From the Bahn mi to Vietnam’s best pho, this ultimate foodie guide is ready to point you in the direction of Ho Chi Minh’s best dishes.
There aren’t enough good things to say about the tourist destination that Vietnam has become. If Vietnam isn’t at the top of your travel destinations list, you might need to rethink your list.
It doesn’t matter if you have been there just once, lived there for years, or are planning to visit for the first time. It is a destination to get excited about.
With its fresh southeast Asian flavors blended with years of French influence, the cuisine of Vietnam is unique, healthy, and impressively delicious. Realistically you could walk up to any street vendor and any restaurant and leave satisfied, but for the sake of this article’s title, here are some of the best places to experience Vietnamese cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City.
Throughout Ho Chi Minh City you will find carts and shops on the side of the road selling banh mi. They are equipped with baguettes and all sorts of veggies and meats to stuff inside them. Here are some of the best!
This shop is particularly famous having been featured on travel specials. The bread here is exactly what you want from french bread. It is perfectly crispy while staying nice and soft on the inside.
Yet another shop that has been featured on travel shows, Banh Mi Huynh Hoa is particularly well known for how thoroughly they pack their sandwiches. They may be a little more pricy than some of the other shops but you get a well-stuffed sandwich.
What makes this Banh Mi shop different is that it uses a thick crispy slice of pork belly as its meat. The pork belly is full of juicy goodness that amps up the flavor and uniqueness of their Banh Mi.
This place is quite popular and well known too. They don’t just offer the standard Banh mi, they offer what is called banh mi op la. It is served on a plate with the usual banh mi baguettes, but with pickled vegetables, a variety of meats, and two eggs served outside. It is kind of like a deconstructed banh mi.
Ben Thanh Market is popular with tourists and is well set up with a little bit of everything inside or not too far away. You can come here early for dinner then not have to go too far to enjoy the nightlife.
Serving Vietnamese staples along with tea, Secret Garden is a local favorite with an affordable menu. This restaurant has a calming aesthetic with Vietnamese lanterns and wooden furniture. This is a great place to order a variety of dishes to share.
Located near the riverfront, Hum Vegetarian, Lounge & Restaurant is full of greenery, beautiful wooden furniture, and small ponds. The menu is made up of vegetarian Vietnamese food that is healthy and reasonably priced.
Located on Ton That Dam Street in the Cho Chu wet market, Anan “eat eat” Saigon is run by award running chef, Peter Cuong Franklin. The ingredients here are always fresh and you will be impressed with diverse flavors that can be found here.
Pho is likely the most well-known of Vietnamese cuisine. You can find it all over western cities and it is likely even the least traveled individual you know has heard of it. If you take the time to make the trip to Vietnam you should consume at least a few bowls of Pho.
One of the most popular Pho restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City with both locals and tourists, this is a must-visit location. There are
This restaurant is almost guaranteed to be packed. It has been featured on travel shows and by bloggers making it one of the most famous places in the city. It lives up to the hype though with some of the best Pho in Ho Chi Minh City.
I am a writer and traveler who is originally from Northampton Massachusetts in the US. I have lived in Taiwan for five years and have used it as a home base to travel around Asia. Besides living in Asia, I spend a year living in and traveling around Seattle in the Pacific Northwest.