EXPERIENCE ONE DAY FOOD TOUR IN SAIGON

Ho Chi Minh City ranked 4th in the top 20 cities with the best cuisine in the world voted by British magazine Time Out in May. The city is a convergence of cuisines from three regions as well as delicacies from many places around the world. If you are ready to enjoy a full day of eating, I will introduce you to a one-day food tour to guide you to discover the vibrant flavors of the Saigon from morning to night.

Ho Chi Minh City offers locations and services to suit all budgets and tastes, combining delectable cuisines from around the globe with cuisine from three distinct areas.

1. Where to eat in the morning?

Cơm Tấm Ba Ghiền

Ho Chi Minh City residents have a habit of eating broken rice in the morning, and visitors can easily find broken rice food house crowded with customers from early morning. Recently, Ba Ghien Broken Rice is also the only broken rice shop in Ho Chi Minh City to be honored by Michelin in 2023.

A portion of Ba Ghien is often more expensive than the average in Ho Chi Minh City. However, a portion at Ba Ghien Broken Rice is considered by food lovers to be quite a lot with delicious grilled ribs.

In addition, there are many other side dishes, such as pork skin, sausage, fried eggs, and Chinese sausage. Each portion of rice costs between 70,000 and 150,000 VND (2.9 to 6.25 USD).

Com Tam Ba Ghien

Address: No. 84, Dang Van Ngu Street, Phu Nhuan District.

Opening Hours: 7:30 AM to 8:30 PM daily.

Prices: 70.000 to 150.000 VND (2.8 to 6 USD)

Cà Phê Giang

You can choose a relaxing coffee shop to enjoy your day after breakfast. The coffee house is situated in District 10, the store is over 300 square meters in size and can accommodate over 200 people. It has hundreds of books arranged in a peaceful area for guests to read at their leisure, and the place is decorated in a nostalgic style.

The shop is set up with sections for learning, socializing, working in groups, and relaxing outside. The store sells over thirty different drink and dessert varieties at affordable pricing, all of which are self-serve.

Ca Phe Giang – Coffee shop space with thousands of books.

Address: No. Y12, Hong Linh Street, District 10.

Opening Hours: 6:30 AM to 12:00 AM daily.

Prices: 45.000 to 60.000 VND (1.8 to 2.5 USD)

2. Where to have lunch?

Bò Lá Lốt Cô Liêng

Cô Liêng Restaurant is famous for its grilled beef in lolot leaves, grilled pork vermicelli, and grilled pork vermicelli, and has been listed in Michelin Selected for two consecutive years. The restaurant is located on Vo Van Tan Street, District 3, and has been open since 1995. The dishes have the typical flavors of Southern cuisine. The restaurant’s grilled beef in betel leaves is fragrant, salty, and sweet, and the dishes are carefully prepared.

Co Lieng restaurant is a bit small, it can only accommodate about 10 to 15 people.

The menu of Co Lieng restaurant is quite diverse, with prices ranging from 45.000 to 135.000 VND. The beef wrapped in lolot leaves and beef wrapped in pork fat are the most popular dishes among diners.

The beef wrapped in betel leaves is marinated very well, the meat inside is not dry, served with beef wrapped in lolot leaves including large vegetables, pickles, kimchi, rice paper and vermicelli. The dipping sauce that creates the soul of the dish is fish sauce mixed by the restaurant owner according to a special recipe.

Co Lieng Restaurant has attracted many local and tourists.

Address: No. 321, Vo Van Tan Street, District 3.

Opening Hours: 8:30 AM to 10:30 PM daily.

Prices:  45.000 to 135.000 VND (1.8 to 5.6 USD)

Cơm Quê Mười Khó

If you want to enjoy a family meal, with the standard “mother’s cooking”, you can visit Com Que Muoi Kho restaurant. The restaurant space is simple and cozy with rustic bamboo tables and chairs, meticulously tiled tiles and warm yellow painted walls.

The menu of the restaurant has nearly 130 different dishes, including familiar dishes such as chicken rice, braised pork, sour soup, and typical dishes of the Central region such as Quang noodles, Banh Xeo. The dishes here are all prepared from “original” and fresh ingredients. The flavors of the dishes are very rich, rustic, and imbued with the Central region style.

Com Que Muoi Kho    

Despite the high price, many diners still choose Com Que Muoi Kho restaurant. It can be seen that many people love the food here and want to visit regularly to change their taste. Not only that, the restaurant’s space also gives diners a cozy and rustic feeling, recalling memories of their hometown.

Address 1: No.27, Tran Quoc Thao Street, District 3.

Address 2: No. 8, Nguyen Van Troi Street, Phu Nhuan District.

Address 3: No. 20, Song Hanh Street, Thu Duc District.

Opening Hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily.

Prices: 80.000 to 150.000 VND (3.3 to 6.25 USD)

3. Where to have dinner?

Quán Bụi

Bui is a Saigon dinner restaurant that offers diners family meals. The restaurant’s menu includes 200 delicious dishes with unique flavors, carefully selected from the North – Central – South, giving diners many choices. Coming here, you can enjoy eel braised with banana, La Vong fish cake… from the North, rice paper with mussels, spring rolls from the Central region or kho quet, braised pork belly, braised pork belly with coconut rice from the South. The space of this Saigon dinner restaurant is designed in Indochine style, bringing warmth and intimacy.

Bui Restaurant

A variety of dishes with listed prices are printed on the menu, helping you choose easily.

Address: No. 19, Ngo Van Nam Street, District 1.

Opening Hours: 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily.

Prices: 90.000 to 200.000 VND (3.75 to 8.3 USD)

Bánh Canh Cua 87

Bánh Canh Cua 87 (crab noodle soup) in District 1 is a favorite of many gourmets. The broth is sweet and has beaten eggs, so it is both rich in flavor and thick like soup. The noodles are soft and chewy, very delicious.

Toppings include thick crab meat, shrimp, lean meat, blood sausage, ham, quail eggs, and fried rice paper. If you have the opportunity to visit Saigon, try this crab noodle soup right away.

Crab noodle soup

Address: No. 87, Tran Khac Chan Street, District 1.

Opening Hours: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily.

Prices: 45.000 to 60.000 VND (1.8 to 2.5 USD)

4. Best Dessert for the end of the day

Quán Chè 163

Quán Chè 163 is located in District 10 and is considered popular and loved by many young people.

It is a suitable place for those who like to eat out because while eating chè, you can also enjoy other dishes such as jelly, flan or fried fish balls, and fried potatoes. This chè shop is crowded but the service is quite fast. The space of the shop is cool because it is sitting outdoors. The price of Chè here is from 10.000 VND to 20.000 VND.

Quan Che 163

Che 163 attracts a large number of customers every day.

Address: No. 163/25/14, To Hien Thanh Street, District 10.

Opening Hours: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily.

Prices: 10.000 to 20.000 VND (0.4 to 0.8 USD)

5. Coffee house in the Bach Dang Wharf area

In the evening, when walking around the city center, you can find a cafe to relax and watch the fireworks. The area right at the entrance to the wharf has many cafes with views of the Saigon River and Ba Son Bridge.

These cafes have indoor and outdoor seating, close to tourist attractions such as Nguyen Hue Walking Street and Bach Dang Ferry Station.

Cafes in this area include Katinat, Highlands, 3T egg coffee, open from 7 AM to 12 PM.

I have listed the restaurant for a 1 day food tour in Saigon, I hope you enjoy your trip to this city.