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However, with various culinary options on your Saigon tour, you may wonder what food you should try first and try to determine the best food to taste here. Do not worry, in this article, Asia King Travel will lend you a helping hand to find them out.
Ho Chi Minh City is the most dynamic city in Southern Vietnam because citizens from all over Vietnam come to work, live, and bring their local recipes to this city, filling this metropolis with tasty cuisine.
For culinary nomads and expats, tasting the local street food is the best option to understand the destination. It will be an impressive surprise for them because, with $1-2, they can fully taste a big bowl of food which may be packed with a punch.
The variant of food in Ho Chi Minh City
On the other hand, Ho Chi Minh City is a paradise for your tastebuds to try delicious, authentic, and low-priced Vietnamese foods, where you can try fresh, balanced but flavorsome food. Saigon culinary tour offers a journey that showcases why it’s considered one of the best places for food not only in Asia but also in the world.
Saigon culinary
Banh Xeo, or Vietnamese crepes is a must-try food when you set foot on Sai Gon for a day trip. The word ‘xeo’ is the sizzling sound it makes when being fried in a pan, so tourists can roughly understand this food as “sizzling cake”. Banh Xeo is widely eaten in Sai Gon because it can be simply eaten by hand and is easy to take away.
Banh Xeo is a combination of rice flour and turmeric powder, the batter of Banh Xeo is filled with eggs, shrimp, minced pork, sprouts, and mung beans. Those ingredients will be put on the crepe and cooked until crispy, then folded in half and served with herbs like lettuce, mint, and dipping sauce.
Banh Xeo
With the price range from VND 40.000 - 100.000, travelers can fully taste this Southern-style cuisine in both local street food stalls and restaurants. You can also try it at Banh Xeo Dinh Cong Trang 46A, located at 45 Dinh Cong Trang, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, where Mr. Anthony Bourdain, a world-renowned chef has visited and tasted this dish during his Sai Gon trip.
Chef Anthony Bourdain tastes Banh Xeo
You can find banh mi anywhere in Vietnam, but each region puts its own twist on the classic banh mi. In Sai Gon, banh mi typically comes with char siu pork, homemade paté, carrot slices, pickled papaya, and hot chili peppers. Some cooks make their own special sauce that magically ties everything together.
Each banh mi sets you from about VND 10.000 - 50.000, and you can get the authentic Southern-style Banh Mi. Also, Saigonese Banh Mi is almost twice as big as the average Banh Mi. There are several places to try Banh Mi in this city, and Banh Mi Huynh Hoa, located at 26 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, is the most well-known Banh Mi store in Ho Chi Minh City for expats.
Banh Mi Huynh Hoa
For culinary enthusiasts, if you want to experience the food like a local citizen, you can head to the local street food stall nearby, where you can taste variants of Banh Mi. Each stall has its own secrets, forming hundreds of Banh Mi recipes that can only be found in Vietnam, especially Sai Gon, the South Vietnam culture intersection.
Making Banh Mi
Com Tam, or broken rice, is a dish that started as a way for the poor to get some nourishment. Over time, it became a popular food choice in society, and it’s now a favorite of Saigonese people.
A combination of rice and grilled ribs with fish sauce, along with vegetables, is a great way to experience the cuisine. When eating broken rice, you have to add fish sauce even though the meat is already savory. Without this sauce, the dish won’t be as appealing.
Com Tam Sai Gon
You can get Com Tam for around VND 25.000 - 50.000, and it's worth trying at Phuc Loc Tho, a chain of Com Tam stores. It's a great place to eat with friends and family.
Com Tam - Phuc Loc Tho
A bowl of Hu Tieu can be easily found in every part of Sai Gon. You will be amazed by the complex flavor of the bone broth that takes almost half a day to make, topped with shrimp, pork, eggs, herbs, and also how this noodle soup boasts a fragrant taste for every traveler.
Usually, with the culturally diverse population, there are plenty of Hu Tieu variations in Ho Chi Minh City like Hu Tieu Nam Vang (Phnom Penh Noodle Soup), Hu Tieu Sa Dec (Sa Dec Noodle Soup), Hu Tieu My Tho (My Tho Noodle Soup), etc
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A bowl of Hu Tieu will cost you from VND 30.000 to VND 60.000 regularly, and if you looking for a Hu Tieu restaurant or stall in Ho Chi Minh City, you can head to Crab Hu Tieu Thanh Xuan, a 70-year Hu Tieu brand in Sai Gon. It is located at 62 Ton That Nghiep, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, and you can captivate your taste buds with its authentic flavors and impeccable service.
Crab Hu Tieu Thanh Xuan
It won’t take long for visitors to witness the vibrant and irresistible cafe culture that awaits them in Sai Gon. Among the bustling cafe scenes across the country, Sai Gon's coffee culture stands out as one of the most robust and captivating.
Saigonese Coffee is unique. It begins with strong black coffee dripping through the funnel as the base, but then the barista will add a generous amount of condensed milk. It should be noted that milk in Vietnam generally is nearly always of the heavily sweetened and condensed variety.
Condensed Milk Coffee
Visitors have various choices when it comes to the coffee shop here. You will be highly recommended to try milk coffee at a coffee stall on the sidewalk which costs you VND 15.000 - 20.000 per cup or if you want a better coffee experience, you better head to big-brand coffee stores such as Highlands, Phuc Long, Cong Coffee, etc. A cup of milk coffee here sets you from VND 40.000 - 70.000.
Highlands Coffee
Kumquat Tea is very popular in the South of Vietnam, especially in Sai Gon, where temperatures can reach extreme levels during both the dry and rainy months.
The main ingredients for this beverage are black tea, kumquat juice, and sugar or honey for sweeteners. The tea used for kumquat tea is relatively thin in consistency, allowing the citrusy flavor of the kumquat to take center stage.
Thanks to that ingredient, kumquat tea is a treasure trove of vitamins and antioxidants. A tasty and refreshing beverage like kumquat tea is a life-saver these days in Sai Gon. You can buy it at any coffee shop or beverage stalls around the city which costs only VND 10.000 - 15.000.
Kumquat Tea Saigon
In conclusion, Ho Chi Minh City is undeniably worth visiting for its flavorsome blend of Vietnamese cuisine. This city will definitely leave an impression on every expat who is fortunate enough to explore Saigonese cuisines.
By choosing Asia King Travel, travelers can expect a well-organized and expertly Ho Chi Minh City tour that caters to their specific interests and preferences. We hope that our knowledgeable guides will provide valuable insights into this Ho Chi Minh City culinary tour, ensuring our visitors gain a deep understanding of Saigonese food.
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