I may have already mentioned this hundreds of times here, but I was born and raised in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) until college. I lived and breathed and ate that Saigon food, water, and air, and hung out on those Saigon streets for 18 years. It is forever my most favorite place on earth, and is truly my home regardless of where I actually reside.

At home now in America (Washington state), I do add flares of Vietnamese flavors into my everyday lunch and occasional dinners. And obviously, ordering a lot of food from Vietnamese restaurants around when I really want those Bun Rieu or Bun Bo Hue bowls. It’s never the same, though. The convenience of walking out of your door to get a banh mi, or com tam, or any kind of noodle soups, day or night, is what adds the authenticity of Vietnamese food.

With social media and the access to information being a lot broader now in Vietnam, there are places becoming much more popular than others, even though, dare I say, the core of a good plate – the rich flavor with a little sweetness that caters to the Saigonese taste – is honestly very consistent from one stall to another. Sure, you’d occasionally find a spot that may need to add more salt (in our case, fish sauce) to their taste, but I’d say it’s pretty rare. And I’m not just saying it because I now live in America and so my taste bud has been altered. I remember back when I was in elementary school (Hello, Chinh Nghia school in District 5), every morning, my dad took my sister and me to school on his scooter, stopped by either a Banh Mi stall, or a Xoi Man (savory sticky rice) stall, or a Com Tam (Broken rice with pork chop) stall right by the school to grab us a very good breakfast. There were no wrong choices (although I preferred the banh mi or com tam over xoi any day, so I did have favorites). Those were not necessarily better than the ones my dad would then take us to that were nearby our middle school (shout out to Hong Bang!), but then we moved to a different school and so breakfast options needed to also change. Still good. Great even. Typing this out makes me really crave that Com Tam bowl or the “hamburger” that I legit ate every day for most of my middle school, including mornings when we only had “extra” school. Every day. So good.

Obviously, there are places that truly are just that much better in what they serve. Those places were usually reserved for special occasions, such as the end of high school exam days, or Sunday nights when my parents took us out for dinner. Funny enough, those dinners could range from Pho (from the best Pho, of course – more on that soon), to Venison Pho, to Chinese Fried Rice from a random street that my mom craved, to a fancy Japanese sushi restaurant.

Although my family preferred home-cooked meals when we all sat down to eat together, at a minimum for lunch and dinner, Vietnamese people do eat out for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or supper, at any time of the day. This is why you will see restaurants after restaurants, street-side or in actual storefronts, everywhere you go in big cities. When Toby first went to Vietnam, he was shocked to see that and wondered how people would survive if everyone was also selling food. People eat out there – that’s basically it. And that’s why we have such a rich cuisine in Vietnam.

My Absolute Favorite Dishes in Saigon

7. Bún mắm (Fermented Fish Noodle Soup)

Let me get it out of the way: you’d either love this or hate this. Most Vietnamese people obviously love it; for folks from this side of the world, you may have nightmare about it, like Toby did. He never wanted to be close to this bowl of fishy noodle soup ever again, ha.

Like the name suggests, it’s a fermented fish noodle soup. The broth, therefore, is quite rich and complex. The noodle is the fun one though – sort of like udon but not quite, as it’s rice noodle but rounder than the Pho noodle and is bigger than vermicelli noodle. Then it’s topped with more seafood (usually squid, a lot of places would add chunks of fish), fish cake wrapped in a chili, roasted pork belly, and of course a lot of veggies. This was my weekend breakfast, since our favorite stall located in Chợ Phùng Hưng (District 5) – not far from our house but more than enough for an everyday take-out. I love it, but would it be the first thing I need to eat the second I land to Saigon? Eh, maybe, maybe not.

6. Phở Nai (Venison Pho)

You won’t necessarily find Phở Nai everywhere in the city. This is more of a Chinese-Vietnamese crossover dish, and the restaurant Hủ tiếu satế Tô Ký is in District 5, where it is considered the Chinatown of Saigon. The broth has a more satay-like texture, and the meat is obviously venison, but beef is also available. It is rich and deep in flavor. The venison is always so tender. Just add some ngò gai herb, and you’re good to go. If you want Phở and something different at the same time, this is a perfect dish to enjoy.

Hủ tiếu Sa tế Gia truyền Tô Ký (36 Đ. Gò Công, Phường 13, Quận 5, Hồ Chí Minh)

5. Bún Riêu (Crab Noodle Soup)

While Phở Nai (Venison Pho) isn’t widely available up and down the map of Vietnam, Bún Riêu, on the other hand, is very common, especially in the South. I do think that it is a deep cut just like Bún mắm (fermented fish noodle soup), though, meaning you’d only know and love it when you live in Vietnam. The broth is clear with an orange color, not really tomato saucy kinda broth, but it does have a ton of tomatoes in it. And the kind I grew up eating has freshwater minced crab, pork, tons of herbs, and a special dipping sauce on the side. This lady who has fed my family for at least 25 years is located in District 8, just a few steps from my parent’s house. Earlier, when I said I missed the convenience of being able to get food anytime from anywhere, this is what I was really talking about. Every Saturday morning, when one of my parents’ kids woke up in the (late) morning, my dad would phone the Bún Riêu’s stall, and 2 min later, there would be a bowl of hot Bún Riêu delivered to our house, placed on our dining table. They would come back another time if a few other kids decided to wake up later than the first kid, you see. They do that for all their nearby customers! When they’re closed the stall (only serving breakfast) around 11am, they would come to each household to collect the bowls and money. It’s a system that has been around for years. I must say, I miss it.

BÚN RIÊU ĐIỆP – Tùng Thiên Vương (296 Tùng Thiện Vương, P. 13,  Quận 8, TP. HCM)

4. Cơm Gia Đình (Family type meal)

Cơm Gia Đình is really just how I’m going to combine a few of my favorites that are great at family restaurants and best when mom cooks at home. It’s the staple in every household (“3 món 1 canh”): a soup (Vietnamese style – clear broth most of the time, some veggies and protein), a veggie dish (sautéed or steamed – always), a protein dish or 2 (fish, or meat, or egg with meat – at my house), and a banana (ha! My dad loves having a banana at the end of a meal for dessert. I don’t.) My favorite soups are usually Canh Chua (tamarind soup with fish), or Canh Cà Chua (tomato soup with pork ribs). My most favorite main dishes are pork chops, peppered pork ribs with egg, claypot fish with egg, and ginger chicken. A side of rice, of course. This last time when we were in Vietnam, we had many of these meals (mostly at the Amanoi, once in Capella Hanoi, and a few in Saigon). None of these places can beat my mom’s meals, which we always make time for at least once when we visit Vietnam, and these meals are forever in a special place in my heart. I make some of these at home too, here in America, and sometimes my eyes tear up a bit thinking of mom when I do. 🙂

3. Bánh Mì

It pains me to put Bánh Mì at number 3, because I love a Bánh Mì. Honestly, you cannot get a bad Bánh Mì in Vietnam, anywhere you go. You just can’t. But, in America, there are plenty of Bánh Mìs that suck, and that makes me sad because unless I go to a Vietnamese deli (that will allow me to buy just the bread) or a Vietnamese/Asian supermarket, I won’t be able to replicate a Bánh Mì without the bread. It still isn’t the same, though. Because of that, I must have at least one Bánh Mì when I visit the motherland. There are many places, as we all know, and some very popular ones that you also may know (Bánh Mì Huynh Hoa or the recent Bánh Mì Bà Huynh Madam Win). I have never eaten at either place, but based on the reviews (from my brother and some other friends who live there), I don’t think it would be something that blows my mind. The portion, the only 1 choice of meat, the line, etc. And I actually don’t need to, because I love the places I used to frequent when I used to live in Saigon.

Bánh mì Anh Phán in District 1 (close to Bui Vien, which is the “backpacker” area of the city) was the one place my older sister and I would go almost every week (many times a week). It’s nearby our high school, so there is that. We could just ride our scooter and pick one up on the way back from school. But it’s also good. I’ve only had the shredded chicken one, lots of pate, less mayo, no chili, and it’s so, so, so good. They have other toppings as well, per usual, but the shredded chicken is it!

Bánh mì Anh Phán (145 Đ. Cống Quỳnh, Phường Nguyễn Cư Trinh, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh)

Bánh mì Bùi Thị Xuân is another favorite of ours, and frankly, everyone who went to the same high school (Bùi Thị Xuân) as it’s just across the street from it. This last time we were in Saigon, I took Toby there instead as it was a little shorter walk from the Park Hyatt Saigon (still a long walk – ~20-25 min in the heat so beware). We went there twice. We got the cold cut combo with extra pork floss (chà bông) and extra pate for me. I have to tell you, perhaps one of the best cold-cut bánh mì ever, certainly the best in Saigon.

Bánh mì Bùi Thị Xuân (122E Đ. Bùi Thị Xuân, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh)

If you are on a quest to eat the absolute best Bánh mì in Vietnam, may I suggest Bánh Mì Phượng in Hoi An (2b Đ. Phan Chu Trinh, Cẩm Châu, Hội An)? Yes, Anthony Bourdain was there and said it was the best Bánh Mì on earth. Well, I agree with him. We had 5 people visiting the town at that time and tried a couple of famous Bánh Mì spots. The conclusion was… what Tony said.

2. Phở Bò (Beef Phở)

I don’t need to explain or justify this, ha. It’s Phở Bò. It’s the ultimate noodle soup. Yes, there are many other noodle soups from Vietnam that we all love, but you cannot beat a good Phở Bò, in my humble opinion. When I say a good Phở Bò, I mean Phở Bò from the one and only Phở Lệ (only 1 location, no other branches). I have to have this when I’m in Saigon. I may have to fly to Saigon just to have it if I visit Vietnam and somehow don’t make it to Saigon (crazy talk! why would I not go there?!). This place has been around forever, and it carried me through many important year-end exams. 6am Phở Lệ with Dad before an exam was what we used to do. I always just get the Phở Tái Bò Viên (rare steak and meatballs), and a poached egg in the broth. Must. Just do it. I am sad writing this because I know I have to wait for at least 2 years until I could have it again. I don’t know how they make it so much superior to every other place on this planet, and I don’t try or pretend to know. Just go get it if you’re there, have another for me too, please.

Phở Lệ (415 Đ. Nguyễn Trãi, Phường 7, Quận 5, Hồ Chí Minh)

1. Cơm Tấm (Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chops)

Yea, this is me in a nutshell. Broken jasmine rice, a grilled pork chop or two, baked egg, sometimes a sunny-side egg, a side of soup, sit-down restaurant or street side, sign me up. It is the one Vietnamese dish that I have to eat many times when I’m in Vietnam, let alone Saigon. But Saigon does it best, probably because that’s where it originated from! When we came back to Saigon this year, we landed at the airport at around 10 pm, and my mom picked up two orders of Cơm Tấm from a place nearby our house in District 8 for Toby and me, per our requests. I literally skipped a full meal service on our Japan – Saigon flight (opted for their amazing tiny cup of Chanpon noodles instead) so I could leave some stomach space to enjoy this Cơm Tấm. It was the best Welcome Home from mom, and from Saigon.

You can truly find great Cơm Tấm at every corner in the city. If you see a small grilling setup on the street, chances are they’re serving Cơm Tấm. We wandered around during our 2022 and 2024 trips, found a spot, came in, and had a great Cơm Tấm. If you have a weak stomach, I’d suggest checking to see how clean the street stall is, just to be safe. The Vietnamese people’s digestive system is a lot stronger than that of people from the West, I’m telling you.

Both Toby and I love Cơm Tấm, and he’s British, born in America! We love it so much (the best) that my older sister had to suggest that we get something else for lunch this one time when we came to visit her new condo. (They did take us to a fabulous chicken & rice place, though, love love love). Immediately when we came back to the states, I had to make ourselves a Cơm Tấm with grilled pork (seasoned with lemongrass and fish sauce) to really get me through the homesickness. This is a Saigon dish that raised me and will get me through my days in America until I get back.

If you can only go to one place for Cơm Tấm, try Cơm Tấm Ba Ghiền (84 Đ. Đặng Văn Ngữ, Phường 10, Phú Nhuận), or honestly, any place would still do it.

There are obviously more dishes that I love in Saigon, or in other cities of Vietnam. Some folks may tell me that I am missing out because I don’t have Bún bò Huế listed here. Maybe true. I love Bún bò Huế and have had a lot of those everywhere, but I am not sure if I have found my Bún bò Huế in Saigon yet. I had a great bowl in Hue though, where it is original from. But, if you know, Bún bò Huế is different from region to region, from restaurant to restaurant. I’ll try a couple in Saigon next time I’m there and maybe I’ll finally find my best Bún bò Huế in Saigon.

If you want to start building out a Saigon list based on these places, try it here on Mindtrip!