1. Overview
Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is not only famous for its magnificent centers but also for its extremely diverse and long-standing cuisine. Ho Chi Minh City cuisine is the convergence of East-West and ancient-modern multiculturalism. Saigon is a paradise for food enthusiasts. The vibrant streets here are lined with food stalls and vendors offering a variety of delicious street food. Whether you’re a fan of noodles, rice, or delicious snacks, Ho Chi Minh City’s street food can satisfy every taste.
There is no need to go to luxury restaurants; you can still enjoy great, delicious food without spending much, all over the streets of Saigon. Ho Chi Minh City has many local dishes from the North, Central, and South of Vietnam for you to enjoy and immerse yourself in the local culinary experience. Thanks to that, the cuisine here increasingly attracts domestic and foreign tourists to visit and enjoy.
2. Discover The Top 15 Best Street Foods In Ho Chi Minh City
2.1. Broken rice (Com Tam)
Broken rice is a must-try street food when coming to Ho Chi Minh City. The special thing about broken rice is that the rice used to cook is broken rice, broken rice grains, and on top are juicy grilled pork ribs, crispy fried eggs, and fish sauce served with it. Delicious pork is served with rice and pickled vegetables, creating an attractive blend of flavors in each bite. Com Tam is one of the most popular breakfast dishes among Saigon people. However, today, broken rice is a familiar dish for all three breakfasts, lunches, and dinners of Saigon people.
- Suggestions for some delicious Com Tam restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City:
– Phuc Loc Tho broken rice: 223 Nguyen Thi Thap Street, Tan Phu ward, district 7, Ho Chi Minh City
– Ba Ghien broken rice: 84 Dang Van Ngu Street, Phu Nhuan district, Ho Chi Minh City
– Saigon Dust Broken Rice: 100 Thach Thi Thanh Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
– Ancient broken rice: 384 Ly Thai To Street, Ward 10, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City.
- Reference price: from 1.62 USD – 4.06 USD/plate.
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2.2. Pha Lau
Pha Lau is a Saigon street food that attracts a large number of diners and is enjoyed often. Pha lau is made from the tongue, ears, intestines, and stomachs of pigs, ducks, and cows with coconut milk. When eating pha lau, you can eat it with bread or instant noodles to enjoy the unique flavor that only Saigon has. You can find pha lau dishes in every small alley throughout the streets of Saigon. This is a popular street food that attracts tourists from near and far when visiting this young and dynamic city.
- Suggested Address of Pha Lau Ngon Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City:
– Co Thao Bo Lau Lau: 243/29G Ton Dan Street, Ward 15, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Co Tram’s beef stew: 208 Cay Tram Street, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Pha Lau Aunt Phuong: 195 Ba Hat Street, Ward 9, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City.
- Reference price: About 0.49 USD – 12.17 USD/piece.
2.3. Banh Canh Sai Gon
Banh Canh is a dish made from rice flour. Like other dishes, banh canh is also processed and cooked in many diverse ways. Banh Canh usually has long, chewy fibers with a sweet, rich broth from the cook. There are many types of banh canh: banh canh cua, banh canh gio heo, banh canh ca, etc., for you to choose from and enjoy. This dish is considered the top street food in Ho Chi Minh City that you should try.
- Suggestions Some famous places selling banh noodle soup in Saigon:
– Le Quang Dinh Banh Canh: Alley 169 Le Quang Dinh Street, Ward 7, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Ut Le Banh canh cua: 210 To Hien Thanh Street, Ward 15, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
– Minh Van Banh canh cha ca: 9 Tu Lap Street, Ward 4, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City
– Cau Bong Banh canh ghe: 2 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.
- Reference price: from 2.23 USD/bowl.
2.4. Goi cuon
Goi cuon is found everywhere throughout the streets of Saigon. With just a thin slice of rice paper as the outer layer, inside rolled a few fresh red peeled boiled shrimp, lean pork, vermicelli, herbs, a few raw chives, and a cup of soy sauce for dipping sauce, goi cuon have become a popular snack, many people like it. The essence of goi cuon lies in the bowl of dipping sauce. Each restaurant has its own secret to mixing dipping sauce for each type of roll with an unmistakable flavor.
- Some famous goi cuon restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City
– Goi cuon Tom Nhay: 424 Lac Long Quan Street, Ward 5, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Goi cuon Le Van Sy: 359/1/9A Le Van Sy, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
– Goi Cuon Ba Dzú: 26/26 Do Quang Dau Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Goi cuon Hanh: 420A Hoa Hao Street, Ward 5, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City.
- Reference price: from 0.2 USD/goi cuon.
2.5. Hu tieu
Hu tieu have a strange name and a very strange taste, and many people confuse hu tieu with pho, but hu tieu and pho are two different dishes. Saigon hu tieu soup has its own characteristics that create a very Southern style. Soft hu tieu combined with carefully prepared broth and some delicious special spices create a specialty dish with the rich spicy flavor of the Southern people and diverse toppings such as pork bones, sausage, minced meat, shrimp, quail eggs, beef balls, pork intestines, pork rinds, etc. In Saigon, there are many different flavors of noodles, such as hu tieu muc, hu tieu Nam Vang, hu tieu ca, hu tieu go, etc.
- Some delicious noodle shops in Saigon you can refer to:
– Hu tieu muc Old Cali: 712 An Duong Vuong Street, Ward 13, District 6, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Hu tieu Thanh Dat: 494 Ngo Gia Tu Street, Ward 4, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
– Hu tieu ca Saigon Nam Loi: 43 Ton That Dam Street, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1, City. Ho Chi Minh
– Aunt Nam – authentic Sa Dec Saigon noodle shop: 166 Bui Thi Xuan, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Reference price from 1.83 USD – 2.43 USD/bowl.
2.6. Crab soup
Crab soup is one of the popular breakfast dishes that many people love in Saigon. A hot bowl of soup with a variety of ingredients: crab meat, shredded chicken, mushrooms, corn, quail eggs, lots of cilantro, and a little pepper and chili to add a rich flavor. Sometimes pork brains or bach thao eggs will be added to make the soup bowl fuller and richer.
- Suggestions for some delicious crab soup restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City:
– Thiec Market Crab Soup: 166 Pho Co Dieu Street, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Hanh Crab Soup: 517 Su Van Hanh Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Crab Soup 176: 176 Dang Van Ngu Street, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Crab soup No. 86 Nguyen Du, Ben Nghe ward, district 1, Ho Chi Minh City (near Notre Dame Cathedral)
- Reference price: from 0.61 USD/bowl.
2.7. Fried dough
Fried dough is a popular dish in Saigon street food, often sold on street carts across the streets of Saigon. With a simple recipe, you only need fried dough, eggs, shredded papaya, and green onions, and you have a delicious plate of fried dough. This dish is often eaten with soy sauce, chili sauce, and soy sauce to add a rich flavor.
- Some famous fried dough places in Saigon:
– Lao Tu fried dough: 36 Lao Tzu Street, Ward 11, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
– Uncle Thoon fried dough cart: 102 Alley 100 Binh Thoi, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City
– An Dong fried dough: 012 Lot F, Ngo Gia Tu Apartment, Su Van Hanh, Ward 2, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
– Phung Khac Khoan Fried Dough: 63 Phung Khac Khoan, Da Kao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Reference price: from 1.22 USD/disc
2.8. Bo bia
This is a Saigon street food that is often confused with goi cuon. However, Bo Bia has a slightly more sophisticated way of processing. Originally a Chinese dish, over the years, Saigon’s Bo Bia has gradually changed, but it still consists of five main ingredients: lap xuong, dried shrimp, duck eggs, cu san, and a thin layer of rice paper dipped in specially made soy sauce.
- Address of Delicious Bo Bia Ngon restaurant in Saigon for reference:
– Bo Bia 1K: Lu Gia Residential Area, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City
– Bo Bia Crab Soup: 287 Le Quang Dinh, Ward 7, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City
– Bo bia Saigon at Tan Dinh Market: 129 Nguyen Huu Cau, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
– Bo Bia 2K Uncle Long: Han Hai Nguyen, Ward 16, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City
– Bo Bia Di Le: 123B Phan Dinh Phung, Ward 17, Phu Nhuan District, City. Ho Chi Minh
- Reference price: from 0.2 USD/bo bia.
2.9. Mixed rice paper
When talking about Saigon street food, it is impossible not to mention mixed rice paper. This dish originates from the South but has since spread throughout the country. Mixed rice paper has a diverse and rich flavor, combining sour, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors of spices and sauces. The main ingredient to make mixed rice paper is dry rice paper cut into bite-sized strips. After that, the rice paper is mixed with many different ingredients, depending on each person’s preference and taste. Some common ingredients are sliced green mango, boiled and peeled quail eggs, shredded dried beef, dried shrimp, pork floss, dried squid, dried chicken, juiced kumquat, and green onions and chopped coriander, crushed roasted peanuts, etc.
- Some places selling delicious mixed rice paper in Saigon:
– Uncle Vien Mixed Rice Paper: 38 Nguyen Thuong Hien Street, Ward 5, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Mixed Rice Paper Long: 34 Nguyen Thuong Hien Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Gia Dinh Mixed Rice Paper: No. 66 Phan Van Tri Street, Ward 12, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Ba Bac Mixed rice paper: 40 Street No. 11, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City.
- Reference price: from 0.81 USD/piece.
2.10. Banh mi
Banh mi is a familiar street food in Vietnam, and especially for Saigon people, banh mi has made many foreign tourists miss it. Crispy toasted crust, soft crumb; inside is a plump filling. Depending on regional flavors or personal preferences, there will be many different types of fillings, mainly grilled meat, shredded chicken, pork sausage, char siu, eggs, etc., along with some other additional ingredients such as pate, avocado, vegetables, pickles, sauce, etc. All combine together to create a flavor that only Saigon has: extremely delicious and attractive.
- Attractive banh mi shops in Ho Chi Minh City:
– Banh mi Huynh Hoa: 26 Le Thi Rieng Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
– Nguyen Trai Grilled Meatloaf: 37 Nguyen Trai Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Reference price: from 0.41 USD – 2.43 USD/ loaf of bread.
2.11. Snail dishes
Snails are a very popular street food with many different ways of preparation. The menu at Saigon snail restaurants is extremely diverse and rich in types of snails, such as oc huong, fat snails, oc buou, wool snails, oc giac, stuffed snails, nail snails, etc. Snail dishes are processed into many dishes, such as boiled snails, stir-fried snails with tamarind, stir-fried snails with lemongrass and chili, grilled snails, stir-fried snails with coconut, etc., for users to freely choose. Combined with the characteristic sweet dipping sauce, spicy chili, and salted figs, it creates a dish with the typical Saigon style. You can easily find and enjoy snail dishes all over the streets of Saigon.
- Some delicious snails in Saigon for reference:
– Oc Loan: Alley 166 Ly Thai To Street, Ward 1, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
– Na Va Night Snail: 27 Thanh Da Street, Ward 27, Binh Thanh, Ho Chi Minh City
– Oc Linh: 111/1A Street 8, Ward 11, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City
– Oc Vu: 37 Vinh Khanh Street, Ward 8, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City
– Oc 2A: 337 Nguyen Van Luong Street, Ward 12, District 6, Ho Chi Minh City
2.12. Sweet soup (che)
No other land brings together as many sweet soup dishes as Ho Chi Minh City. With the characteristics of this mixed residential area, Saigon tea is extremely rich in flavor, color, “genre,” etc. Hue sweet soup, Thai sweet soup, longan sweet soup, 7-color sweet soup, durian sweet soup, etc. are extremely fragrant and also have a variety of dishes.
- Some places to eat sweet soup can be referred to
– Y Phuong Thai sweet soup : 380 – 382 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, Ward 4, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
– Sweet soup My: 591 Nguyen Thi Thap Street, Tan Phong Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City
– Chicken egg sweet soup: 85 Co Giang Street, Co Giang Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
– Khanh Vy sweet soup: 32 Su Van Hanh street, ward 2, district 10, Ho Chi Minh City
- Reference price: from 0.41 USD – 2.43 USD/piece.
2.13. Bun mam
Originating in the western provinces and then being spread and introduced to Saigon, bun mam became a dish that people who were far away from home ate to avoid missing their homeland, and later also became a dish that tourists also loved tasting when coming to Vietnam. The taste of the broth used in vermicelli fish sauce is very different because of its rich aroma. Served with the vermicelli are some toppings such as crispy roasted pork, shrimp, squid, and countless typical Western vegetables such as bitter herbs, water lily stems, bong dien dien, and even balut.
- Some Addresses for Delicious Bun Mam Ngon in Saigon:
– Bun Mam Co Cuc: 174 Nguyen Thien Thuat, Ward 1, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
– Bun Mam Mai: N44 Hoang Dieu, Ward 6, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City
– Bun mam Co Ba: 451 Phan Huy Ich, Ward 14, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City
- Reference price: from 2.23 USD – 3.04 USD/bowl.
2.14. Fried fish ball
One of the most familiar street foods in Saigon is fried fish balls. This snack is very popular and is sold throughout the streets of Saigon. Almost in any corner, alley, or downtown area, you will easily see carts selling fried fish balls. Nowadays, fried fish balls are very diverse and attractive, usually strung into 4-5 pieces on a skewer and fried in a hot oil pan. When eaten, it is often served with cucumber and chili sauce, creating a very delicious feeling. Reference price: 0.2 USD/skewer.
2.15. Coconut kumquat (Dua tac)
To cool down and cool your body amid the hot Saigon sun, order a delicious cup of dua tac right away. Dua tac is essentially coconut water but is added to sour kumquat juice to balance the flavor with pieces of coconut meat, pineapple slices, etc, like sugarcane juice, lemon tea, kumquat coconut water is also a familiar refreshing drink for Saigon people. Dua tac is present on many streets in Saigon, such as Pasteur Street, Hoang Van Thu Park, Cach Mang Thang 8 Street, Tao Dan Park,etc.
- Reference price from 0.24 USD – 0.81 USD/glass.
You can see our other travel guides about Ho Chi Minh City below:
Top 10 Best Saigon Nightlife Experiences
Ho Chi Minh City Tour – Full Experience For Travelers
Top 5 Best Ho Chi Minh Day Trips For Travelers
Or you can experience some of our attractive tours below:
Vietnam Discovery 11 days From Sai Gon To Hanoi
Modern Comfort Meets Tradition in Southern Vietnam 5 Days
Nam Cat Tien National Park Trekking & Adventure
3. Conclusion
Above are the top 15 best street foods in Ho Chi Minh City that Metta Voyage shares with you. We hope that each dish in Ho Chi Minh City will leave a unique mark and help make your trip to Saigon more memorable. Don’t forget to visit our blog to see many other exciting travel experiences.
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