{"id":146539,"title":"Where to Eat in Ho Chi Minh City? Street Food and My Picks","modified":"2026-10-07T09:57:53+02:00","plain":"Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, has more than 10 million residents, and every neighborhood has its specialties. I ate b\u00e1nh m\u00ec as early as 6:00, noodle soups and black sesame desserts at street stalls here.\n\n\n\nHere are my picks, district by district: b\u00e1nh m\u00ec stalls that open at dawn, soups, pancakes and desserts, with opening hours, exact addresses and what I ordered. Most are places where Saigon locals eat, and I'll tell you which ones are worth the trip.\n\n\n\n\nWhere to eat b\u00e1nh m\u00ec?\n\nWhere to eat b\u00e1nh m\u00ec outside the city center?\n\nWhere to eat noodle soup?\n\nWhat to eat in Ho Chi Minh City besides b\u00e1nh m\u00ec?\n\nWhere to eat dessert?\n\nWhere to eat in Ho Chi Minh City at night?\n\nWhich neighborhood should you choose for good food?\n\nHow much does it cost?\n\nMy other Vietnam guides\n\n\n\n\nWhere to eat b\u00e1nh m\u00ec?\n\n\n\nIn Saigon, every b\u00e1nh m\u00ec stall has its specialty: cold cuts, meatballs, fish, roast pork. Most open between 5:00 and 6:00 and close before noon or in the late afternoon, and the most popular sell out very quickly. I make this sandwich at home; my b\u00e1nh m\u00ec recipe is here.\n\n\n\nB\u00e1nh M\u00ec H\u00f2a M\u00e3, 53 Cao Th\u1eafng\n\n\n\nThe legendary spot: this is where, in District 3, the modern b\u00e1nh m\u00ec was born. In 1958, L\u00ea Minh Ng\u1ecdc and Nguy\u1ec5n Th\u1ecb T\u1ecbnh, migrants from the North, opened this bakery named after their home village near Hanoi, and they are considered the inventors of b\u00e1nh m\u00ec as it is known today. The menu is simple: I ordered the \u201cb\u00e1nh m\u00ec \u1ed1p la \u0111\u1ee7 th\u1ee9,\u201d served in a sizzling skillet (b\u00e1nh m\u00ec ch\u1ea3o) with fried eggs, ham, ch\u1ea3 l\u1ee5a, ch\u1ea3 qu\u1ebf, sausage, salted pork belly and onions, plus a crusty bread roll spread with butter and p\u00e2t\u00e9. Three generations later, the family still runs the place, at 53 Cao Th\u1eafng, Ph\u01b0\u1eddng 3, from 6:00 to 11:00. Get there early, it sells out fast.\n\n\n\nB\u00e1nh M\u00ec H\u00f2a M\u00e3. Photo: Jenny Luu, Google Maps\n\n\n\nB\u00e1nh M\u00ec C\u1ee5 L\u00fd, 189 Hai Ba Trung\n\n\n\nA District 1 institution for more than 80 years, now run by the third generation, open only from 6:00 to 9:00. The b\u00e1nh m\u00ec ch\u1ea3 combines several sausages in a crusty bread roll: beef sausage, cinnamon sausage, fried sausage and Vietnamese pork sausage. It's a subtle sandwich: the first bites seemed understated to me, and by the third, it was a revelation.\n\n\n\nB\u00e1nh M\u00ec B\u1ea3y H\u1ed5, 10 Huynh Khuong Ninh\n\n\n\nOne of Saigon's oldest stalls, in Da Kao, selling b\u00e1nh m\u00ec since the 1970s and claiming nearly 100 years of history; it has even been featured on Netflix. Its specialty is traditional b\u00e1nh m\u00ec th\u1ecbt ch\u1ea3, served from 6:00 to 12:30. Be aware: 2 stalls with the same name face each other, and the original is the smaller one, at number 10.\n\n\n\nB\u00e1nh M\u00ec B\u00f9i Th\u1ecb Xu\u00e2n, 122E and 77 Bui Thi Xuan\n\n\n\nAt 122E Bui Thi Xuan, in Pham Ngu Lao, the b\u00e1nh m\u00ec th\u1ecbt ngu\u1ed9i (cold cuts) resembles the famous Hu\u1ef3nh Hoa sandwich, in a lighter, smaller version. The stall has been a favorite with Saigon locals since 1989, open from 5:30 to 23:00, and the bread is freshly made, which explains that perfect crunch. If you like plenty of fillings, butter and p\u00e2t\u00e9, this is your spot. A little farther along, at 77 Bui Thi Xuan, in District 1, B\u00e1nh M\u00ec Ch\u1ea3 C\u00e1 B\u00f9i Th\u1ecb Xu\u00e2n serves fried fish cakes from 14:00 to 21:00, made by the owner herself with fresh sea fish, at very affordable prices. I could smell the fish cakes before I even arrived.\n\n\n\nA T\u00f9ng B\u00e1nh M\u00ec B\u00f2 N\u01b0\u1edbng B\u01a1 Campuchia\n\n\n\nAt 171 Cong Quynh, in Nguyen Cu Trinh, from 14:30 to 22:30: a b\u00e1nh m\u00ec with butter-marinated grilled beef, inspired by Cambodian flavors. This is my pick for a change from cold cuts.\n\n\n\nWhere to eat b\u00e1nh m\u00ec outside the city center?\n\n\n\nThe residential neighborhoods have their own legends, and that's where I ate the city's most distinctive b\u00e1nh m\u00ec.\n\n\n\nB\u00e1nh M\u00ec B\u00ec, at 239\/26 Tran Van Dang, Ph\u01b0\u1eddng 11 (District 3), right next to the train tracks, opens for just 2-3 hours between 15:00 and 19:00, is closed on Sundays, and sells out quickly. The b\u00e1nh m\u00ec b\u00ec x\u00edu m\u1ea1i (pork skin and meatballs) here is delicious, and I ordered the special b\u00e1nh m\u00ec for 25k to try all the flavors.\n\n\n\nIn District 10, B\u00e1nh M\u00ec Ph\u00e1 L\u1ea5u X\u00e1 X\u00edu, at 40 Vinh Vi\u1ec5n, open from 14:30 to 18:00, makes a b\u00e1nh m\u00ec ph\u00e1 l\u1ea5u x\u00e1 x\u00edu with roast pork and tripe: the marinated meat has a rich flavor, complemented by the sauce and the crunch of pig's ear. If you don't like pig's ear, simply order the \u201cb\u00e1nh m\u00ec x\u00e1 x\u00edu.\u201d Very popular, so get there early.\n\n\n\nIn B\u00ecnh Th\u1ea1nh, B\u00e1nh M\u00ec C\u00f4 Oanh, at 229\/53 B\u00f9i \u0110\u00ecnh T\u00fay, open from 10:00 to 19:00, has been going for nearly 30 years, and its b\u00e1nh m\u00ec c\u00e1 n\u1ee5c with braised mackerel is the most famous: the fish is braised until tender, so there's no need to worry about bones. B\u00e1nh M\u00ec C\u00f4 L\u00e0nh, at 6 H\u1ed3 Xu\u00e2n H\u01b0\u01a1ng, Ph\u01b0\u1eddng 14, open from 6:00 to 19:00, makes a b\u00e1nh m\u00ec th\u1ecbt b\u00f2 n\u01b0\u1edbng whose stars are grilled beef meatballs and salted egg meatballs; the combo costs 35k.\n\n\n\nIn G\u00f2 V\u1ea5p, B\u00e1nh M\u00ec C\u00f3c C\u00f4 B\u00edch, at 112a Nguyen Thai Son, Ph\u01b0\u1eddng 3, open from 5:00 to 18:00, created b\u00e1nh m\u00ec c\u00f3c: a sandwich unique to HCMC, shaped like a hamburger and filled with traditional b\u00e1nh m\u00ec ingredients. This was the first stall to invent this shape.\n\n\n\nNear the airport, in T\u00e2n B\u00ecnh, B\u00e1nh M\u00ec Anh Vi\u1ec7t 2, at 58 Dong Ho, Ph\u01b0\u1eddng 8, is open 24h\/24 and makes a b\u00e1nh m\u00ec heo quay da gi\u00f2n with crispy-skinned roast pork, also available for delivery on Grab. A favorite with lovers of intense flavors; if it's your first day in Vietnam and you're not used to strong flavors, wait a little before trying it.\n\n\n\nWhere to eat noodle soup?\n\n\n\nSaigon's soups come from all over the country, and even from Phnom Penh. In District 1, H\u1ee7 Ti\u1ebfu Nam Vang serves h\u1ee7 ti\u1ebfu, a Phnom Penh-style noodle soup, and Ph\u00e1t K\u00fd Noodles serves local noodles. In District 3, Ma Oi, a restaurant run by a local family, is known for its authentic b\u00fan b\u00f2 Hu\u1ebf, the spicy beef noodle soup from Hue; I make this broth at home, and my b\u00fan b\u00f2 Hu\u1ebf recipe is here.\n\n\n\nIn Chinatown (Ch\u1ee3 L\u1edbn, District 5), H\u1ee7 Ti\u1ebfu Sa T\u1ebf Gia Truy\u1ec1n T\u00f4 K\u00fd, at 36 G\u00f2 C\u00f4ng, Ph\u01b0\u1eddng 13, makes a dish I haven't seen anywhere else: noodles in a spicy satay broth with venison, a rare Chinatown specialty.\n\n\n\nIn Th\u1ee7 \u0110\u1ee9c, H\u1ee7 Ti\u1ebfu Sa \u0110\u00e9c Ng\u00e2n serves noodles from Sa \u0110\u00e9c in the Mekong Delta, Ch\u1ebf T\u00e9p M\u00ec Gia serves delicious shrimp noodles, and B\u00e1nh Canh Cua Ng\u1ecdc Thanh serves b\u00e1nh canh cua, a thick crab soup. For northern and central Vietnamese flavors, head to B\u00e1nh \u0110a Cua for northern noodles with flavorful meat, and to M\u00ec Qu\u1ea3ng, Cao L\u1ea7u H\u1ed9i An for both Hoi An specialties.\n\n\n\nFor vermicelli, B\u00fan Th\u1ecbt N\u01b0\u1edbng H\u1eb1ng (District 1) and B\u00fan Th\u1ecbt N\u01b0\u1edbng C\u00f4 Nga, V\u0129nh Kh\u00e1nh serve b\u00fan th\u1ecbt n\u01b0\u1edbng, vermicelli with grilled pork, with fried spring rolls at H\u1eb1ng. The Buns (B\u00fan Ch\u1ea3 C\u00e1) makes b\u00fan ch\u1ea3 with homemade fresh spring rolls, and B\u00fan Ch\u1ea3 H\u00e0 N\u1ed9i, in Ph\u00fa M\u1ef9 H\u01b0ng (District 7), makes excellent Hanoi-style b\u00fan ch\u1ea3, a little farther from the center.\n\n\n\nWhat to eat in Ho Chi Minh City besides b\u00e1nh m\u00ec?\n\n\n\nCr\u00eapes, rice and grilled dishes fill the other part of my list of places to eat. B\u00e1nh Cu\u1ed1n N\u00f3ng H\u1ea3o Hoa, at 177\/1 L\u00fd T\u1ef1 Tr\u1ecdng, in B\u1ebfn Th\u00e0nh, makes b\u00e1nh cu\u1ed1n, stuffed steamed rice cr\u00eapes, also known as steamed dumplings. B\u00e1nh X\u00e8o B\u00e1nh Kh\u1ecdt Ph\u01b0\u01a1ng Nga serves crispy cr\u00eapes, the Vietnamese cr\u00eape with shrimp and pork; I make b\u00e1nh x\u00e8o at home, and my b\u00e1nh x\u00e8o recipe is here. In Th\u1ee7 \u0110\u1ee9c, B\u00e1nh X\u00e8o T\u00f4m Nh\u1ea3y D\u00ec D\u01b0 makes the central Vietnamese version with \u201cjumping\u201d shrimp, and another place serves a little-known southern variation.\n\n\n\nB\u1ed9t Chi\u00ean \u0110\u1ea1t Th\u00e0nh makes b\u1ed9t chi\u00ean, rice cake fried with eggs, a delicious Chinese-Vietnamese specialty, and \u0110i\u1ec3m T\u00e2m 134 makes Vietnamese dim sum: meatballs and the Vietnamese equivalent of siu mai. For nem n\u01b0\u1edbng, Nha Trang-style grilled pork sausage, there's Nem N\u01b0\u1edbng Nha Trang C\u00f4 \u0110i\u1ec7p Kh\u00e1nh H\u1ed9i, and in Th\u1ee7 \u0110\u1ee9c, a much less touristy nem n\u01b0\u1edbng spot at 12 Quang Trung, Hi\u1ec7p Ph\u00fa, Qu\u1eadn 9. Quan Nem Restaurant makes giant fried spring rolls that are \u201cout of this world\u201d.\n\n\n\nIn District 4, a residential neighborhood with very local places to eat, B\u00f2 N\u00e9 Thanh Tuy\u1ec1n, at 20\/6-7 Nguyen Truong To, Ph\u01b0\u1eddng 12, serves b\u00f2 n\u00e9 from 6:00 to 11:00: beef on a sizzling hot plate with fried eggs, p\u00e2t\u00e9, vegetables and bread or rice. A hearty, delicious breakfast; keep the early opening hours in mind. I make it too, and my b\u00f2 n\u00e9 recipe is on the site.\n\n\n\nFor rice: Ti\u1ec7m X\u00f4i T\u00f4n \u0110\u1ea3n for x\u00f4i, sticky rice with various toppings, C\u01a1m T\u1ea5m for broken rice with a pork chop, and c\u01a1m ph\u1ea7n, a complete meal, either northern-style or southern-style. Ch\u00e1o V\u1ecbt serves duck rice porridge, B\u00f2 L\u00e1 L\u1ed1t serves grilled beef wrapped in lolot leaves, and L\u1ea9u G\u00e0 L\u00e1 \u00c9 serves chicken hot pot with herbs. In Th\u1ee7 \u0110\u1ee9c, B\u00e1nh Tr\u00e1ng N\u01b0\u1edbng Lucky makes Vietnamese pizza, and 20 meters away, the owner's cousin sells b\u00e1nh canh h\u1eb9, a typical Ph\u00fa Y\u00ean dish with a variety of onion unique to the region.\n\n\n\nWhere to eat dessert?\n\n\n\nCh\u00e8 M\u00e8 \u0110en, in District 1, serves a sweet black sesame soup similar to Chinese tangyuan, and Ch\u00e8 Style du Nord serves northern-style ch\u00e8, sweet Vietnamese desserts. Chu\u1ed1i B\u00ed Ng\u00f4 Chi\u00ean Gi\u00f2n makes traditional banana and pumpkin fritters.\n\n\n\nFor b\u00e1nh b\u00f2 n\u01b0\u1edbng, the baked coconut milk cake, I have 2 spots: B\u00e1nh D\u1eeba T\u1ea3n \u0110\u00e0, in Chinatown, for its special version, and COCOCake Minh Khai, \u201cso good\u201d. And for a drink, C\u00e0 Ph\u00ea S\u1eefa T\u01b0\u01a1i S\u01b0\u01a1ng S\u00e1o serves milk coffee with grass jelly.\n\n\n\nWhere to eat in Ho Chi Minh City at night?\n\n\n\nFancy a b\u00e1nh m\u00ec at midnight? B\u00e1nh M\u00ec X\u00edu M\u1ea1i Ch\u00e9n \u0110\u00e8n D\u1ea7u, at 131 Hai Ba Trung, in Ben Nghe, opens from 16:00 to 2:00: juicy meatballs in a rich, aromatic sauce, with quail eggs. There are several branches around the city; search for \u201cB\u00e1nh m\u00ec x\u00edu m\u1ea1i ch\u00e9n \u0111\u00e8n d\u1ea7u\u201d on Google Maps.\n\n\n\nIn District 10, B\u00f2 Kho G\u00e1nh S\u00e0i G\u00f2n, Block H\/029 S\u01b0 V\u1ea1n H\u1ea1nh, open from 7:00 to 22:00, started in 1975 as a simple street cart and has been listed in the Michelin Guide for 2 consecutive years. B\u00f2 kho is a beef stew simmered with lemongrass, star anise and cinnamon, served as b\u00e1nh m\u00ec b\u00f2 kho; it's always packed, especially in the evening.\n\n\n\nB\u00f2 Kho G\u00e1nh S\u00e0i G\u00f2n. Photo: Nina Nguyen, Google Maps\n\n\n\nWhich neighborhood should you choose for good food?\n\n\n\nDistrict 1 is the historic heart, where tradition and modernity meet, with the highest concentration of places to eat. District 3 is the birthplace of the modern b\u00e1nh m\u00ec, created in 1958 at H\u00f2a M\u00e3. District 4 is residential and very local, District 5 is Chinatown (Ch\u1ee3 L\u1edbn), rich in Chinese-Vietnamese flavors, and District 7, Ph\u00fa M\u1ef9 H\u01b0ng, is the modern neighborhood.\n\n\n\nDistrict 10 and B\u00ecnh Th\u1ea1nh are large residential districts with excellent local spots and hidden gems, G\u00f2 V\u1ea5p is a residential neighborhood far from the tourist trail, and T\u00e2n B\u00ecnh is the airport district. Th\u1ee7 \u0110\u1ee9c, the former suburb turned new city, has regional specialties and the Thu Duc Wholesale Market, a local agricultural produce market.\n\n\n\nIn B\u00ecnh Th\u1ea1nh, Phan X\u00edch Long street is entirely devoted to street food, and isn't touristy: it's where I found the locals' Saigon.\n\n\n\nHow much does it cost?\n\n\n\nPrices are very affordable: expect to pay between 15,000 and 50,000 VND (\u20ac0.60 to \u20ac2) for a b\u00e1nh m\u00ec, and between 30,000 and 80,000 VND (\u20ac1.20 to \u20ac3.20) for a noodle or rice dish. B\u00e1nh m\u00ec stalls open very early (5:00-6:00) and often close before noon or in the late afternoon, so get there early.\n\n\n\nI found 2 apps useful: Grab, for deliveries and motorbike taxi rides, and Google Maps, essential for finding places in the alleyways. Dishes can be spicy: ask for \u201ckh\u00f4ng cay\u201d (not spicy) or \u201c\u00edt cay\u201d (a little spicy) if you're not used to it. The vocabulary I found useful: b\u00e1nh m\u00ec (Vietnamese sandwich), b\u00fan (rice vermicelli), ph\u1edf (noodle soup), c\u01a1m (rice), ch\u00e8 (sweet dessert), ngon (delicious) and c\u1ea3m \u01a1n (thank you). Enjoy your meal, \u0103n ngon nh\u00e9!\n\n\n\nMy other guides to Vietnam\n\n\n\nIf you're heading north, my guide to eating in Hanoi picks up where this one leaves off, ph\u1edf and b\u00fan ch\u1ea3 included, and my complete guide to Hanoi covers the rest of your stay. Everything I cook from the country is gathered in my guide to Vietnamese cuisine.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146539\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}