Last updated November 2024 | Words and photos by Luke Digweed
Luke Digweed is a staff writer for Vietnam Coracle. He has been living in Vietnam since 2011, mostly in Huế but also in Đà Nẵng & Sài Gòn. While living in Huế, he ran the Huế Grit Tour & co-organized events & small concerts between 2017-2020. His most recent ongoing project is Festivals of Vietnam which documents ceremonies, rituals & processions around the country….read more about Luke
The street food scene in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) permeates every district, neighbourhood and alleyway. The city boasts so many street food outlets that at times the southern metropolis looks, feels and smells like one gigantic, open-air restaurant. Every day, thousands of street-side eateries offer up delicious, cheap food in an informal arrangement on the city’s sidewalks. But street food is about more than food: it’s about atmosphere and ambience, community and conviviality. As a friend of mine once pointed out, if you take street food home with you, it doesn’t taste as good. Eating street food and exploring the streets where it’s sold is without doubt the best thing to do in Ho Chi Minh City. This guide introduces 10 great streets for street food in Ho Chi Minh City.
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10 STREETS FOR STREET FOOD
One of the Most Exciting Street Food Scenes in the World
In this guide I’ve listed, reviewed, illustrated and mapped 10 of the best streets for street food in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). In the descriptions for each street I’ve included some recommendations of particular places to eat, but it’s best to just wander around and eat whatever takes your fancy. Defining street food is increasingly difficult as investors cash-in on the popularity of street food and successful vendors, who started their businesses working alone from a pushcart, now have the financial means to upgrade their facilities and manage a large team of employees in a rented shopfront. While some people might have strict definitions of what is and isn’t ‘street food’, I define it as anything that’s eaten at street level at affordable prices in an informal environment. Note that the following streets are not in order of preference: they are all worth exploring. Click a street name below for details and, if you enjoy this guide, please donate. (For more street food guides, see Related Posts.)
CONTENTS:
4. Hà Tôn Quyền
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MAP:
10 Street Food Streets in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
1. Sư Vạn Hạnh Street:
Location: District 10 [MAP]
Sư Vạn Hạnh is a long street but the section between Ngô Gia Tự and Nguyễn Chí Thanh is the part jam-packed with an excellent selection of street food. Due to the density of living spaces, the area’s street life is exceptionally vibrant. Yet change is afoot: the first apartment block in the area has been torn down as part of a wider plan to improve the residential situation. This comes at a time when the neighbourhood has been experiencing a surge of attention as one of the local eateries received an award from the Michelin Guide in 2024. The question now is whether the money and attention generated from food tourism will halt the demolition of the rest of the apartment complex.
The street’s speciality is bánh xèo (savoury crepes filled with pork and bean sprouts). Dozens of places serve small bánh xèo cooked on circular trays over flaming, coal-fired barbecues. My favourite spot is at 007 Lô H (literally ‘Block H’), where the cooking area is as exciting as the dish is tasty. Recent Michelin Bib Gourmand awardee Bò Kho Gánh (029 Lô H) sells aromatic beef stew a little bit further down the block. Beautifully decorated and a little pricey, it stands out from neighbouring outlets. But don’t just visit the Michelin-recommend eatery: on a street like this, dozens of food outlets are worthy of Michelin recognition.
At the corner with Hòa Hảo Street there’s a good Chinese-style noodle outlet called Tai Phát. Try the stall speciality mì vịt tiềm (egg noodles with duck in a deeply aromatic broth). The noodles are sold from a classic xe mì (noodle trolley) decorated with painted dragons and scenes from Chinese mythology. Right at the southern end of Block H (Lô H) there’s an outstanding Vietnamese dessert (chè) stall on the corner called Khánh Vy (032 Block H). This place is rammed with customers who gather around the tables to enjoy any of the sixteen different kinds of desserts sold here. All of them are gooey, sweet, colourful and involve sticky rice, green bean or coconut milk in some form or another. The textures and flavours might be unfamiliar to most foreign palates but the sheer variety and youthful energy of this stall make it my favourite place on this street. My personal favourite is chè mè đen – a black sesame pudding.
Images of Sư Vạn Hạnh Street
2. Vạn Kiếp Street:
Location: Bình Thạnh District [MAP]
Vạn Kiếp must be a contender for the city’s most densely packed street food street. If you only have one chance to visit a street food spot in Ho Chi Minh City and crave a large selection with a bustling atmosphere, Vạn Kiếp street is the place to go. Even in the drizzle of a cool rainy evening, Vạn Kiếp street is an exciting showcase of Vietnamese street food. Neon signs prick the night, illuminating the slanting rain as they announce the specialties of each food and drink outlet: phở, bánh canh cua, bánh mì, bánh xèo, bún mắm, bún bò Huế, bún chả, nem nướng, chè – there must be at least fifty different dishes available on this street, and over a hundred eateries to choose from. The street is packed with customers ranging from young Vietnamese indulging in their own street food adventure, to parents initiating their children into the delights of street food while allowing themselves moderate indulgences. Everyone is clustered around small plastic tables, hunched over on small plastic stools, talking, eating, gesticulating, laughing.
On the corner of Phan Xích Long Street and Vạn Kiếp Street is the very popular Ốc Zuka, where the kitchen operates right next to the tables and chairs of diners. Opposite Ốc Zuka is a cluster of restaurants specializing in the pungent Mekong specialty bún mắm: go to Quán Dì Cẩm (181 Vạn Kiếp) to try this potent seafood noodle soup, a fusion of Khmer and Vietnamese flavors. Further down the road, away from Phan Xích Long Street, you’ll find crispy savoury Vietnamese pancakes at Bánh Xèo Miền Tây in front of Vạn Kiếp Market and fried Japanese octopus doughballs at Takoyaki Katchi (133 Vạn Kiếp). Another of Vạn Kiếp Street’s popular spots is Mì Xào Giòn (serving deep-fried crispy egg noodles at 181 Vạn Kiếp). Watch as staff meander through the traffic carrying customers’ orders from the kitchen on one side of the street to the diners on the other side. Feeling heavy from too much greasy food? Not to worry, head to Quán Kem Trái Dừa (66 Vạn Kiếp) for some refreshing coconut ice cream or dig into a cobia fish hotpot at Lẩu Cá Bóp (02 Vạn Kiếp).
Images of Vạn Kiếp Street
3. Hồ Thị Kỷ Street:
Location: District 10 [MAP]
In the past, Hồ Thị Kỷ Street was best known for its night flower market. However, in recent years the proliferation of street food stalls on an adjacent alleyway has turned the area into one of the most popular spots for street eats in the city. The two narrow streets are now known as the Hồ Thị Kỷ Food Street & Flower Market (Phố Ẩm Thực và Chợ Hoa Hồ Thị Kỷ).
Unlike other locations covered in this guide, Hồ Thị Kỷ Street has grown in popularity not only with domestic visitors but also with international travellers, including food tour groups. Its popularity stems from the density of eateries on a narrow alleyway with a low volume of road traffic. The rise in popularity of this street has also driven up rental prices, which in turn puts additional pressure on vendors: many now resort to pushy selling techniques and stocking gimmicky foods instead of regional specialties. Nevertheless, Hồ Thị Kỷ is still a lot of fun because of its bustling atmosphere and street food gems.
Hồ Thị Kỷ Street proper is actually the ‘flower market street’, whereas the ‘food street’ occupies the parallel alleyway (Hẻm 66 Hùng Vương), and several small alleys connect both streets, creating a grid of narrow arteries. Tiny tables and chairs line the street, with music booming from unseen speakers. Be sure to walk around a bit before deciding where to stop and eat. Look out for the Chân Gà Rút Xương cart (they insist that 498 is the street number, but that doesn’t align with the fixed street numbers here) whose specialty is chicken feet in spicy-sour Thai sauce, but I encourage you to try the cà na (Chinese olives), a salty and sour fruit popular in the Mekong Delta which will send your tastebuds into a spin. Buy a portion and distribute them among your party. Be careful with the pip!
Meat options abound, such as a portion of phá lấu (simmered meat offal in a richly aromatic broth) or some Korean chicken at the popular stand Món Gà Sốt Cay Hàn Quốc. Barbecued meats and seafood are available every couple of meters: try the deep-fried spicy octopus sticks (bạch tuộc chiên) at 93/24 Hồ Thị Kỷ, thick meat sticks (nem lụi) in the southern-highland style are very popular with visitors, or try Vietnamese tacos (bánh tráng nướng), grilled quail eggs (trứng cút chén), and Cambodian dessert (chè Khmer). If you’re looking for something a bit more substantial than novelty street bites, there are heartier options, such as hủ tiếu (southern-style pork noodle soup), cơm gà (chicken rice), and lẩu bò (beef hotpot) at 84/10 Hẻm 80 Hồ Thị Kỷ, a few minutes’ walk from the food street.
Between snacks on Hồ Thị Kỷ Street, take a stroll along the alleyways off the main food strip for an intimate perspective of residential life in this city quarter. In addition, the alleyways heading due east will take you to the flower market on the parallel Hồ Thị Kỷ Street. The flower market doesn’t really get going until late into the night: around midnight trucks begin to arrive from the highlands, laden with fresh flowers, unloaded and presented at the stalls in the very early hours of morning. It’s well worth staying up (or waking up) for. In the evenings, there are still dozens of flower stalls operating on the street. Hồ Thị Kỷ is also in close proximity to the fascinating Nguyễn Thiện Thuật apartment complex, which is an excellent street food area in itself.
Images of Hồ Thị Kỷ Street
4. Hà Tôn Quyền Street:
Location: District 11 & 5 [MAP]
District 5, 6, and 11 comprise what is known as Chợ Lớn (literally ‘Big Market) which is the world’s biggest ‘Chinatown’. Chợ Lớn is made up of Chinese communities who first migrated here as far back as the 16th century. Chợ Lớn includes some of the city’s oldest quarters, and a walk through them can be aesthetically pleasing and highly rewarding. Hà Tôn Quyền Street, straddling the borders of District 11 and District 5, is one such area: a lively street entrenched in the local community with some old architecture. In the daytime, the street hosts a sprawling flea market of machinery and electronics, but as day turns to night, the northern part of the street, between Nguyễn Chí Thanh and Trần Quý, becomes a flurry of Chinese-influenced eateries.
On the southern side of the Nguyễn Chí Thanh – Hà Tôn Quyền intersection are two highly popular restaurants named Quán Lẩu Vận Hảo and Quán Lẩu Đông Xuyên. Both sell a range of dishes but are renowned for their distinct hotpots (lẩu). At the table, diners choose the flavour of their broth and their preferred meat, then watch it cook before adding veggies. This is a great meal to share between a small group.
Head north on Hà Tôn Quyền Street and you’ll reach a range of restaurants specializing in sủi cảo (Chinese-style dumplings). For more than 20 years, this has been a popular location for dumping dining in the city. There are dozens of sủi cảo eateries and competition is fierce. Staff try their best to attract the patronage of passersby. The sủi cảo dumplings can be boiled, fried or steamed and served dry or in soup with egg noodles. Don’t forget to include a glass of nước sâm (herbal tea), a cool, refreshing drink popular among the Chinese community. At the Trần Quý – Hà Tôn Quyền intersection, a lone vendor sells various pastries, including bánh tiêu (fried dough). Try one of the bánh tiêu sầu riêng (durian doughnuts) to cap off your food adventure on this street.
Images of Hà Tôn Quyền Street
5. Cô Giang Street:
Location: District 1 [MAP]
Cô Giang is a long, straight street that unofficially marks the southern perimeter of the city’s burgeoning backpacker area in District 1. However, Cô Giang Street is a lot quieter than nearby Phạm Ngũ Lão, Bùi Viện and Đề Thám streets whose bars, western restaurants and mini-marts make up the core of the backpacker district. In general, Cô Giang Street has a more local and residential atmosphere than the tourist-oriented businesses and party vibes of Bùi Viện. But, large plots of land along Cô Giang Street are marked out for construction, suggesting long-term plans to build hotels and commercial buildings here. For now though, Cô Giang’s street food culture continues to flourish and this is most evident at its northeastern end.
In the evenings, bright fluorescent light bulbs illuminate streetside barbeques, whooshing woks and bubbling cauldrons. Scented cooking smoke fills the air and hangs, like a Dickensian fog, over the diners sitting at tables on the sidewalk. A popular stand selling cơm tấm (broken rice) at 24 Cô Giang is run by three generations of one family, with seating down an alleyway. Head to the stand and point at whatever dish takes your fancy. Nearby, the unmistakable fragrance of bò lá lốt (grilled beef rolled in aromatic vine leaf) wafts over from A Hào at 271 Cô Giang Street.
Food options thin out as you head further towards the south-western end of the street, but some gems can still be found. A good fix of egg noodles (mì khô) with a topping of shrimp, pork or squid can be found at 31 Cô Giang; or Mì Sủi Cảo (91 Cô Giang Street) specializes in Chinese-style wanton noodles; and a few locations sell chè (Vietnamese pudding) at 60 and 85 Cô Giang Street.
Images of Cô Giang Street
6. Trần Khắc Chân Street:
Location: District 1 [MAP]
Once a thriving street food mecca, Trần Khắc Chân Street feels more formal than it did in the past. These days, the neighbourhood street vendors operating on the sidewalk compete for attention with franchise restaurants whose multicoloured branding lights up the buildings. But Trần Khắc Chân Street still holds on to its street food culture, for now at least. Hemmed in at one end by the Thị Nghè Canal and at the other by the tree-lined Trần Quang Khải boulevard, this is a street to let your ‘foodie instincts’ guide you: follow the smells, the smoke and the neon signage towards whatever dishes appeal most to you.
Most of the action is at the Thị Nghè Canal end of the street. A good place to start is at the popular Bánh Canh Cua 87 which, unsurprisingly, serves bánh canh cua at number 87 Trần Khắc Chân Street. This gooey, slimy, crab-based dish features thick and doughy noodles which are famously slippery: getting them to stay on your chopsticks from bowl to mouth is a challenge for diners not used to using chopsticks. Another great spot for noodles is Phở Hải down the alley from the Trần Khắc Chân-Trần Khánh Dư crossroads. A street food stalwart, Hải has been running this family business for over 30 years. Always busy and almost always open (from 6am-3am!), Hải’s staff insist that their beef phở is the southern version, rather than the traditional northern one. On humid nights, cool off with a glass of fresh pomelo juice (nước ép bưởi) at 122 Trần Khắc Chân Street.
Images of Trần Khắc Chân Street
7. Vĩnh Khánh Street:
Location: District 4 [MAP]
Home to the inner-city port of Saigon, District 4, once a favourite haunt of notorious Vietnamese gangster Năm Cam (executed in 2004), continues to have associations with the city’s underworld. With over 200,000 residents packed into approximately 4km² of land, the density of this district creates an electric street-level atmosphere. Vĩnh Khánh Street is one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most popular places for street food, especially for seafood and grilled meats. Groups of friends and families hunker down at tiny red and blue plastic tables, splitting shells, cracking crab legs, clinking beer glasses and having a really good time. As if the cacophony of laughter, traffic and shouted orders wasn’t enough, some self-styled entertainers occasionally pull-up with giant amplifiers strapped to their motorbikes and proceed to blast out karaoke, magic routines or dance performances for the amusement (or displeasure) of street food diners. Calling the food scene here vibrant would be an understatement: it’s chaotic, loud and busy. Vĩnh Khánh Street is a raucous celebration of food, fun and life!
Head to Ốc Oanh (534 Vĩnh Khánh Street) for seafood and shellfish. This is the most famous of all the seafood joints on the street. The portions are big, the seafood is fresh and the service is brisk and efficient. Try ốc hương rang muối ớt (fried sea snails with salt and chilli) and sò điệp nướng mỡ hành (grilled scallops with spring onions and peanuts). Prices are a little higher here than elsewhere but it’s worth it. A bit further down Vĩnh Khánh Street, you’ll find cơm cháy kho quẹt, a delicious dish of caramelized meat and vegetables in a peppery sauce paired with crispy-fried rice crackers. As you reach the bottom of Vĩnh Khánh, a few eateries sell some familiar street food favourites, such as bún thịt nướng (cold noodle salad with marinated grilled pork) and bún cá Châu Đốc (turmeric fish noodles from the Mekong Delta). Once you’re finished eating, head to the intersection where Vĩnh Khánh Street meets Hoàng Diệu Street and grab a sinh tố (fruit smoothie) to finish up.
A tip for travellers is to remember that Vĩnh Khánh Street is just one part of a much wider street food scene in District 4. The maze of alleyways connecting Đoàn Văn Bơ Street and Vĩnh Khánh Street is filled with small eateries and cafes. Pagoda-strewn Nguyễn Hữu Hào Street boasts a lot of vegetarian food for practising Buddhists. And Tôn Đản Street, which connects with the bottom of Vĩnh Khánh, is also packed with street food eateries. Vĩnh Khánh is just the beginning!
Images of Vĩnh Khánh Street
8. Nguyễn Thượng Hiền Street:
Location: District 3 [MAP]
Nguyễn Thượng Hiền Street is long and narrow, lined with enormous concrete electricity pylons leading to the heart of District 1. Yellow street lamps rise above boxy houses, while tangled electricity cables hang in front of neon signs like jungle vines. At night, neighbors fraternize with vendors over barbequed meats and cans of beer. Dining options on Nguyễn Thượng Hiền Street are a bit more limited than other street food locations. These days, it feels more like a “drink street” – a place where people stop by on their way to and from work or school for liquid refreshments. Motorbikes and cars pull up beside the pavement and order from their seats before continuing on their way. Near the intersections with Nguyễn Đình Chiểu and Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, several large juice stalls sell freshly squeezed tropical fruits into plastic bottles to take away (try Phát Đạt at 125 Nguyễn Thượng Hiền). Milk teas and herbal teas line the street – one that caught my eye was sữa hạt dẻ – hazelnut milk at 239 Nguyễn Thượng Hiền. Vietnam’s cornerstone well-being beverage, nước ép rau má (pennywort juice), is available at several vendors, including Mèo Hạt Dẻ (257 Nguyễn Thượng Hiền).
While the selection of drinks is impressive, there are still some great street eats to try here. On the corner at the foot of Nguyễn Thượng Hiền is the delicious Bánh Mì Xíu Mại Chén Đèn Dầu (416G Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai), a dip-and-spread affair with meatballs, baguette and a tasty tomato-based sauce. Lovers of fried food will fall head-over-heels for the battered shrimp baguettes (bánh mì chiên tôm gỏi cuốn) at 314 Nguyễn Thượng Hiền) and fried egg croutons (bánh bột chiên) at 37 Nguyễn Thượng Hiền).
Images of Nguyễn Thượng Hiền Street
9. Phan Văn Hân Street:
Location: Bình Thạnh District [MAP]
A long, narrow street connecting two of the city’s busiest arteries, Phan Văn Hân Street presents a wonderful selection of street food with cheap stalls frequented by residents and students from nearby universities. Just across the Thị Nghè Channel from the glitz and glamour of central District 1, Phan Văn Hân Street has an appealingly local, unpretentious atmosphere.
Phan Văn Hân Street can be divided into three sections. The eastern end is the busiest, with lots of traffic passing through and plenty of places to eat. The central section is calmer with a pleasant combination of residential life and street food activity and alleyways splintering off into darkness, occasionally lit by the headlights of passing motorbikes. The western end is mostly businesses, apartments and houses, with just a sprinkling of dining options.
Explore Phan Văn Hân Street between 5pm-8pm to experience it at its best. Start by heading west of the intersection with Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh Street and stop at some of the tropical fruit vendors on your way. This section of the street is especially narrow and regularly gets clogged with cars. Stop by one of the many bánh tráng trộn stalls, such as Cô Xuân at 152 Phan Văn Hân, who sells from a shoulder yoke at a fixed location. Bánh tráng trộn is a street food classic made of shredded mango and papaya, dried beef, peanuts and quail eggs all mixed together in a bag or wrapped in rice paper. Further up the street is the popular Quán Ốc Sinh Viên (literally ‘Student Snails’) serving a range of grilled seafood, shellfish and snails. Its name implies that prices are so cheap that even cash-strapped students can afford them. Go back to the intersection with Xô Viết Nghẹ Tĩnh Street and cross over to the eastern end of Phan Văn Hân Street. Here you’ll find one of the most famous noodle joints in the area, Lương Ký Mì Gia (1 Huỳnh Mẫn Đạt Street). They serve all sorts of noodles but the dish that made them famous is mì vịt tiềm (fresh yellow noodles with marinated aromatic duck). Due to their generous portions, the restaurant tends to run out of food before they close, so make sure you get here early!
Images of Phan Văn Hân Street
10. Phạm Thế Hiển Street:
Location: District 8 [MAP]
Phạm Thế Hiển Street runs alongside the Kênh Đôi Canal across the entire length of District 8 for approximately 10km. The road deserves its own guide for its fascinating cross-section of peripheral Saigonese society. The population here is a mix of economic migrants and long-term residents whose families have lived here for generations. This diversity is reflected in the variety of food on offer, featuring dishes from all three regions of Vietnam, along with a few international flavours. The atmosphere is similar to other street food areas in this guide, but what really stands out is the lack of regular outside intrusions: unlike Vĩnh Khánh and Hồ Thị Kỷ, few international tourists trouble themselves to come all the way to District 8 for street food. You could choose any part of Phạm Thế Hiển Street for a food adventure, but for the purposes of this guide, I focus on the section around Phạm Thế Hiển Market (Chợ Phạm Thế Hiển).
During the daytime, Phạm Thế Hiển Market is the centre of the action. With apartment blocks flanking two sides, people busy themselves with buying, selling, shipping or preparing meals for their families. As night falls, eateries pop-up in front of homes selling a range of street foods and snacks. People here are friendly and chatty: visitors may well be invited to eat and drink with vendors or residents. Start with something simple, such as a Hanoi-style bánh mì (filled baguette) at 6 Phạm Thế Hiển and then cross the street where you’ll find seasoned Khmer-style beef skewers at 23, 1B Lô 27 Phạm Thế Hiển. Sample some of the grilled seafood stands in front of the market and then dig in to some bò lá lốt (grilled beef rolled in aromatic vine leaves) and bánh bột chiên (fried rice flour cubes) along the riverside at 2 Lô 19 Phạm Thế Hiển. After this, try a glass of sweet tapioca dessert at Chè Bưởi 877 (877 Phạm Thế Hiển). This popular spot sells several varieties, including grapefruit, green bean and tofu. There are plenty more places offering other delicious eats around here. Go beyond this guide and explore the surrounding streets.
Images of Phạm Thế Hiển Street
*Disclosure: Vietnam Coracle content is always free and independent. Luke has written this guide because he wants to: he likes these street food streets and he wants readers to know about them. For more details, see the Disclosure & Disclaimer statements and my About Page
Excellent read, most certainly got the juices going
Thanks, Bruno.
Best,
Tom
Love the article we are going to Ho Chi Minh in 3 weeks
How easy or difficult is it for non Vietnamese to order food and understand menu at these stalls?
Would love to try
Hi Danny,
As long as you don’t have specific dietary needs – vegan/vegetarian, have allergies etc. – then you should be fine. Just go up to a street side vendor, point at something on the menu or something on display or just something that someone else is eating and indicate with a smile that you’ll have that.
However, if you feel you can’t do that, you can always book onto a street food tour – there are lots of them in Saigon now and they’re pretty good. But nothing beats the thrill of going out and doing it for yourself.
Best,
Tom
really love your content about vietnam street food and everything about vietnam.
this is last updated at 2016, do you think all those stores r still open ?
Hi Bel,
Thanks for your kind words about my site.
The 7 streets listed on this page are still great for street food. I can’t guarantee that the specific stalls mentioned will still be operating, but certainly each of these locations is still great for wandering around and trying different dishes.
Best,
Tom
I have become very interested in visiting Vietnam since reading your fabulous blog. I have a beef, fish and seafood allergy would I struggle to eat there? We usually go to Malaysia twice per year and they use balacan which is shrimp paste, Thailand use nam pla which is fish sauce do Vietnam use anything similar that may be hidden? I would love to try Vietnam we only eat street food and am worried about the food and it would be great if you could please let me know if it will be a problem. Also where to stay we like to be on the beach but with loads of eateries within walking distance if you could suggest a couple of hotels I can start researching. We have booked Malaysia for November 22 and have 3 weeks booked off work Easter 2023.
Hi Jayne,
Thanks for your comment.
I’m happy to hear you’re considering a trip to Vietnam. Yes, Vietnam also uses fish sauce in pretty much every dish, except vegetarian restaurants. Fish sauce is nước mắm – I’ve written a bit about it here. I would think it’d be very difficult to avoid it unless you eat only at vegetarian restaurants (quán chay – vegetarian restaurant, ăn chay – vegetarian). No fish sauce = không nước mắm. However, if you have travelled to Thailand and Malaysia and managed to eat, then I would guess you could do it here in Vietnam too.
For accommodation, check out my Hotel Reviews archive, with dozens of full-length, totally independent accommodation reviews across the nation.
Best,
Tom
Im sitting on your page since 3 hours… Its great, I can find what I need- cheap sushi, beautiful places, a lot of tips. One word can desribe what I can find here: EVERYTHING! Thank you for your hard job on this webside.
Greeting from Poland!
Dorota
Hi Dorota,
Thank you! I’m really happy to hear that you’re enjoying my posts 🙂
Tom
So happy I found this blog! I am heading there next March. My first time in Asia and a check off my bucket list.
Hi Paulina,
Great to hear that. I hope you enjoy your trip.
Tom
Brilliant article Tom, and thank you so much for posting it.
It is incredibly difficult to get a summary of where to find the real deal when it comes to street food. So much of what we read about has inevitably become very much part of the well worn path, but you have managed to accurately report on some terrific food locations.
We took your advice and hit Vinh Khanh Street big time tonight and had a great chow down at Hoa Don Ban Le (excuse the lack of Vietnamese accents). 3 of us hoed into tamarind crab, bbq giant scallops, clams, bbq chicken feet, etc etc. A real feast with a beer and change from $25.
Thank you!
Hi Mike,
Thanks. It’s really good to hear that you enjoyed your feast on Vinh Khanh Street – it makes me hungry just to hear about it.
I hope you find more good food during the rest of your trip to Vietnam.
Tom
I am pure vegetarian i.e. no fish sauce nor any meat, fish or egg. Any suggestions for street food options
Hi Vishal,
It can sometimes be difficult being a vegetarian eating street food in Vietnam. You can look out for signs saying ‘cơm chay’ (vegetarian food) – you’ll see quite a lot of places like this in big towns. And try to remember this phrase, ‘tôi ăn chay’ (I’m a vegetarian), which you can say before ordering a dish so that people know you don’t eat meat or fish.
I can’t think of any specific street food dishes at the moment that are vegetarian – when I’m with vegetarian friends I usually just order meat dishes without the meat: for example, bánh xèo (the savoury pancakes featured in some of the pictures on this page) không thịt (không thịt means ‘without meat’).
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom! I love your website! Your writing is amazing and your documentation is so thorough and helpful. I was in Saigon for a month last summer and am coming again in August of 2018. As a vegetarian, I found there is a lot of food available for me, but I have a specific question for you if you know. Do you know which of these streets has the best options for vegetarian food? I’m pretty flexible, I’ll eat meat broth, fish sauce, etc but no actual flesh. I know this is probably too specific a question for a carnivore, but any info you have would be great! Thank you so much!
Hi Isabel,
Probably Su Van Hanh and Co Giang streets will have the most vegetarian options out of these 7 streets, because there are some Buddhist temples nearby. The word to look for is ‘cơm chay’ which means ‘vegetarian food’ in Vietnamese.
Also, many people don’t eat meat on the new and full moons in Vietnam, so you’re much more likely to find vegetarian food all over the country on those days.
I hope this helps,
Tom
That is really helpful, thank you so much! I appreciate the info.
Hi!
Great post, thanks!:-)
Do you know if cakes/pastries in French style (like madeleines and croissants) are sold on the street in Ho Chi Minh City?
Hope to hear from you!
Charlotte
Hi Charlotte,
Yes, you can find street food carts selling French-style pastries in Saigon. Bear in mind that they are not necessarily like those you find in France 🙂
I hope this helps,
Tom
Dear Tom
Thanks to you we had the most amazing evening on Nguyen Thuong Hien Street last night – crab in tamarind sauce, barbequed oysters with roasted peanuts and lemongrass clams were among our favourites.
You made our stay in Saigon so much better than it would have been – we had amazing sushi in a back street, visited the Cafe Apartment and had cocktails served in a pirate ship at Shri Bar.
A few beers down the line last night we decided we would only do things recommended by you. But we arrived in Hoi An this afternoon and aside from the article on the Lantern Festival you’ve left us high and dry! Do you have any recommendations for anything off the beaten track? We’d really appreciate your help!
Hi Emma,
Great to hear that you enjoyed Nguyen Thoung Hien Street and the rest of Saigon.
Yes, I’m afraid you’re right: I’ve not written much specifically about Hoi An. Although I do like it there, my priorities have been writing about other areas. I hope to come to Hoi An again sometime soon and do some digging 🙂
As much as I love walking around the old town, it’s difficult to get away from the tourist area: where do ‘real’ Hoi An residents eat, drink, play? I usually stray a couple blocks further out, looking for signs (not in English) for various regional dishes – cao lau, mi quang, banh xeo, banh beo – and then eating at any one of them that looks, feels, and smells good and is packed with local Vietnamese (not tourist Vietnamese).
Anyway, that’s my advice, such as it is. I hope you enjoy yourselves,
Tom
Hi Tom, am in Hoi An, I have found a good way to spot a locals restaurant is the chairs – big chairs, westernised food, little chairs authentic food. Yesterday the place we found had no English on the menu, but clucking sounds will get you chicken of some kind, yesterday awesome fried chicken, today Sun Ga, bit too chewy for me, tomorrow I’m going to make moo sounds and see what the beef is like.
Hi Kbenetti,
Glad you’ve found a formula to spot local restaurants 🙂
I hope you find some good ‘moo’ tomorrow.
Tom
Thanks for the write-ups… ill be there in January! I loved the Thai street food and hope to find some great food in HCM too!!! Thanks again.
Thanks, Jerome.
Vietnamese street food is pretty different in some respects: it’s fresher and crisper, and you might miss the spice of Thai food, but there’s always a jar of chillies on the table to add more heat if you need it 🙂
Tom
Hi Tom, wow what a great blog. My wife and I won a trip to Vietnam and will be heading over in a couple weeks. 3 nights in HCMC, 3 nights in Hoi An with an additional side trip to Angor Watt in Cambodia. We love Vietnamese food but are mostly only familiar with Pho and Banh Mi etc. that we have here in the States. Your blog has us very excited at the wonderful array of stuff that we can explore and is helping give us lots of ideas for where to go and what to try. Thanks for that. Incidentally if you have any posts or know any other good resources for Cambodia and Hoi An, we’d love to check them out. More hole-in-the-wall/local treasures kinda stuff like you feature, rather than some Travelsite listsicle. Anyways, cheers –John
Hi John,
Thanks. Happy to hear you’re enjoying my site. And congratulations on winning a trip to Vietnam!
I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun delving into Vietnam’s food scene – there’s so much of it to discover.
I’m haven’t written much about food in Hoi An yet; the only Hoi An post I have is about the Lantern Festival here.
However, I’m sure they are other bloggers in and around Hoi An – Google it a few times and you should find something 🙂
I haven’t been to Cambodia for a while, but perhaps there is a ‘Cambodia Coracle’ out there 🙂
I hope you have a fantastic trip,
Tom
My wife and I, vibrant but not 30ish, are planning a 7-10 trip to Vietnam in February originating in New Zealand where we have a home. Our focus is food and eating the local specialties in situ. Your blog is fascinating and I wonder if you can organize a tour, with that focus, for us. Our dates are flexible.
Hi Robert,
I’m afraid I don’t run any tours (yet). However, there are some excellent street food tours available in Saigon and in Hanoi. Have a look at XO Tours and Back of the Bike Tours for Saigon, and Sticky Rice Tours for Hanoi.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Thanks. Already salivating after reading the piece on street food.
Hi Tom,
Do you know until what time these streets are open? We’ll be arriving past midnight and wishing to drop by to some of the streets before going to Phnom Penh. And is there a nice coffee shop would you also like to recommend?
Thanks in advance!
Gio
Hi Gio,
There will still be a few places open on some of these streets around
midnight. Try Co Giang, Vinh Khanh, or Su Van Hanh. But they will not be
very busy at that time of night.
Most good coffee shops will be closed by midnight. But you will still find
some local coffee shops open on these streets.
Tom
Hey Tom, 3 out of 5 in the first 24 hours! With a few days to go we’re loving your guide. We’re stoked to have happened to have booked Sunland Hotel which has de than and co giang right behind us! The Bo la lot has been our favourite so far. We’re actually on a research mission reviewing street food for my partners new venture in Brisbane so your article has been a tremendous guide! Thank you! Sadly the Bahn xeo you wrote of seems to be gone on Van Han but we found another and enjoyed the bot chien. Had a great experience in ‘the ghetto’ as well. Fantastic Bahn mi at Bahn mi Kim where he was feeding us pate fresh from the kitchen after our lunch! It’s all good……..!!!! Cheers! lachie and anna
Hi Lachie and Anna,
Great that you’re working your way through the food streets. That’s a shame about the banh xeo place on Su Van Hanh – but that whole ‘ghetto’ area is being demolished so things are changing quickly there.
If you’ve got any room left in your stomachs check out these Vietnamese dessert places and these pork bbq places too 🙂
Tom
Took your advice and ventured to com tam an Duong vurong. Hell yeah! 🙂
We had the normal communication issues and ended up eating three courses – glazed ribs, grilled pork, and then managed out the dish we were after (as recommended by you!) what a cracker! Might make it on to Anna’s menu I reckon.
Thanks Tom!
Great! Love the food and atmosphere there. Glad you did too 🙂
dont know where to even begin
Brilliant blog on some of the best street food areas in Saigon. Will be visiting some of those very soon!
Thanks, Paul.
I hope you enjoy the food while you’re in Vietnam.
Tom
Hi Tom, thank you for the tip for an bbq octopus at Van Kiep street! Best one I’ve ever had. The eatery was crowded, so it’s defintely a very popular place.
Hi Martin,
Yes, that place is usually packed with young Vietnamese – all loving the octopus!
Hi Tom!! So glad I happened to stumble on your blog. I came upon it researching the lunch lady was totally impressed you rated and documented her weakly menu. Your blog is so informative and I will be heading back to Vietnam–my third trip in three years!! The people, food and land keep calling us back.
Last time we stayed in Saigon it was in District one near Ben Thanh market. We are spending more time in Saigon this year–about 4.5 days. Is there a certain hotel you would recommend for great street food within walking distance?
We will be going to DaLat so I was glad you posted all the great eats DaLat has to offer.
Also I know you broke the beaches down in Phu Quoc but was there a certain accommodation you recommend? We were thinking about Ong Lang, Ganh Dau or Vung Vau Bay. Would these places be too far from local restaurants?
Thanks! MJ
Hi Min Jung,
The best or ‘real’ street food in Saigon is found out of the downtown area of District 1. You could stay in one of the guesthouse on Co Giang (which is one of the streets listed on this page). Miss Loi’s is a famous guesthouse on this street. Alternatively, stay in a hotel on the other side of the Ben Thanh roundabout from the market. There are mid-range hotels around the Fine Arts Museum. There’s a fair amount of street food is that area, and it’s not too much of a walk to Co Giang Street. Also not too far away from there is Vinh Khanh (another street listed on this page) – it’s just over the bridge in District 4. To really get into ‘street food land’ try Ma Maison Boutique Hotel. This is away from the city centre in a busy local area. There’s loads of street food on and around Bac Hai Street nearby.
On for Phu Quoc Island take a look at my Driving to Phu Quoc article – in it I list a couple of good accommodations on each of the beaches you mention. Of the ones your interested in Ong Lang is the nearest to Duong Dong town which is the only place that has any number of local restaurants and street food on the island. It’s a 10-15 ride taxi ride away.
I hope this helps.
Tom
Hi Tom
We booked a few nights already in Saigon at Anpha hotel which overlooks Ben Thanh. We will be within walking distance to The Fine Arts Museum and Co Giang and maybe Vinh Kanh. So we will definitely check out the street food there. Maybe on our last day we’ll book a night at Mai Mason to get out of district one. Thanks do much for all your suggestions. Are any of the food vendors inside Ben Thanh even worth a look? We decided to can it to all the other street you suggested!
In Phu Quoc we decided to split our time between Duong Dong–Phuong Binh house and then all the way north at Peppercorn for a few nights.
Thanks again for all your informative posts!!
Hi,
Sounds great. The cooked food stalls inside Ben Thanh Market are good, yes. But, again, you get these inside all the other big local market that I’ve listed in my Best Markets Guide.
Peppercorn is lovely and isolated. I hope you have a good time there.
Tom
Hello Tom,
We recently returned from a 25-day holiday to Vietnam and I would like to thank you for all of the wonderful suggestions and advice you provide freely on your website.
We stayed in an apartment in D4 and had an amazing time with our young family, including three children aged 7 and under. We didn’t see any other Western tourists, just a few expats and the local people were exceptionally friendly and kind. Too many examples to mention. Yes, we ate a lot on Vinh Khanh Street and my 7 year old son just loved the fried sea snails with salt and chili at Oc Oanh’s, eating a whole plate to himself using a safety pin!
Thanks for your post about the best swimming pools in HCMC as well. We took the advice of one of your subscribers, Phillip, and swum in the pool near us in D4 and it was great… lots of fun had with the local kids and the water quality was excellent.
All the best, Brent
Thanks, Brent.
Happy to hear you and your family had such a good time in Vietnam. I will have to try that pool in District 4 soon.
I hope you’ll get the chance to visit again someday.
Tom
I forgot to mention Tom that your commentary about the D4 market, on the street behind our apartment block where we stayed, was spot on. We saw many markets on our travels in Vietnam and the D4 market was very authentic, absent of all Western tourist influence. It was fun buying fruit, baguettes, beer and vegetables every day, communicating with local vendors as best we could. Observing the local dealings going on there, it got rather testy at times!
That’s good to hear. I had a lot of fun researching those markets 🙂
Thank you so much for the street food night on Vạn Kiếp street. I always love to discover new food places as such. Adding to street food in district 4, I think Tôn Đản is also a good one. You should try there some time. As for the coffee place in Dalat I told you about, it actually located at 106, Phan Đình Phùng street. I’m afraid that I lost all the photos I took there so I cannot send you ones. However, you can read more about this place here http://tastersdelight.tumblr.com/post/2186762081/cafe-171-106-phan-dinh-phung-da-lat-vietnam
Thanks, Phương.
Yes, I like Tôn Đản street too, but I had to decide between that and Vĩnh Khánh street 🙂
Thanks for the coffee suggestion. I’ll find it next time I visit Dalat. If you like that kind of cafe you should also visit Café Năm at 13 Phan Bội Châu Street – it’s a classic old cafe run by a lovely old woman – you can find out more about it in my ‘Where to Eat & Drink in Dalat’ article.
Tom
Thank you so much for your efforts. I am heading back to HCMC for my 4th visit in a day or so and will try each of your street food tips. I have found the food around D1 generally good, but reading your blog, I realise I have been missing the real VN tatse experience.
Great work!
Thanks, Matt.
Yes, the food is still pretty good in District 1 but there’s a lot more to discover in the surrounding districts. Have fun street food hopping on your next visit.
Tom
Nice write up. I love your interesting yet informative articles. I will surely go exploring afew of these streets in the next few weeks. Thanks!
Thanks, Mark.
Hope you have fun eating and wandering these streets.
Tom