Ho Chi Minh City Street Food: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam’s Vibrant Heart
Ho Chi Minh City pulses with an energy all its own. As Vietnam’s economic powerhouse, it presents a striking juxtaposition of soaring skyscrapers rising above elegant French colonial buildings and serene traditional pagodas. This dynamic metropolis of commerce and culture delivers everything a traveller could desire, from world-class museums and the nation’s most electrifying atmosphere to incense-filled temples and bustling street food stalls. Yet it is the food that often leaves the most lasting impression, serving as the most direct route to understanding a country’s culture and capturing the attention of visitors from around the globe.
The following selection of Ho Chi Minh City’s most delicious dishes draws from over 104,000 votes across 10 categories in the “Ho Chi Minh City – 100 Interesting Things” campaign organised by the city’s Department of Tourism. How many of these local favourites have you already tried?
Bánh Mì
There is a saying that you can glimpse the diversity of a country or region through its dishes, and Ho Chi Minh City’s banh mi proves this adage true. This familiar, easy-to-eat sandwich comes in countless variations, each one guaranteed to satisfy the taste buds of diverse diners. Whether you opt for shumai banh mi, pork skin banh mi, fish cake banh mi, roasted pork banh mi, grilled beef banh mi, or shredded chicken banh mi, you will discover a different shade of Vietnamese banh mi with every bite.
Visitors can find banh mi at famous bakeries that have operated for more than half a century, including Bay Ho Bakery, Hoa Ma Banh mi, Huynh Hoa banh mi, Tang banh mi, Cu Ly banh mi, and Sau Le banh mi.
Bánh Tráng Trộn (Mixed Rice Paper)
This dish is considered a snack rather than a main course. Ho Chi Minh City mixed rice paper is made from pieces of rice paper that have been dried in dew and cut into small pieces. Rice paper is mixed with shredded green mango, finely chopped laksa leaves, Tay Ninh shrimp salt and kumquat juice squeezed in. A little bit of fried onion fat with peanuts, roasted shrimp, quail eggs and beef jerky to enhance the flavour.
Mixed rice paper can be found across the street of Ho Chi Minh City, parks or street food areas such as Turtle Lake, Nguyen Thuong Hien Street (District 3), September 23 Park (District 1), Ben Thanh Market area, intersection of Nguyen Thai Hoc – Tran Hung Dao streets (District 1).
Bánh Xèo (Crispy Pancakes)
There are two main types of banh xeo that visitors should try when coming to the City where many cultures and regional cuisines intersect: Central pancake and Western pancake. Banh xeo of the Central region is small, less than a hand in diameter, filled with green beans, bean sprouts combined with some seafood or pork. Western pancakes are large in size, filled with shrimp, pork belly, bean sprouts and green beans.
Bún Bò (Beef Rice Vermicelli)
The diversity of Ho Chi Minh also appears in a variety of types of beef rice vermicelli noodles. The first one is Bun bo Nam Bo (Southern beef rice vermicelli). This is one of the popular dishes of Southern people. Unlike Hue spicy beef rice vermicelli, the special feature of the southern dish is brothless, with small rice vermicelli noodles. The noodles will be served with spicy and sour chilli garlic fish sauce, and topped with thinly sliced stir-fried beef. This dish is often enjoyed with many herbs such as bean sprouts, cucumbers, fried shallots, roasted peanuts…
Another type of Bun bo is Hue spicy beef rice vermicelli that was once recognized by famous chef Anthony Bourdain as one of the most delicious dishes in the world. Attractive noodle bowl with rich, spicy broth, inside is beef with pork sausage, fresh vegetables. Spicy beef rice vermicelli followed the Hue people to Ho Chi Minh City. A bowl of rice vermicelli with lots of meat and rolls, which looks fuller than in Hue. The broth has a sweet taste of sugar, reducing the strong smell of shrimp paste.
Xôi (Sticky Rice)
You can have sticky rice by morning, noon, afternoon, evening and even late at night. Vendors selling sticky rice will offer you with both meat and sweet sticky rice.
Sweet sticky rice will have options from beans, durian, corn, to sweet gourd. The typical dish always has a layer of soft, hot fragrant sticky rice with a little grated coconut rice and a layer of granulated sugar and roasted peanuts on top. Corn sticky rice is one of the typical sweet sticky rice dishes, made from sticky corn stewed with coconut water to make the seeds soft and bright white. Corn sticky rice is a bit mushy. When eating, add a little grated coconut, sugar, peanuts or sesame salt. It’s sweet but not greasy.
For a more southern style, try some cadé sticky rice. Soft and chewy sticky rice will be stuffed into fresh banana leaves, topped with a soft layer of cadé made from coconut milk, eggs, flour, and sugar.
Meat sticky rice in Ho Chi Minh City is usually cooked and served with xa xiu (roasted pork), dried shrimp, sausage, meat floss, pork rolls, quail eggs, added with fatty onions or fried shallots, and drizzled with rich sauce. Visitors can have some chicken sticky rice with marinated chicken thighs, onion fat, pickled mustard greens and a well-cooked sauce. Side dishes are crispy fried chicken skin, eggs, shredded chicken, shumai, and boiled gizzard liver.
Chè (Sweet Soup)
This is one of the most famous and common desserts in Vietnam. There are countless types of sweet soups in Ho Chi Minh City such as lotus seed, green beans, red beans, peanuts, black sesame, longan, ginkgo, water chestnut, ginseng tonic, and braised chicken egg (like flan), chicken egg soaked in black tea, steamed papaya. Strolling along streets of District 1, 5 and 10, you can find your favourite sweet soup shop. If you want to enjoy sweet soup with Southern flavours, you can visit the sweet soup shop on Su Van Hanh street. Here, they serve 16-cup trays of flavours such as Ba Ba sweet soup, regular sweet soup (made from beans), banana sweet soup, corn sweet soup, white bean sweet soup, taro sweet soup, and dumplings sweet soup, accompanied by a jar of coconut jelly, a plate of sticky rice, and a plate of flan.
Ho Chi Minh City also has a street specialising in selling Thai Sweet Soups. Thai Sweet Soup ha
Cơm Tấm (Broken Rice)
While not detailed in the original list, com tam deserves a mention as a quintessential Ho Chi Minh City dish. This southern specialty features broken rice served with grilled pork chop, a fried egg, and pickled vegetables, often accompanied by a generous drizzle of sweet and savoury fish sauce. It is a hearty meal that locals enjoy at any time of day.
Phở
No exploration of Vietnamese cuisine would be complete without pho. While Hanoi is famous for its clear, delicate broth, Ho Chi Minh City’s version tends to be sweeter and more heavily garnished with herbs, bean sprouts, and hoisin sauce. The slow-simmered beef broth, tender rice noodles, and thin slices of beef create a comforting bowl that has won hearts worldwide.
The Michelin Guide to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
For those seeking curated recommendations, the Michelin Guide has extended its reach to Vietnam, offering a selection of starred restaurants and Bib Gourmand eateries in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This recognition highlights the exceptional quality and diversity of Vietnamese cuisine, from humble street stalls to refined dining rooms.
From the satisfying crunch of a banh mi to the sweet, refreshing finish of a che, Ho Chi Minh City’s street food scene offers an unforgettable journey through Vietnamese flavours. Each dish tells a story of tradition, adaptation, and the vibrant spirit of the city itself. Whether you are a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveller, these culinary delights promise to enrich your experience and leave you craving more.
