The Top 10 Foods You Have To Eat In Saigon

Vietnamese cuisine is the clearest reflection of Vietnamese culture and lifestyle, from its preparation to its serving. Through the long period of wars and cultural shifts, most Vietnamese people have been living in poverty. Therefore, the ingredients for Vietnamese food are sometimes rather inexpensive but mixed together to create dishes rich in flavor, each featuring one or more elements of five fundamental taste, namely sour, bitter, sweet, spicy and salty. However, the sweetness is above all preferred in southern Vietnam and Saigon, in particular, more than any other regions, which can be clearly seen through the widespread use of coconut milk and sugar in most dishes. Furthermore, as the warm weather and fertile soil make Southern Vietnam an ideal place to grow various fruits, vegetables, and cattle; foods here are vibrant and flavorful with a generous addition of fresh herbs. The following food list is definitely the must-try if you want to delve more into the heart and soul of Saigon cuisine.

1. Broken Rice (Cơm tấm)

Saigon cuisine is a mixture of all foods in different regions so to find a dish with just only Saigon flavor is quite difficult. However, with cơm tấm, broken rice, you cannot find the signature taste and flavor of this dish anywhere else but in Saigon. Cơm tấm (aka broken rice) was and now still is one of the most favored dishes for breakfast, lunch and even dinner among the Saigonese. The rice used to make cơm tấm is really unique and distinctive since it is literally broken or fragmented, but still as nutritious as the equivalent unbroken rice. Commonly, it is accompanied by grilled pork (either chops or ribs) plus bì (thinly shredded pork and pork skin), a sunny side up egg and chả trứng (made from egg, crabmeat, ground pork, Peziza and glass noodles, which was the result of Vietnamese and American cuisine’s combination during wartime before 1975). The dish is then topped with a little scallion oil, crunchy chicken cracklings and pickled vegetables (cucumber, carrot and daikon radish). Last but not least, pour on a moderate layer of sweet and sour fish sauce to finish the preparation. You can find cơm tấm almost everywhere in the city and I personally think it would be pretty hard to find a not good one around.

Price range: 20,000 – 50,000VND
Places to find:
Ba Ghiền: #84 Dang Van Ngu Street, Phu Nhuan District (5:00am-8:00pm)
Behind Phan Xich Long Apartment, Phu Nhuan District (5:00pm-9:00pm)
#294/35 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Street, Binh Thanh District (9:00pm-4:00am)
Bãi rác: #77 Le Van Linh Street, District 4 (6:00pm-12:00am)
Cali: http://comtamcali.com/vi/chi-nhanh/
Thuận Kiều: http://comtamthuankieu.com.vn/contract.html?type=1

2. Vietnamese Baguette (Bánh mì)

Originated from the French influence on Indochina during the colonial period, this iconic banh mi of Vietnam has been consistently ranked as one of the best sandwiches worldwide. Unique and different from the standard long and thin French baguette, banh mi is airy with a thin crunchy crust containing paté, a cornucopia of roast chicken or pork, cured ham, fried egg, a miscellany of pickled carrot and daikon radish, slices of cucumber and chilli, a generous sprinkling of cilantro leaves and pepper, a few dashes of soy sauce, a spread of mayonnaise and sometimes hot chilli sauce if required. At one bite, the spicy, salty, sour, sweet, savory and aromatic of a well-stacked banh mi is always the moment of wonder and delight. Banh mi can easily be found anywhere in Vietnam but the shops below I recommend have long been famous for delicious and hearty banh mi chosen from the locals.

Price range: 10,000 – 35,000VND
Places to find:
Như Lan: #363-365-367 Hai Ba Trung Street, District 3 (5:00am-12:00am)
Ba Lẹ: Alley 63 Le Van Sy Street, Phu Nhuan District (7:00am-10:00pm)
Huỳnh Hoa: #26 Le Thi Rieng Street, District 1 (3:00pm-10:00pm)
Bảy Hổ: #19 Huynh Khuong Ninh Street, District 1 (2:00pm-5:00pm)
Bà Tư: the intersection of Le Van Sy Street and Tran Quang Dieu Street, District 3 (10:00pm-2:00am)

3. Kuy teav (Hủ tiếu)

As an influence of Kuy Teav introduced to Vietnam from Cambodia in the 1960s, hủ tiếu has been the specialty of the South as well as Pho from the North and bún bò Huế in the central. A bowl of hủ tiếu normally consists of quail eggs, some slices of thick, fat-still-on pork and pork liver, a lot of minced meat and the intense sweet of shrimps and squids sitting on a bed of thin vermicelli noodles (and sometimes egg noodles called hủ tiếu mì). Along for the trip are garlic chives, green onions, fried shallots and a side plate of bean sprouts, lettuce, and celery. Condiments, namely hoisin sauce, and hot chili sauce are optional but most people prefer not to use them since the broth itself is sweet and tasty. Hủ tiếu can be served wet (with soup) or dry (noodles are either stir-fried or pan-fried with special dressing and soup on the side).

Price range: 25,000 – 70,000VND
Places to find:
Thanh Xuân: #62 Ton That Hiep Street, District 1 (dry noodles with Paté Chaud pie – was common among old Saigoneses; 6:00am-3:00pm)
#14 Ky Dong Street, District 3 (7:00am-10:00pm)
Quảng Ký: #118 Trieu Quang Phuc Street, District 5 (4:00pm-10:00pm)
Đạt Thành: #232 Nguyen Thi Thap Street, District 7 (7:00am-11:00pm)
Thiệu Ký: #66/5 Le Dai Hanh Street, District 11 (7:00am-1:00am)
Lâm Ký: #411 Le Quang Dinh Street, Binh Thanh District (6:00am-11:00pm)

4. Mixed rice paper (Bánh tráng trộn)

Mixed rice paper has won the hearts of children and teenagers all over Vietnam with its deliciousness and convenience. The combination of rice paper, jerky, hard boiled quail eggs, shredded green mango, fluffy pemmican, fresh Vietnamese mint (rau răm) and flavoring agents with chili powder, scallion oil, fried shallots or peanuts will create an amazing explosion when chewing. But before tasting, pour on the sweet and sour tamarind sauce or kumquat juice for a better experience. Mixed rice paper is usually sold near schools, universities or parks, covered by a plastic bag with two skewers as makeshift chopsticks. Another version of this addictive street food is rice paper rolls, with flexible rice paper, the same ingredients and aioli sauce or mayonnaise.

Price range: 8,000 – 22,000VND
Places to find:
Nguyen Thuong Hien Street, District 3
#621 Hung Phu Street, District 8 (2:30pm-10:00pm)
Before Bách Khoa University, Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 11 (3:00pm-9:00pm)
Dì Hồng: #23 No.11 Street, District 4 (12:00pm-8:00pm)
Chú Tùng: #541P Phan Van Tri Street, Go Vap District (3:00pm-10:00pm)

5. Offal stew (Phá lấy)

It is ‘offal’ not ‘awful’, and you might be amazed at how scrumptious the combination is. This vivid orange colored offal stew contains tender organ meat, and is often accompanied by banh mi, sweet-and-sour dipping broth with a pleasant flavor of coconut milk and sweet fish sauce. Specifically, there can be innards such as intestine, heart, thymus, kidney, stomach, lungs or ears, snouts and tongues inside. Some places also innovate the dish by serving offal stew with noodles and fresh herbs, perfect for a full meal at a cheap price.

Price range: 15,000 – 30,000VND
Places to find:
Cô Ba: Alley 199 (opposite #199/60) Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, District 3
Lì: #393 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, District 10
Cô Oanh: #200/20 Xom Chieu Street, District 4
Dì Nủi: #243/30 Ton Dan Street, District 4
Phụng Thiên: #228 Nguyen Phuc Nguyen Street, District 3
Gia Định: #195/7 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Street, Binh Thanh District (3:00pm to 8:00pm)

6. Pan-fried scrambled egg rice cake (Bột chiên trứng)

Rice cakes seem to be really popular in Asia such as tteokbokki in Korea, mochi in Japan or pan-fried scrambled egg rice cake from Vietnam. Plain or taro rice cake is steamed carefully before being cut into medium square pieces, which are then deep-fried till yellow-brown so that the outside of each piece is crunchy while the inside is tender (in contrast to the rice cake dish of Chinese that is completely soft). After that, those rice cake pieces will be fried in a pan with 1-2 eggs and chopped scallion. The rice cake itself is not seasoned at all but thanks to its crispy-chewy texture and the richness of scrambled egg, the taste is incredible. It is always served hot with shredded green papaya, pickled carrot and daikon radish, roasted peanuts, and tangy sweet-and-spicy soy sauce. You can choose to either dip in or pour the sauce over the rice cake and both are all delicious.

Price range: 15,000 – 35,000VND
Places to find:
Vạn Thành: Alley 185 Vo Van Tan Street, District 3 (3:00pm-10:00pm)
#89B Ba Huyen Thanh Quan Street, District 3 (7:00am-10:00pm)
#190 Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, District 5 (4:00pm-10:00pm)
#160 Nguyen Thi Nho Street, District 11 (5:00pm-10:30pm)
A Hào: #112/5 Nguyen Thai Son Street, Go Vap District (9:00am-9:00pm)
Bé: #11 Pham Van Street, Tan Phu District (3:00pm-10:00pm)
#176/3 Dang Van Ngu Street, Phu Nhuan District (4:00pm-11:00pm)

7. Green papaya with beef jerky salad (Gỏi đu đủ khô bò)

The crispness of shredded green papaya, carrot pickle and shrimp puffs, the juiciness of jerky, the fragrance of fresh herbs, the savory taste of roasted peanuts and the spiciness of chili will make an explosion of flavor in your mouth. The jerky is actually beef liver or lung sliced into big pieces, carefully seasoned and dried off by putting it in an oven. The secret of this dish lies in its sweet and sour dressing made of salt, sugar, vinegar, chili, fish sauce and soy sauce. And if you pay close attention, you will notice that green papaya with beef jerky salad and pan-fried scrambled egg rice cake are usually sold in the same place as they both use green papaya as an ingredient.

Price range: 15,000 – 25,000VND
Places to find:
Ông Năm: #107 Nguyen Van Thu Street, District 1 (1:30pm-6:30pm Mon-Sat)
Opposite Le Van Tam Park, Hai Ba Trung Street, District 3 (12:00pm-9:30pm)
Xom Chieu Market, Le Quoc Hung Street, District 4
Thiên Ân: #191 Banh Van Tran Street, Tan Binh District (9:00am-11:00pm)

8. Snails (Ốc)

Snails are one of the most indispensable delicacies of Saigon’s snack paradise, especially on evenings or cool rainy days. Snail restaurants don’t only serve snails but anything that comes in a shell is on the menu (but not garden snails obviously). You might find clams, oysters, cockles, mussels, scallops, shrimps and crabs as well. These chewy morsels of grilled, steamed or stir-fried snail meat with any combination of dry or wet toppings and seasonings, including chili, salt, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, and fish sauce are the best when ordered along with cold beers. The streets below are known as famous snails streets which are filled with aromatic and smoky fragrance of snails vendors or restaurants opened from the afternoon till nearly midnight.

Price range: 10,000 – 30,000VND
Places to find:
Nguyen Thuong Hien Street, District 3
Vinh Khanh Street, District 4
Duong Ba Trac Street, District 8
To Hien Thanh Street, District 10
Le Thi Bach Cat Street, District 11

9. Shrimp Dumpling (Há cảo) 

Há cảo or shrimp dumpling is one of the most popular and favored dimsum dishes in Saigon. With the pleated shape, these transparent and smooth dumplings are also sometimes called shrimp bonnets. Each dumpling consists of a generous amount of well-cooked shrimp, packed inside a thin and translucent wrapper. To diversify the filling, sellers sometimes use minced pork, corn, garlic chives, and lettuce. Companies usually are fried shallots, fresh herbs, hot chili sauce or soy sauce.

Price range: 3,000 – 20,000VND
Places to find:
Cô Giang: #57A De Tham Street, District 1 (3:30pm-10:30pm)
Bàn Cờ: #86 Ky Hoa Street, District 5 (3:00pm-9:00pm)
Dimsum Mr Hào: #175 Tran Tuan Khai Street, District 5 (4:30pm-10:00pm)
Ngọc Lan: #500 Vinh Vien Street, District 10 (8:30am-11:00pm)
Ăn Là Ghiền: #159 Van Kiep Street, Binh Thanh District (9:00am-9:00pm)
The intersection of Phan Xich Long Street and Van Kiep Street, Phu Nhuan District (4:00pm-9:00pm)

10. Rolls (Bò bía)

Ever since imported to Vietnam, bò bía has become an indispensable street food for its deliciousness, cheap price, and convenience for take-aways. Bò bía and summer rolls are relatively similar in appearance but the ingredients inside are pretty different. While a summer roll contains a variety of ingredients such as shrimps, meat, vermicelli noodle and fresh vegetables like cucumber, lettuce and garlic chives, bò bía normally consists of a thin layer of rice paper wrapped in crunchy carrots, soft steamed cassava, fragrant basil layered with savory Chinese sausages, dried shrimps and delicate fried eggs, all cut into strands. What makes bò bía truly mouth-watering is its viscous and tangy dipping sauce, made from soy sauce and chili sauce with the aroma of roasted peanuts and fried shallots.

Price range: 1,000 – 5,000VND
Places to find:
#269/8 Nguyen Thi Nho Street, District 11 (11:00am-6:30pm)
Lý: Nguyen Van Giai Street, District 1 (9:00am-9:00pm)
Le Van Tam Park, Dien Bien Phu Street, District 1 (3:00pm-10:00pm)
#210 Tran Binh Trong Street, District 5 (3:30pm-10:00pm)
#51/24B Ho Thi Ky Street, District 10 (2:00pm-7:00pm)