Buzz
No need for hefty bills; one can still relish simple, sometimes sophisticated, yet delicious dishes, where price matters less. Let's explore three menus that I and my gang savored over 3 days, all within a budget of 100,000 VND per person.
Menu 1
For working professionals and students still in school, breakfast holds significant importance. I opt for piping hot pyramid-shaped rice cakes for those mornings when burning the midnight oil results in a late rise.
A single rice cake costs only 10,000 VND, with its soft white exterior embracing a savory filling of stir-fried meat and mushrooms emitting steam.
Inexpensive yet not lacking in quality. Perhaps two quail eggs provide sufficient nourishment for breakfast, don't they?
The familiar rice cake shop. This place sells from early morning till late at night, the pot of rice cakes always full and steaming. Whenever you drop by, there's always something to munch on.
By lunchtime, with a belly still half-full of starchy breakfast, we decided to grab some mini savory pancakes to avoid feeling overly stuffed.
A plate of 9 mini pancakes is just enough for one person. The pancakes are crispy outside, unexpectedly light and crunchy, with a shrimp snugly tucked beneath a layer of green onions, causing the stomach to rumble incessantly.
Pluck a few fresh green herbs, pick up a golden brown cake, add a forkful of pickled vegetables, then dip everything into the dipping sauce bowl. Together, they create a harmonious symphony of flavors.
We ventured to the cake shop. It's quite crowded during lunchtime, so make sure to order all at once to let the owner pour out the cakes, because if you reorder, you'll have to wait all over again.
As the afternoon school bell rings, Saigon's sky still blazes like fire at 4 in the afternoon, only chilled treats and a spot to gossip with friends can soothe this heat. So, let's go straight for flan!
The familiar bakery of the locals around District 5, renowned for its mind-blowing flan menu.
The shop opens at 4 in the afternoon, it's tiny so parking space is usually scarce. Customers arriving later, please follow the staff's directions to park elsewhere temporarily!
Traditional egg custard flan, green tea, and fruit jelly cheesecake flans. That day, we ordered one portion of 3 pieces to share before dinner. At 22,000 VND per bowl, it's ridiculously cheap!
ignite the summer heat.
In the evening, we suddenly craved a bowl of snail noodle soup. We usually dine at the Familiar Crab Noodle Soup - Snail - Pork Sausage Shop that we've been going to for years. And I guarantee you'll love this place just as much as I do. So what are you waiting for, let's go eat!
A hearty bowl of snail noodle soup with large chunks of tofu, two pieces of coagulated blood, adorned with plump snails, in a broth that's both sweet and savory.
I find the broth perfectly balanced, so don't add too much shrimp paste, folks.
“I wonder if there's any snail fairy in here?”
The snail noodle shop we visited. Looks crowded, right? Customers bustling in and out, one group leaving as soon as another arrives.
Day 1 menu summary
Achieved target with only 92,000 VND:
Menu 2
A portion of grilled pork with vermicelli comes with vermicelli, a bowl of dipping sauce with grilled pork, and a plate of fresh green herbs.
Minced pork patties.
Grilled pork with vermicelli includes two types of meat, sliced meat and minced meat (or grilled patties and minced patties) grilled over charcoal, emitting a smoky aroma. While each type of grilled pork is delicious on its own, a “standard” portion of grilled pork with vermicelli must have both. The tenderness of the minced pork harmonizes with the crispy texture of the sliced pork. Even if one eats a lot afterwards, they still don't feel tired of it.
Scoop up a forkful of pristine white vermicelli into the bowl, some grilled pork, add a few pieces of pickled radish, a handful of fresh crisp vegetables, garnish with some red chili. Look at it, isn't it a masterpiece of nature?
Because the shop is quite small, be careful not to bump into things. The prices here are very reasonable, a satisfying meal only costs 39,000 VND.
Before returning to the company or school, if you still crave something, let's go grab a fish cake sandwich.
A fish cake sandwich costs only 15,000 VND.
The golden fish cake strands are still steaming hot, with a bunch of coriander and a bit of spicy chili sauce to tantalize the taste buds. Just enough to satisfy lingering hunger.
Even though it's just a small sandwich cart on the street corner, the packaging is well invested.
You can watch the fish cake being grilled while waiting for the sandwich. The mixed fish cake is put into a noodle press, each long strand of fish cake is pressed into the hot oil below, fried to a golden brown, fragrant perfection!
By late afternoon, when work is done, our stomachs are growling, so we hit the road in search of a snack. How about a refreshing bottle of milk tea?
Just 7,000 VND for a bottle, freshly taken from the fridge - guaranteed cool and delicious.
There's no seating here, so people drink their milk tea while admiring the street view from their cars. When we visited, the weather was cool and there was no rain, so it was very pleasant.
In the evening, barbecue stalls light up one after another. From BBQ skewers, grilled minced pork, grilled fermented pork rolls, to beef wrapped in betel leaves. Passing by a stall with beef wrapped in betel leaves emitting fragrant smoke, we couldn't resist anymore!
A platter of beef wrapped in betel leaves + beef fat chunks, accompanied by fresh greens, sour star fruits, and a bowl of fragrant dipping sauce.
Do you feel like me - that the pieces of beef are sparkling and shining?
Summary of menu day 2
Achieved target of only 86,000 VND:
Menu 3
Is there any choice more accurate than a plate of pork rib rice?
A batch of grilled ribs is extremely enticing.
Do you recognize something familiar? Bingo! It's the famous black sugar bubble milk tea. This glass at Tạ Tuyết Ngân snack shop is only 20,000 VND but still incredibly delicious.
Having bubble tea with friends - drink a little, chat a lot. Once a glass is finished, it's already dark outside. Let's go out for dinner again. Suddenly at this hour, with a gentle rain falling, craving for crispy fried flour cake, served with full-flavored soy sauce. This dish is loved by many for being tasty, nutritious, and affordable. Heard that there's a famous flour cake shop called Đạt Thành in Saigon, so we must go try it out.
How about egg fried flour cake? Crispy flour cake, creamy eggs, and crunchy shredded papaya. It's both mouthwatering and filling, and it's only 28,000 VND.
The tempting golden brown flour cake piece.
And that wraps up a fun weekend with a nutritious yet affordable bubble tea and flour cake.
Summary of the menu for Day 3
Achieved the target with only 73.000 VND:
Conclusion
Completing this 100,000 VND 'challenge,' I realized that Saigon is not as expensive as people often think. It's all about knowing what to eat and where to eat. With just 100,000 VND, we can still enjoy wandering the streets with friends, indulging in delicious Saigonese dishes when feeling lazy to cook. The important thing is to be happy and satisfied with what we have tasted.
Author: Cat Traveler
* This article is part of the Mytour Golocal program
Mytour Golocal
