Saigon’s Best Street Food Is Around Every Corner
There are countless restaurants to wine and dine your way through in Ho Chi Minh City, but the heart of Saigon lies in the tiniest alleyways on top of miniature plastic tables and chairs. Understanding a country’s culture is in its cuisine and Vietnam’s can be found in the food stalls that cover every district, neighbourhood and laneway across the country.
Street food in Ho Chi Minh City is not only an easy and inexpensive way to quickly satisfy your cravings, but it’s also a doorway into a whole new world of Saigon’s deliciousness. So, where do you even start? What foods should you try in Ho Chi Minh City? Because I want the best of the best, I want the most delicious street food Saigon has to offer!
Without further adieu here are my top Vietnamese street foods to eat while visiting Ho Chi Minh City! And of course how to eat them!
1. Bún Mắm: Fermented Fish Soup
Brace yourself. Here we have a noodle soup with a fermented fish broth, seafood, pork belly, eggplant and fish cake. I know … fermented fish broth, pffft pass … but its sweet tangy base mixed with thick rice noodles and chunks of delicious meat has never disappointed my taste buds.
→ How To Eat: Squeeze in some lime, add some chilies, toss in some leaves and slurp away!
→ Where To Eat: Bún Mắm Phan Xích Long, 11 Hoa Sứ, Phú Nhuận District, Hồ Chí Minh City
2. Bánh Xèo: Vietnamese Stuffed Crepe
Vietnamese cuisine is always a game changer, take for example this huge sizzling crepe made from rice flour and coconut milk. Not your typical Sunday crepe, it’s then stuffed with bean sprouts, taro, carrots, cooked shrimp and thin slices of cooked pork. More than a divine combination this will make your mouth explode.
→ How To Eat: Cut off some of the stuffed crepe and bean sprouts, place it in one of the large pieces of lettuce, add some small leaves on top, wrap and roll it, dunk it in the fish sauce and voila! Magic!
→ Where To Eat: Banh Xeo 46A, 46A Dinh Cong Trang, Tan Dinh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
3. Bánh Canh Cua: Crab Soup
These thick, hearty, dreamy tapioca noodles are topped with a handful of crab meat, sliced pork, quail eggs, shrimp, and crab cake. A dash of green onions and black pepper top off this drool worthy dish. Yum!
→ How To Eat: Add some lime and chili, through in a couple Chinese donuts, stir, slurp and eat!
→ Where To Eat: Bánh Canh Cua 87, 87 Trần Khắc Chân, Tân Định, District 1
4. Bún Chả Ha Noi: Grilled Pork & Noodles
Originally from Hanoi, bun cha was taken by the street food gods down the coast to Saigon. Spiced pork patties and thin slices of pork belly (grilled until crispy) are served in a delightful bowl of fish sauce, sliced young papaya, carrot and garlic. Plain rice noodles and a huge basket of fresh herbs accompany one of the best meals you can get for under $2.00.
→ How To Eat: I personally rip up the greens and dump them and the noodles into the large bowl filled with pork and fish sauce! Don’t forget to order spring rolls to throw into the mix!
→ Where To Eat: Hải Hội Quán – Bún Chả Hà Nội & Nem Rán, 51 Xuân Thủy, Thảo Điền, District 2
5. Bún Riêu: Crab, Pork & Tomato Noodle Soup
This noodle based soup is taken to taste bud heaven using the deliciousness of crab (crab bricks, crab body, crab everything) and the bitterness of tomatoes. Bun Riêu is a tasty mixture of sweet copper crab meat, sour tangy broth and tangled vermicelli noodles, all topped with a congealed pig’s blood cube. Yes, this special ingredient complements the dish perfectly, and is basically like eating maroon jell-o!
→ How To Eat: Often served with chopped lettuce and spinach stalks, you just throw some of those in there and add some chili as per your liking!
→ Where To Eat: 163 Lê Thánh Tôn, Phường Bến Thành, District 1
6. Bánh Tráng Nướng: Vietnamese Pizza
If you love pizza as much as I do then you’ll need to cross Vietnamese pizza off your list. Starting off as a sheet of rice paper, it’s slathered in butter and grilled on a coal brazier. Minced pork, shredded pork floss, dried baby shrimp, and chopped spring onions are sprinkled on generously. Quail egg yolk and a squirt of chili sauce help to bind everything together.
→ How To Eat: Bite in or fold it into a taco and enjoy!
→ Where To Eat: Bánh Tráng Nướng C002 – Chi nhánh 1, 23/49 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, phường 3, Bình Thạnh
7. Bánh Mì: Vietnamese Sandwich
Nothing can beat the best go-to meal and most popular street food in this city! A fusion of roasted pork, rice pate, homemade butter, chillies, pickled carrots and coriander are wrapped inside a crispy French baguette. Some soy sauce and chilies are added for that extra kick!
→ How to Eat: No explanation needed here!
→ Where to Eat: Lò Bánh Mỳ Xuân Thu/ Bon Banh Mi, 27 Quốc Hương, Thảo Điền, District 2 OR a larger than life bánh mì with all the fillings Bánh mì Huỳnh Hoa, 26 Lê Thị Riêng, P, District 1
8. Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang: Nam Vang Noodles
If you are feeling daring, be sure to try out this mixture of: dried shrimp, liver, green onion, intestines, minced meat, Nam Vang noodles and pork heart! All folded together in a sweet and savoury soup how can you pass on this dish?
→ How to Eat: Pour the soup over the noodles and season to your liking!
→ Where to Eat: Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang Thành Đạt, 34 Cô Bắc, Phường Cầu Ông Lãnh, District 1
9. Phở: Beef Noodle Soup
Vietnam’s claim to culinary fame boils down to a rich, fragrant broth made from simmering beef, subsequently spiced with anise, cinnamon, onions and ginger. It’s a must and if you don’t know, now you phở!
→ How to Eat: Pick the leaves off some fresh herbs and chuck them into your soup, I like to add hoisin sauce and chili to liven it up!
→ Where to Eat: Phở Hùng, 243 Đ. Nguyễn Trãi, Phường Nguyễn Cư Trinh, District 1
10. Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm: Fermented Shrimp Paste
Three main ingredients come together to make up one of my favourite dishes in Vietnam. Vermicelli noodles, golden fried tofu and the star of the show fermented shrimp paste. Although this may be the smelliest food in Vietnam, you need to leave room in your foody bucket list to try it out!
→ How to Eat: Add a spoonful or two of sugar, lime juice and chili to the purple sauce. Mix until frothy. Dip your noodles, tofu, pork and herbs into the sauce and nibble away!
→ Where to Eat: Bún đậu Cầu Gỗ, 444 Phan Xích Long, Phường 2, Phú Nhuận District
11. Cơm Tấm: Broken Rice & Pork
Some of my best moments in Saigon have been sitting roadside with a good plate of cơm tấm. A pure gastronomic pleasure this dish consists of barbecued pork on broken rice, which you can top it off with a fried egg and other yummy options. One of the most accessible and delicious dishes in Ho Chi Minh City it is a must try!
→ How to Eat: Add some chili to your fish sauce and sprinkle over top of your cơm tấm! Enjoy!
→ Where to Eat: Cơm Tấm Ba Ghiền, 4 Đặng Văn Ngữ, Phường 10, Phú Nhuận District
There are so many more options out there than just this list of 10 street foods! To be honest narrowing it down was nearly impossible. So stop wasting time and get out on the streets of Saigon and eat it all! Or if there’s anything you would add to this list of best Saigon street food let me know below!
If you have any questions or just want to see some more travel content find me on Instagram at @agirl.enroute! I’m always happy to chat!
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After living in Vietnam for over 4 years, a piece of my heart will always be left in Ho Chi Minh City! Vietnam should be a top destination for all travelers! White sand beaches, limestone mountains, terraced rice fields and incredible street food make Vietnam a bucket-list destination! From foodies to beach hoppers, arts & culture buffs to adventure seekers, Vietnam has something for everyone! Checkout more of my Vietnam blogposts below!
For My Ultimate 2 Week Vietnam Itinerary and Everything You Need to Know for 14 Days in Vietnam Click HERE!
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