Enjoying street food in Ho Chi Minh is one of the activities that visitors can’t miss during their journey to this city.
In our blog, we will offer you famous addresses of Ho Chi Minh street foods, with Indian-friendly options, and especially being closer to the city center to benefit your moving. If so, let’s start your discovery about the best street food in Ho Chi Minh below!
Best Street Food in Ho Chi Minh City
Com Tam (Broken rice)
Com Tam is one of the most famous street foods in Ho Chi Minh City for most foodies. A wonderful combination of grilled pork chops, sweet fish sauce, pickled vegetables, and fried eggs, will surely bring an impressive taste in every bite.
Com Tam Ba Ghien
- Location: 84 Dang Van Ngu Street, Ward 10, Phu Nhuan District
- Opening hours: 7 AM – 9 AM
- Price: 2.5 – 5 USD/pax
Kim Ngan Stall (Appeared in Netflix Documentary Series named Street Food)
- Location: No.002 Block J, Nguyen Thien Thuat Apartment, Alley No.251, Nguyen Thien Thuat Street, District 3
- Price: 1 – 2.5 USD/pax
Bun Bo (Vietnamese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup)
Being one of the best noodle soups in Vietnam, Bun Bo attracts visitors with its unique and savory flavor. Originating from Hue, the dish includes main ingredients namely rice noodles, a spicy broth, beef, and chili. When being migrated to Saigon, the broth is tailored to be sweeter to match Saigon people’s taste buds.
Understanding that as Indian travelers, you may wish to try a beef-free version of Bun Bo, we have some vegetarian suggestions for this delightful dish. Let’s check the list below.
Com Chay Khai Tam
- Location: 201 Le Quang Dinh Street, Ward 7, Binh Thanh District
- Opening hours: 10 AM – 2 PM; 5 PM – 8 PM
- Price: 1.5 USD/pax
Bun Bo Chay Chi Oanh
- Location: Corner of Huynh Thuc Khang and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ward Nguyen Thai Binh, District 1
- Opening hours: 9:30 AM – 4 PM (closed on Sunday)
- Price: 1.75 USD/pax
- Note: The stall only serves Vegetarian Bun Bo on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month. Plan your visit accordingly to savor this specialty dish at the right time.
Oc (Vietnamese Snails)
Oc (Vietnamese snails) is a popular street food in Saigon, which is cooked in different methods like steamed or fried. With each snail-made dish, you can eat together with other toppings, such as herbs, “Banh My”, and some special sauces. Don’t forget to drink fresh beer when enjoying “Oc” for the amazing taste!
Oc co Truoc (featured on Netflix)
- Location: Alley No.171 on Co Bac Street, District 1
- Opening hours: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Price range: Around 1.5 USD/pax
Oc Oanh
- Location: 538 Vinh Khanh Street, Ward 8, District 4
- Opening hours: 4 PM – 11 PM
- Price range: 4 – 6.5 USD/pax
Savory Bo Bia (Saigon Popiah)
Bo Bia (Saigon popiah) resembles Saigon’s version of spring rolls. These savory popiah rolls boast a perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness from sausages, dried shrimps, egg, shredded cassava, and lettuce. When embraced by a nutty and spicy sauce, their combined flavors create an exquisite harmony that will surely blow up your Saigon street food experience to new heights.
Bo Bia Ly
- Location: 120E Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Phu Nhuan Ward, District 1
- Opening hours: 3 AM – 10 PM
- Price range: from 0.3 USD/pax
Bo Bia Tan Dinh Market
- Location: 129 Nguyen Huu Cau Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1
- Opening hours: 3 PM – 10 PM
- Price range: from 0.3 USD/pax
Bun Rieu (Crab noodles soup)
Bun Rieu is one of the best local foods in Ho Chi Minh City, impressing visitors with its signature red color, and the savored broth of fish sauce, tomatoes, and shrimp paste. This dish is specially featured with “rieu” – made of crab, pork, and pawns, which is steamed to use as a topping. Now, put some rice noodles, “rieu”, broth, and herbs in a bowl to have a “Saigon Bun Rieu”!
Bun Rieu Ganh
- Location: 163 Le Thanh Ton Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
- Opening hours: 6.30 AM – 6.30 PM
- Price range: 1.5 – 2 USD/pax
Banh mi (Vietnamese Baguette)
Recently, Banh Mi has appeared in the Netflix street food in Ho Chi Minh, which is reviewed as a Saigon signature breakfast, with a range of creative homemade ingredients. When enjoying Banh Mi, visitors will get an explosive flavor, with a little spicy, sweet, and salty taste from special sauces.
Banh mi Bay Ho (featured on Netflix)
- Location: 19 Huynh Khuong Ninh Street, Đa Kao Ward, District 1
- Opening hours: 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM
- Price range: Around 1 USD/pax
Banh Mi Huynh Hoa
- Location: 26-30-32 Le Thi Rieng Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
- Opening hours: 06 AM – 10 PM
- Price range: 2 – 2.5 USD/pax
Bon’s Vegan (Vegetarian banh mi and other dishes)
- Location: 127 Ham Nghi Street, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1
- Opening hours: 06 AM – 10 PM
- Price range: 2 – 2.5 USD/pax
Bun Mam (Vietnamese gumbo)
Travelers normally catch Bun Mam in most Ho Chi Minh City street food markets, which is a seafood-based soup, with additional options such as fish, shrimp, or squid. A standard-tasting Vietnamese gumbo bowl includes fermented fish sauce broth, rice noodles, seafood, bean sprouts, and some herbs.
Bun Mam Mien Tay
- Location: 78 Tran Quang Khai Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1
- Opening hours: 4 PM – 8 PM
- Price range: 1.5 – 2 USD/pax
Ben Thanh Street Food Market
- Location: 134 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
- Opening hours: 9 AM – 12 AM
- Price range: 2.5 – 3 USD/pax
Goi Cuon (Fresh Vietnamese Summer roll)
Goi Cuon has a lot of mixed versions, matching the tastes of vegan and non-vegan eaters. Traditionally, Goi Cuon is made with rice paper wraps, pork slices, shrimp, vermicelli noodles, and little vegetables. However, “Goi Cuon Chay” is also a much-loved vegetarian food in Ho Chi Minh, which is a wonderful combination of completely vegan materials like peanut sauces and tofu.
Bot Chien Dat Thanh
- Location: 277 Vo Van Tan Street, Ward 5, District 3
- Opening hours: 1.30 PM – 11 PM
- Price range: 0.3 – 0.5 USD/roll
Hu Tieu Nam Vang (Vietnamese Pork And Prawn Clear Noodle Soup)
Hu Tieu Nam Vang is one of the must-try street foods in Ho Chi Minh City with foreign travelers coming to Vietnam. It impresses you with a special broth of seafood, pork bones, and aromatic spices. Besides that, visitors should enjoy Hu Tieu with other toppings such as bean sprouts, pork, “Cha Lua”, squid, and shrimp to get the best flavor.
Hu Tieu Quynh
- Location: A65 Nguyen Trai Street, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1
- Opening hours: 5.30 AM – 9.20 PM
- Price range: 2.5 – 3.5 USD/pax
Hu Tieu Thanh Xuan
- Location: 62 Ton That Thiep, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
- Opening hours: 6.30 AM – 2 PM
- Price range: 1.5 – 2.5 USD/pax
Best places for street food in Ho Chi Minh City (District 1)
Van Kiep Street
Van Kiep Street is known as a thrilling exhibition of Saigon’s local cuisine. Some highly recommended specialties are Grilled Octopus (Quan 104 – 230 Van Kiep); Banh Canh Cua (63 Van Kiep) and Bun Mam (Phan Xich Long Van Kiep intersection).
Co Giang Street
Situated in District 1, Co Giang Street attracts visitors with a lot of open-air eateries, but not as noisy as other nearby streets such as Bui Vien or Pham Ngu Lao. We recommend you drop by the intersection of De Tham and Co Giang Street to enjoy a special dish called Hu Tieu Xao (Quan 79).
Phan Van Han Street
Phan Van Han Street is famous for affordable Vietnamese street food, mainly served to students nearby and locals. Let’s come from 6 PM – 8.30 PM to experience its bustiest, with delicious dishes like Bot Chien (Fried Rice Flour Cake) (in the corner of Xo Viet Nghe Tinh and Phan Van Han); or Mi Vit Tiem (Braised Duck Noodle Soup) (Luong Ky Mi Gia – in the eastern corner of Phan Van Han).
Tran Khac Chan Street
Tran Khac Chan Street is considered a mecca of street food in Saigon, with nearly 50 food outlets of various local dishes. You can experience some famous dishes like Banh Canh Cua (87 Tran Khac Chan); and Banh Xeo (at the corner of Tran Khanh Du and Tran Khac Chan).
Ben Thanh Market
Being one of the most popular Ho Chi Minh street food markets, Ben Thanh Market offers visitors a range of local dishes, ranging from Northern to Southern tastes. Some food stalls you can visit like Summer Rolls (1.5 USD/pax); Bun Rieu Ganh (2 USD/pax); Sweet Soup ( 1 – 1.5 USD/pax) and Broken Rice (2 – 2.5 USD/pax).
Tips when trying street food in Ho Chi Minh city
- When experiencing street food in Ho Chi Minh City, travelers should take our useful tips below to have the best time here. In particular:
- Go with a local guide for the best experience
- Most restaurants in Saigon deliver vegan versions of Vietnamese street food (Check out Vietnamtour.in’s article for vegetarian restaurants in Ho Chi Minh)
- Carry cash when visiting street food markets
- Be aware of pickpockets
Wrapping up
Our blog has just reviewed top street food in Ho Chi Minh City, together with their famous addresses to try. During your journey in Saigon, don’t miss District 1 to experience all the bustling dining gathering places here. If you want to discover more about this city, let’s refer to our blog about places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City.
