh xeo, banh khot, cha gio | Mother-in-law Trinh's flavors |
| Rolls | Fresh spring rolls, Tay Ninh–style banh trang | Wrapping pork and vegetables |
| Vegetarian | Mushroom nem cuon, vegetable curry | Vegetarian-friendly |
| Cocktails | Paper Plane, Man-O-War, and 8 others | Selected by Timothée |
Reactions from media and customers
- The Thanh Niên paper gave big coverage to the story of "a Frenchman opening a restaurant with his Vietnamese mother-in-law's cooking"
- On TripAdvisor there was a post reading "Great view, great cocktails, great food, warm French-Vietnamese welcome," earning high praise from early on
- "There are many tourist-oriented Vietnamese restaurants, but here it really tastes like eating in a Vietnamese home." (review from a resident foreigner)
For Japanese travelers — access and recommended times
Just behind the Nguyen Hue pedestrian street, a 3-minute walk from the Bitexco Financial Tower.dessert cafés,It's within a distance you can drop into mid-stroll. The best is dusk (5:30–6:30 p.m.). You can enjoy the pedestrian street's lights and the buildings' night view at the same time.
Ho Chi Minh City's rooftop scene
Ho Chi Minh City's rooftop bars used to center on luxury-hotel ones (Saigon Saigon, Social Club, etc.), but the format of "family-run × home cooking × rooftop" like LuLi’s is new.back-alley cafésJust as with, "spaces made with an individual's sensibility rather than big capital" are broadening the diversity of Ho Chi Minh City's dining scene.
Venue information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Shop name | LuLi’s Skyview Bar |
| Address | 6F, 40E Ngô Đức Kế, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, HCMC |
| Nearest | Behind the Nguyen Hue pedestrian street, a 3-minute walk from Bitexco Tower |
| Dish | About 40 Vietnamese home dishes + 10 cocktails |
| Clientele | 95% foreigners (mainly Western) |
| Owners | Timothée Rousselin (France) & Eley Nhung Rousselin (Vietnam) |
| Cook | Lê Thị Ngọc Trinh (mother-in-law, 54) |
Summary
A French husband, a Vietnamese wife, and the mother-in-law's home cooking. The rooftop restaurant these three create is on the 6th floor overlooking the Nguyen Hue pedestrian street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. At dusk, enjoy Ho Chi Minh City's night view with banh xeo and a cocktail in hand — that's an experience that starts from 55,000 VND.
Source: Thanh Niên / TripAdvisor
