Topsy Turvy Restaurant: Up Cafe, Saigon

My world turned upside down as I entered into the amazing restaurant of Up Cafe inspired by the Movie Up. The sensational hunger pangs I felt on my way to the resto suddenly changed the moment I saw the strings of electric lights all over the reverse house. It felt like Christmas but too early to feel its spirit. Inside it was faintly outlined. I spotted Monalisa and vigorously attempted to turn my head almost 90 degrees just to glance that Half-length portrait whose eyes were like following my gaze. I looked up and the tables and chairs with chandeliers on it was designed upside down too.

Every detail was intentionally upside down and I realized I looked like an idiot by moving my head every time I see an interesting sight not to mention that I was alone and everybody has company. I was just amazed with the reverse concept. I feasted on a 48000 dong com tom ram thit ba Roi – literally marinated shrimp and pork with steamed rice. I like salted meals but it was way too salty. I had left overs and normally I can’t finish a can of Pepsi but that time I had it all bottoms up.

I wasn’t quite sure if it was the dim light that made me sleepy or it was just me so I grabbed a bottle of Heineken which cost me 36000 Dong. I noticed their WiFi connection speed was pretty amazing but I disconnected after I posted some photos in Instagram, told my parents I safely arrived in Vietnam and just enjoy the rest of the night being bloated by beer.

The only down part for me is the transportation. One must take a cab to go there as there is no public transpo that will take you to the resto and If I were to go back at Up Cafe, I’ll definitely make sure my stomach is fully loaded and will just spend the night drinking and chilling. I love the concept of the whole place except the food but maybe I should have ask their best seller meal it could have change my perception about how their food taste like hence the overall experience was average.

The upside down restaurant was not tied with thousands of balloons that will make it soar up to the sky but enough to satisfy my curiosity of the place. I first read about it in Tiger Tales magazine and since then my inquisitiveness lead me there. It didn’t take me to the waterfall in Venezuela like the movie did but I surely had an amazing beer connection that night. I didn’t had a hard time hailing for a cab in fact I threw Mr. Red not even close to half way of reaching the filter. The City of Saigon never sleeps, the motorcycles were still rushing back and forth but I realized one thing I was indeed drowsy. I threw myself to bed and the “lets call it a night” over powers it all.