Buzz
Customers at these Saigon stalls must take a number, wait for 30 minutes, and refrain from asking or rushing if they don't want to hear sharp remarks from the sellers.
Rice paper salad on Nguyen Thuong Hien Street
It can be said in Saigon, there's no street food as widely available as rice paper salad. The evidence is that you can find carts selling this dish on major streets, small alleys at any time of the day.
Abundant and widespread as it is, many people are willing to patiently wait at Mr. Vien's rice paper salad stall on Nguyen Thuong Hien Street (District 3), reputed to have the best rice paper salad in Saigon.
Customers must seize the opportunity to get a number (50 numbers), step outside to line up, and wait for their turn. 'Saigonese are used to attentive service, so it's a bit difficult to make them wait. However, if you can 'suppress your anger' and patiently wait once, then later, no matter where you go or encounter any rice paper salad stall, you'll only want to come here. At that moment, you'll understand the feelings of those who are here,' Mr. Trong (District 2) shared.
Location: Mr. Vien's rice paper salad, 38 Nguyen Thuong Hien, Ward 5, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. Available from 3 p.m. Price: 15,000 VND/portion.
Banh Mi Alley at 37 Nguyen Trai
Every afternoon, driving along Nguyen Trai Street, you'll be surprised by the number of vehicles and people crowded around the grilled meat banh mi stall at the entrance of Alley 37. This is the grilled meat banh mi cart once honored by the American travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler as one of the 12 best street food stalls in the world.
'The banh mi here is always packed. If you want to buy, you have to wait at least 30 minutes. And while waiting, buyers must remain silent. If you ask or rush, the seller will yell at you. It's strange though, despite the high demand and crowd, from opening to closing, no one leaves empty-handed,' said Ms. Nguyet (District 5).
Location: Grilled meat banh mi at Alley 37 Nguyen Trai, District 1. Available from 5 p.m. Price: 15,000 VND/loaf.
Crab noodle soup at Ben Thanh Market, Saigon
When it comes to crab noodle soup at Ben Thanh Market, people immediately think of this noodle cart on Phan Boi Chau Street. The cart only operates after 2 p.m. Customers eager to eat must squeeze their way in, competing for seats. When they get their bowl of noodles, even the seat becomes a table.
A serving of crab noodle soup here isn't much different from elsewhere, with minced crab meat, pork, blood pudding, tofu, and crab cakes formed into a cake, accompanied by various herbs and spices. However, it has a certain allure. Besides the bowl of noodles, the fragrant broth bubbling in the pot is also a significant challenge for many.
Location: Crab noodle soup at Ben Thanh Market (Phan Boi Chau Street). Open from 2 p.m. Price: 30,000 VND/bowl.
According to Zing
***
Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourJuly 16, 2014
