Top delicious local dishes in Saigon

The list of delicious dishes in Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon) can be said to be endless and no matter how long you stay here, it is impossible to know how many culinary quintessences are waiting for you to discover. Saigon cuisine can be called the essence of convergence from all over the country and everyone loves it thanks to the combination of many different flavors creating unique dishes that you can hardly resist.

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1. Banh Mi

Traveling to Vietnam, you will often hear people whispering to each other that "There is no shortage of places to eat in this land, just a shortage of money" which sounds so reasonable. Saigon's delicacies are extremely diverse, for example, just mentioning the word "banh mi", there are countless unique and delicious versions, such as Banh mi chao (Bread with combo pan), banh mi grilled with sugar and butter, banh mi grilled with salt and chili, grilled meat bread, beef jerky bread, pha lau bread, fish cake bread...

What a great dish, just a fragrant golden bread combined with meat, eggs, pate, sausage, beef jerky... or any other ingredients is so delicious that everyone will forever remember it.

Address: Huynh Hoa Bread – 26 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
Mrs Sau Pha Lau Bread -  104 Hoang Dieu, Ward 12, District 4

2. Beef noodle soup

Although it is a Hue specialty, since being introduced to Saigon, it has become a very unique culinary beauty of this place. A bowl of beef noodle soup with a rich broth stewed from meat and bones for many hours, adding a little fish sauce and a few toppings such as beef shank, beef tendon, pork rolls, and raw vegetables... is the true love for your hungry stomach.

Address: Ben Ngu Beef Noodle Soup – 585 Huynh Tan Phat, Tan Nhuan Dong Ward, District 7
Song Anh Beef Noodle Soup – 28A Ban Co, Ward 3, District 3

3. Hu Tieu

Hu Tieu is an extremely popular Saigon nighttime dish and also attracts many "followers" like other dishes. From bowls of Hu Tieu soup at sidewalk vendors to spacious restaurants, Ama Journey believes that you will always be captivated and quickly fall in love with this delicious Saigon dish because of the bowl of rich broth and rich toppings, such as pork bones, sausages, minced meat, shrimp, quail eggs, beef balls, pork intestines, pork greaves...

Furthermore, Hu Tieu Saigon also has quite a few "cousins" with unique flavors such as fish noodle soup, Nam Vang noodle soup, and braised beef noodle soup... for you to freely enjoy.
Address: Giang Lam Ky – Stand 41, Tan Dinh Market, District 1
Ca Can – 110 Hung Vuong, Ward 4, District 5

4. Banh Canh

Another delicious Saigon dish that definitely must be on this list is Banh Canh, which is prepared in many different styles. From the noodles made from rice flour, wheat flour, and tapioca flour, to the stewed broth from pork, crab, and fish, it is enough for you to make a delicious Saigon noodle soup food tour.

Address: Banh Canh Ma Toi – 53 Van Kiep, Ward 3, Binh Thanh District
Banh Canh Cay – 134 - 136 - 138 Bui Huu Nghia, Ward 7, District 5

5. Pho

How can Saigon specialties be without the famous pho? Delicious Pho in Saigon also followed the footsteps of the Northern migrants to came here. But over time, Pho has been refined and varied in flavor to satisfy many people living here. If you want to eat a delicious bowl of Pho, you definitely have to go to the restaurant and enjoy it right on the spot.

Saigon Pho broth is not as clear as Hanoi Pho broth served with herbs, bean sprouts, hoisin sauce, red sauce, fresh lemon and a few pieces of sliced chili. A bowl of Pho is sometimes just that and it's so delicious. Most Pho restaurants in Saigon are always crowded with people coming in and out to enjoy it endlessly.

Address: A2 Beef Pho – 280/9 Cach Mang Thang Tam, Ward 10, District 3
Ong Cat Pho Since 1988 – 201 Pham Ngu Lao, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1

6. Bun Mam - Vietnamese fermented fish noodle soup

Bun Mam is a famous dish of the Southwest region and now it is also a part of Saigon's culinary culture that once in a while you’ll crave it. The taste of the broth used in Bun Mam must be very different because the aroma is so rich and "enchanting" that anyone who eats it once will remember it forever.

Served with vermicelli are some toppings such as crispy roasted pork, shrimp, squid and countless typical Western vegetables such as bitter herbs, water lily stems, common sesban and even... balut. So when mentioning delicious dishes in Saigon without mentioning the name of Vietnamese fermented fish noodle soup, it's really a mistake.

Address: Bun Mam 47 – 91A Le Quang Sung, Ward 2, District 6
Bun Mam Co Ba – 451 Phan Huy Ich, Ward 12, Go Vap District

7. Saigon broken rice

Another delicious Saigon dish that deserves to be in our travel guide is broken rice - a symbol of interference between cultures. Why does Ama Journey compare this unique dish to that?
Looking at a plate of Saigon broken rice, there are ribs grilled in French style, steamed egg meatloaf prepared in Chinese style, mixed pork skin with bold characteristics of the North, and sweet and sour fish sauce of the Central region. This strange combination crystallizes into a unique dish, seemingly rustic and popular but it makes many people, from locals to foreign tourists, crave more.

Coming to Saigon, it is not difficult for you to find a delicious broken rice restaurant: a steaming hot plate of steamed rice with soft, succulent grilled rib, topped with a layer of fatty onion fat and served with a small dish of sweet and sour fish sauce. It can be said that broken rice is the quintessential symbol of Saigon cuisine.

Address: Ba Ghien Broken Rice – 84 Dang Van Ngu, Ward 10, Phu Nhuan District
Nguyen Van Cu Broken Rice – 74 Nguyen Van Cu, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1

8. Saigon Sticky Rice

In Saigon, sticky rice is not only a delicious dish but also an indispensable part of everyone's life here. This modern city is famous for its delicious and diverse sticky rice. Today, Saigon sticky rice still carries its regional identity and unique flavor while attracting hundreds of young people to enjoy it.

There are two main types of Saigon sticky rice: sweet sticky rice and salty sticky rice. Sweet sticky rice is cooked from sticky rice with beans such as black beans, green beans, corn, Gac, etc. Salty sticky rice is often eaten with quail eggs, fried onions, floss, shredded chicken, pate... Everything is prepared by the diligent hands of the cooks who help the sticky rice grains to be cooked to perfection, making the sticky rice dish soft and delicious.

Address: Vinh Ky – 211 Tran Quy, Ward 4, District 11
Cadé Sticky Rice – 451 Tran Phu, Ward 7, District 5

9. Snail dishes

Snail restaurants in Saigon are an indispensable part of this city's unique culinary culture. The menu at Saigon snail restaurants is extremely diverse and rich in types of snails, from sweet snails, bladder moon snails, apple snails, blunt mud creepers, Indian volutes, razor clams and many other types of snails.

The special thing is that each type of snail is prepared in many different ways, from the sour and salty taste of tamarind sauce, the spicy taste of chili, the delicious taste of garlic and fried onions to the fatty sweetness of coconut milk. All create a unique, attractive and delicious flavor party that you absolutely should not miss when coming to Saigon…

Address: Nhu Snail Restaurant – 650/4/29D Dien Bien Phu, Ward 11, District 10
Hoa Truong Sa Snail Restaurant – 1446 Truong Sa, Ward 3, Tan Binh District

10. Pha Lau

Compared to other dishes, Pha Lau occupies a more special place in the childhood of many people from Saigon. The image of street vendors selling fragrant Pha Lau has been deeply imprinted in the memories of many generations here.

This dish is made from ingredients such as heart, liver, intestines, lungs, tongue... seasoned and then put into the pot to cook and eat gradually. The processing of this dish seems simple, but the flavor created is actually so delicious that it's unforgettable, once you eat a bite, you can't stop.

Address: Pha Lau Ba Khum – 20K Go Dau, Tan Phu District
Pha Lau Miss Mai – 266/77 Ton Dan, District 4

11. Fried chicken rice

If you come here and still don't know what to eat in Saigon, you should try this fried chicken rice dish. Fragrant fried chicken rice served with soft chicken thighs, crispy skin on the outside, sprinkled on top with a rich sauce that makes many people fall in love.

Address: Su Su Fried Chicken Rice – 117/1D Cong Quynh, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1
Gay Som Fried Chicken Rice – 315 Tan Ky, Phu Thuan Ward, Tan Phu District

12. Bo Ne - sizzling beef steak

Bo Ne is a popular dish in Saigon but the taste is so special. A blazing hot cast iron pan with a variety of ingredients on top such as beef, eggs, pate, butter, cheese, and vegetables... served with fragrant yellow bread is enough to make many people crave it every time this dish is mentioned.

Address: Hai Con Bo – 496C Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 3
Ba Ngon – 18 Dinh Tien Hoang, District 1

13. Sweet soup

Saigon sweet soup is truly a masterpiece when you can feel the unique aftertaste coming from the delicate blend of different sweet soup cuisines. You can see the imprint of a bowl of Hue sweet soup, the aroma of Northern sweet soup and even the flavor of Chinese sweet soup in a cup of Saigon sweet soup.

A cup of Saigon sweet soup also has the characteristics of Southern sweet soup as it is famous for using fruits to make, such as banana sweet soup, water chestnut sweet soup, grapefruit sweet soup... Coming to Saigon, you can enjoy a delicious cup of sweet soup after experiencing dozens of delicious dishes above.

Address: Be Che – Stand 1154 – 1130, West Gate No. 7 Ben Thanh Market, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
Che 3 Mau -  142 Nguyen Phi Khanh, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1

Whether it is street food or elaborately presented in luxury restaurants, Saigon cuisine is still an interesting mystery that needs you to solve. The feeling of wandering through every small alley in Saigon and suddenly finding a delicious restaurant is truly worth experiencing.

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