‘Tis the season for good tidings and bad hangovers. So in the spirit of things, we’ve asked five of the city’s best bartenders to reveal their go-to cures for the holiday hang. Who better to clue us in on an antidote than those who poured the poison in the first place? They are the professionals after all.
Đọc bài viết bằng Tiếng Việt
The same advice comes up again and again: too much sugar will give you a headache, hair of the dog only prolongs the inevitable, but there’s also some contradictory advice. Everyone agrees that eating is the answer. However, some suggest you should go for grease, while others lean towards the idea that health is wealth.
From our five behind-the-bar sages, recommendations range from plates of SPAM to sweating it out with a jog. Both of these make our stomachs churn and heads pound just at the thought, but perhaps it’s a case of don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it. And with that, we hand it over to them.
Le Thi Hong Ngoan, LABAR, TRE Dining, 523 Kitchen & Bar
“As mad as it sounds, I usually exercise to cure my hangover. I go for a jog and sweat it out. Crazy to some, I know, but it works for me. Afterwards, I like to hangout with friends or family and normally just stay at home and order food through a delivery app. My current go to is a big bowl of pho from Phở Hải on Trần Khánh Dư Street. Oh, and a little bottle of ‘thuốc giải rượu’, Vietnamese hangover antidote shots you can buy at the pharmacy, to wash it all down.”
Vũ Mai Ngọc Ly, Bar Captain, Xao Xac Bar
“When I’m feeling drunk, and I’m somewhere where I can get my hands on a few ingredients, I often make a non-alcoholic cocktail with fresh herbs and fruit instead of another drink. I’m then sure to avoid the temptation of picking up greasy, fast food on my way home, knowing I’ll thank myself in the morning. Instead I go for something plain like bread to soak up the booze. The next day I go for a stroll across one or some of the many bridges of the Saigon, where respite comes in the form of a cool breeze from out over the water.”
Khanh Bao, Bartender, Ministry of Men
“Don’t drink too fast. Choose clear liquors like vodka, gin, silver tequila or mezcal. Darker liquors contain more congeners (a byproduct of fermentation) which are likely to make your hangover worse. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes you to lose fluids, (you’ll most likely find yourself peeing a lot). It’s this dehydration which causes fatigue, dizziness and a headache the next day, so I drink plenty of water or a sports drinks to help me rehydrate.”
“Eat a meal, or if you can’t stomach that, a snack, to raise the blood sugar and avoid feeling shaky and irritable, but steer clear from greasy food. A steaming hot bowl of Bun Bo ought to do the trick. Aside from that I’d say the next best thing is to sleep it off, and then my final tip is no caffeine…caffeine only drags it out I promise…”
Andrea Pisani, Head Bartender, The Deck
“A swim in the sea is my go to hangover cure. Something about immersing yourself in the sunshine and cooling water offers instant relief. Sadly there is no seaside in Saigon, so I have to rely on my backup cure – pho. I’ve only been in the city for eight months so I’m still exploring, but I’ve discovered a great little spot – Quán Phở Bắc Hải Số 1 Hà Nội in Thao Dien. Here, the broth is deep in flavor, the slippery noodles are perfectly cooked, and a fat stack of herbs to tear in and some sliced chillies on the side mean it really hits the spot.”
Vương, Bartender, The Refinery
“Forget about a Bloody Mary or Espresso Martini – hair of the dog just prolongs the inevitable. Salty food is the answer. I always go for bacon or SPAM, a side of french fries and a glass of sugarcane juice with a teaspoon of salt added to recover electrolytes. Find a space you feel comfortable in and settle in there. NHO, a small coffee shop in District 3, is where you’ll find me. A train rumbles past every now and then but aside from that it’s quiet so I sit there and ride it out.”
“Avoid sweet drinks. Sugar is the culprit of your headache and makes you drunk faster. As a bartender, I always try to make balanced drinks that aren’t too sweet. I mellow the taste of the alcohol with fresh lime juice, and then counter that tartness with some homemade sugar syrup but only a little. Quality drinks are your ticket to a good time with less of a head-thumping consequence.”
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