If there is anyone out there should trust on food recommendations, it's the Malaysians. We have extremely complex taste buds because we practically have and eat all sorts of cuisines in our homeland. Spicy sweet sour, korean, japanese, western, whatever, we have had it all and we love it all.
With help from Mark Weins and his blog, I went to Ho Chi Minh with my sister last October, and might I say, Vietnam is really an amazing place to go for food. Though we didn't get to eat every single thing on the list, I left Ho Chi Minh really satisfied with what I did eat. No regrets!
1. Bahn Mi
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| Huynh Hoa Bahn Mi | 26 Lê Thị Riêng, Bến Thành, 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam |
Bahn Mi is basically a french baguette stuffed with assorted meat and picked vegetables. Though it sounds really simple, you won't be able to stop munching on it. The vegetables are super fresh, and the meat is moist and oh so savoury. Some Bahn Mi-s have slices of fiery chili in them, so don't be surprised when you bite into one! The star however, is the bread. It's fluffy, but crunchy on the outside, I almost wanted to buy a bag of it home! I even think that they do it better than ones you find in France, but I love the French, so I'm just going to say it's the Viet's twist on a traditional Baguette. A Vieguette.
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| Bahn Mi Hong Hoa | 62 Nguyen Van Trang |
Huynh Hoa Bahn Mi
Address: 26 Lê Thị Riêng, Bến Thành, 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Open hours: 3:30 pm – midnight, daily
Price: 30,000 VND
Comments: This Bahn Mi is a little more frenchy than I expected. It smothered with pâté and slices of ham. Tastes more of western flavours with a slight hint of pickly dressing. It is pricy compared to the other stall, yes. But considering the amount of meat they're giving, I can't complain. Because this store is doing so well, they're not begging for your business. But hey, nothing comes between me and my food!
Bahn Mi Hong Hoa
Address: 62 Nguyen Van Trang
Open hours: Morning till late afternoon
Price: 17,000 VND
Comments: Succulent porky porky madness! I swear the pigs in Vietnam are different. They must be happy pigs because pork there is so tender and juicy! The skin is crisp and salty, oh and, the baguette soaks up all that porky juices too. Topped with some fresh cilantro and simple pickle vegetables, large slices of fiery green chilli, it's guaranteed to satisfy. I actually prefer this store better, because the taste is more complex, it's meaty, a bit sour, sweet and fresh. Plus, it's a bang for your buck.
2. Bun Mam
Bun Mam is probably one of the most interesting soup noodles I have ever had in my life. When eating it, my sister and I were having trouble trying to pinpoint any dish we know that tastes like it. It's kind of like a seafood laksa. (Laksa is a Malay-Chinese spicy/sour soup noodle) The laksa aspect comes from the texture of the noodles, which were white rice noodles that were bouncy and stringy. I was trying very hard not splatter drops of soup on my clothes every time i picked up my noodles. The broth was a complex mix of fish sauce, seafood broth, but it had a depth of flavour that will make you go back again and again!
Bún Mắm Phan Bội Châu
Address: 22 Phan Bội Châu, it’s literally located right across the street from Ben Thanh market
Open hours: 6 am – 7 pm daily. I was there for dinner and it was still open!
Price: 65,000 VND per bowl
3. Beef Noodles (Pho)
To be very honest with you, we stumbled upon this pho place by accident. We were actually our looking for a famous Banh Canh Cua (crab noodles) but unfortunately the store was closed! It was breakfast time, we were hungry, so we walked down the street to find a big PHO signboard smacked right in front of our faces. There were many people in the store, so we decided to give it a go and it was amazing.
If you're looking for simple Pho done well, it's here. There's no wait, the noodles come springy inside an almost clear broth, topped with crunchy onions and sided with a plate of fresh vegetables which amounts to more than my regular daily intake of vegetables. The broth isn't heavy, in fact, it's refreshingly light with no lacking of beefy flavour. My sister who is usually a light eater, ate the last portion without even warning me!
Pho Thanh Phuc
Address: Along the corner of Trần Khắc Chân, Quận 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Open hours: Morning till 3pm
Prices: 30,000 VND
4. Egg Pancake (Bánh Xèo)
It seems as if everywhere you go, there will always be pancakes. In Saigon, it's made of mostly egg, some meat and prawns, topped with a fresh serving of bean sprouts. It is possibly the most crispy egg pancake you'll have in your life. Some say the secret is the coconut milk in the mix, but who knows? I just wan't to eat it!
Address: 46 Đinh Công Tráng, Tan Dinh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 9 am – 9 pm daily
Prices: (BIG) 110,000 VND
5. Ốp la (your personal pan breakfast)
After eating this, you would agree that personal pan breakfast will trump personal pan pizza anytime. Op La, is essentially ham, pork and onions nestled in a bed on eggs. Served hot on top of a small steel pan, used to cook whatever's in it to perfection. Perfection meaning, lovely golden oozing egg yolks. Oh, some bread by the side too, cause something has to soak up those egg yolks right? I don't have to describe Op La's taste to you, because I'm sure you know, this is comfort food.
Hòa Mã
Address: 53 Cao Thắng, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 7 am – 10 am
Prices: 30,000 - 40,000 VND
IF YOU'RE NOT TIGHT ON TIME...
Pizza 4Ps
Missing western food? Pizza 4Ps does a good job satisfying those cravings with authentic pizza. Flavors are spot on, with a variety to choose from! Did i mention the price is reasonable too?
Address : 8/15 Le Thanh Ton, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours : 10am - 11pm / 7 days a week
Bun Bo Hue
I ate so much noodles in Saigon that I really found it hard to tell each apart. Bun Bo Hue, to me was similar to Bun Mam, just a milder version. Still tastes great, but if you're pressed for time, you can give this one a miss.
Address: 300 Võ Văn Tần, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 6 am – 10 pm daily
Price: 60,000 VND
Bánh Canh Cua Trần Khắc Chân
I eat a lot of this back home, and to my surprise, the ones at home really does taste as good at the original ones in Saigon! If you're new to vietnamese food, this is a dish that belongs on the top of this posting. It is vermicelli noodles mixed with vegetables, topped with pork, nut and spring rolls. What binds it all together is it's sauce, which tastes a little bit fishy, sweet, sour, but yet mild. Pour the sauce in and mix it all together, and it makes and tastes perfect sense.
Address:87 Trần Khắc Chân, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 2 pm – 9:30 pm daily
Prices: 35,000 VND
I really hope you enjoyed this posting on what I've tried in Saigon. Though I did not eat everything, rest assured, this list is legit, great, amazing food.
Happy eating & traveling!
2. Bun Mam
 |
| Bun Mam Phan Boi Chau | 22 Phan Boi Chau |
Bun Mam is probably one of the most interesting soup noodles I have ever had in my life. When eating it, my sister and I were having trouble trying to pinpoint any dish we know that tastes like it. It's kind of like a seafood laksa. (Laksa is a Malay-Chinese spicy/sour soup noodle) The laksa aspect comes from the texture of the noodles, which were white rice noodles that were bouncy and stringy. I was trying very hard not splatter drops of soup on my clothes every time i picked up my noodles. The broth was a complex mix of fish sauce, seafood broth, but it had a depth of flavour that will make you go back again and again!
Bún Mắm Phan Bội Châu
Address: 22 Phan Bội Châu, it’s literally located right across the street from Ben Thanh market
Open hours: 6 am – 7 pm daily. I was there for dinner and it was still open!
Price: 65,000 VND per bowl
3. Beef Noodles (Pho)
 |
| Pho Thanh Phuc |
To be very honest with you, we stumbled upon this pho place by accident. We were actually our looking for a famous Banh Canh Cua (crab noodles) but unfortunately the store was closed! It was breakfast time, we were hungry, so we walked down the street to find a big PHO signboard smacked right in front of our faces. There were many people in the store, so we decided to give it a go and it was amazing.
If you're looking for simple Pho done well, it's here. There's no wait, the noodles come springy inside an almost clear broth, topped with crunchy onions and sided with a plate of fresh vegetables which amounts to more than my regular daily intake of vegetables. The broth isn't heavy, in fact, it's refreshingly light with no lacking of beefy flavour. My sister who is usually a light eater, ate the last portion without even warning me!
Pho Thanh Phuc
Address: Along the corner of Trần Khắc Chân, Quận 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Open hours: Morning till 3pm
Prices: 30,000 VND
4. Egg Pancake (Bánh Xèo)
 |
| Banh Xeo | 46 Dinh Cong Trang |
Address: 46 Đinh Công Tráng, Tan Dinh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 9 am – 9 pm daily
Prices: (BIG) 110,000 VND
5. Ốp la (your personal pan breakfast)
 |
| Hoa Ma | 53 Cao Thang |
After eating this, you would agree that personal pan breakfast will trump personal pan pizza anytime. Op La, is essentially ham, pork and onions nestled in a bed on eggs. Served hot on top of a small steel pan, used to cook whatever's in it to perfection. Perfection meaning, lovely golden oozing egg yolks. Oh, some bread by the side too, cause something has to soak up those egg yolks right? I don't have to describe Op La's taste to you, because I'm sure you know, this is comfort food.
Hòa Mã
Address: 53 Cao Thắng, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 7 am – 10 am
Prices: 30,000 - 40,000 VND
IF YOU'RE NOT TIGHT ON TIME...
Pizza 4Ps
Missing western food? Pizza 4Ps does a good job satisfying those cravings with authentic pizza. Flavors are spot on, with a variety to choose from! Did i mention the price is reasonable too?
Address : 8/15 Le Thanh Ton, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours : 10am - 11pm / 7 days a week
Bun Bo Hue
I ate so much noodles in Saigon that I really found it hard to tell each apart. Bun Bo Hue, to me was similar to Bun Mam, just a milder version. Still tastes great, but if you're pressed for time, you can give this one a miss.
Address: 300 Võ Văn Tần, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 6 am – 10 pm daily
Price: 60,000 VND
Bánh Canh Cua Trần Khắc Chân
I eat a lot of this back home, and to my surprise, the ones at home really does taste as good at the original ones in Saigon! If you're new to vietnamese food, this is a dish that belongs on the top of this posting. It is vermicelli noodles mixed with vegetables, topped with pork, nut and spring rolls. What binds it all together is it's sauce, which tastes a little bit fishy, sweet, sour, but yet mild. Pour the sauce in and mix it all together, and it makes and tastes perfect sense.
Address:87 Trần Khắc Chân, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 2 pm – 9:30 pm daily
Prices: 35,000 VND
I really hope you enjoyed this posting on what I've tried in Saigon. Though I did not eat everything, rest assured, this list is legit, great, amazing food.
Happy eating & traveling!
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