"Oasis Café" in Ho Chi Minh City's Phu Nhuan district bustles day after day with travelers from abroad. Stone walkways and round tables float over a pond where nishikigoi carp swim, and customers take their seats with a sensation of sinking into the water's surface. Ever since an Instagram video posted by an Australian blogger gathered 100,000 likes, foreign customers have increased by about 50% over the past three to four months. As a hands-on photogenic spot where you can sit and feed the carp, customer draw sparked by social media continues.
Stone walkways floating on a pond and "sinking seats"
The center of the shop is a nishikigoi carp pond. Stone-stepping walkways are laid a little above the water's surface, with round and square tables dotted beyond. One table seats 4–6, and with carp swimming at your feet, you feel as if you're sitting on the water. The second floor also has hanging seats modeled on a "bird's nest," with a private-room feel, suited to group use too. The premises are two floors, about 800 square meters. A long-established shop that has run for eight years, the pond has a filtration system, and colorful carp over 8 years old swim in it.
Feeding the carp, for families with children too
Not just relaxing at a table — this café's appeal is that you can buy a pack of feed and give it to the carp. Feed is a reasonable 7,000 dong (about 40 yen) a bag, and you can watch the carp gathering at the water's surface up close. Families and couples enjoying feeding with a drink in hand stand out. A space so close to living things has many devices that make you want to capture it in photos and videos.
Prices and access (data table)
Drinks from 50,000 dong and food from 70,000 dong — the price is kept modest given the impact of the interior. The peak is around 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Here are the main figures.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Shop name | Oasis Café |
| Location | 176/1b Le Van Sy Street, Phu Nhuan district, Ho Chi Minh City |
| Drink | From 50,000 dong (from about 285 yen) |
| Food | From 70,000 dong (from about 400 yen) |
| Carp feed | 7,000 dong a bag (about 40 yen) |
| Scale | Two floors, about 800 square meters |
| Busy times | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Foreign customers up 50%, sparked by social media
What pushed up foot traffic was social media. The Instagram video an Australian blogger posted in September gained 100,000 likes, and more travelers came having learned of it on TikTok. A couple from South Africa also said they learned of the shop on TikTok. With word of mouth and video spread overlapping, foreign customers increased by about 50% over the past three to four months. Visits from abroad are seen throughout opening hours.
The trend of Saigon's "experiential cafés"
In Ho Chi Minh City, experiential cafés that differentiate through interior and theme are increasingly being woven into travelers' standard routes. Oasis Café, which brings the carp pond into its seating, creates length of stay and a motive to revisit in that, on top of dining and photo-taking, there's "something to do" in feeding. Because it's in Phu Nhuan district, a bit off the center, it also has the character of a hidden spot to drop by between sightseeing.
Summary
Seats floating on a nishikigoi carp pond, reasonable feeding, and a photogenic scene spread on social media. Oasis Café brings Vietnamese water and greenery into its seating, drawing the support of foreign travelers. If you've grown tired of standard café-hopping in Saigon, a seat on the water is worth experiencing.
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・A Hanoi café that serves in edible vessels
・A Saigon café where you soak in the water
・A Santorini-style photogenic café
Source:VnExpress / HCMC koi fish cafe draws foreign tourists / Tripadvisor / Oasis Cafe（176/1B Le Van Sy）
