I forgot to update this thread after the trip. Here's a short summary: I love Saigon! It's chaotic, the traffic is scary (even though I drive in Indonesia all the time), but utterly charming and the people are unbelieveably nice.
We ate at:
Quan An Ngon (good food and amazing variety)
Huong Lai (food was so-so but the place was amazing, a really charming colonial building, I'd love to live in a house like that)
Pho Le (best pho I've ever had) 303-305 Vo Van Tan, Q3 HCMC
Banh Chanh Cua Nam Giao (opposite Ben Thanh market, in a little alley: Hue cuisine, fantastic!)
http://namgiao.com/index_en.html
Various street vendors (most memorable was the snails and shellfish vendor opposite Ben Thanh market, they open til the wee hours, fab after-drinking snack!)
Pacharan (Latin cuisine, great salumi plate and sangria)
Ca Phe Nguyen Hoang (random coffee shop, but best coffee ever!) 277E Le Thanh Ton
Wanted to try Temple Club but it was heaving with people and there was no way I was queueing for anything! Ended up at Pacharan (great Latin band, real Latinos) one night, and another club next to it the next night. New club, can't remember what it's called. The rooftop is a nice chillout space.
One of my friends booked all of us at a great budget hotel, albeit the dodgy sounding name (Asian Ruby 4 - sounds like a skin flick to me).
Thanks all for the recommendations! I'm going there again at the end of Oct! Gonna really get to Temple Club early this time!
Some of the places on my list for the upcoming trip:
Bobby Chinn Saigon (reserved)
Cuc Gach Quan
Monsoon
Banh Xeo 46A
Soft Shell Crab Saigon
Chill Bar
Yoko
Anything else I should add to the list?