Top 5 Foreign Street Foods Winning Hearts of Saigon's Youth

Japanese Octopus Balls, Thai Crepes, or Taiwanese Bubble Tea are among the favored treats for Saigon's young crowd.

Top 5 Foreign Street Foods Winning Hearts of Saigon's Youth

Saigon is a melting pot of culinary cultures from around the world. Many international delicacies are embraced by locals. Besides traditional Chinese dishes, Saigon is renowned for trendy street foods loved by the youth.

Japanese Octopus Balls

Grilled octopus balls (takoyaki) are a signature fast food from Osaka (Japan). Takoyaki gained popularity through Japanese comics and has become a trendy snack in Vietnam, available at street stalls or restaurants.

For just 15,000 – 30,000 dong, you'll get several satisfying octopus balls. Made from crispy fried flour filled with octopus, chicken eggs, pickled onions, sour ginger, and cabbage. Each ball is large, offering a crunchy exterior and chewy octopus inside. Topped with bits of seaweed, thin slices of dried tuna, drizzled with takoyaki sauce or soy sauce, and mayonnaise.

Pearl Milk Tea

Pearl milk tea originated in Taichung (Taiwan) in the early 1980s. Tea shops, aiming for uniqueness, added sweet tapioca pearls made from cassava root, fruit flavors, and milk to their tea.

This innovation became a global trend until now. Pearl milk tea entered Vietnam in the early 2000s. Initially sold near schools and street corners at affordable prices, today there are many famous brands offering various flavors, albeit at higher prices, yet still popular among the youth.

Korean Kimbap

This dish is widely available in restaurants in the city center but can still be found in some street stalls at reasonable prices. Kimbap fillings in Saigon are often made from fresh ingredients such as fish roe, crab sticks, and avocado...

Perfectly rolled kimbap should be tightly hand-rolled, and when sold to customers, the owner will cut it into bite-sized pieces. Sesame seeds are sprinkled on top, along with some decorative greens, making the dish even more visually appealing. The price of a meal ranges from 20,000 to 40,000 dong.

Thai Pancakes

Originating from Europe, pancakes are a popular street food in Thailand. Thai pancakes blend Asian and European flavors, with a crispier texture and square cuts. Instead of pouring thin batter onto the pan, Thais use a pre-rolled thin dough sheet for frying.

Coconut milk is often used instead of milk in the pancake batter to give it a more distinctive Thai flavor. Thai pancakes first appeared in Vietnam from a few small carts in tourist areas a few years ago, now becoming a readily available snack on the streets of Saigon, priced from 10,000 to 30,000 dong per pancake.

Cambodian Noodle Soup with Snakehead Fish

This dish imported from Cambodia features snakehead fish and a broth cooked with prohoc sauce or what is also known as snakehead fish paste, a Khmer specialty. The bowl of noodles is visually appealing with its yellow color from turmeric and fragrant aroma from rare spices like fingerroot and bung.

This Cambodian specialty has been sold in Saigon for nearly half a century, most prominently at Le Hong Phong market in District 10. Despite its unpleasant smell, many people still enjoy this dish. Price per bowl is around 30,000 dong.

Source: Tâm Linh – Di Vỹ/ Vnexpress

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Reference: Travel guide Mytour