# Vietnam Travel Advices

Vietnamese cuisines in Saigon that make tourists’ experience unforgettable

When it comes to places with a rich culinary map in our country, perhaps Saigon is not only first but also second. Because this city gathers almost all delicious dishes, sold in many forms, from markets to small alleys. Let's discover Vietnamese cuisine in Saigon and you will be surprised and love this place when you arrive.

The top 6 must-try delicious Vietnamese cuisines in Saigon:

Pho (Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup)

Pho is one of the traditional dishes in Vietnam that is extremely popular in the international community. This is a dish that is easy to find anywhere in Saigon’s restaurants. The main ingredients of Pho include noodle soup, broth, and beef. Pho is made from rice flour, then thinly coated and cut into fibers, while the broth is stewed from beef bones with spices such as cinnamon, star anise, pepper, and fish sauce for many hours to make the broth taste sweet from the bones. Previously, Pho was a dish only sold in the morning, but now pho is a dish that is sold all day because it is easy to eat, delicious, and a favorite dish of Saigon people.

To enjoy a delicious and round bowl of Pho, season with coriander, black sauce, and chili sauce, and squeeze a little lemon before enjoying to make the bowl of pho more fragrant and attractive.

Address: 260C Pasteur, Ward 8, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Pho Hoa Pasteur

Banh Mi (Vietnamese Bread)

Banh Mi is not a luxurious or sophisticated dish, but Banh Mi has reached the top 24 of the world’s best sandwiches, as voted by CNN. CNN has praised Banh Mi as a delicious and attractive street food. Banh Mi has even been included in the Oxford dictionary as a noun about the specialty of Viet Nam.

Banh Mi is made from wheat flour and then baked with a crispy golden outer layer, but the inner layer of bread is spongy and soft. The bread filling includes spring rolls, roast pork, ham, pate, eggs, sausages, cotton balls, and meat served with cilantro and pickles to create a perfect combination. Bread is everywhere, cheaply, hunger relief is quick, and bread is increasingly popular around the world with many different variations and creations. This is a dish you should try when traveling to Saigon; banh mi will not disappoint you, and you will even be addicted to this dish after the first taste!

Address: 26 Le Thi Rieng, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Banh Mi Huynh Hoa

Com Tam (Broken Rice)

Com Tam originated in the Mekong Delta and was a dish of poor farmers in the past. Com Tam is made from small broken rice grains. The reason is that the rice is not in season and farmers cannot sell good rice to earn money, so they use broken rice to eat. After the country’s economy developed and urbanization took place, Com Tam became more popular throughout the southern provinces, especially Saigon. This dish has been adapted to the tastes of the people and is served on a plate.

Com Tam becomes a dish that can be eaten in the morning, lunch, or afternoon and becomes a symbolic dish for the people of Saigon. The basic ingredients in a plate of broken rice include broken rice, grilled ribs, pork skin, and steamed eggs with a little onion fat. A perfect plate of broken rice will be served with spicy chili fish sauce to create a unique and unforgettable taste.

Address: 100 Nguyen Van Nghi, Ward 5, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City
Location on map: Com Tam Tai

Bun Bo Hue (Hue-Style Beef Noodle)

Although originating from Hue, Bun Bo Hue is a popular dish in Saigon because of its deliciousness and attractiveness. The things that make a delicious bowl of Bun Bo Hue include:
Noodles are made from rice flour mixed with tapioca starch to make them tough.
Beef in Bun Bo Hue is usually made from shank, beef brisket, or beef tendons. Beef is simmered in a pot of broth for many hours.
The broth is the soul of Hue-Style Beef Noodle Soup. The characteristic of the broth is fish sauce stewed with beef bones and lots of lemongrass to enhance the aroma. Hue beef noodle soup is always picked up regularly so as not to get fishy.
Serve with Bun Bo Hue, indispensable herbs, bean sprouts, bananas, spicy satay chili, and pure fish sauce. This is an irresistible dish that cannot be denied.

Address: 274/29 Vo Van Tan, Ward 5, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Location on map: Bun Bo Hue Mo Noi Co Nhu

Night Snail Dishes (Oc Dem)

No one knows when snails were introduced to Saigon, but snails are an indispensable snack after every hour of work and every time you gather with friends and colleagues. The snail shops in Saigon are extremely numerous and usually open from the afternoon until late at night. Snails are not only a snack but have become a culture in the hearts of Saigonians.

Night snail dishes in Saigon are extremely diverse, with thousands of types of snails processed in many different styles. Some snail dishes that you can order when coming to the shop can be mentioned as follows:

Spotted babylon snails with salted egg
Blood clam with tamarind sauce
Sea snail in coconut milk
Stir-fried razor clam with water spinach
Grilled oysters with cheese

And there are countless other delicious snail dishes waiting for you to enjoy. If you don’t know what to eat today, stop by a snail shop and enjoy it right away!

Address: 534 Vinh Khanh, Ward 8, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Oc Oanh

Rice Paper (Banh Trang)

When it comes to snacks, rice paper is Saigoneese’s favorite. Although rice paper is a simple dish made from pureed rice, it is combined with some other ingredients to create a snack that everyone, from adults to children, loves. Two types of rice paper are popular in Saigon:

Mixed Rice Paper (Banh Trang Tron): The main ingredient is dew-dried rice paper, originating from Trang Bang and Tay Ninh. The seller chopped rice paper and mixed it with ingredients of dried beef, dried shrimp, quail eggs, mango, laksa leaves, satay, shrimp salt, and a little kumquat. If customers want to eat something sour, they can add more kumquats and tamarind sauce.

Address: 10 Alley, 78 Ho Thi Ky, Ward 1, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Banh Trang Nhat Quynh

Grilled Rice Paper (Banh Trang Nuong): this is a dish likened to Vietnamese street pizza. Grilled rice paper has a medium-thin plate and is widely sold in student markets or school gates. Cakes are diverse, with many different ingredients such as sausages,dried shrimp, beef jerky, combined with chili sauce and mayonnaise sauce.

Address: 23/49 Le Van Duyet, Ward 3, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Banh Trang Nuong C002

Visitors enjoy the simple morning of Saigon

Drinking coffee and having breakfast has long been an indispensable habit for Saigon people; what could be more wonderful than early in the morning enjoying a cup of coffee along the road and eating a delicious dish? delicious before going to work or school. Popular dishes and drinks that are loved by Saigon people are grilled pork vermicelli, sidewalk coffee and steam rice roll. Experience a day of being a true local; it will be an unforgettable experience, and you will gain a better understanding of Vietnamese culture and people.

Eating Grilled Pork Vermicelli and Sidewalk Coffee in a simple morning in Saigon

Grilled pork vermicelli is often chosen by Saigonians to eat in the morning because it is both delicious and full of nutrients for a long day. Grilled pork vermicelli is made from fatty meat interspersed with onions, garlic, and fish sauce. After the meat is cooked, the dish will be finished with a layer of vegetables on top, a few spring rolls, and a chili garlic fish sauce. Having breakfast with grilled pork vermicelli and then sipping a cup of coffee at Sidewalk Coffee is the perfect combo for a simple morning in Saigon.

Address of Grilled Pork Vermicelli: 1 Nguyen Trung Truc, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Bun Thit Nuong-Nguyen Trung Truc

Address of Sidewalk Coffee: 1 Cong Xa Paris, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Ca Phe Bet

Start a new day with Steamed Rice Roll (Banh Cuon Nong)

Steam Rice Roll is considered to have originated in the North, but there are many changes to suit the taste of the Southern people. where the biggest difference is the sweeter sauce. In addition, the types of fillings served with Saigon rolls often include rice, chopped herb salad, spring rolls, shrimp cakes, or spring rolls. This is such a delicious breakfast must-try when you visit Saigon.

Address: 179 3/2 Street, Ward 11, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Banh Cuon Thien Huong

AN Tours Vietnam suggests some delicious places to eat in Saigon:

Com Nieu Sai Gon Restaurant: serving Vietnamese dishes such as braised fish, braised fish sauce, sour soup, etc

Address: 59 Ho Xuan Huong,Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Com Nieu Sai Gon

Bot Chien Dat Thanh: Vietnamese Fried Rice Flour Cake is a popular after-school snack for young students in southern regions of Vietnam.

Address: 277 Vo Van Tan, Ward 5, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Bot Chien Dat Thanh

Lien Hua Noodle & Bao: this restaurant served Nam Vang Clear Rice Noodle Soup for many years with tasty flavor.

Address: 381 Vo Van Tan, Ward 5, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Lien Hua Noodle & Bao

Xoi Che Bui Thi Xuan: Bui Thi Xuan sticky rice shop has been operating for 35 years, and Saigon people associate it with childhood memories of delicious sticky rice dishes. Sticky rice with many meals and flavors; sweet sticky rice with coconut milk; salty sticky rice with a variety of foods.

Address: 111 Bui Thi Xuan, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Xoi Che Bui Thi Xuan

Nuoc Mia Phu Nhuan: This has been a traditional sugarcane juice shop of the Saigon people for generations. A glass of sugarcane juice is not too big; both water and ice are only about 5.6 sips, which is enough to cool down the throat. Clean the peeled sugarcane, clamp it in the middle of a kumquat, and put it into a juicer to get water.

Address: 123 Phan Dinh Phung, Ward 17, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City

Location on map: Nuoc Mia Phu Nhuan