Top 14 Most Delicious Street Foods Under 5,000 VND in Saigon

This cake is made from wheat flour mixed with well-beaten eggs and thot not sugar. Then poured into a small aluminum pan, about 20cm in diameter. The cake is cooked to the size of the palm, with a fairly eye-catching peak in the middle.

This is a popular cake but it brings a unique and delicious flavor. The edge of the cake is evenly browned, thin, and fragrant. Enjoying the soft center, the characteristic sweetness of thot not sugar combined with the slightly greasy taste of eggs, the flour is soft and fluffy. Therefore, without any fancy filling, this cake still wins the hearts of all diners.

And the simple cart on Nguyen Trai street is a rare place to sell this cake for only 5,000 VND/piece. In addition to the traditional cake, the seller also adds green tea sauce, strawberries, or chocolate to create new flavors. The cakes are made continuously so you don't have to worry about the freshness of the cake. Each cake costs only 5,000 VND, so you might want to enjoy 2 - 3 pieces to satisfy your taste buds.

• Thot Not Coconut Cake Cart - Nguyen Trai and Le Hong Phong, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
• Thot Not Coconut Cake - Vinh Vien, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
• Thot Not Coconut Cake - Nguyen Son, Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City

If the above cakes are quite familiar to the people of Saigon, then sweet rolled rice pancakes are still quite new. Sweet rolled rice pancakes are actually coconut rice paper when just rolled, with a little filling of mung beans and shredded coconut. The cake is sweet, fatty, and can be dipped in sesame salt or peanuts. Just a few rolls are enough to satisfy your cravings. The process of making sweet rolled rice pancakes is not much different from traditional rice pancakes.

This cake has a chewy and sweet taste of the rice paper made from rice flour and tapioca flour, combined with the nutty, fragrant, and fatty taste of coconut mixed with mung beans. The round cake is full and has a bright yellow color, and you can see the filling inside. The filling consists of mung bean paste.

Currently, this cake is quite rare in Saigon, the only place you can buy them is the Ho Thi Ki market, with a price of only 3,000VND per piece, extremely cheap for such a delicious dish.

• Sweet Rolled Rice Pancakes - Ho Thi Ki Market, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City

The beloved traditional cake that has been familiar to generations of Saigonese, priced at only 4,000 VND per piece, is the swallow's nest cake. This cake, resembling a swallow's nest, is simply made from rice flour mixed with a bit of tapioca flour, seasoned with coconut milk, sugar, and a hint of vanilla for fragrance, all creating a delightful mixture.

The pouring process must be graceful: when the oil is hot, the batter is poured into the pan, with swift and decisive movements to allow the batter to stick together and form a rounded, curved outer edge. The cake cooks evenly, turning golden brown, resembling an inverted hat, with the center puffed up, looking very pleasing to the eye.

A proper swallow's nest cake must ensure a chewy texture from the rice flour inside, with the outer layer crispy. The outer edges of the cake are fried to a crispy golden brown, while the inside is soft and chewy, extremely enticing. The flavor must strike a harmonious balance between the refreshing sweetness of sugar and the fragrant richness of coconut milk.

• Swallow's Nest Cake - 3/2 Street, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City
• Swallow's Nest Cake Stall - Vo Van Tan Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
• Swallow's Nest Cake Stall - Nguyen Trai Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City

Takoyaki is a popular Japanese snack food, typically made of wheat flour batter and filled with diced octopus, cooked in a special molded pan. The main ingredient of the filling is diced or whole baby octopus, with additional ingredients that may include pickled ginger and green onion, and it's seasoned with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise depending on the recipe.

Takoyaki was originally sold in Osaka by a street food vendor named Endo Tomekichi, who initially made grilled cakes filled with beef and served with soy sauce. However, after being impressed by a similar dish called akashiyaki in 1935, he switched to making octopus-filled cakes and named it Takoyaki. The dish then became popular in the Kinki region before spreading throughout Japan. Magazines began featuring it as an Osaka specialty before World War II, leading to an increase in its popularity. Initially, it was sold at yatai food stalls during festivals, but specialty Takoyaki restaurants began to emerge, and by 1955, there were 5000 restaurants and stalls serving it exclusively in Osaka. Currently, Takoyaki is also available in pre-packaged forms at supermarkets. Recently, this type of snack has started to spread beyond Japan to other countries.

The original way to eat Takoyaki was without sauce. The sauce for this dish started to be made after World War II in 1948. Different shops may prepare the sauce according to their own recipes with different flavors.

• Takoyaki Nguyen Bieu - District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
• Takoyaki Nguyen Thuong Hien - District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
• Takoyaki Street Stall - District 8, Ho Chi Minh City
• Takoyaki Tran Hung Dao - District 5, Ho Chi Minh City

Dim Sum is a traditional Chinese dish originating from Cantonese cuisine. It is commonly served as a breakfast or in the form of small plates during yum cha (tea drinking). Dim sum consists of two main components: the outer dough and the filling. The dough is made from wheat flour, dim sum flour, and starch, while the filling can vary and may include meat, shrimp, various vegetables, and other ingredients such as boiling water, oil, onions, fish sauce, salt, etc. Dim sum is typically steamed, but it can also be fried.

Dim sum is prepared differently in each country with varying ingredients and seasonings. In Vietnam, dim sum is soft and white when cooked, while in Japan or Korea, it remains crispy. Despite its Chinese origin, dim sum ingredients and preparation methods are quite familiar to Vietnamese people. Dim sum can be customized with various fillings according to individual preferences, such as shrimp and crab, chives, or vegetable fillings. After being rolled, dim sum is fried until golden brown, crispy, and delicious.

• Dim Sum - Le Quang Sung, District 6, Ho Chi Minh City
• Dim Sum Gia Hoa - Thu Do Market Area, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
• Dim Sum Ngoc Lan - Vinh Vien, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
• Dim Sum - Nguyen Van Lac, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City

Popiah, also known as spring rolls, is a style of fresh spring roll that originated from Chaozhou (Teochew) and Fujian cuisine in China, and it is now popular in Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. In Fujian, it is commonly eaten in Hiamen, while in Chaozhou, it is popular in the Trieu San region in the eastern part of the province during Qingming Festival. In Vietnam, this dish was introduced by Teochew immigrants.

Sweet popiah is a beloved snack of generations of Vietnamese students. Each delicious and fragrant popiah roll has left an unforgettable memory in everyone's childhood. For sweet popiah, the ingredients include a piece of malt candy or coconut candy wrapped with shredded coconut.

In Vietnam, popiah is made with ingredients such as Chinese sausage, thinly sliced boiled eggs, carrots, lettuce, jicama (called sắn in the South), dried shrimp, fresh herbs, all finely chopped and rolled in wheat flour wrappers. The condiment used is chili sauce mixed with finely crushed roasted peanuts and fried shallots in oil.

• Popiah - Han Hai Nguyen, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City
• Popiah - Tran Binh Trong, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
• Popiah Ly - Nguyen Van Giai, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Popiah Tan Dinh Market - Nguyen Huu Cau, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Bánh bèo is a popular dish in the Central region of Vietnam, and it is also widely available in the Southern region. Bánh bèo consists of three main components: a cake made from rice flour, a topping made from ground shrimp, and a dipping sauce, typically fish sauce that is poured directly onto the cake without dipping. The additional ingredients of bánh bèo usually include scallion oil and finely crushed peanuts. Depending on the region, there are variations in the ingredients added to this dish. For example, in Saigon, mung beans and pickled vegetables are often added, and it is served with other types of cakes such as bánh đúc, bánh ít, and bánh bột lọc.

In the Central region, bánh bèo is often divided into two types: Quảng Nam-style and Huế-style. Quảng Nam-style bánh bèo is typically larger and thicker, served with a soft filling made from minced meat, ground shrimp, and scallions, topped with fried shallots and chopped chili. Huế-style bánh bèo is slightly different, with thinner cakes and a topping of dried shrimp powder, served with crispy fried pork skin. Bánh bèo in the Central region is mostly served in small ceramic bowls (bánh bèo chén). In the Southern region, there are various styles of bánh bèo, but it is usually served with a variety of cakes and different condiments, which somewhat dilutes the distinctive flavor of bánh bèo.

The name 'bánh bèo' may come from its appearance, resembling the leaf of the water fern plant.

• Bánh bèo - bột lọc Ben Thanh Market, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Bánh bèo chén D5 - Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City
• Bánh Bèo Thanh Nga - District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
• Bánh Bèo Thiên Hương - Phu Tho Stadium, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City

As Saigon enters the dry season, with scorching heat, ice cream and smoothies become beloved refreshments. Cinnamon snail ice cream is a chilled delicacy that is extremely popular across all corners of Saigon city. These ice cream carts embody the childhood memories of many generations living here. This dish evokes countless memories.

You can encounter an ice cream maker or a wandering ice cream seller on the street and easily purchase them for only 5,000 dong. Apart from the classic milk and chocolate flavors, you can visit Vo Thi Sau (at the end of Dinh Tien Hoang Street) to buy green tea cinnamon snail ice cream for only 5,000 dong.

With Saigon's scorching weather, enjoying these cold cinnamon snail ice creams is truly wonderful. With the cool ice cream flavor and crispy, crunchy cinnamon snails, they will surely dispel the sweltering heat of Saigon's weather.

• Cinnamon Snail Ice Cream - 31A Tran Quoc Toan, Ward 9, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
• Cinnamon Snail Ice Cream - 118 Tran Dinh Xu, Nguyen Cu Trinh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
  

Dried pork meatballs are one of the dim sum dishes of the Chinese people. In Vietnam, pork meatballs are processed in the distinctive style of Vietnamese cuisine (with steps like forming into balls, seasoning, and steaming), resembling meatballs. This dish is often served with rice or sandwiched in bread. It's an easy-to-make dish with relatively low cost. It's soft, easy to eat, and digestible, suitable for both the elderly and children.

The main ingredients of pork meatballs are pork (ground or minced, preferably using fatty pork, with later parts of the pork being suitable for making meatballs, and the pork loin being the best part, when the loin is rolled into long sticks, there is always a thin layer of fat surrounding it, preserve this fat, for the pork butt with a layer of fat, mix the meat so that the fat portion is only 1/5 of the lean portion, without the skin), tapioca starch, tomato sauce, cooking oil, garlic, seasoning powder, pepper, sugar, tomatoes...

Especially noteworthy is the pre-made dipping sauce mixture of vinegar and soy sauce, as well as accompanying dishes including cilantro and fried shallots. This interesting combination makes the appearance of the dish vastly different from the original, but equally delicious and appealing.

• Dried Pork Meatballs - Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
• Meatballs - Vinh Vien, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
• Pickled Plum Sauce Meatballs - Bui Huu Nghia, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
• Cô Giang Meatballs - Cholon Market, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon is the land of snacks made from rice paper. Tây Ninh salted rice paper mixed with a slice of kumquat or a little chili paste is a favorite snack of Saigon students, who have surely been intoxicated by its characteristic spiciness at least once. Especially, this type of rice paper is very affordable, ranging from 5,000 to 2,000 VND, and is sold everywhere inside and outside schools.

Although this dish looks simple, to make it delicious, you must add the available spices and mix them evenly by hand. This is the most important step, determining the success of this dish. If you squeeze evenly with just the right force, the spices will soak into the rice paper, making it tastier.

• Salted Rice Paper - 147 Nguyễn Thượng Hiền, Ward 4, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
• Salted Rice Paper - 128/1 Bùi Quang Là, Ward 12, Gò Vấp District, Ho Chi Minh City

In Saigon, there is a street specializing in selling sesame balls and fried bread, that's An Duong Vuong Street. Sesame balls, also known as fried cakes, are extremely enticing from the North but cost only around 3,000 VND each. Sesame balls (or fried cakes) are a familiar snack from the childhood of those born in the 80s, serving as a cheap snack for passengers at bus stations. The dough ball will then be rolled again in dry flour along with a bit of sesame and pre-roasted sesame before being ready to be dropped into the boiling oil. When frying, people will constantly turn the cake without resting, and in just about two minutes, the cake will swell up, looking extremely appetizing.

Fried bread is a popular and familiar snack with a traditional crispy outer layer. Sweet fried bread is made from ingredients including wheat flour and yeast powder along with sesame seeds and processed by frying in hot oil. Nowadays, it's not difficult to find sesame balls and fried bread, but finding a delicious one is not easy.

• Sesame Balls, Fried Bread - An Duong Vuong Street, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City
• Sesame Balls, Fried Bread - 38 Nguyen Kim, Ward 6, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
• Sesame Balls, Fried Bread - 141 Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, Ward 10, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Fried fish and beef balls are popular snacks found on every street in Saigon. For just 5,000 VND, you can get yourself a skewer of delicious, hot fried fish and beef balls, served with sweet black soy sauce or spicy chili sauce. Each skewer contains 5 large balls. This dish is often enjoyed with some fresh herbs and dipped in either tomato sauce or chili sauce according to individual preferences. It's a favorite among many, especially the youth.

You can find these assorted fried skewers at the beginning of Suong Nguyet Anh Street, District 1, or around Turtle Lake (Ho Con Rua), District 3, from around 3 p.m. onwards. Additionally, you can diversify the flavors of the fried fish balls according to your own taste. There's nothing better than spending the evening chatting with friends over a plate of fried fish and beef balls.

• Fried Fish, Beef Balls - 36/11 Street 11, Tan Kieng Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City
• Fried Fish, Beef Balls - Suong Nguyet Anh Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Fried Fish, Beef Balls - Le Thi Rieng Park, Ho Chi Minh City
  

For just 5,000 dong, you can have a crispy fried banana, plus a glass of lemonade, which is already quite enough for a gathering with your Saigon-style close friends. Fried banana is a popular dish, with easy-to-find ingredients, simple preparation, and a taste that satisfies everyone from the elderly to children. Once you've tasted this dish, you'll always crave its sweet, soft banana filling wrapped in crispy, fragrant crust.

Fried bananas are typically made from ripe bananas, thinly sliced and coated in batter, then fried until crispy. Fried bananas taste best when they are freshly fried and still warm. At this point, the bananas are warm, and the batter is crispy, making them irresistibly delicious. On Pham Ngoc Thach Street, District 3, near the intersection with Vo Thi Sau Street, there is a famous fried banana stall where many celebrities come to buy and enjoy them, and it only operates from two o'clock in the afternoon.

• Fried Bananas - Pham Ngoc Thach, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
• Fried Bananas - 25 Huynh Thuc Khang, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Coconut rice cakes are a type of Vietnamese cake made from rice flour or cassava flour, filled with shrimp, baked, and served with fresh vegetables, fresh chili peppers, often eaten with sweetened fish sauce, rarely with shrimp paste sauce. This is a dish loved by many people.

You can find this cake all over the streets of Saigon for just 1,500 dong per cake. Saigon coconut rice cakes are delicious, with crispy outer layers and soft insides, the cake batter is enriched with coconut milk, making it rich but not overwhelming. There are 2 types for you to choose from: cakes with shrimp and cakes without shrimp. You can choose the type of coconut rice cake that suits your taste preferences.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Address:

• Coconut Rice Cakes - 102 Cao Thang, Ward 4, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
• Coconut Rice Cakes - No. 7 Dong Nai, Ward 15 (Bac Hai Residential Area), District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
• Coconut Rice Cakes - 168A Nguyen Van Dau, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City
• Coconut Rice Cakes - 197/4 Cao Dat, Ward 1, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City