TOP 10 CHEAPEST VIETNAMESE STREETS FOOD YOU MUST TRY

Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is a thriving city brimming with street food culture. If you’re a budget traveler or simply looking to enjoy delicious Vietnamese cuisine without breaking the bank, you’re in luck!

In addition to being reasonably priced, a lot of Saigon’s street dishes are really flavourful. I will introduce you to the top 10 Vietnamese street foods in Saigon that you can get for less than $1 USD, which are listed below.

Saigon has a lot of diverse street food, you can be fascinated with these dishes

1. Bánh Tráng Nướng (Grilled Vietnamese Rice Paper)

One of the most popular street foods in Da Lat (Lam Dong), grilled rice paper is a delectable Vietnamese speciality that has its roots in the southern provinces. Grilled rice paper topped with a variety of sauces and toppings is Banh Trang Nuong. Many students’ favourite food today is Banh Trang Nuong with extra toppings, which can be found everywhere along the S-shaped strip of land, but notably at school gates. A common way to improve the taste of baked rice paper is to drink it with lemon tea.

Bánh Tráng Nướng – Grilled Rice Paper

The primary components of Banh Trang Nuong:

The dish’s main component, rice paper, gives it its distinct flavour. Vietnamese pancakes are prepared traditionally. The main ingredient of Banh Trang Nuong, which is formed by swiping rice paper with sauces and toppings and grilling it over charcoal to a crispy golden crust, is dried thinly coated starch. It can be baked or dipped in water and wrapped with vermicelli.

Topping

Egg: The crust’s vivid yellow colour comes from the egg. Over charcoal, people sweep eggs using a sheet of rice paper. This gives the food a richer taste.

Sausage: Sausage is a source of protein and red hue.

Dried squid, dried chicken and beef jerky all provide protein and a red hue akin to sausage. The majority of Vietnamese street foods and snacks require this ingredient.

Cheese: Nothing gives Banh Trang Nuong quite the richness that cheese does. Rather than mozzarella that can be twisted into threads like on pizza, cow laughing cheese is the typical cheese used in this meal.

Green is what’s missing, and spring onions give it to you. A delicious addition to other toppings is the spring onion.

Sauces

Mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, and chilli sauce are used in Banh Trang Nuong. These can enhance the richness of Mayo, the sweetness and sourness of tomato ketchup, and the heat of chilli sauce. The end product is a masterpiece of flavour, colour, and aroma.

Bánh Tráng Nướng 61 Cao Thắng       

The restaurant is located on Cao Thang Street and is usually only open at night, so the space is spacious and airy, allowing you to eat cakes and breathe in the fresh air. The restaurant is very crowded, so the wait is long, but in return, you can enjoy the crispy and delicious grilled rice paper with cooked eggs mixed with dried beef and sausage, creating a wonderful flavor. This is the best place for you to enjoy street food.

Bánh Tráng Nướng Cao Thắng in District 3

Address: No. 61, Cao Thang Street, District 3.

Opening Hours: 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM daily.

Prices: 20.000 VND

Bánh Tráng Mâm

If you are a fan of Bánh Tráng, this is a restaurant specializing in all kinds of rice paper. The new version of rice paper tray is super strange for those who are passionate about rice paper: fried, grilled, mixed, rolled, etc. Served with exclusive sauces, it is so delicious that you will forget the way home.

Bánh Tráng Mâm has a diverse menu with rice paper fried, grilled, mixed, rolled.

Address: No. 183, Cao Thang Street, District 10.

Opening Hours: 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM daily.

Prices: 10.000 to 20.000 VND

2. Hột Vịt Lộn (Balut)

Hột Vịt Lộn, also known as Balut as it is more commonly called, is a unique street meal that is available almost everywhere in Vietnam, especially in the evenings.

A fertilised duck egg is cooked after it has developed for 17–21 days in order to make balut. At this point, the inner embryo has grown into a partially formed duckling with bones, feathers, and sometimes even eyes and a beak.

Hột Vịt Lộn – One of the famous street food in Vietnam you must try

There are several methods for preparing balut, such as:

Simple Balut: Prepared just in its shell.

– Stir-Fried Balut:Tangy flavour achieved through tamarind cooking.

– Grilled Balut: To add a smokey flavour, season with salt and pepper.

– Duck Eggs: frequently served as a foundation for other meals.

Balut is typically served with fresh laksa leaves, ginger, and a dipping sauce consisting of salt, pepper, lemon, and chilli to intensify the flavour.

Balut has a very distinct texture and taste. Due to the obvious embryonic characteristics, some people may find it difficult, while others may find it wonderful. Despite this, balut is regarded as a delicacy in many cultures and is eaten as a high-protein food source in addition to being a tasty snack.

Hột Vịt Lộn Kim Thảo

The duck eggs at Kim Thao restaurant are boiled just right, fragrant and fatty, with a sweet and delicious taste. The dipping sauce is salty, sour, and spicy, and eaten with the “hot” duck eggs is truly wonderful.

Hột Vịt Lộn Kim Thảo in District 2

Address: No. 104, Xuan Thuy Street, District 2.

Opening Hours: 1:45 PM to 10:00 PM daily.

Prices: 8.000 to 20.000 VND

Hột Vịt Lộn Trung Hiếu

Trung Hieu eatery is located in Binh Thanh district. The fatty duck eggs mixed with the extremely rich sweet and sour tamarind sauce, served with Vietnamese coriander and crispy bread will make you want to eat forever.

Hột Vịt Lộn Trung Hiếu

Address: No. 353, Le Quang Dinh Street, Binh Thanh District.

Opening Hours: 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM daily.

Prices:  8.000 to 25.000 VND

3. Chè (Vietnamese Sweet Dessert)

Vietnamese Sweet Dessert uses the term Chè to refer to a wide range of sweet desserts. This large category covers recipes using tapioca pearls, beans, fruits, and glutinous rice, among other items. Chè, a favourite dessert in Vietnam, is typically served cold and is renowned for its flavourful and refreshing attributes.

Chè is available in a variety of forms, each with a special combination of flavours, textures, and ingredients. These are a few typical varieties of chè:

– Chè Chuối: a creamy and sugary dessert made with tapioca pearls and bananas cooked in coconut milk.

– Chè Bắp: a dessert prepared of sticky rice, corn and coconut milk; additional ingredients, such as mung beans, may be added for flavour and texture.

– Chè Đậu Xanh: a dish made from mung beans that is occasionally sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds and served with coconut milk.

– Chè Thái: a mixed dessert, typically served with crushed ice and condensed milk for a cool and decadent treat, that blends different fruits, jellies, and other ingredients.

These illustrations only scratch the surface of the rich and varied world of chè. Vietnamese cuisine is known for its inventive and wonderful blending of flavours and textures, and this is reflected in the variety of chénes dishes that are eaten throughout the day as snacks, desserts, or light meals.

Chè Thái Ý Phương

Chè Thái Ý Phương, which is 30 years old, is situated in District 10. Y Phuong’s most well-known dessert is Thai sweet soup. The “Chè Thái” Thai sweet soup is famous and much lauded by diners. Due to the liberal scooping, those with a sweet tooth will only require one cup of the restaurant’s sweet soup.

Chè Thái Ý Phương, which is popular Chè in District 10 over 30 years.

Address: No. 382, Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, District 10.

Opening Hours: 10:30 AM to 1:30 AM

Prices: 20.000

Chè Kỳ Đồng

Chè Kỳ Đồng, located in District 3, is over 30 years. Green bean jelly sweet soup, water chestnut sweet soup, and Thai sweet soup are just a few of the more than twenty dessert options available at this restaurant, which also has a spacious and light interior. Furthermore, the shop provides a wide selection of snacks, such as fried dough, noodles, and bread, to meet the diverse tastes of its clients.

Address: No. 16C, Ky Dong Street, District 3.

Opening Hours: 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM daily.

Prices: 15.000 to 20.000 VND

4. Gỏi Cuốn (Fresh Spring Rolls)

In Northern Vietnamese, Gỏi Cuốn, or Fresh Spring Rolls, is a highly liked delicacy in Vietnam. The recipe for Goi Cuon, which comes from the south of Vietnam, calls for rice paper rolls rolled in lettuce, basil, perilla, dried prawns and herbs.

The usual ingredients in gỏi cuốn consist of:

-Encasing the fillings are thin, see-through sheets of rice paper. Before assembling, soften them by quickly submerging them in warm water.

– Shrimp, grilled pork and poached chicken are some common protein fillings.

-Lettuce, mint leaves, cilantro, Thai basil, and bean sprouts are some of the fresh vegetables commonly found in gỏi cuốn. Aside from fragrant flavours, these vegetables provide crispness and freshness to the dish.

-For increased substance and texture, rice vermicelli noodles, which are thin, are a common ingredient in these rolls.

An assortment of dipping sauces, ranging from mildly sweet and savoury to acidic and spicy, is usually provided with gỏi cuốn. Common components of the dipping sauce include peanut butter, lime juice, fish sauce, and hoisin sauce.

Gỏi Cuốn – Fresh Spring Rolls

How to make?

In order to put together Gỏi Cuốn, a clean surface is used to arrange a softened rice paper wrapper. Protein, veggies, herbs, and noodles are all stacked on top of one another inside the wrapping. The components are encased by tightly folding the wrapper’s sides over the fillings, and then rolling up the wrapper. A neat, cylindrical roll is the end product, and it shows off all the colourful and tempting components inside.

Where to eat Gỏi Cuốn?

Gỏi Cuốn Tôm Nhảy

Address: No. 424, Lac Long Quan Street, District 11.

Opening Hours: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM from Monday to Saturday.

Prices: 8.000 to 25.000 VND

Gỏi Cuốn Tôm Nhảy is a famous spring roll restaurant that is very popular with diners. Fatty pork, sweet and fragrant shrimp and crispy pig ears, combined with green vegetables, vermicelli and rich dipping sauce will make you exclaim non-stop.

Gỏi Cuốn Tôm Nhảy in District 11

Gỏi Cuốn Hạnh

As a “fan” of spring rolls, you cannot miss this spring roll food stall. The spring rolls here are guaranteed to be “beautiful, delicious and hygienic” at affordable prices. That is also the reason why Hanh’s spring roll restaurant is always crowded. In addition, Ms. Hanh also has papaya salad, shrimp and pork salad, and vermicelli with pork skin.

Gỏi Cuốn Hạnh, which is one of the best Gỏi Cuốn in District 10

Address: No.420A, Hoa Hoa Street, District 10.

Opening Hours: 10:00 AM to 18:00 PM daily.

Prices: 8.000 to 15.000 VND

Gỏi Cuốn Minh

The food stall looks very neat and clean, ensuring food hygiene and safety. The dipping sauce is rich and very tasty, the spring rolls are big, with lots of shrimp and meat, very delicious. The staff here are also very cheerful and enthusiastic, ensuring that you will be satisfied with the quality of the food as well as the quality of service.

Gỏi Cuốn Minh in District 1

Address: No. 84/33 Bui Vien Street, District 1.

Opening Hours: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM from Monday to Saturday.

Prices: 10.000 to 25.000 VND

5. Súp Cua (Crab Soup)

Vietnamese crab soup, meaning “crab soup” in English, is called Súp Cua. In a thick, creamy broth with bits of crab meat and other seasonings, this flavourful and soothing dish is usually served. In Vietnamese cuisine, súp cua is often eaten as an appetiser or a lighter entrée.

Here are the key components of súp cua:

– Crab: meat, sourced from a variety of crab species, is the main component. It is common practice to cook the meat and then remove it from the shells before adding it to the soup.

– Soup: The broth used as a foundation for the soup is typically a combination of chicken, pig, and shellfish. Onion, garlic, and ginger are among of the aromatic seasonings used to elevate its taste.

– Creamy Base: The characteristic creamy texture of súp cua is sometimes made with cornflour and other similar substances.

– Legumes: Soup ingredients often contain maize, carrots, peas and even mushrooms. The addition of these veggies not only adds colour and texture, but also extra nutrition.

– Eggs:​ In certain preparations of súp cua, the beaten eggs are added to the boiling soup and mixed gently to form small threads of cooked egg.

– Preparation: To bring out the best in the soup, the flavours are balanced and elevated with a little sugar, salt, and fish sauce.

Súp Cua Hạnh

Hanh Crab Soup, you will enjoy delicious bowls of crab soup. The restaurant has a spacious, clean space, is easy to find and has quick service. It specializes in serving oyster crab soup, chicken crab soup… Each bowl of crab soup is big, with many types of meat, shiitake mushrooms, chicken breast, rich in flavor and especially with 2 eggs inside or preserved eggs.

Súp Cua Hạnh

Address: No. 549, Su Van Hanh Street, District 10.

Opening Hours: 6:15 AM to 10:30 PM daily.

Prices: 20.000 VND

Súp Cua Cô Bông

Súp Cua Cô Bông is a famous 20-year-old meeting place in Saigon, attracting both locals and tourists. The shop only sells on the sidewalk, always crowded with lines waiting. The crab soup is served in a small bowl, but just one bowl is enough to fill you up. The location is at the intersection with Tan Phuoc, opposite Thiec market. The shop often moves between Thiec and Co Dieu markets. The soup is carefully cooked from sweet bone broth, fresh crab and lots of meat. The shop has two types of crab soup: regular and with preserved eggs, with reasonable prices. Customers are diverse from workers to students, always crowded with tables indoors and on the sidewalk.

Súp Cua Cô Bông in District 11

Address: No. 166, Pho Co Dieu Street, District 11.

Opening Hours: 2:00 PM to 8:30 PM daily.

Prices: 20.000 VND

6. Hủ Tiếu Gõ (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

Popular Vietnamese noodle soup dish “Hủ Tiếu Gõ” is well-known for its soothing and flavourful attributes. It’s a variant of the more popular Hủ tiếu, a Vietnamese noodle soup having roots in the Teochew Chinese minority. The word “Gõ” describes the unique sound produced by the carts that serve this noodle soup; they are made of a set of slats, either metal or wooden, that knock against one another.

The main elements of Hủ tiếu gõ consist of:

– Noodles: The meal calls for thin, flat rice noodles, like those used in noodle soups like pho.

-Broth: Usually made by simmering things like dried prawns, pork bones and occasionally chicken or shellfish, the clear, flavourful broth is produced. Onion, garlic, and a mixture of spices are used to season it.

– Protein:Shrimp, squid, and minced pig are just a few of the proteins that are frequently included in hủ tiếu gõ.

– Vegetables: Lettuce, bean sprouts, and chives are examples of fresh veggies that give the meal a crisp and vibrant taste.

– Garnishes: To improve the soup’s flavour and appearance, chopped cilantro, shallots, and green onions are typically added as garnish.

– Sauces: Using condiments like chilli sauce, hoisin sauce, or soy sauce, diners can alter the flavour to suit their tastes.

In Saigon, Hủ tiếu gõ is commonly served at eateries, street food stands, and restaurants. It’s a tasty and reasonably priced choice for a filling dinner.

Hủ Tiếu Gõ Nguyễn Công Trứ

This noodle shop is loved by people because of its delicious taste and especially the pickled onions served with vinegar. The space is simple and rustic, everyone can comfortably come and eat with a group of friends.

Hủ Tiếu Gõ – Vietnamese Noodle Soup with cheap prices

Address: No. 100, Nguyen Cong Tru Street, District 1.

Opening Hours: 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM daily.

Prices: 15.000 to 20.000 VND

7. Bột Chiên (Vietnamese Fried Dough)

Bột Chiên, which means “fried dough”, is a famous street dish in Vietnam. Crumbs of fried dough, eggs, and a variety of toppings come together in an easy-to-make but delicious snack.

Bột chiên, a popular snack in Vietnamese markets and street food stands, is known for having a crispy outside and a little chewy within.

Bột Chiên – Vietnamese Fried Dough

The primary ingredients in bột chiên are:

Cubes of dough, typically made from rice flour, are deep-fried until they have a crispy exterior and a delicately chewy interior.

– Eggs:​ As the dough cubes fry, they are combined with whisked eggs. With the aid of the eggs, the dough is able to come together and a thick coating is formed.

– Toppings: For enhanced taste and body, a number of substances are mixed in. Chives, green onions, and occasionally sliced sausages or dry shrimp are common toppings.

– Sauces: A dipping sauce usually created with a combination of fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, and chilli is eaten with bột chiên. The savoury and tangy sauce elevates the dish to the next level.

Bột Chiên Đạt Thành

Dat Thanh is a long-standing fried dough eatery. What makes customers fascinated is that in addition to the traditional crispy fried dough, Dat Thanh also has fatty taro fried dough and typical Chinese chive cakes with a thick outer shell and soft, chewy inside, dipped in a delicious papaya sauce that is very addictive. In addition, the restaurant also sells fried egg noodles, spring rolls, wontons, etc, which are quite diverse, so if you crave snacks, remember to stop by Dat Thanh to enjoy them.

Bột Chiên Đạt Thành in District 3

Address: No. 277, Vo Van Tan Street, District 3

Opening Hours: 1:30 PM to 11:00 PM daily.

Prices: 20.000 VND

Bột Chiên 51

The special feature of the eatery is that the fried dough is cut into small pieces and fried in a pot of boiling oil. The dough is not hard but crispy, the egg is crispy and spongy, dipped in sweet and salty soy sauce, delicious to the point of forgetting to go home.

Bột Chiên 51

Although fried in oil, it is not greasy because it has sour papaya and fragrant fried green onions to eat with. The restaurant space is also very clean and airy, so if you have the opportunity to go to Binh Thanh, try the unique fried dough flavor of the restaurant.

Address: No. 51, Nguyen Van Lac Street, Binh Thanh District

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

Prices: 20.000 VND

8. Xôi Mặn (Savory Sticky Rice)

Savoury sticky rice, or Xôi Mặn, is the ideal Vietnamese comfort food. It is made by swiftly heating dried shrimp (Lạp Xưởng), along with other delicacies, in a rich and savoury sauce made primarily of soy sauce. The result is a wonderful dish that is hot and chewy to the core. Because of how adaptable this dish is, you can substitute any ingredients you like or have on hand, and it will still turn out delicious.

The texture of sticky rice is sometimes referred to as sweet rice or glutinous rice. Although it’s typically cooked for sweet desserts in Vietnamese cuisine, I really enjoy it savoury!

Xôi Mặn – one of the best street foods in Saigon

The components of Xôi Mặn:

-Rice: Sticky rice has to be cooked for 35 minutes. When the sticky rice is 70 – 80% cooked, scoop it out into a basket or tray, spread it evenly and then fan it to cool.

– Toppings: Dried shrimp, Chinese sausage, green onions, pork roll, Xcrispy fried onions add flavor to the dish. Ready-made shredded pork floss.

Xôi Bình Tiên

The original Binh Tien sticky rice food stall has many branches, and is a place chosen by many diners whenever they have the opportunity to enjoy sticky rice in Saigon. The sticky rice here is soft, sticky and fragrant with the smell of new sticky rice, combined with extremely delicious toppings. In particular, the sticky rice is wrapped in banana leaves, so it is quite clean and environmentally friendly.

Xôi Bình Tiên, which attracts many locals everyday, because of affordable prices.

Address: No. 88, Minh Phung Street, District 6.

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

Prices: 20.000 VND

Xôi Gà Number One

If you’re looking to savor the original, flavourful chicken sticky rice, Number One Chicken Sticky Rice in District 1 is the place to go. The sticky rice restaurant, housed in a modest house on Nguyen Trung Truc Street, is always packed because its sticky rice is the best around.

Fried onions, chicken eggs, and shredded chicken are combined with sticky rice to create a distinct flavour.

Address: No. 15, Nguyen Trung Truc Street, District 1.

Opening Hours: 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM daily.

Prices: 20.000 – 23.000 VND

9. Nem Nướng (Grilled Pork Sausage)

Nha Trang is the birthplace of the classic Vietnamese grilled sausage known as Nem Nướng.

Nem Nướng – one of the top street foods you must try

The components of Nem Nướng:

Ground pork fat and meat, garlic, fish sauce, shallots, sugar, black pepper and frequently baking soda—which is used to puff up the meat—are commonly combined to make sausage. Before grilling, the meat is shaped into patties and balls or arranged on skewers.

Nem nướng can be served in a variety of ways after it is cooked, such as wrapped in rice paper, served with rice noodles, steaming rice, and pickled or fresh veggies, vegetables, or as part of a sandwich called bánh mì. The sausage is typically served as an appetiser or snack with nước chấm dipping sauce.

Nem Nướng Quyên

This is one of the delicious Nha Trang grilled spring rolls restaurants in Saigon worth visiting. The food here is extremely affordable for students. With only under 1 USD, you can enjoy a huge, full spring roll, just looking at it makes you feel delicious. Grilled spring rolls have an irresistible aroma and delicious taste, dipped with spicy chili sauce is the best.

If you are near this food stall, you must definitely stop by and try it!

Address: No. 17, Ho Thi Ky Street, District 10.

Opening Hours: 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM daily.

Prices: 15.000 VND

10. Bò Bía (Popiah)

Bò Bía is a street meal or snack from Vietnam that is also known as “popiah.” Its unique blend of flavours and ingredients sets it apart from the more widely available Gỏi cuốn (fresh spring rolls).

Bò Bía – one of the best street food you must try when visit Saigon

The primary components of bò bía consist of:

-Paper Rice: Like gỏi cuốn, bò bía is wrapped in thin rice paper. To make the rice paper pliable for wrapping, water is used to soften it.

– Jicama: Jicama, or yam bean, is the main filling for bò bía. It is a crispy, somewhat sweet root vegetable. Typically, the jicama is sautéed and julienned with garlic before being included into the rolls.

-Chinese sausage: Bò bía frequently contains slices of “lap xuong,” or Chinese sausage. The flavours of these sausages are savoury and sweet, which goes well with the other ingredients.

– Dehydrated Shrimp: The rolls get an umami flavour from chopped dried prawns.

– Sauce: A smear of sauce is frequently given with bò bía, giving the rolls a sweet and savoury touch.

You can eat Bò Bía whole or divided into smaller portions. Bò bía is a distinct and fulfilling snack due to the combining of sweet, savoury, and fragrant characteristics in its textures and flavours.

It’s a popular option for both Vietnamese residents and tourists who are discovering the wide range of Vietnamese street cuisine.

Ăn Vặt Bò Bía Hai Ngàn

Ăn Vặt Bò Bía Hai Ngàn is one of the Saigon snacking addresses that is very familiar to locals and tourists. The salty bo bia here is highly appreciated by diners thanks to its full filling including: Chinese sausage, omelette, carrots, herbs, lettuce, cassava.

In particular, the dipping sauce here is quite delicious, tasty, and thick. In addition to Saigon bo bia, you can also choose many other snacks such as: mixed rice paper, rice paper rolls with butter sauce, rice paper rolls with beef sauce, rice paper rolls with soft-boiled eggs.

Address: No. 371/76A, Truong Chinh Street, Tan Binh District.

Opening Hours: 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM daily

Prices: 3.000 to 20.000 VND

Bò Bía Sài Gòn Chợ Tân Định

Another place to enjoy delicious salty spring rolls in Saigon that you cannot “ignore” is the spring rolls at Tan Dinh Market. The spring roll cart here is small but “powerful”, able to “knock out” diners from the first time enjoying. The spring rolls here are rolled moderately, with a variety of fillings. In particular, the cassava is always stir-fried hot, rolled only when customers order, ensuring the freshest flavor.

Bò Bía at Tan Dinh Market

The soul of Saigon Spring Rolls at Tan Dinh market is the “divine” peanut sauce, seasoned to taste and rich. In particular, the owner generously adds burnt garlic and roasted peanuts, which further enhances the attractive flavor.

Address: No. 129, Nguyen Huu Cau Street, District 1.

Opening Hours: 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM daily

Prices: 3.000 to 20.000 VND These street dishes are inexpensive and delicious at the same time. In Vietnam, these foods are available at every corner of the street. You can currently savor dishes that are visually appealing and flavourful for less than $1 USD.