Top 15 Best Ho Chi Minh Street Food [Must-eat]

Saigon cuisine is a convergence of typical culinary cultures from many different regions in the South. The delicious dishes are not only served in luxurious restaurants and bars but also sidewalk cuisine. Saigon street food snacks have a reasonable price, but the taste of delicious and unique dishes that anyone has ever tasted is mesmerizing. Let's find out the typical names in the list of the 15 best street food in Saigon.

1. Snails (Oc)

From small alleys to broad roads, it is not difficult to find a snail eatery to drop by. “Snail eatery” is a common term because there are many other types of seafood in Vietnam.

The local people have various ways to make snail dishes always attractive, from steaming, boiling, frying, and frying to baking with all kinds of spices like garlic, onion, pepper, chili, laksa leaves, etc. At snail restaurants, you can not only have a bite of snails but also taste other street food in Saigon.

Where to eat

• Dao Snail restaurant
  Address 1:
  Dao Snail Restaurant, 212/C79 Nguyen Trai Street, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
  Opening hours: 10:00 am – 10:30 pm
  Address 2:
  Dao Snail Restaurant, 132 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
  Opening hours: 4:00 pm – 11:30 pm
  Prices: $2 - $5
• To Snail & Seafood restaurant
  Address: C218 Xom Chieu Street, Ward 15, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City
  Opening hours: 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm
  Prices: $2
• Loan Snail restaurant
  Address: 12 Block C, Nguyen Thien Thuat Apartment Buildings, To Hien Thanh Street, Ward 1, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
  Opening hours: 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
  Prices: $2 - $7

Oc Luoc is tasty with a bowl of dipping sauce

2. Mix rice paper (Banh Trang Tron)

Mix rice paper is one of the most simple yet delicious Saigon street foods to make. The components of this snack are straightforward with shredded rice paper and the rest varies by seller, usually burnt beef lungs, laksa, sour papaya, soy sauce, and peanuts. However, after mixing them well with sweet tamarind sauce, the dish will fill your stomach with a quite delicious taste.

According to the long-standing vendors, to attract customers when processing rice paper mix, the most important part is the seasoning. Besides, it depends on the taste of each customer and the seller adjusts accordingly.

Rice paper has many flavors, including spicy, sour, and salty. There are two types of spicy: in the tongue and the lips because of satay. In general, when eating mixed rice paper, human senses will be stimulated to make us crave more and eat more and more.

Where to eat

• Banh Trang Tron Long
  Address: 34 Nguyen Thuong Hien Street, Ward 5, District 1
  Opening hours: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
  Prices: $0.5 - $2
• Banh Trang Tron Chu Vien
  Address: 38 Nguyen Thuong Hien Street, Ward 5, District 1
  Opening hours: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
  Prices: $1 - $2
• Banh Trang Tron Co Thao
  Address: 90 Nguyen Thuong Hien Street, Ward 5, District 1
  Opening hours: 8:30 am – 8:00 pm
  Prices: $0.5 - $2

Tasty Banh Trang Tron (Mix Rice Paper)

3. Fried dough (Bot Chien)

Fried dough is an easy-to-make Saigon street food made from rice flour, which is crunchy on the outside, and flexible on the inside. It is an attractive kind of Vietnamese junk food.

Depending on the guest’s taste, the fried dough will be processed differently. Pieces of a crispy yellow powder, greenish spots of scallions and papaya, red pepper of chutney, and fragrant fried eggs have fascinated many residents of Saigon.

Sai Gon fried powder originated from Cholon, where a large concentration of the Chinese community lives. But the most significant contribution to popularizing this dish with Saigon people is probably the Vo Van Tan Street in District 03. I remember the early 90s of the last century when there were scarce playing dishes, then a whole line of Vo Van Tan spread this fried flour.

Where to eat

• Bot chien Dat Thanh
  Address: 277 Vo Van Tan Street, Ward 5, District 3
  Opening hours: 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm
  Prices: $1 - $2
• Bot chien Van Thanh
  Address: 185 Vo Van Tan Street, District 3
  Opening hours: 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm
  Prices: $1 - $2
• Bot chien Duc Hoa
  Address: Su Van Hanh Street, District 10
  Opening hours: 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm
  Prices: $1 - $2

Have a try of Delicious Bot Chien (Fried Dough) 

4. Pha Lau

Many visitors from the West may be surprised to learn that in Vietnam, people can take advantage of every part of a pig, a chicken, a duck, or any other kind of material. And even to the inedible things, people in this S-shape country can find a different application for them.

Pha Lau is a familiar dish of the Chinese, made from animal organs. There are many types of ingredients to make this dish: pork, chicken, duck, cow, etc. In particular, the beef dish is the most preferred. This one of the street foods in Saigon is a rustic dish, delicious, and attractive to strangers not only for small pupils but also for civil servants. You can eat Pha Lau with bread or instant noodles.

Where to eat:

• Pha Lau Co Thao
  Address: 243/29G Ton Dan, Ward 15, District 4.
  Opening hours: 1:30 pm - 10:00 pm
  Prices: $0.5 - $2
• Pha Lau Li
  Address: 1A Suong Nguyet Anh, District 1.
  Opening hours: 11:30 am - 7:00 pm
  Prices: $2 - $5
• Pha Lau Di Nui
  Address: 243/30 Ton Dan, District 4.
  Opening hours: 1:30 pm - 10:30 pm
  Prices: $0.5 - $2

Pha Lau is one of the most interesting foods you may try

5. Sweet soup (Che)

In the scorching sun of the summer, transitioning to autumn, cool glasses of sweet soup converge the typical cuisine of the region conquering the public with delicate flavors.
Not as sweet as Hue soup, many aromas like tea in the North, Saigon tea sweetened by coconut milk and shaved ice. In particular, Saigon tea has interesting variations with fruit jam.

Where to eat

• Khanh Vy Che Tray Shop (the Su Van Hanh Street corner)
  Address: Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, District 5
  Prices: $0.6 - $2
• Xoi Che Bui Thi Xuan
  Address: 111 Bui Thi Xuan, District 1
  Prices: $0.5 - $2
• Che Ky Dong
  Address: 153/7 Ky Dong Street, Ward 9, District 3
  Prices: $0.6 - $2
• Hot Che Shop
  Address: 50 Ly Chinh Thang, Ward 7, District 3
  Prices: $0.6 - $2

Che is an addictive dessert dish

6. Skewers (Thit Xien Nuong)

Fish balls, beef balls, shrimp balls, okra, and tofu after being strung into skewers will be fried in a hot oil pan until the meatballs bulge, and burn yellow. This kind of best street food in Saigon is served with chutney and black sauce with a spicy, salty, crunchy taste. You can chew lumpily because it's neither too soft nor too hard. In some places, you also enjoy this dish with radish, pickled carrots, and cucumber.

Where to eat

• Street vendors
  Address: 565 Nguyen Trai Street, District 5
  Prices: $0.5 - $2

Enjoy some hot skewers to satisfy your taste buds

7. Crab soup (Sup Cua)

In Hanoi and many northern provinces, crab soup is often only available in restaurants or parties. But it can be a street food in Saigon and it is a favorite snack and extremely rustic. Indeed, in Saigon, you absolutely can enjoy a cup of quality crab soup on the sidewalk with an average price of about 15,000 to 20,000 VND.

The ingredients of crab soup are diverse, including crab meat, shredded chicken, quail eggs, and mushrooms. There are also more north-herbs-eggs, and even the brains to make the bowl plumper and quality. The yellow color of the wave soup matches that of crab meat with cilantro, pepper, and chili, giving it a captivating aroma and natural sweetness. Notably, the mixture of these ingredients does not make you feel bored.

Where to eat

• Sup cua Hanh
  Address: 517 Su Van Hanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
  Opening hours: 6:25 am – 10:30 pm
  Prices: $0.5 – $1
• Sup cua Nha tho Duc Ba
  Address: 86 Nguyen Du, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCM City
  Opening hours: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
  Prices: $0.6 – $1.2
• Sup cua Cho Thiec
  Address: 166 Pho Co Dieu, District 11, HCM city
  Opening hours: 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
  Prices: $0.6 – $1.2

8. Spring rolls (Nem Cuon)

In Saigon, spring rolls have long been a favorite food, because few dishes are easy to treat so many people. This dish can be used to snack between meals to reduce hunger or even can be used instead of main meals.

Only made from 4 main ingredients rice paper, vegetables, noodles, meat, shrimp, and spring rolls is a blend of all sour, spicy, salty, sweet, and fragrant flavors. Pork is selected from pork belly mixed with boiled or steamed shrimp to mark perfectly eye-catching bright red.

For good spring rolls, the raw material must be fresh. However, the making does not exert too much effort; otherwise, the mixture will be sprung. Besides, salad dressings also play an essential role. There are two main types of sauce: soy sauce and seasoning sauce. When eating spring rolls, you should use each handle, dot well in the cup of sauce, and bite your teeth to see all the deliciousness.

Where to eat:

• Hai Hoi Quan
  Address: 51 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, HCM City
  Opening hours: 7:30 am - 10:00 pm
  Prices: $1 - $3
• Quan nem Ho Guom
  Address: 6A Tran Phu Street, District 5, HCM City
  Opening hours: 7:00 am - 10:00 pm
  Prices: $1.6 - $2.5
• Bun cha Sinh Tu
  Address: 55 Bui Thi Xuan, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, HCM City
  Opening hours: 7:00 am - 10:00 pm
  Prices: $1.5 - $3

Nem cuon (Spring roll)

9. Banh mi

Bread is in any region, any region, any province in Vietnam. However, in each locality, Banh mi has its variation in ingredients, making a difference in the dish that seems familiar. Saigon is one of the places with many unique and extremely attractive banh mi variations, so this is the most delicious street food in Saigon you should try when coming here.

The most popular type of bread in Saigon is the mixed bread with all kinds of pate, rolls, sausages, and jambon. A loaf of quality bread like the famous Huynh Hoa shop sometimes costs up to 50,000 VND ($2.3), but in return, it has a delicious, crunchy crust.

Where to eat:

• Huynh Hoa bread
  Address: 26 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
  Opening hours: 01:30 pm - 00:00 am
  Prices: $1.2 - $2
• Co Diep Bread
  Address: 238 Vo Thanh Trang, Ward 11, Tan Binh District
  Opening hours: 05:00 pm - 00:00 am
  Prices: $1.2 - $2
• Hoa Ma Bread
  Address: 53 Cao Thang, Ward 3, District 3
  Opening hours: 07:00 pm - 10:00 pm
  Prices: $1.2 - $2

The Infamous Banh Mi

10. Bo bia

Bo bia is a rustic dish. You know, the recipe to make it is so simple. Just roll a mixture of cassava tubers, dried shrimp, lettuce, herbs, sausages, sausages, eggs in a piece of thin rice paper, and there is a bo bia.

Soy sauce is distilled as an indispensable dipping dish of Southern Vietnam beef. You should know that the sauce must be just enough of the sweetness of the sugar, the spiciness of chili, the fat leopard of oil, and the fleshiness of peanuts. People who first eat this sauce will find it very strange, but once eaten, it is challenging to forget the flavor of the sauce.

Where to eat

• Tan Dinh Market
  Address: 127 Nguyen Huu Cau, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1
  Opening hours: 03:30 pm - 9:30 pm
  Prices: $0.5 - $2
• Ton Dan Bo Bia
  Address: 189 Ton Dan, District 4
  Opening hours: 2:30 pm - 11:00 pm
  Prices: $0.5 - $2

11. Fried butter quail (Cut Xao Me)

It sounds a bit scary, but this is one of the favorite snacks in Ho Chi Minh City. Fried quail butter attracts passersby with its sweet aroma. Delicious fried butter quail are natural golden brown quail. When enjoying it, you will feel the soft, fatty taste of the meat. When eating, the meat must be fat, and smooth, and the head, wings, and legs should be crispy.

Where to eat

• Mrs. Nam
  Address: 54 Dong Nai, Ward 15, District 10
  Opening hours: 01:30 pm - 10:30 pm
  Prices: $5 - $10
• Mrs. Oanh
  Address: 212 To Hien Thanh, District 10
  Opening hours: 04:00 pm - 9:00 pm
  Prices: $5 - $10
• Mrs. Tam
  Address: 419 Pham Van Dong, Ward 11, Binh Thanh District
  Opening hours: 03:00 pm - 11:00 pm
  Prices: $5 - $10

12. Dried beef salad (Nom Bo Kho)

Beef Dry Salad is simple and easy to prepare. You know, eat beef jerky salad, you won't have to wait long. You just ordered the plate immediately and had a colorful and delicious meal of dried beef.

The dried beef here is usually the kind of meat that is processed and seasoned thoroughly. You may eat beef jerky salad with papaya cause it is a perfect mix. Papaya will be shredded and brined to eliminate pus and increase brittleness. Above the dish will be decorated with a few slices of laksa leaves to improve the flavor and create elegant, eye-catching colors.

Papaya salad with dried beef attracts diners with salad dressing. In fact, the taste of each country has its secret. A delicious salad dressing is often mixed with vinegar, soy sauce, and chili sauce. It will depend on the dosage phase to create a good or bad taste. Eating dried beef salad will not only make you feel full but very light on the stomach.

Where to eat:

• Ty Thy - Thai Papaya Salad
  Address: 2B Ben Phu Lam, Ward 9, District 6, City. HCM City
  Opening hours: 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
  Prices: $1 - $2
• Ms. Phuong - Papaya Salad & Spring Roll
  Address: 001 Apartment Le Hong Phong, Le Hong Phong, Ward 2, District 5.
  Opening hours: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
  Prices: $1 - $2

Nom Bo Kho is the favorite street food in Saigon

13. Fried corn (Bap Xao)

It is a snack often sold on mobile carts along the road. If you come across a corn food stall, you will be intrigued by the aroma of butter mingled with the smell of hot onions. Each golden corn seed is soaked in butter, and onion fat, accompanied by small shrimp, when eating, you will feel the delicious salty and sweet taste.

Fried corn has a crunchy, aromatic flavor that is still hot, so the customers keep sipping forever but never feel bored. In addition, each box of corn is only 10,000 - 15,000 VND, very cheap for snacks. You can find this street food in Saigon on streetcars in the evening, Ho Con Rua snack area, Nguyen Hue walking street, etc. everywhere.

Where to eat:

• Banh Ngo Chien
  Address: 413 Le Dai Hanh, District 11, HCM City
  Opening hours: 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
  Prices: $0.4 - $1
• Street vendors on Nguyen Hue Street, District 1
  Prices: $0.4 - $1

14. Pig intestines grilled

For almost every dish, baking is always the most preferred type of cooking because it not only retains the flavor but also adds a fascinating aroma. People often choose lungs or heart-stuffed cartilage for grilled pork intestines. Because these dishes have toughness and fleshiness, and when cooked on a charcoal stove, they create a scorching crust.

Pork can be grilled fresh or marinated with spices, depending on your liking. At popular snack bars, people serve grilled skewers to sip to ease the boredom. In the restaurants, they will marinate in advance the ingredients and let the customers just bake and enjoy, so that you can feel the fascinating heat of the dish. Grilled pork intestine is suitable for eating at all times, so don't be afraid to try it.

Where to eat

• Xien Khe
  Address: 360 Vo Van Kiet Street, District 1
  Opening hours: 4:00 pm - 2:00 am
  Prices: $0.5-$3
• Xien Nuong Hanoi
  Address: 12 Huynh Tinh Cua, Ward 8, District 3, HCM city
  Opening hours: 3:00 pm - 10:00 pm
  Prices: $0.5 - $3

15. Grilled sticky banana (Chuoi Nuong)

It is not natural that grilled sticky bananas will always be listed on dishes for a rainy day. It is also thanks to the attraction of all the harmonious combined flavors that make this popular dish. The glutinous rice will be roasted and scorched to have a crunchy texture but still retain its softness and moisture inside. The sweet banana kernel soaked in greasy coconut water will make diners excited when enjoying.

Where to eat:

• Vo Van Tan grilled sticky banana at District 3.
• Stalls along with To Hien Thanh Street, District 10.
• Stalls on Tran Dinh Xu Street, District 1.
  Prices: $0.3 - $1

Sweet and Warm Grilled Sticky Banana

In each destination, with its regional cuisine, there are countless delicious and strange dishes to attract tourists. So why not take advantage of them, enjoy right? Above is a list of the best Saigon street food, hope it helps you find the right food for your trip.

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