Yes that’s right Saigon. Not Ho Chi Minh City. I don’t care what your map or guide book says. That name is for official documents to please Uncle Ho and his followers. For the New Yorkers out there, it’s the equivalent of calling the Triborough Bridge the RFK. It’s fetch. Someone tried to make it happen and it didn’t. Call it Saigon and you’ll look a little less like you just walked off a 20 hour flight.
When I first came to Saigon on a short trip several years ago I was not that impressed. It’s a sprawling place with no usable public transport, 8 lanes of motorbike traffic that seemingly never ends and only a handful of sights worth going out of your way for. It is still all those things, but after spending a week there earlier this year I realized there’s actually a lot to love too.
Saigon may not be the capital of Vietnam, but it is the center of the action. Think of it as New York to Hanoi’s DC. It’s lively and cosmopolitan with great cocktail bars, clubs and – most importantly – food. Some of the best things I ate in Vietnam were on these streets. And if you stay in District 1, pretty much everything is walkable too.
If you want to go beyond District 1 and eat in the “real Saigon” I highly recommend the motorbike tour by XO Tours. You get a driven all over city on the back of a motorbike by a friendly Vietnamese lady which gives you a chance to get a locals perspective on the city – food related and otherwise. It’s also just a really great time.
Below are few of my favorite spots in Saigon:
Bun Thit Nuong “BTN”
BTN is a local favorite snack because it’s a little bit of everything. You get grilled pork and spring rolls along with a bunch of herbs and peanuts over a cool bed of Vermicelli noodles. It’s the perfect combination of satisfying and refreshing on a steamy Saigon afternoon.
I grabbed this bowl from local recommendation Banh Canh Nguyen Trung Truc. It’s a simple stand that’s conveniently located on a side street in District 1. You’ll be fighting with locals for one of the few metal tables strewn across the sidewalk but that just adds to the experience. At 45 dong (<$2) a pop you have nothing to complain about.
Banh Xeo at Banh Xeo 46a
It looks like an omelette, but Banh Xeo is actually a rice crepe that contains no egg (great for my egg allergy!) The yellow color actually comes from turmeric powder. Banh Xeo is one of Vietnam’s most popular dishes and this is probably the most famous place to get your hands on one thanks to a visit from Anthony Bourdain on Parts Unknown. As a result you’ll find an english menu and a lot more tourists here than basically any other street spot in the city. The prices are also a little high by Vietnamese street food standards at 90k (almost $4) but you’ll realize they are pretty reasonable once your massive crepe stuffed full of both Shrimp AND Pork Belly arrives. It’s also complimented with a whole host of herbs and chili-fish dipping sauce so you have no reason to complain. Banh xeo can be found all over Vietnam, but none of them are like this one.
Ba La Lot Hoang Yen (Co Giang Street, District 1)
In my quest to find the best street food in every city, most of the vendors I visit are the result of meticulous research. This was not. I had arrived in Saigon late and hungry so I stumbled outside and found this street a few blocks away from my hostel. Most of the vendors were serving the same dish: Ba La Lot. As usual when I don’t know anything about what I’m eating I pulled up a plastic chair and sat in front of the busiest one.
I had no idea what this dish was other than it looked great on everyone’s table. It turns out Ba La Lot is a beef and pork sausage wrapped in betel leaf. At this shop it’s served with chilis, fish sauce, rice paper and a bunch of leafy greens and herbs for the incredible price of 25,000 dong (~$1). The owner must have seen the confused expression on my face when the platter arrived because she immediately demonstrated how to eat it. She began by taking a betel leaf and dipping it in water which she proceeded to rub on the rice paper to soften it up. Next she added the greenery and topped it with the ba la lot itself. She motioned to roll it up and dip it into the fish sauce. I obliged and took a bite. Absolutely delicious meaty, salty, spicy, bitter goodness. One of the best dollars ever spent.
“Seafood Street” (District 4)
If you’ve only been to Vietnamese restaurants back home you might not think seafood is a big thing here. Oh but it is. Look at a map. The country is basically a giant coastline. A lot of it is simply grilled which arguably is not worth traveling halfway around the world for. But there a few uniquely Vietnamese things I highly recommend you try.
The most famous area for seafood is Vinh Khanh aka “Seafood Street.” It’s located in District 4 which is just a short stroll or motorbike ride across the river from District 1. When you walk down the road you’ll see almost nothing but tables filled with people and sea creatures. This used to be known as the “Gangster area” but it seems to be more popular with teenagers and college students today. I have also been assured that while the Vietnamese mafia still pops in on occasion, it’s perfectly safe to eat here. I can happily report no one was whacked on either of my two visits.
Crab Claws Chili Lime Salt
Its not a complicated dish and yes you could make it back home. But there’s something about that combination of salt and heat with a lime squeezed on it that makes seafood taste fantastic. Plus crab is MUCH cheaper here than back home. So indulge yourself.
Grilled Scallops (sò điệp nướng mỡ hành)
Scallops here come on the shell which is a presentation you almost never see back home. The are also on the smaller side which at first glance led me to believe this these were some kind of clam or oyster. But throw some peanut and spring onion on there with a little chili sauce and you’ve got yourself one fantastic bite.
Snails
Snails are considered a delicacy in Vietnam and you’ll see them on nearly every table on Vinh Khanh. If you’re a little adventurous, they are a must try here. I had mine sauteed in garlic with spinach which was delightful.
Where to Eat?
If you do some googling on Vinh Khanh you’ll see the restaurant Oc Oanh prominently featured. I didn’t try it because most of locals I spoke to said it was overpriced and overrated. It was also filled with wayyy too many tourists for my liking. Instead I ducked into the popular and more locally patronized Quan Oc Vu and Hoa Quan which were both great. If those don’t strike your fancy, you can easily walk down the street and see what looks best because all the shops are right next to each other on this strip.
Banh Mi at Huynh Hoa (District 1)
Ah the classic Vietnamese sandwich. I grabbed mine at Huynh Hoa which is considered one of the top spots by the interwebs at least. You’ll know you found it when you see the massive lineup of people on the street. Yes the place is insanely popular, but it’s just a storefront with no actual seating or waiting area so the line is spilled across the tiny sidewalk. Not to worry, the ladies behind the counter run it like an assembly line and the sandwiches come out real fast. You do need to be a little aggressive though because not everyone is keen to wait their turn.
Since there is nowhere to sit and little sidewalk space I took mine to a park two blocks away. I recommend doing the same because you’ll want to sit down for this beast. It’s layered with 6 different cuts of pork on a massive crunchy baguette from a nearby bakery. Some say the pork floss it what sets this one apart. Personally I enjoyed the flavors but the size is just way too much. I preferred the smaller version with different sauces found in Hoi An. But if you’re in Saigon and craving a Banh Mi this will do the job well. You just might want to split it with a friend.
Not Street Food But Worth a Splurge
Pizza 4Ps
As much as I’m into eating local food while traveling, at some point on an extended trip I get that Western food craving. Usually this results in a substandard meal that puts me in a good position to go local again for the next week. While pizza is usually a safe play since the old addage “even when its bad its good applies,” most of the pizza you encounter in Southeast Asia suffers from soggy crusts and inferior cheeses. Not here.
The founders of 4P’s are Japanese ex-pats who set out to do pizza right (Japan actually has really good pizza too!) Recognizing the Vietnamese cheese game is weak, they started their own dairy farm to do the job right. The result is creamy mozzarella and burrata that you would believe came straight from Italy. They’ve also added blue cheese, taleggio and camembert to the lineup so its a perfect spot to counteract those Asian cheese withdrawal symptoms. 4P’s bakes their pie an over shipped over from Naples honestly this could hold its head up high in the birthplace of pizza. I ordered a half four cheese and half burrata parma ham and it was one of the best pizzas of my life. Trust me you don’t want to miss this spot!
Note: They also have locations in Da Nang, Nha Trang and Hanoi in case you don’t have time here or need another fix.
Anan
As great as the local food scene is in Saigon, the high end scene is on the rise too. If you’re up for a “splurge” then the tasting menu at Anan is the way to go. I use that term loosely because the 5-course meal will still only run you about $30 USD. My meal consisted of Foie Gras Imperial Rolls, a Buffalo Tartare, Banh Xeo Tacos and black truffle pho. You’ll have trouble finding a meal like that for this price anywhere else in the world. It has a trendy casual vibe that makes a visit more fun than most of the city’s other high end options. And according to my local contacts, the food is better too.
Where to Stay
District 1 hands down. With no mass transit and horrible traffic you need to be within walking distance of as much as possible. If you stay just west of the financial district you’ll have their fancy places and clubs to the east, some great street food and easy access to the “foreigner bars” on Bui Vien Street to the west and seafood street to the south.
Recommended Reading
For further street food recommendations I recommend this guide from Legal Nomads.
