Best Local Dishes from Ho Chi Minh City

Nothing says a classic Vietnamese delicacy like a bowl of steaming hot Pho. The comforting noodle soup dish is immediately characteristic of Vietnamese cuisine, almost every traveller to Ho Chi Minh City looks forward to a bowl of scrumptious Pho. The buzzing city dwellers also would never pass up some of the tantalising noodle soup, and makes for more than just another traditional Vietnamese dish; it’s a way of life. Uniquely flavoured and elegantly simple, the iconic noodle soup dish comes to life in households, street food stalls and restaurants of all sorts across the country. The combination of rice noodles, meat, herbs galore and a flavoursome broth put together the bowl of mouth-watering goodness that is Pho. It is believed that the residents of Nam Định in northern Vietnam were the first to make Pho, but regardless of which, the noodle soup dish has evolved into a staple of comfort food country-wide.

The savoury Vietnamese classic could be best described as the Southeast Asian nation’s authentic alternative to the typical submarine sandwich and the French bread, baguette. The Vietnamese twist on the world-renowned classics is the lengthwise cut, as opposed to the breadthwise cut, where it is filled with meat, chilli, liver pâté, cucumbers, cilantro, pickles, oyster sauce, garlic, etc, which gives Bánh mì its characteristic savoury relish.

Strolling the atmospheric streets of Ho Chi Minh City, Bánh rán makes the perfect snack to munch on your city saunter. While the deep-fried glutinous rice balls may be one of the simplest dishes of Vietnamese cuisine, they are nonetheless delightfully delectable. Those looking to grab a bite of Bánh rán or two can find the sweet balls being served at all cafes, eateries and also at some of the best restaurants in Saigon, including the likes offered by establishments such as PARKROYAL Saigon.

A traditional Vietnamese breakfast to start off your morning in vibrant Ho Chi Minh City, Bún bò Huế is a popular breakfast choice among Viets and travellers to the metropolitan city alike. In its basic form, it is a rice noodle dish consisting of bun noodles, lemongrass, shrimp paste, lime juice, and a whole host of herbs in a flavourful pork or beef broth.

Here’s another Vietnamese twist on a European favourite. Bánh xèo, which loosely translates to sizzling pancakes, is immediately reminiscent of Germany’s crêpes. However, while the Europeans love their crêpes sweet, Viets prefer their Bánh xèo crisp and savoury, combining the yellow-hued pancakes with a variety of savoury ingredients, such as scallions, bean sprouts, shrimps, and pork or beef, and seasoned with cilantro, mint, and parsley.