Abandoned hotel towers in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are monuments to the failure of follow-through that plagues Vietnam.

CNN: Stops and Starts

Despite a construction boom in office buildings in the country's two business centers, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the scarcity of office space has prices rivaling those in Singapore.

FORBES: Red Shares

At the start of June the 32 biggest companies (by market value) on the Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi stock exchanges were trading at an average of 38 times earnings.

FORBES: Magazine Article

But the dishes in many have been toned down to suit German tastes and lack the real aroma of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

BBC: Berlin��s kitschy and flavourful Little Vietnam

So it is especially easy, in a week when America's president is romping around Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, for people to get carried away with the superpower's potential influence.

ECONOMIST: Hanoi Bill

It is still possible to pay green fees to tee off at many Vietnamese clubs, and at least one bank has a deal whereby customers can deposit money and get free games at golf courses near the main cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

WSJ: Vietnamese Investors Sink Savings Into Golf Memberships

One leader of the makeover is Son Pham Quang, who runs some of Vietnam's trendiest restaurants, like the Club Opera in Hanoi and the Mandarin in Ho Chi Minh City.

CNN: Stops and Starts