Saigon eating guide

Saigon eating guide

Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon) is a paradise of delicious foods which is the reason you should visit this place. Coming to Saigon, it will be a very big miss if you don’t taste exotic Vietnamese foods. What to eat in Saigon? Where to eat in Saigon? Which food should I be aware of? Should I try street foods? Is it safe to eat in this city? Hundreds of questions raised before your trip to Ho Chi Minh city. Here is a Saigon eating guide was written by a local who knows the city at its best. I hope it will help you as much as possible.

1. What to eat in Saigon? – Saigon eating guide

Saigon is a special place where you can enjoy almost specialties of other regions in Vietnam. It’s not easy to tell you which food is the most delicious in the city because all of them are worth a try. So that I’d like to recommend you to have your meals with Vietnamese foods on the days you’re in Saigon. It’s the unique way you’ll understand our culture as well as life in Vietnam.

Rice noodle soups are very popular in the city because it’s comfortable to eat at the beginning of a new hard working day and at the end of a tiring working day. Especially there’s nothing better a bowl of rice noodle soup on rainy days. Rice noodle soups are rice noodle eaten with broth cooked from bone and many kinds of spices. They’re usually served hot in a big bowl and a side dish of assorted fresh Vietnamese herbs. It’s interesting to try using chopsticks to tuck the noodles in and use the spoon to eat the broth.

We have a wide range of rice noodle soups for your choice. The most popular which I think you may have heard from outside Vietnam is Pho. This is the national dish of Vietnam which broth is cooked from bone and cinnamon, star aniseed, ginger and served with rare beef slices. Bun Rieu Cua is a must-dish you should try because it’s unique and flavorful. The highlight of the dish is that it’s cooked from fresh crabs living in rice fields in Mekong Delta. Another dish which foreign visitors love to eat Crab Soup Cake with thick rice noodle and glutinous broth.

Bun bo Hue – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour

Some famous Vietnamese foods I shouldn’t miss are Banh Mi or Vietnamese Bread, Banh Xeo or Vietnamese Pancake, Banh Cuon or Stuffed Rice Cake, Broken Rice and Spring Roll. There are enormous kinds of Vietnamese traditional cakes which you can try in Ho Chi Minh city. Let’s have a look at 1o Vietnamese Traditional Savory Cake and 15 Vietnamese Traditional Sweet Cake. In addition, Sweet Soups are favorite foods of Saigon people and I bet it’ll win your heart. Eating snacks in Saigon is also interesting so that you can feel like locals.

Sweet Soup in Saigon – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour

Snail and seafood eating are an important part of Saigon culture. At night people gather to eat snail and seafood dishes while drinking beer and having leisurely chat. That makes a crowded, busy and noisy Saigon when the sun goes down.

Mouth-watering snail dish in Saigon – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour

Here is the list of 50 Best Foods in Ho Chi Minh city that may be helpful for you.

2. Where to eat in Saigon? – Saigon eating guide

Where to eat in Saigon? The answer depends on that you would like to eat at luxury restaurants like rich Saigon people or enjoy Vietnamese dishes at street food stalls like most of the locals. One of the interesting parts of Saigon is that you can find food stalls everywhere on the streets. Simply because Saigon people love to eat on the streets and there are many delicious foods there. In the morning, it’s time for workers buy Banh Mi, Steamed Sticky Rice or Steamed Wheat Flour Cake to eat their breakfast as fast as possible. At a food stall, you can see a family is eating their delicious and healthy Broken Rice. At night they can queue in line to buy famous Sweet Soup at a long-standing sweet soup stall.

The snail stalls are full of people sitting around plastic tables to eat grilled seafood and snail while drinking beer. They shout: “Dzo, 1, 2, 3”. There are really many other things to tell you but I think I will write more in another blog. Taking a tour around Saigon to eat at street food stalls like locals are a perfect way to travel Saigon, learn more about lifestyle, culture, and cuisine. It’s called real Saigon which most the tourists miss.

At some long standing or famous food stalls, it’s always full of people waiting for the dishes they ordered, so you may have to wait for your food. The waiter and waitresses are very clever and smart to serve a large number of customers. They go and talk to you quickly. If you enter a food stall on the street, you can see many motorbikes parking right on the pavement. Joining a food tour by motorbike is a good way to see this part of Saigon.

I have some best street food stalls in Ho Chi Minh city for you at:

Best places to eat in Ho Chi Minh city

19 most popular places to eat best street food in Ho Chi Minh city

Exploring 5 best street food areas in Saigon

Eating at famous restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City is also a good way to have a view of the rich life here. You will see friendly but gentle waiters and waitresses in traditional clothes. The service is very good, the foods are delicious, the place is spacious so that you will totally satisfy. It’s a place for rich people in the city because the price is high. In the luxury restaurants’ garden, there are many cars which rich people in Saigon use. In Saigon, the streets are often crowded and small alleys are home to almost Saigon people are narrow. Motorbike is the most popular and efficient mode of transportation. Only rich people drive cars in the city because the car’s price is high.

Here is a list of Best Places to eat in Saigon.

The last I’d like to share to you is Ben Thanh night market where you can enjoy enormous Vietnamese foods. Ben Thanh market is the symbol of Saigon and a must-visited attraction in the city. During the day, the market is busy with people come to see and buy many kinds of goods. At night, it becomes the best place to walk, buy souvenirs and enjoy Vietnamese foods. Don’t miss it!

3. Is it safe to eat in Saigon? Should I try street foods in Saigon?

It’s safe to eat at restaurants because the quality is guaranteed. Some street food stalls offering cheap prices aren’t good for you to eat there. There are various street food stalls that are famous among locals because the foods are tasty and safe. It’s safe if you know the right places to eat. As I mentioned above, street food is an important part of Saigon which you shouldn’t miss. Just find safe food stalls to eat and enjoy the local life.

 

4. Sample menu if you have some days in Saigon – Saigon eating guide

First day: breakfast with Banh Mi and iced coffee, lunch with Bun Bo Hue and iced tea, Bun Thit Nuong for dinner, Sweet Soup at Ben Thanh night market.

Second day: Broken Rice and soup for breakfast, lunch with Steamed Rice and Braised Pork and Egg with Caramelized Sauce, Stir-fried Morning Glory, dinner with Crab Soup, Seafood and Snail Dishes at snail stall at night.

Third day: Crab Soup Cake for breakfast, lunch with Stuffed Pancake, dinner with Banh Xeo, enjoy Durian, Rambutan, Star Apple… or Mixed Fruit with Ice, Cream and Siro.

Places to eat the best foods are in the post 50 Best Foods and Where to eat them in Ho Chi Minh city

5. Should I join a food tour in Saigon? – Saigon eating guide

If you don’t have much time in the city, a Saigon food tour by motorbike with a talented guide will show you the city at its best. Safe and delicious foods, hidden stories and food stalls, receipts and how to eat unique foods, interacting with locals are things you shouldn’t miss a Saigon food tour.

Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour

This Saigon eating guide will be continued…