10 Great Dishes & Where to Find Them in HCMC, Vietnam

I’m walking the dusty streets of Saigon, peering into restaurants with little plastic stools, tables, and foreign menus on the walls. The familiar feeling of dread washes over me, being too scared to walk in yet my stomach rumbling in protest.

Cars and bikes are zooming past, the night approaches, and I still have yet to find what to eat. At last, I settle on a middle-tier restaurant serving pasta, not because I particularly want to spend 100,000₫ on a meal again, but because I have no idea what local food to eat.

Vietnamese food, almost synonymous with Pho and Bahn Mi in most Westerner’s minds, is renowned for being fresh and bursting with flavors. But once you tire of Pho and Bahn Mi, life can get rough.

Arriving in Vietnam, a big part of the culture shock I experienced was from not even knowing what to eat. Everything seemed so foreign, especially if you’ve never been to Asia. Many hungry nights later though, I have a few staple meals that I rely on. Hopefully, you enjoy them as much as I do.

1. Bánh mì ốp la- Omelette Sandwich

Many hungry mornings before work I would walk up to the same street vendor and ask for a bahn mi op la. Straight-forward enough, it’s fried eggs served in a fresh baguette, soy sauce, cucumbers and a few other veggies.

I always ask for no chili sauce, but sometimes they go on auto-pilot and add chili paste & sauce before I can notice. Let’s just say my stomach suffers from my negligence. Did you know Sriracha was actually made by a Vietnamese guy?

Cost: 20,000₫ – $1

Try it: Bahn Mi 362, 43 Đinh Tiên Hòang, P. Bến Nghé, Quận 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 700000

2. Xôi Gà- Chicken Sticky Rice

Xôi means sticky rice and gà means chicken—put the two together and you have one of the best Vietnamese dishes of all time. It’s just sticky rice, shredded chicken, some herbs, and a soy-sauce based sauce. Some vendors add quail eggs and peanuts as well. Xôi Gà is so good I put it on a “get to know me” flyer for my students as my favorite food.

I even had it on my birthday for breakfast. It was one of those things I ate so much of that I got sick of it and couldn’t have it for a while. Now I’m back to my obsession. I recently tried its little sidekick: Xoi Bap which is sweet sticky corn with coconut, peanut dust, etc.

Cost: 30,000₫ – $1.50

Try it: Chicken Xoi, 125B Hai Bà Trưng, phường Bến Nghé, Quận 1 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 10000

3. Bún Chả- Pork & Vermicelli Noodles

Sorry vegans and vegetarians, this one’s not for you! Bún Chả is a dish that’s sure to satisfy any meat lovers, consisting of white rice noodles, grilled fatty pork, and pork meatballs. The pork is served in a bowl filled with fish sauce, pickled carrots & cucumbers.

You dip the noodles into the bowl of fish sauce, add some pork and enjoy! The pork can be quite fatty and chewy but has a lot of flavors. If I can credit Vietnamese food for one thing it’s making me a less picky eater.

Cost: 50,000₫ – $2

Try it: BÚN CHẢ PHỐ CỔ, 225 Phan Xích Long, Phường 2, Phú Nhuận, Hồ Chí Minh

4. Bún thịt nướng- Grilled Pork & Vermicelli

Bún thịt nướng reminds me of a salad consisting of lettuce, white rice noodles, grilled pork, and other shredded vegetables, peanuts and sometimes a boiled egg. I like it because it has many different ingredients and textures. No one likes a boring salad, right? The dressing is fish sauce and sometimes chili sauce, and you mix it all together for a nice light lunch or dinner.

Cost: 50,000₫ – $2

Try it: In most grocery stores, they usually have these pre-made (life-saver!). Try Co.opmart Rạch Miễu, 48 Hoa Sứ, Phường 7, Phú Nhuận, Hồ Chí Minh

Or: Vi Sai Gon, Trần Quý Khoách, Tân Định, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh

5. Bánh xèo/ Bánh Khọt- Vietnamese Savory Pancake

Bánh Xèo, or Vietnamese Pancake, is a savory dish made with thinly fried rice-flour batter, boiled shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs. My favorite way to eat bánh xèo is to use a piece of rice paper as the outer shell, then put some bánh xèo and fresh herbs inside and roll it up like a taco.

Of course, you have to dip it in fish sauce before eating (have you figured out already how much they use fish sauce in Vietnam?) There is a big version that looks like one huge crepe and a mini version called Bánh khọt which looks like crepe-bowls with shrimp inside each one.

Cost: 50,000₫ – $2

Try it: Bánh Khọt Đặng Dung, 32 Đặng Dung, Tân Định, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh

6. Bò khô- Beef Stew

Strangely enough, bò khô is more popular as a breakfast item so many places will be sold out of it by the evening. Since my mom used to make us beef stew a lot growing up, I have a soft spot for this comfort food. Where could you go wrong—soft, tender vegetables in a rich broth with melt-in-your-mouth fatty beef. It’s usually served with bread but you can also have it with noodles or rice.

Cost: 60,000₫ – $3

Try it: An Cafe, 40 Đường Lê Đại Hành, Tân Lập, Thành phố Nha Trang, Khánh Hòa 650000

7. Phổ tai- Pho with Rare Beef

I don’t imagine this list would’ve been complete without the most famous Vietnamese food of them all. The crowned, holy jewel that runs in the forefront of everyone’s mind when you say Vietnam: Pho!

Pro-tip: Find a place where they make the rice noodles in front of you, in the open. The freshness and softness of the noodles will steal your heart. Not to mention the tender, soft beef that couples so well with this home-style soup.

Cost: 60,000₫ – $3

Try it: Happy Noodles aka. Phở Hạnh Phúc, 19 Ngô Gia Tự, Tân Lập, Thành phố Nha Trang, Khánh Hòa 650000

8. Bánh Tráng Trứng– Vietnamese Pizza

After consulting people in real-life and Instagram, I finally found the name of this snack: Bahn Trang Trung. I thought that when I left Texas I was also leaving behind tacos & quesadillas for a year, but it turns out I was wrong.

I’ve seen this Mexican-looking snack on the beach here but never tried it until I went to a fair for New Years’ and had it at a food stall. It’s nothing short of delicious with the fried rice paper shell and toppings including dried beef, eggs, shallots, and cha (Vietnamese shredded baloney). It’s like chips—you definitely can’t just have one.

Cost: 20,000₫ – $1

Try it: Any Street Corner in Da Lat, Hue, or Nha Trang

9. Cơm gà- Chicken & Rice

Some people might think Cơm gà is a silly thing to include on a Vietnamese food list, but this dish kind of saved my life. It’s just chicken and rice, but when everything is in another language and mystery meats are abounding, there is something safe and comforting about chicken and rice.

Cost: 25,000₫ – $1

Try it: Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Quang Tâm, 219/9/4 Trần Văn Đang, Phường 10, Quận 3, Hồ Chí Minh

10. Ốc Chảo- Fried Snail

I had never tried snail before coming to Vietnam, but it’s true that they’re a delicacy. You can find amazing seafood in Vietnam, either at places called Quan Hai San (Seafood Restuarant) or Quan Ốc (Shellfish restaurant). I love dipping them in the chili salt & lime that are served with them.

Cost: 55,000₫/ kg – $2/kg

Try it: Quan Oc 79 Thảo Điền, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (right by Simple Place)

I hope this list of the top ten Vietnamese foods didn’t make you too hungry. If you ever travel to Vietnam or go to your local Vietnamese restaurant, be sure to try some of these delicious plates. Comment a dish I didn’t mention below!