There’s so much going on in this postcard, I don’t know where to begin.
First of all, this restaurant–called Saigon–was in the Sheraton Chicago on North Michigan Avenue sometime in the early to mid-1960s. (The Sheraton is long gone; an elegant and refined InterContinental has taken over that building.)
Saigon was part of the Kon-Tiki Ports, themed dining rooms which also included the Tempura Bar (huh?), Singapore, Papeete, Tama, Macao, Lanai, and the Ship’s Deck.
The attention to detail in the Saigon room is quite thorough: lotus flowers in the fountain, potted palms, Buddhist statues and paintings, a waitress dressed in a chic ao dai (or is it a cheongsam?), the mystical chair motifs, and those funky blue water goblets.
I’m not sure what kind of uniform the waiter is wearing. It doesn’t seem very Vietnamese to me.
Check out the write-up of the same restaurant at the Sheraton Dallas:
SAIGON…a haven of pleasure…dedicated to delights in dining and decor. Rich silks and sacred carvings surround its fortunate inhabitants, heightening their enjoyment in the Oriental offerings. Surrender to the lure of this fascinating city of mystery. It’s inevitable!
More inevitable than anyone imagined in the early 60s, I’d say.
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