Must-Try Delicacies in Saigon

The culinary scene in Ho Chi Minh City is incredibly diverse, featuring distinctive Southern flavors and a variety of delicious dishes from across the country. When in Saigon, indulge in these exquisite culinary delights!

1. Bun Mam, Mam Hotpot

While the best Mam Hotpot is typically found in the Mekong Delta (Can Tho, Vinh Long, Long An), you can still enjoy a delightful bowl in Saigon. The key is the broth, made from quality fish sauce (usually from linh fish) and seasoned skillfully for the perfect balance. In Saigon, it's often served with water spinach, water lily stems, water morning glory, corn, banana flowers, and various herbs.

Some renowned spots: Nam Bo Fish Sauce Hotpot at 94AB Cao Thang, Dist. 3, priced at 160,000 – 240,000VND/pot; Compliment-worthy Fish Sauce Hotpot at 11 Ho Bieu Chanh, Dist. Phu Nhuan, priced at 210,000 – 300,000VND/pot.

Similar to the hotpot, the broth is a crucial element of this dish. A bowl of delicious Bun Mam should have a well-balanced flavor – not too sweet, salty, or spicy. It should also capture the aromatic essence of fish sauce. Alongside sliced fish, roasted pork, shrimp, and squid, a plate of fresh vegetables with bitter herbs, corn, water lily stems, and fragrant basil adds an extra layer of flavor. Some eateries stand out by offering a tantalizing dipping sauce made with sour tamarind fish sauce.

Location: Huynh Lam's Fermented Fish Noodles (Bac Lieu tradition), 37A Go Dau, District Tan Phu: 28,000VND/bowl; Noodle shop 444, 369 Le Quang Dinh, Ward 5, Binh Thanh District, opens daily from 9am to 9pm, except on full moon and the 1st day of the month, price 35,000VND/bowl; Noodle shop 528 Phan Van Tri, Go Vap District, price 30,000VND/bowl.

2. Hue Beef Noodles

Hue Beef Noodles is one of the beloved dishes in Hue, and has become very popular in Saigon. In the broth, Hue people often add a little shrimp paste, contributing to a unique flavor.

You can easily enjoy this popular dish in many streets in Saigon, priced from 20,000VND/bowl. Location: Thanh Noi Hue Beef Noodles, 47A Tran Cao Van, District 3 (near the roundabout of Turtle Lake); Hue Beef Noodles Dong Ba, 110A Nguyen Du, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1…

3. Snakehead Fish Hot Pot

Snakehead Fish Hot Pot carries the distinctive taste of the Southern region. Giang leaves are an indispensable ingredient in the pot, bringing a characteristic sour and bitter taste. Vegetables used with snakehead fish hot pot include water spinach, nhut leaves, bitter vegetables, bean sprouts, and banana flowers... The pot is ready to enjoy with an enticing and unforgettable aroma.

Location: 4 Nguyen Thi Dieu, Ward 6, District 3, or some snakehead fish hot pot shops on Su Thien Chieu Street.

4. Egg Noodles – Hu Tieu – Wonton

While these dishes may not have originated locally, they have now become distinctive features of Saigon. For Saigonese, these dishes are easy to eat and quite popular. However, for northerners, the taste may be slightly sweet, and they may not be accustomed to it on the first try. Noodle shops (hu tieu), egg noodle shops, and wonton shops are readily available on any street or alley in Saigon, priced from 20,000VND/bowl.

Location: Egg noodle soup on Mac Thi BuoI Street (District 1), chicken and fish wonton on Ton That Dam Street (District 1), yellow egg noodle soup on Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street (District 5), 46/102 Vo Van Tan, District 3, duck noodle soup on Pham Van Hai Street (Tan Binh District), Uncle Tac's noodles: 22 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, District 3…

5. Trang Bang Rice Paper

This is a dish from Tay Ninh province. In addition to sun-dried rice paper, Trang Bang also offers delicious Trang Bang rice noodle soup. Rice paper is eaten with boiled pork, boiled beef, along with a variety of vegetables and the distinctive fish sauce (or sweet and sour fish sauce) of the Mekong Delta.

Location: You can enjoy Trang Bang rice paper at the Hoang Ty store chain, or Trang Bang rice paper at 411 - 413 Nguyen Tri Phuong, District 10.

6. Củ Chi Beef Jerky

Tender and sweet beef slices, along with fresh southern vegetables, are neatly wrapped in rolled rice paper, eaten with skillfully blended sweet and sour dipping sauce, creating the specialty of Củ Chi beef jerky. Nowadays, many restaurants in Saigon also serve this dish, but it still cannot compare to the original Củ Chi beef jerky.

Location: Xuan Dao beef jerky shop - Go straight on National Highway 22, through Trung Chanh intersection and to Cu Chi overpass, look to the right... you will see Xuan Dao beef jerky shop, Cu Chi district; Hong Dao beef jerky is also on National Highway 22 but on the left side.

7. Southern-style Pancakes

Golden crispy pancakes, filled with shrimp, meat, bean sprouts in the center, molded into a round shape or folded into a crescent moon shape. Southern-style pancakes, when eaten, are dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce along with a variety of vegetables and leaves in the garden. In some restaurants, they add different types of mushrooms as filling, making the pancakes delicious and less overwhelming.

Location: 46A Dinh Cong Trang, District 1; Muoi Xiem 190 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ward 6, District 3; Addicted to Eating, 74 Suong Nguyet Anh, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1.

8. Fresh Spring Rolls

The key to a quality fresh spring roll is having a complete set of ingredients: vegetables, vermicelli, shrimp, pork belly, and of course, soft rice paper to roll on the outside. However, the crucial element to appreciate a delicious fresh spring roll is its dipping sauce. People in the South often dip their spring rolls in hoisin sauce because of its crispy and sweet taste, along with peanuts and pickled vegetables. A common and familiar dish, fresh spring rolls are ranked among the top 50 delicious dishes in the world by CNN. They are widely available at street vendors, stalls, markets, and even supermarkets... priced at only 3,000VND/roll.

Location: Sidewalk of Le Van Tam Park (Hai Ba Trung Street), BigC supermarket, Co.opmart supermarket...

9. Various Shellfish Dishes

Shellfish restaurants in Saigon are collectively called 'ốc,' as they also offer various other types of seafood. Going out for shellfish is to enjoy a world of soft and succulent textures, from clams, scallops, snails, mussels, to crabs, mantis shrimps, squid, shrimp... There are various cooking methods in Saigon to keep shellfish always enticing, from steaming, boiling, stir-frying, frying, grilling to baking, with a variety of spices such as garlic, shallots, pepper, chili, coriander, lemongrass, ginger, cinnamon, cheese, butter...

Location: Oc Dao 2 – 132 Nguyen Thai Hoc, District 1; Oc Quang Anh, 189 To Hien Thanh, Ward 13, District 10; Oc so 9, 23 Nguyen Van Giai, Ward Da Kao, District 1; Oc Mrs. Hong, Alley 177, 3/2 Street, District 10; Oc Xinh, 002 Block B5, Apartment P.3, Internal Road 12B, Khanh Hoi, District 4; Oc Viet Restaurant: 237/50 Tran Van Dang, Ward 11, District 3.

10. Various Sweet Soup Dishes

Southern sweet soups are diverse, from hot ones like three-bean sweet soup, banana sweet soup, taro sweet soup... to cold ones like black bean sweet soup, mixed sweet soup, Hue sweet soup, Chinese-style sweet soup... all are very attractive with the rich and creamy coconut milk base and the sweet, nutty taste of the ingredients.

Location: Ky Dong Sweet Soup, 153/7 Ky Dong, Ward 9, District 3; Ha Ki, 140 Chau Van Liem, District 5 (of Chinese origin); Southern Sweet Soup 16/1A Dinh Tien Hoang, Ward Da Kao, District 1; 12-course Sweet Soup - 032 Block H, Ngo Gia Tu Apartment, Su Van Hanh Street, District 10...

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Source: Mytour Travel Guide - Compilation

List of Ho Chi Minh City Hotels