Ho Chi Minh City’s Street Food

Vietnam is very famous for its traditional cuisine. And when mentioning Vietnam, it is regret if you miss street food – the very typical feature in Vietnam’s cuisine culture. The street food in Vietnam is considered as some of the best in the world. The options are endless and the dishes are timeless. Even simply simplest fruit dish or baguette has a twist in this country. And, of course, being the center of Vietnam’s economic and cultural activity, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is the best city in the country for you to try street food.

“Pho” is the closest thing Vietnam has to a national dish, originally from Hanoi; this broth and hearty noodle soup has become popular through the country. “Pho” mostly seems to be a favorite breakfast dish in Vietnam, so it is easy to find stalls serving “Pho’ in the street of Ho Chi Minh City at every time of the day, but they are frequently crowded. Other soups such as Bun Bo Hue, a rice noodle soup that is thicker than pho, are also popular among Saigon street food.

Small stalls serving sandwiches are also available all around Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Small carts serve up these cheap eats on virtually every street corner of the city. Sausage, pate, pickled vegetables and chilies are the best combination, though salted pork and even vegetarian options are quite good. Some of these stalls have specialties that only the local people know about. Sitting back and watching business for a few minutes, you may surprisingly discover these specialties.

Lunch in Ho Chi Minh City is the best time to find rice dishes. Many street stalls prepare their dishes and place them on shelves above the prep area of the cart. Diners only need to point to what they want and it will be served up over rice, so it maybe is very convenient for non-Vietnamese speaker to get what they want. Some of the best dishes are fried tuna steaks, tofu stuffed with vegetables or minced pork, barbecued pork chops, and stir-fried squid. Stir-fried or pickled vegetables are served as aside dish, as is a bowl of soup.

Late night chicken and rice stalls pop up, some cooking made to order. Also at night, try the drier squid. It is not nearly as pungent as it might seem. It is, in fact, the perfect accompaniment to a cool bottle of Tiger Beer.

The only real advice for visitors is to explore. Many of these street food stalls serve one dish. Think of eating a dish that a cook has had years to perfect. The dining experience can be quite amazing, even if you are eating while sitting on the sidewalk in a plastic chair that seems to have been designed for children.

Exploring Saigon’s street food is one of the most rewarding experiences visitors should try while traveling in Vietnam.