What to eat on Ho Chi Minh City food tour? Saigon – the biggest city in Vietnam offers tens of fabulous things to do at all hours. During the day, visitors can enjoy the beauty of the French architectural works including Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office, Saigon Opera House, see how locals and tourists sell and buy various items at Ben Thanh Market, learn more about the history and wars at War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels. At night, a short walk around your hotel is a great way to relax, eat amazing food, go shopping at shops on the streets and at Ben Thanh night market. One of the best way to enjoy the night in Ho Chi Minh City to the fullest is Ho Chi Minh City food tour. Hundreds of local restaurants and street food stalls are open after dark, many Saigonese people go out for having dinner and supper, drinking with some great beers with food pairings. I have many interesting information about food tour in Saigon to share with you. In this travel guide, I would like to list the top foods to eat in Ho Chi Minh City.
Table of Contents
Rice noodle soups
A comfortable warm rice noodle soup dish one of the best choice to boost your energy when traveling Ho Chi Minh City. The hot rich broth cooked from bones, vegetables, spices, and special Vietnamese pastes mix perfectly with rice noodles and various toppings including pork, beef, meat ball, seafood,… Here are some of the most delicious rice noodle soups in Ho Chi Minh City:
- Pho beef rice noodle soup: Pho is perhaps the most popular Vietnamese noodle soup for foreigners. Pho is named after the flat rice noodles Phở although sometimes Pho noodles are thin or round in some regions. Pho toppings can be rare, medium, or well-done beef, beef ball, beef tendon, chicken meat, chicken organ meat, chicken young egg,… However, Pho with beef toppings are more popular in Ho Chi Minh City. The soul of Pho dish is the smelling, rich and clear broth cooked from bones, grilled onions, spices such as cinnamon sticks, anise star, and whole cloves. In the Northern region of Vietnam, they serve Pho with blanched onions and spring onions, beans sprouts. They do not usually eat Pho with black fermented soy bean sauce and chili sauce. In the Southern region of Vietnam, they prefer eating Pho with fresh vegetables such as bean sprouts and aromatic herbs such as culantro, coriander, basil,… If you do not want to eat raw vegetables which are not safe for your health, you can ask them to blanch the vegetables before serving. People in Saigon usually add sauces to Pho to make it “more delicious”.
- Soup cake (Bánh canh): This is a favorite noodle soup in Ho Chi Minh City and Mekong Delta region thanks to the thick, tender and a little chewy rice noodles made from rice flour and tapioca flour and the viscous broth. They can cook soup cake from pork bones, fish bones, duck and topped with duck meat, pork leg, crab, ocean crab, mixed seafood, fish, fish cake,… Chopped onions and corianders are great vegetables to top this noodle soup.
- Hue beef noodle soup (Bún bò Huế): This hearty noodle soup originated in Hue City so it is called Bún bò Huế. In the recent, the dish has become more and more popular in Central Vietnam and Saigon thanks to the attractive smell, round and long rice noodles, tender beef slices, beef balls, crab balls, blood pudding, and other toppings. The key ingredient of this food is fermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc). The broth of Hue beef noodle soup has nothing special and important if it is not cooked from the paste.
- Clear rice noodle soup (Hủ tiếu): The broth of this food is cooked from pork bones and other vegetables such as onions, daikon, carrot, luffas,… The Hủ tiếu noodles are very thin and has a smell of newly harvested rice. This food is popular in Saigon and Mekong Delta regions. The toppings include pork slices, pork ribs, pork organs, shrimp, quail eggs, squids, sometimes fishes.
- Fish noodle soup: This food is less popular in Ho Chi Minh City but it is sold at many restaurants and street food stalls in coastal cities in Vietnam. The broth is cooked from fish bones and pork bones, toppings include seawater fish meat, fish cake,…
What to eat on Ho Chi Minh City food tour? Rice noodle soup
Wraps and rolls
- Spring roll (Gỏi cuốn): You should not miss this healthy and fresh food, it is wrapped in Vietnamese rice paper, the fillings are boiled shrimp, pork slices, garlic chives, and various herbs. In addition, the rolls are usually served with a special sauce made from peanuts, fish sauce, fermented soy bean sauce, sugar,… Some crushed peanuts are sprinkled on the sauce to make it more flavorful.
- Vietnamese fried roll (Chả giò): This rice paper roll is filled with ground pork, minced wood ears, vermicelli, egg, shallots, then deep-fried in hot water until crispy outside and well-done inside. It is a greasy food so that it is usually served with lettuce, shredded cucumber, assorted herbs, mung bean sprouts, and other vegetables. The sweet and sour dipping fish sauce can not be missed. You can be served only fried rolls or rice noodle salad with fried roll at a local restaurants.
- Beef in wild betel (Bò lá lốt): This is one of the most impressive recipe in Ho Chi Minh City and you should not miss trying the food. They have created a great beef recipe and it can please any difficult dinner. Minced pork, beef, and pork fat are mixed with some spices before being wrapped in wild betel leaves with a special smell and taste. The rolls become more smelling after grilling, they are served with rice noodles, herbs, lettuce, other leaf vegetables, and dipping fish sauce made from fish sauce, sugar, garlic (or fermented fish sauce mixed with minced pine apple, garlic,…), and rice paper.
What to eat on Ho Chi Minh City food tour? Grilled beef in wild betel
Savory cakes
- Vietnamese pancake (Bánh xèo): This amazing cake has a round shape and a bright yellow color which comes from the turmeric powder. A thin layer of batter made from rice flour, turmeric powder, salt, coconut milk, chopped green onions is fried in a round pan with fillings until crispy and creating a sizzling sound, and folded in half. The fillings include shrimps, minced or sliced pork, mushroom, mung beans, mung bean sprouts,… Duck meat, squid, fish cake, mixed mushroom are alternatives to shrimp and pork. The way of eating is very special, the cake is served with rice paper, leaf vegetables such as Verbenacease Family, lettuce, mustard greens, basil, mint, heart leaves, sweet and sour fish sauce dip, pickled carrot and daikon,…
- Vietnamese mini pancake (Bánh khọt): The batter to make Bánh khọt is pretty similar to Bánh xèo. Mini pancake also has a round shape but it is thicker and smaller than Vietnamese pancake.
- Wet cake (Bánh ướt): Thin steamed rice sheet is cut into rectangles and served with fried shrimp mung bean cake, Vietnamese pork roll, blanched mung bean sprouts, chopped herbs, shredded cucumber, sweet and sour sweet soup.
- Stuffed rice roll (Bánh cuốn): They top steamed rice sheet with stir-fried ground pork and minced wood ear, then roll it into a loose roll that is cut into 3-4 pieces. Toppings, vegetables and dip served with Stuffed rice roll are similar to Wet cake.
- Vietnamese sandwich: Although this food is very famous, it should not missed on a Saigon food tour because this city has the best Banh mi shops in Vietnam. Some well-known Banh mi shops are located in the city center, some hidden Banh mi shops in far districts can be reached by motorbike. You do not waste your time enjoying different Vietnamese sandwiches in the country.
- Hue mixed cakes: If you have not visited Hue, you can try Hue specialty foods right in Ho Chi Minh City. A plate of Pork and shrimp dumplings (Bánh nậm), Tapioca dumplings (Bánh lọc), Flat steamed rice dumplings (Bánh bèo), topped with Hue pork cake, crispy toast cubes, dried ground shrimp, and served with fish sauce dip.
- Grilled girdle cake or Vietnamese pizza (Bánh tráng nướng): The special rice paper is grilled over charcoal, then it is topped with various toppings such as sausage, corn, dried beef or pork, dried small shrimp, ground pork, chopped green onion, mayonnaise, chili sauce, tomato sauce,… The cake is grilled until crispy and fold in half.
- Rice paper salad (Bánh tráng trộn): Shredded rice paper is mixed with different ingredients such as dried beef organ, quail egg, shredded unripe mango,…
What to eat on Ho Chi Minh City food tour? Vietnamese pancake
Seafood dishes and snail dishes
Seafood dishes and snail dishes are abundant at restaurants and street food stalls in Ho Chi Minh City. Here are some of the most favorite dishes of foreigners:
- Grilled shrimp
- Toasted ocean crab leg with tamarind sauce
- Grilled oyster with cheese or green onion oil
- Grilled with green onion oil, topped with crushed peanuts
- Grilled mussel sweet snail
- Grilled apple snail with green pepper
- Stir-fried mud-creeper with coconut milk sauce
- Stir-fried finger snail with garlic
- Steamed clam with lemongrass
What to eat on Ho Chi Minh City food tour? Stir-fried perfume snail with garlic and butter
Vietnamese BBQ
In fact, you can enjoy barbecued meat in your country at your wish. However, it will be a great experience to see how Vietnamese people eat BBQ in Ho Chi Minh City. They love to grill raw meat and seafoods on charcoal themselves when chatting leisurely. Local chefs marinate meat and seafoods with different spices and you will enjoy BBQ in Vietnamese style.
What to eat on Ho Chi Minh City food tour? Grilled meat on clay roof tile. Image: Facebook Ngói nướng thịt
Broken rice
Broken rice (Cơm tấm) consists of steamed broken rice and various toppings. The key ingredient of this dish is broken rice which is made by small pieces of rice. The most popular topping is grilled pork cutlet, others are pork rib, egg meatloaf, pork sausage, fish cake,… Cucumber pieces, tomato slices, pickled carrots and daikon can not be missed. Finally, dinner should pour a sweet fish sauce dip over the rice and toppings to make sure the dish is perfectly ready to eat.
What to eat on Ho Chi Minh City food tour? Broken rice
Desserts
At the end of or during a food tour in Saigon, you should not miss a chance to enjoy at least one of the most delicious desserts. Ice creams, sweet soups, sticky rice, tofu pudding, flan cake, Vietnamese hollow donut,…
Avocado ice cream: This is a greasy and sweet ice cream with a great smell and a special taste. The perfect mix of avocado ice cream, shredded coconut meat, and crushed peanuts will please and satisfy the most difficult person.
Ice cream with longan: Ice cream is flavored and top with sweet and very smelling longan meat.
Coconut ice cream and sticky rice: Sticky rice in light yellow, green color, or purple is served in a coconut fruit half cut, topped with 1 – 3 scoops of ice cream, candied/dried coconut meat, dried fruit cubes, shredded coconut meat, corn,…
Flan cake: This dessert is similar to crème caramel – a popular dessert in Western cuisine. However, it has a thin brown coffee-flavored top layer and served with Vietnamese black coffee or Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, and crushed ice. These days, they add many flavors to this dessert so you will have chances to eat pandan leaf, strawberry, blueberry, cheese, cocoa flan cakes.
Tofu pudding: The original Vietnamese tofu pudding is smoothy and tender enough to melt on your tongue. It is usually served with ginger syrup and coconut milk sauce. In recent years, they have created many amazing tofu pudding recipes. You can have a chance to enjoy a sweet dessert consisting of tofu pudding in a color other than white, jelly, tapioca pearls, dried fruits, beans, flan cake,…
What to eat on Ho Chi Minh City food tour? Flan cake
What to eat on Ho Chi Minh City food tour?
If you are going to book a group tour, you should read the tour program and menu carefully, then choose an appropriate tour. If it is a private tour, you can customize the menu and let the customer support team know about your expectations, favorite Saigon specialty foods, routes,… You should eat at least one noodle soup, one savory cake, enjoying BBQ or seafood dishes when sipping some local beers or soft drinks is a memorable experience. You should not miss eating desserts to learn more about the authentic Vietnamese cuisine, amazing sweet dishes in the country.
Some popular food tours in Saigon
It needs to know that there is a number of choices for travelers who would like to do a Ho Chi Minh City food tour. Morning, afternoon, and evening food tours are differences because some street food vendors serve breakfasts and only open in the morning, or serve dinner and supper after dark. There are some means of transportation: jeep, motorbike, Vespa, private car, taxi and walking. Some tour agents offer tours with both male and female tour guides or only female riders. Nice Ao Dai riders are favorite choices of many travelers. Some people prefer joining Saigon food tours with professional chefs. So there are different in price.
- Saigon Night Food Tour: classic and popular choice, great street food
- Saigon Sightseeing & Food Tour: a great mix of tourist attractions and street food
- Saigon Unseen & Food Tour: a great mix of tourist attractions and street food
- The AoDai Foodie: traveling with nice female riders in Ao Dai traditional dress
- Street Food Tour with local students: budget choice, going with talented local student, more simple but impressive menu
- Walking Ho Chi Minh City food tour: the most popular choice for travelers that wouldn’t like to sit on motorbikes
- Ho Chi Minh City food tour by vintage vespa: more expensive and unique experience
- Ho Chi Minh City food tour by jeep: more expensive and unique experience on open-air jeep
- Morning Saigon Street Food Tour: exploring the city and trying amazing food that locals eat for breakfast and lunch
- Saigon Food Tour with Chef: going around and eating with a professional Vietnamese chef
Scooter Saigon Tour is one of the oldest and best food tour company in Ho Chi Minh City. Please contact Tracy Do & Bill Bui at +84938314386 (Whatsapp/iMessage/Viber/SMS) for detailed information about food tours in Ho Chi Minh City and best prices for your group.
