Saigon is where the cuisine flourishes. The most dominant industry reported in Saigon is foods and beverages which means it will offer you endless choices of food experiences. Here are some typical dishes for your visit in Saigon.
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1. Banh Mi
Of all the savory dishes in the city, Banh Mi is the most likely to be tried in Saigon as it is perfect for takeaway while you are busy exploring the city. Banh Mi is basically a baguette with various stuffings inside like Vietnamese pork sausage, char siu, fried egg, and pickled vegetables. It is convenient, cheap, and tasty.
You can find Banh Mi everywhere along the streets; however, here are some outstanding places we would recommend:
- Banh Mi Huynh Hoa
Address: 26 Le Thi Rieng St, District 1
Price: 58,000 VND ($2.5) - Banh Mi Hong Hoa
Address: 54 Nguyen Van Trang, District 1
Price: 30,000 VND – 40,000 VND - Banh Mi 362
Address: 25 Tran Cao Van, District 1
Price: 20,000 VND – 40,000 VND
2. Hu Tieu
Hu Tieu is originally a Mekong Delta noodle soup. Unlike Pho, Hu Tieu noodles are smaller and a bit harder. Hu Tieu soup is extracted from pork bones and vegetables. An adapted version of Hu Tieu is “Hu Tieu Nam Vang” which has sliced pork, minced pork, shrimp, quail eggs, and delicious soup.
Some good Hu Tieu restaurants are listed here:
- Hu Tieu Nam Vang Thanh Dat
Address: 34 Co Bac, District 1
Price: 59,000 VND – 69,000 VND - Hu Tieu Nhan Quan
Address: A68 Nguyen Trai, District 1
Price: 85,000 VND – 120,000 VND
3. Com Tam
It is sometimes said that Saigon has no specialty. It is because Saigon is where people from all parts of the country come to seek jobs and a better living standard and over time, they also bring their local cuisine to this city. However, there is one dish that this city does better than anywhere else and it is Com Tam.
A typical Com Tam Saigon is a plate of steamed broken rice topped with grilled pork ribs, egg cake, sunny-side-up egg, and shredded pork skin with cucumber, tomato, and pickled carrots to balance the composition. To complete the taste, there is a small bowl of chili and garlic fish sauce served with the rice.
Here are some places you can get a good plate of Com Tam:
- Com Tam Bui Saigon
Address: 100 Thach Thi Thanh, District 1
Price: 45,000 VND – 65,000 VND - Com Tam Moc
Address: 85 Ly Tu Trong, District 1
Price: 45,000 VND – 74,000 VND
4. Banh Xeo
Banh Xeo is a kind of crispy pancake that is eaten by being wrapped in a sheet of rice paper with some green herbs and dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce. There are two versions of Banh Xeo: Banh Xeo in the South (Banh Xeo Nam Bo) is thinner, bigger, and less oily while Banh Xeo from the Central (Banh Xeo Mien Trung) is smaller, crispier and oilier.
Our recommendations for Banh Xeo:
- Banh Xeo Nga
Address: 251 Nguyen Thien Thuat, District 1
Price: 50,000 VND - Co Ba Vung Tau
Address: 40B Tran Cao Van, District 3
Price: 115,000 VND - Amitabha Restaurant (vegetarian Banh Xeo)
Address: 40 Nguyen Thai Hoc, District 1
Price: 65,000 VND
5. Bun Mam
This dish emphasizes the Southern cooking style with the use of fermented fish. A bowl of Bun Mam comprises shrimp, squid, grilled pork, and eggplant. This is going to be a real authentic cuisine experience in Saigon.
The best Bun Mam in Saigon could be found here:
- Bun Mam 144
Address: 144 Khanh Hoi, District 1
Price: 75,000 VND – 85,000 VND - Bun Mam Mien Tay
Address: 124 Tran Khat Chan, District 1
Price: 45,000 VND
6. Bun Dau Mam Tom
This is kind of an extreme food experience for a lot of people. Bun Dau Mam Tom comes in a small tray of boiled pork, deep-fried cubed tofu, fried “Nem” (Nem Ran or pork cake), and other toppings of your choice. The star of the dish is the dipping sauce Mam Tom – which is a fermented shrimp sauce. The smell of it is quite strong, but after you mix it with kumquat juice, a bit of sugar, and fresh chili, it will bring out the best taste of all the ingredients.
It is important to try this dish at highly hygienic restaurants, so here they are:
- Bun Dau Homemade
Address: 01 Nguyen Van Trang, District 1
Price: 99,000 VND - Bun Dau A Chanh
Address: 200 Cong Quynh St, District 1
Price: 59,000 VND
7. Goi Cuon
Goi Cuon (fresh spring rolls) is a tasty and healthy snack. Each roll features vegetables, a few rice noodles to guarantee the carb intake, and a slice of pork and shrimp. Just that simple but when you combine with the soybean paste and broken peanut sauce, it is going to make the most refreshing snacks.
Goi Cuon is often sold by the small vendor ladies. Some favorite Goi Cuon places favored by the locals here:
- Banh Cuon Hong Hanh
Address: 17A Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 1
Price: 7,000 VND/roll - Quan Chay Chi Cu (vegetarian Goi Cuon)
Address: 07 Tran Dinh Xu, District 1
Price: 5,000 VND/roll
8. Oc
Oc which means snails and is the most loved dish/snack (whatever you call it) in the local’s heart. And it is obvious that Saigon is Oc paradise. There is even a whole area in which every single house on every single street sells Oc. There are numerous types of Oc together with other kinds of seafood like shrimp, squid, and fish. Oc is a “hanging-out” food that people often opt for when they want to drink a couple of beers at night time. Order 1 – 2 dishes at a time as the food comes in big portions. And do not forget to grab some beers.
Some popular places to go for Oc are below:
- Oc Dao
Address: C79 Nguyen Trai, District 1
Price: 35,000 VND – 65,000 VND - Oc Khanh
Address: 25 Nguyen Binh Kiem, District 1
Price: 35,000 VND – 65,000 VND
9. Bo Kho
Bo Kho is a traditional party dish in Vietnam, but people will always have a way to bring it into their daily meals. This is a version of beef stew in the Vietnamese way: beef is stewed in a pasty soup seasoned with spices and coconut milk. Bo Kho is often eaten with Banh Mi (baguette), rice noodles, or egg noodles. The shiny and tasty soup together with tender beef cubes will definitely win your heart.
Follow these recommendations for you Bo Kho tries:
- Bo Kho Co Mai
Address: 25 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 1
Price: 59,000 VND – 69,000 VND - Bo Kho Di Ut An Do
Address: 194/5 Vo Van Tan, District 3
Price: 45,000 VND – 50,000 VND
10. Streetfood
Last but not least, street foods in Saigon are varied; they are more like snacks that students and officials love to eat together during their break. That is Banh Trang Tron (a game-changing snack) which is a bag of rice paper strips, shredded green mango and herbs, dried beef and shrimp, and quail eggs. It may sound like a strange combination but trust us; it could be your next favorite street food ever.
Other examples of street food are “Do Chien” and “Coc Oi Mia Ghim”. The former ones are basically deep-fried meat and fish balls, while the latter are mobile carts selling multiple types of fruits shaken with sweet and spicy salt.
To close this section, we would like to inform you about the street calls which you will hear a lot when you are here. We would call it the all-in-one cart as in these little mobile three-wheel bikes, and you can find grilled dried squids, grilled corn and sweet potatoes, stir-fried corn with butter, boiled baluts, and so on. You would find it annoying at first when the calls go through the night then become missing them when you leave.
📩 Got a question? Feel free to let us know by sending us a text on WhatsApp: +84868974028 or connect with us on our Facebook Page . We will absolutely offer you a free consultation, the best quotes, and promotions!
