The city of Ho Chi Minh offers an array of food to its locals and tourists. They use fresh, simple ingredients to create complex flavours. A food trip to the city of Saigon ( as many people refer to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam) can turn into one of the most memorable ones if you know what to have and where to have it. Here are some of the most popular Vietnamese food that must try:
Banh Mi
A Vietnamese speciality, Banh Mi translates to bread. The term can be used to refer to any type of Vietnamese sandwich. Walking around Ho Chi Minh, you will see many carts selling Banh Mi, it’s an extremely popular dish here . There are so many varieties of Banh Mi that you will find a different one at every cart. The basic sandwich is a crusty baguette that’s sliced in half and stuffed with all kinds of meat, from pork, shredded cured pork skin, mayonnaise, Vietnamese radish and carrot pickles, a handful of sliced cucumbers and an optional fresh pounded chillies. It’s because this sandwich has so many ingredients, that makes it a glorious sandwich!
Banh Mi
A Vietnamese speciality, Banh Mi translates to bread. The term can be used to refer to any type of Vietnamese sandwich. Walking around Ho Chi Minh, you will see many carts selling Banh Mi, it’s an extremely popular dish here . There are so many varieties of Banh Mi that you will find a different one at every cart. The basic sandwich is a crusty baguette that’s sliced in half and stuffed with all kinds of meat, from pork, shredded cured pork skin, mayonnaise, Vietnamese radish and carrot pickles, a handful of sliced cucumbers and an optional fresh pounded chillies. It’s because this sandwich has so many ingredients, that makes it a glorious sandwich!
Where can you get it
At any street food stall and popular restaurants like My Banh Mi, 57 Nguyễn Du, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh
Rice paper rolls
These are very popular and a dish that many tourists associate Vietnam with. These are very common throughout Ho Chin Minh. Mostly they are prepared in front of you with a seafood or pork option. Dipping sauces include a peanut sauce containing hoisin sauce, and nuoc mam pha, which is a mixed fish sauce.
Where can you get it
At any street food stall and popular restaurants like My Banh Mi, 57 Nguyễn Du, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh
Rice paper rolls
These are very popular and a dish that many tourists associate Vietnam with. These are very common throughout Ho Chin Minh. Mostly they are prepared in front of you with a seafood or pork option. Dipping sauces include a peanut sauce containing hoisin sauce, and nuoc mam pha, which is a mixed fish sauce.
Where can you get it
At any street food stall and restaurants like Wrap and Roll
Pho
This noodle soup is pretty famous and chances are you might have heard about it or had it before. It is one of the most commons dishes in the country. Pho is a soup broth, prepared with either bo (beef) or ga (chicken). The noodles are flash boiled until soft, topped with your choice of meat and sprinkled with sweet onions and green onions.
Where can you get it
At any street food stall and restaurants like Wrap and Roll
Pho
This noodle soup is pretty famous and chances are you might have heard about it or had it before. It is one of the most commons dishes in the country. Pho is a soup broth, prepared with either bo (beef) or ga (chicken). The noodles are flash boiled until soft, topped with your choice of meat and sprinkled with sweet onions and green onions.
Where can you get it
At most street stalls, but the best one is Pho 2000 where even Bill Clinton tried Pho!
Bun mam
Bun mam is a favorite noodle dish even though it has a very pungent smell. You can find this soup at most food stalls and sit down restaurants as well. The base of this soup is a dark coloured broth prepared with fermented fish sauce. The sauce gives it a well balanced rounded flavour. Along with that, some rice noodles are loaded into the bottom of the bowl, and then the meats like prawns, squid are poured on top of the noodles and soup. You will also find a slice or two of eggplant, which is another essential accompaniment of the Vietnamese Ban mam.
Where can you get it
At most street stalls, but the best one is Pho 2000 where even Bill Clinton tried Pho!
Bun mam
Bun mam is a favorite noodle dish even though it has a very pungent smell. You can find this soup at most food stalls and sit down restaurants as well. The base of this soup is a dark coloured broth prepared with fermented fish sauce. The sauce gives it a well balanced rounded flavour. Along with that, some rice noodles are loaded into the bottom of the bowl, and then the meats like prawns, squid are poured on top of the noodles and soup. You will also find a slice or two of eggplant, which is another essential accompaniment of the Vietnamese Ban mam.
Where can you get it
At most street stalls, you can also get it at Quan Bun Mam, Phan Bội Châu, Bến Thành, 1, Hồ Chí Minh
Banh canh cua
This directly translates to soup cake. Banh canh is very similar to Japanese udon noodles except that they are more sticky and chewier than udon, they are also thicker. Instead of being a typical soup, Banh canh is a heartier soup, where the gravy is pretty thick. The gravy has a mellow crab flavour but the soup has nuggets of crab meat that come in a bowl with toppings like chillies and limes.
Where can you get it
At most street stalls, you can also get it at Quan Bun Mam, Phan Bội Châu, Bến Thành, 1, Hồ Chí Minh
Banh canh cua
This directly translates to soup cake. Banh canh is very similar to Japanese udon noodles except that they are more sticky and chewier than udon, they are also thicker. Instead of being a typical soup, Banh canh is a heartier soup, where the gravy is pretty thick. The gravy has a mellow crab flavour but the soup has nuggets of crab meat that come in a bowl with toppings like chillies and limes.
Where can you get it
At most street stalls, you can also get it at Quan Banh Canh Cua at Tân Định Quận 1 Vietnam, 87 Trần Khắc Chân, Tân Định, Hồ Chí Minh.
Banh xeo
It is a type of a crepe, like a The oyster omelet. Its a thick savoury snack for many across Vietnam. A thin layer of batter is fried and then sprinkled with the meat of your choice, often including slices of pork belly, shrimp, and onions, then folded over with a bean sprouts in the middle.They are almost like dosas, but full of meat!
Where can you get it
At most street stalls, you can also get it at Quan Banh Canh Cua at Tân Định Quận 1 Vietnam, 87 Trần Khắc Chân, Tân Định, Hồ Chí Minh.
Banh xeo
It is a type of a crepe, like a The oyster omelet. Its a thick savoury snack for many across Vietnam. A thin layer of batter is fried and then sprinkled with the meat of your choice, often including slices of pork belly, shrimp, and onions, then folded over with a bean sprouts in the middle.They are almost like dosas, but full of meat!
Where can you get it
You can try this at Bánh xèo Đinh Công Tráng
Bot chien
This is basically fried rice cakes. The rice cakes are made from rice flour and tapioca starch. The cakes are sliced into bite sized pieces, then fried,in lots of lard, along with some light seasonings, until crispy. Then the rice cakes are topped with an egg and green onions before being served. These are basically bite sized nuggets of crispy rice flour and has a nice smoky flavour. It’s pretty tasty!
Where can you get it
You can try this at Bánh xèo Đinh Công Tráng
Bot chien
This is basically fried rice cakes. The rice cakes are made from rice flour and tapioca starch. The cakes are sliced into bite sized pieces, then fried,in lots of lard, along with some light seasonings, until crispy. Then the rice cakes are topped with an egg and green onions before being served. These are basically bite sized nuggets of crispy rice flour and has a nice smoky flavour. It’s pretty tasty!
Where can you get this
Try this at Bot Chien Dat Thanh
So, here were some of the amazing exotic delicacies of Vietnam. If you want to read about more such interesting food guides, click here.
Where can you get this
Try this at Bot Chien Dat Thanh
So, here were some of the amazing exotic delicacies of Vietnam. If you want to read about more such interesting food guides, click here.
