Best Street Food in Saigon

Overview

Saigon is a hot spot in tourism thanks to its rich culture and culinary. This has created diversity and richness in Saigon's street menu. Best street food in Saigon such as banh mi, banh xeo, com tam, banh khot, bun mam... all have a special taste and are prepared in Saigon's own style. In this blog, the best Vietnam Tours Operator will introduce to you top 5 best street food in Saigon as well as where to enjoy them.

The unique cuisine in Saigon

Contributing to the hustle and bustle scenery of Saigon’ streets is Saigon street food culture. Here and there on the streets are vendors, shops or bicycles loaded with mouth-watering food. These are familiar and homely images to Vietnamese, but exotic and brandnew to foreigners.

You can easily encounter the imprint of local food in every corner of Saigon streets, from small roads to huge streets. Residents and tourists can enjoy local food, sitting on the sidewalk or on small plastic chairs. Enjoy the vibrant space and chat with friends.

Best Street Food in Saigon

1. Com Tam (Steamed broken rice)

Com Tam is undoubtedly the best street food in Saigon. Saigon people can find their favorite dish among many other delicious and attractive dishes. But perhaps, steamed broken rice appears in the simple choices of many people. Steamed broken rice is a simple but sophisticated dish in the midst of magnificent Saigon. Wherever Saigon people go, they always remember steamed broken rice as if they remember a familiar taste of the city and anyone who comes to Saigon must definitely try steamed broken rice with ribs and pork patties.

When it comes to steamed broken rice, the essence lies in the broken grains. Broken rice is the first part of the rice grain, during the milling process, the broken grain is broken, this is the main ingredient that cannot be replaced by any other ingredients in Saigon steamed broken rice. Because broken seeds are very fragrant, sweet and broken rice is cooked neither too dry nor too mushy, it will be spongy so that people will never get bored.

Served with broken rice, the most traditional and delicious dish is the trio of "ribs, skins, and rolls". In which, ribs is the main dish, marinated from many types of spices. After being grilled on a charcoal stove, the ribs are slowly absorbed by the rich spices, giving off a fragrant aroma. The meat is golden, crispy on the outside but soft and sweet inside, forming a special flavor that you can think of just by smelling. Besides, steamed broken rice that wants to be delicious must have a little bit of scallion oil, a few pieces of cucumber, tomatoes and pickles made from carrots, radishes, sometimes papaya. Steamed broken rice must be eaten with salty, sweet, spicy and salty fish sauce and a bowl of vegetable soup.

Where to eat Com Tam:

1. Ba Cuong Com Tam: Delicious broken rice in District 1

- Address: 263 Tran Quang Khai, Tan Dinh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

- Opening hours: 07:00 – 21:30

- Reference price: 50,000 VND - 90,000 VND

2. Tai Com Tam - Famous delicious broken rice in Saigon

- Address: 1 Nguyen An Ninh, Ward 14, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City

- Opening hours: 06:00 – 10:00 | 16:00 – 21:00

- Reference price: 40,000 VND - 70,000 VND

3. Ba Ha Com Tam - famous broken rice restaurant in District 8

- Address: 389 Hung Phu, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City

- Opening hours: 16:00 – 20:30

- Reference price: 40,000 VND - 70,000 VND

- Phone number: 0909771192

2. Banh Mi

Banh Mi is the best Street food in Saigon as well as other parts of Vietnam. In order to enjoy the best Banh Mi, you should arrive in Saigon, whose Banh Mi consists of a crust that is a loaf of toast with crispy skin and soft bread-crumb. Inside are the fillings. Depending on the taste of the region or personal preference, people will create different types of fillings (usually filled with sausages, meat, fish, vegetarian food, etc.) with some other auxiliary ingredients such as pate, butter, vegetables. This type of bread has its origin similar to the baguette bread brought by the French to South Vietnam centuries ago. Some people believe that this dish existed in Vietnam more than 180 years ago. In the process of eating, Saigon people have processed the baguette into a smaller and shorter bread with only about 30–40 cm, and the bread-crumb is hollow to be able to put the filling in it.

You may not know that not in Copenhagen (Denmark) or New York City (USA), but it is in Vietnam that you can enjoy the best sandwich in the world.The bread is lightly grilled over charcoal then covered with a layer of sauce and a little pate. The crust is crispy with a filling of meat, pickles, herbs and finally seasoned with a little soy sauce and hot chili." This is the introduction when The Guardian, a famous daily newspaper in the UK, voted Vietnamese bread as one of the "World's best street foods in 2012".

Where to eat Banh Mi:

1. Huynh Hoa Banh Mi

- Address: No. 26 Le Thi Rieng - Pham Ngu Lao - District 1 - Ho Chi Minh city.

- Opening hours: 14:00 - 23:00

- Reference price: 38,000 VND

2. Ngoc Mai Banh Mi

- Address: No. 275 Phan Xich Long - Ward 7 - Phu Nhuan - City. Ho Chi Minh.

- Opening hours: 24/24

- Reference price: 12,000 - 15,000 VND

3. Ba Hau Banh Mi

- Address: 36 Street 18 - Ward 8 - Go Vap - City. Ho Chi Minh.

- Opening hours: 07:00 - 22:00

- Reference price: 12,000 - 45,000 VND

3. Banh Xeo (Crispy Vietnamese Pancakes)

The name "Banh Xeo" was born from the sound that resonates when the cook pours the rice flour mixture into the boiling oil pan, there will be a "sizzling, sizzling" sound. The filling will depend on each region and will include seafood, pork, mushrooms, etc.

The most obvious difference between banh xeo in the South is that it is large in size and has an eye-catching bright yellow color. When eaten, it will bring a strange feeling to the mouth, stimulating the taste buds with a crunchy fatty taste. Banh xeo in the South is usually fried on a large non-stick pan covered with a lid for about 1 minute to cook evenly. Then, under the skillful hands, the chef will quickly add bean sprouts, pork, shrimp, double the cake and turn the sides to fry evenly. Eaters will feel the harmonious and delicious taste served with a bowl of dipping sauce prepared according to their own recipe and fresh taste from a variety of vegetables.

The shape of Southern pancakes is 3-4 times bigger than Central pancakes with a thin, crispy, slightly chewy crust in the middle, extremely fragrant with coconut milk. When eating Banh Xeo, eaters can see the vivid colors of the dish, smell the fragrant aroma of all ingredients, and hear the interestingly crispy sound of banh xeo. Due to these reasons, Banh Xeo must be in the list of 5 best street food in Saigon.

Where to eat Banh Xeo:

1. Muoi Xiem Banh Xeo - Delicious and delicious banh xeo restaurant in District 1

- Opening hours: 09:00 - 22:00

- Reference price: 50,000 - 110,000 VND

- Address: No. 204 Nguyen Trai - Pham Ngu Lao - District 1 - HCMC.

2. Go Shop Banh Xeo - Delicious pancakes in District 10

- Opening hours: 10:00 - 22:00

- Reference price: 45,000 - 145,000 VND

- Address: 781/C10 Le Hong Phong, Ward 12, District 10, HCMC

3. Banh Xeo 46A Dinh Cong Trang 

- Opening hours: 10:00 - 13:30 | 16:00 - 20:30

- Reference price: 25,000 - 50,000 VND

- Address: 46A Dinh Cong Trang, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

4. Banh khot (Vietnamese Mini Pancakes)

Banh Khot is also one of the best street food in Saigon that you should try when visiting here. The name Banh Khot also has a very interesting explanation. Many people say that when pouring the cake, to remove it from the mold, people often use a spoon to stir it up, making an interesting sound when the spoon touches the mold wall.

To make this type of cake, you’ll only use rice flour. People can add a little turmeric powder to give the cake an eye-catching yellow color. The filling is quite diverse, it can be scallops, fresh shrimp, minced meat, fish cakes,... add a little scallion oil or shrimp paste, served with raw vegetables such as: broccoli, lettuce, perilla, lettuce. fish, herbs, shredded papaya, etc.

Banh Khot stands out with the unique combination of the freshness of the sea, the delicate taste of raw vegetables and the characteristic rich taste of sweetened fish sauce, all blended together, which makes Banh Khot unique, leaving an impression in the hearts of diners.

Where to eat Banh Khot:

1. Co Ba Vung Tau Banh Khot 

- Address:

216 Pham Thai Buong, Tan Phong, District 7, HCMC

40B Tran Cao Van, Ward 6, District 3, HCMC

- Price: About 40,000 VND - 88,000 VND

- Opening hours: 7:00 - 22:00 from Monday to Saturday

- Phone number: 02543526165

2. Kim Ngan Banh Khot

- Address: 210 Nguyen Son, Phu Tho Hoa, Tan Phu, Ho Chi Minh City

- Price: About 8,000 VND - 45,000 VND

- Opening hours: 10:00 - 21:00 from Monday to Sunday

- Phone number: 0904727749

3. Hai Au Banh Khot

- Address: Alley 78/62 Nguyen Van Khoi Street, Ward 11, Go Vap, HCMC

- Price: About 2,000 VND - 10,000 VND

- Opening hours: 14:30 - 21:00 from Monday to Sunday

- Phone number: 0937579058

5. Bun Mam (Fermented Fish Noodle Soup)

This dish originates from abroad; for particular, the origin of vermicelli with fish sauce comes from Cambodia, cooked from prahok (a unique sauce in Cambodian cuisine). When brought to Vietnam, people have replaced the prahok with Linh fish or choke fish sauce, which are types of fish that are abundant in the Western provinces such as Tra Vinh and Soc Trang.

Bun mam has an uncomplicated recipe. What creates the flavor and deliciousness of vermicelli is the broth. And perhaps only vermicelli fish sauce in the Southwest with its bold countryside flavor is capable of pleasing any picky diner.

If you like delicious processed dishes, like to eat a variety of ingredients, then bun mam is not easy to ignore. Each time you pick up chopsticks, it's a different sensation, sometimes tough, sometimes crunchy, from fatty and spicy to sweet. It's an interesting feeling. This dish is just so delicious that it can not be missed as one of the top best street food in Saigon.

Where to eat Bun Mam:

1. Mai Bun Mam 

- Address: N44 Hoang Dieu, Ward 6, District 4, City. HCM

- Price: About 40,000 VND - 55,000 VND

-Opening hours: 17:00 - 23:00

- Phone: 0977634141

2. 47 Bun Mam

-Address: 91A Le Quang Sung, Ward 2, District 6, City. HCM

-Price: About 35,000 VND - 55,000 VND

-Opening hours: 11:30 - 22:00

-Phone: 02839601727

3. Co Bong Bun Mam

-Address: Opposite 125 Nguyen Huu Cau, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, City. HCM

-Price: About 35,000 VND - 45,000 VND

-Opening hours: 06:00 - 14:00

Conclusion

Vietnam Escape Tours hopes that all above information will be helpful in your upcoming Vietnam Tour. Coming to Vietnam but not trying these best street food in Saigon is such a pity. Try every single dish and find out which is your favorite one.