Are you ready to relish delicious Vietnamese food when you’re in Saigon?
As the busy city where much of Vietnam’s population settled after the war, Saigon converges the culinary culture through the country, giving it a distinct cuisine that’s hard to match.
Every alley of the chaotic city is filled with the aromas of street food cooking away around the clock.
It is so easy to find something delicious to eat from street food stalls to restaurants in Ho Chi Minh city. The recommendation listed below as a resource and inspiration for your Vietnam holiday. Here we go!
1. Banh mi – Vietnamese baguette sandwiches.
Bánh Mì is an airy and crunchy baguette. There are various types of the filling you can choose such as Vietnamese cold cuts called “Bánh Mì Thịt nguội”, fried egg “Bánh mì ốp la”, grilled pork “Bánh mì thịt nướng”, meatballs “ Bánh mì xíu mại” always be stuffed in a crusty bread roll smeared with pate, pickled vegetables, cilantro, fresh chilies and drizzle of seasoning. Banh Mi is one of the most popular breakfast meals in Vietnam by its delicious flavor and convenience.
The most sought after Banh Mi vendors have lengthy queues from early morning. So you should be prepared for long waiting lines at these famous Banh Mi stores for both locals and tourists. But it’s worth a try!
- Banh mi Huynh Hoa:
26 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1.
~ 40,000 VND/ baguette (from $1.5 USD)
If you have it for breakfast, don’t forget to couple with a Cà phê sữa đá – a Vietnamese milk iced coffee—this is the perfect way to start your day.
2. Phở
Phở is just one of many, many, MANY noodle soups in Vietnam, pronounced “fuh”.
it’s become the staple soup served with various meat parts (beef or chicken), bean sprouts, lime wedges, the essential greens (cilantro, and onions), and you should doctor the broth up to your liking with fish sauce.
Traditionally, pho noodle soup was eaten by Vietnamese people for breakfast and sometimes lunch. Nowadays, both locals and foreigners alike can be found pho from street stalls to high-end restaurants throughout the night.
- Phở Hùng (the most famous restaurants in local citizens)
241 Nguyen Trai Str, Nguyen Cu Trinh ward, Dist 1
~ 50,000 VND/ baguette (from $ 2.2 USD)
3. Banh xeo – Sizzling cake
Banh Xeo is giant savory pancakes that translate to “sizzling cake” because of the noise they make when they are being cooked. A good sizzling cake is a crispy crepe bulging with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, plus the garnish of fresh herbs that are characteristic of most authentic Vietnamese dishes.
To enjoy Banh Xeo like a local, cut it into slices, roll it up in rice paper with mixed fresh vegetables and dip the sweet-sour fish sauce.
- Banh Xeo 46A
46A Dinh Cong Trang, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, HCMC.
15,000 VND – 55,000 VND (from $1 USD) - Muoi Xiem – Banh xeo restaurant
204 Nguyen Trai, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Saigon
4. Bun Thit Nuong – Grilled pork noodle
Bun thit nuong is a cold noodle salad that can be found all over southern Vietnam. It’s a light, balanced and as simple as good. Mixed in with the noodles is grilled pork and delicious combination of flavours: peanuts, roasted shallots, lettuce leaves, bean sprouts, pickled carrots and daikon, crispy spring rolls cut into small pieces, and red chili. It’s cool and refreshing – the perfect antidote to the heat and humidity of the south.
And down below are the best restaurants to try the dish in Saigon.
- Bun thit nuong Ms. Tuyen:
195 Cô Giang Street, Dist 1
Price: 50.000 vnd (from $ 2.2 USD)
5. Goi Cuon (Vietnamese fresh spring rolls)
Vietnam is the country that has a more passionate love affair with hand-rolled bites than you might expect. The spring roll consists of thin soft noodles, pork slices, shrimp, basil, and lettuce, all tightly wrapped in translucent rice papers (bánh tráng). Due to its subtle flavour, “Goi cuon” is usually dipped into ground chilies and a hoisin-based sauce. Another type of Vietnamese spring roll named “Banh gio” – deep-fried . The crispy shell with a soft veggie and meat filling dunked in a sweet-sour fish sauce that surely leaves its perfect taste in your mouth.
- Quán Nem
15E Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC.
100,000 VND – 330,000 VND (from $4 USD) - Wrap and Roll
62 Hai BaTrung, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC.
40.000 VND – 165.000 VND (from $1.7 USD)
