The Best Street Food in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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Another standout in hectic District 1, tucked away down an alley near Bến Thành Market, is Nam Giao – a long-established restaurant revered for its street-food dishes. Don’t miss the cơm hến (rice with baby clams and shrimp sauce) or the gooey bánh bèo (a steamed rice cake with a crispy shrimp topping). 136/15 Le Thanh Ton, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

A favourite with Anthony Bourdain, this sweet little spot in District 1 specialises (albeit not exclusively) in bánh xèo – ‘sizzling pancakes’ with turmeric, cooked in skillets and filled with the likes of pork, shrimp, mung beans and vegetables, according to taste. Be careful not to over-order – the regular-size crêpes can be big enough for two. 46A Dinh Cong Trang, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This minuscule District 1 phở street kitchen is a full-on authentic experience. No English is spoken, so smile and point to bag a bowl of the super-cheap but surreally good rice-noodle soup chock-full of herbs in a rich broth. The Saigon iced coffee is a winner, too. 7 Nguyen Thai Binh Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Of the two basic, similarly named joints famed for their crab dishes, which are located within a few metres of each other in the evolving Bình Thạnh district (which is popular with immigrants), this one receives the most plaudits. That said, there’s not that much in it when it comes to price or quality, so by all means, head down to Quán 94 if this place is full. Expect everything from gleaming whole steamed crabs to crab soup, crab fried noodles and crab-stuffed spring rolls. 84 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This long and narrow thoroughfare is the place to have something to eat among students from local universities in an intimate, lively and unpretentious atmosphere beneath naked fluorescent lights. Many of the stalls, some set up on residents’ very doorsteps, focus on snails and shellfish, although there’s a vast array to choose from in terms of street-food classics, including bột chiên (fried rice-flour cakes). Bình Thạnh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Recommended by Piumi Rajapaksha.

Kalochi is a dish that originated from Guangzhou, China. The dish is made from a giant dough cut into smaller pieces, rolled and then sprinkled with crushed peanuts and sweetened black sesame. You can find it in a small stall on Hau Giang Street, in Chinatown (Cho Lon), prepared by a sweet middle-aged man. It’s a bit difficult to find this stall since he keeps moving up and down the street, but generally his fixed spot is at 199 Mai Xuan Thuong Street, right at the corner it cuts with Hau Giang street. He is here from 09.00 a.m. till 11.00 a.m. You can call him in advance to locate him.

If Ho Chi Minh City’s desserts were a nation, then fried banana would be king. This dish originated in the south, so obviously the best version of it is found here. This is probably because of the quality of the banana itself — brought directly from the orchards of the Mekong Delta. You can find fried banana in most local markets, but this stall on Co Bac street is special. Instead of preparing it the normal way, the banana is dipped into flour liquid, deep fried with corn and black sesame sprinkled on top. Tuck into some fried banana on a street food tour of the city.

To start your day, here’s a vegan stall that serves banh mi – Vietnam’s favorite breakfast. Located in District 5, this might be a little bit far from the city center, but it’s definitely worth the drive. The stall specializes in making vegan banh mi with all sorts of greens and veggies, but also has other options for you to pick such as vegan sticky rice and vegan dough dumplings.

At the intersection of Phung Van Cung and Phan Xich Long streets, is a small stall selling banh bo, a cake made from rice. To eat, you dip it in a mixture of salt, crushed peanuts, and sugar. The lady also serves cassava with coconut milk.

Ba Kiem started her breakfast stall over 60 years ago, right after she moved to Ho Chi Minh City from Hanoi. Here she sells northern-style sticky rice using banana leaves to wrap it, adding extra flavor than plastic boxes do. The leaves keep the rice hot and moist as well. It’ll also only cost you VND$15,000 (USD$0.8) to get a taste of the north at this stall.

Banana again, but this time it is wrapped with sticky rice, another layer of banana leaves, and then grilled over charcoal. The sticky rice at the stall on Tran Dinh Xu is one of the absolute best. It’s soft, well-cooked and chewy. Afterwards, just when you thought it couldn’t possibly get any better, the banana is cut into small pieces and drenched in thick coconut cream.

Banh da lon is “pigskin cake”: a steamed layered cake made from rice flour, tapioca starch, and smashed mung beans, taro or durian, and eaten with coconut milk. The pigskin cake can come in all shapes and sizes. With a nice look, a soft and gelatinous texture, and a pleasant taste, it’s often a favorite dessert of the locals.

This is exclusive to durian fans as people have a love-hate relationship with this fruit. It may have an unpleasant smell, but when you have taught your gag reflexes to overcome that, you will realize it is one of the best-tasting fruits in the world. At this stall, durian is mixed with sticky rice with four choices for added ingredients: beaten durian, smashed peanuts, shredded coconut, and condensed coconut milk. Just don’t walk around with this in your handbag. The smell will stick around for days.
This is an update of an original article by Jing Xuan Teng.