When mentioning Saigon, everyone will immediately think of a luxurious and splendid city, and also a tourist destination that everyone should visit at least once. Food in Ho Chi Minh city is even more unique because this is the place where many different culinary cultures converge and interact with all the famous delicacies of the country.
From sidewalk stalls to luxury restaurants, they all have unique flavors that everyone loves. Once you set foot in magnificent Saigon, take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the culinary quintessence of this place. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s explore 6 famous specialties in Saigon with Yourvietnam.org in the article below!
==> Read more: Discover the quintessence of food in Ho Chi Minh city
1/ Broken rice – number 1 food in Ho Chi Minh city
This is a Saigon specialty that we can eat as our main meal every day. Not only Vietnamese people but also foreign tourists want to try and love the incredibly delicious taste of broken rice and the excellent combination of flavors in each delightful piece of meat every time they come to Saigon.
The rice used to cook broken rice is the damaged part of the rice grain when grinding, which is also the factor that makes broken rice different from regular rice. Eaten with grilled ribs or grilled chicken with a rich, sweet, and sour taste, you can choose to eat with rolls or vermicelli. Usually, the whole “combo” of broken rice will be broken rice with ribs and pork patties.
An essential factor that determines the taste of Saigon’s specialty broken rice is fish sauce. Fish sauce is such as the soul of the dish. A bowl of dipping sauce full of garlic and chili flavors, mixed by the cook according to a “secret” recipe, has contributed to creating a more flavorful plate of rice.
Initially, it was a dish only for poor workers because the price of broken rice grains was cheaper than regular rice. But now, thanks to the unique combination of flavors from meat, patties, eggs, and delicious dipping sauce, people have created a prosperous Saigon specialty that everyone loves.
Save now the addresses that sell delicious broken rice in Saigon:
- Ba Cuong rib rice (263 Tran Quang Khai, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1)
- Minh Long broken rice (607 Nguyen Thi Thap, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City)
- Com Tam Huyen (Alley 95 Dinh Tien Hoang, Ward 3, Binh Thanh District, HCH City)
- Ba Ha broken rice (389 Hung Phu, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City)
2/ Noodle soup – popular food in Ho Chi Minh city
Noodles are a familiar dish of Southern people, and the variety in cooking noodles is what makes the different flavors of each place. In Saigon, there are many different noodle flavors, such as squid noodles, Nam Vang noodles, fish noodles, tap noodles, etc. But in general, noodles are still a very popular Saigon specialty. The hearts of residents and tourists.
Coming to Saigon, you cannot help but try fish noodle soup with Chinese flavors. The main ingredients of fish noodle soup are fresh snakehead fish cut into slices. A bowl of delicious broth cooked from bones combined with lettuce, chili, and lemon creates a vibrant and delightful fish noodle dish.
Another version of noodle soup for those who love seafood is squid noodle soup. The way to cook squid noodles is the same as traditional noodles. In particular, the aroma and sweetness of squid are “delicious,” so squid noodle soup is also one of favorite food in Ho Chi Minh city.
Nam Vang Noodle Soup is one of the Saigon noodle dishes that comes from Cambodia. The local people have transformed and created a pot of clear broth with a typical sweet taste of Vietnam to become a famous specialty of Saigon.
3/ Dumplings
As a place where many Chinese people live, it is not strange that food in Ho Chi Minh city comes from Chinese dishes. The typical dish is steamed dumplings, a specialty that fascinates people because of their softness and diverse and incredibly delicious flavors.
Dumplings are prepared similarly to wontons but are more prominent, have more flavorful fillings, and have more meat. The most common dumpling is a cake with a yellow crust filled with beef and whole shrimp. In addition to being eaten with dipping sauce, dumplings can be eaten with noodles or deep-fried. When you come to the store, you can choose the filling that suits your preferences.
Summary of addresses selling delicious dumplings for diners:
- Thien Thien Dumplings (197 Ha Ton Quyen, Ward 4, District 11, HCMC)
- Ngoc Y Dumplings (187 Ha Ton Quyen, Ward 4, District 11, HCMC)
- Sui Cao Shop 193 (193 Ha Ton Quyen, Ward 4, District 11, HCMC)
- Tan Tong Loi Dumpling Noodles (311 Vo Van Tan, Ward 5, District 3, HCMC)
- Sui Cao Gia Y (548/29 Dien Bien Phu, Ward 21, Binh Thanh, HCMC)
4/ Hamburgers
Bread is a very familiar and close dish to almost all Vietnamese people. Especially in Saigon, when walking on the streets, you can easily see countless bakeries or bread carts. Because it is so familiar, few people probably think that burgers are one of Saigon’s specialty dishes.
Hamburgers are one of the pinnacles of street food and are in the top 10 best sandwiches in the world. In particular, the traditional costume “Banh Mi” in the international beauty arena also partly affirms that this is a specialty dish of Vietnamese people in general and of Saigon in particular.
The wonderful flavor of the burger is a combination of cold cuts of meat, spring rolls, patties, pate, pickles, onions, cilantro… and an exceptional sauce, all wrapped in a bun. The noodles are fragrant and crispy. Not only that, but nowadays, bread can combine with roasted pork, shumai, and fish cakes. Each type of filling has a unique taste but is delicious, nutritious, and cheap.
5/ Pha lau
Wandering around food streets, sidewalks, or alleys, it will be easy for you to find a delicious pha lau restaurant. The reason why pha lau becomes a Saigon specialty is because of the process of processing, creating, and transforming the animal’s internal organs into a highly delicious and flavorful dish.
To make delicious and odorless pha lau, the chef must prepare it very carefully and skillfully cover it with spices to cover the smell of the internal organs. Not only that, the flavor of the pot of broth is equally essential to create a bowl of pha lau that is both fragrant, fatty, and delicious. The two most prominent types of pha lau in Saigon are pha lau instant noodles and pha lau banh mi.
6/ Mixed rice paper
Surprisingly, the national snack mixed rice paper is one of Saigon’s specialties, right? No one remembers exactly when mixed rice paper appeared. If you have come to Saigon and have never sat on the sidewalk eating mixed rice paper, drinking milk tea. It also means that you have not come to Saigon.
Even though it is just a combination of simple ingredients such as rice paper with young mango, laksa leaves, beef jerky, chicken jerky, boiled quail eggs, dried shrimp, fried onions, peanuts… and a little sauce, it creates A dish with a surprisingly unique flavor. And that flavor can please people of all ages, especially students.
==> Read more: Top #23 Famous attractions in Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon is not only a special urban area with a modern look, but also full of street corners and roads that are familiar and simple to everyone. The same goes for food in Ho Chi Minh city, perhaps the familiar dishes, associated with the lifestyle of the people here, are the specialties of Saigon. From the dishes that Yourvietnam.org just shared, surely you will be surprised because you have probably eaten most of Saigon’s specialties, right? If not, then you definitely have to come to Saigon and try these dishes once.
