Ho Chi Minh City’s Warda restaurant, meaning “rose” and named after a famous singer from Saudi Arabia, is a unique Middle-Eastern hideaway well worth a visit.

Soft cushions, comfy sofas and a stunning tile motif combine to create a chilled-out atmosphere in which to sit back and sip a refreshing cocktail or comforting cup of tea.

But what Warda is best known for is its offering of fruity tobacco smoked through a traditional shisha (or hookah) – a type of Arabian water pipe.

Flavors such as strawberry, apple and cherry are popular choices of jurak or ma’sal – the fruit tobacco mixture.

Pieces of charcoal are used to heat the jurak and the resulting smoke is passed through the water container at the base of the pipe.

Everyone then takes a turn smoking through the long hose attached to the apparatus.

An evening at Warda is a guaranteed tranquil experience.

Reported by Thu Thuy