Top 5 Musy-try Specialties Once You Are in Saigon

1. Bun Mam - Fish Sauce Noodle

It is no coincidence that this dish is in the first position on the list. Bun Mam or Fish Sauce Noodle is a specialty which is only available in southern Vietnam. As the name suggests, the main ingredient of any bowl of Bun Mam is the dark-colored broth prepared with fermented fish sauce, tamarind juice, and sugar. Along with this special broth, Bun (rice vermicelli noodles) are put into the bottom of the bowl and then, green onion, herbs, meats like squid, prawns, and pork are all scattered on top of it.

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For many, they are not keen on "fermented fish" due to its smell. However, it is honestly not fishy at all. It has a little sweet and balanced flavor with thick rice noodles and chunks of delicious fish and meat that will mesmerize you from the first try. You can easily find Bun Mam at restaurants as well as street food stalls in every corner of Ho Chi Minh City.

Bun Mam Phan Boi Chau

• Address: 22 Phan Boi Chau, across from Ben Thanh Market
• Opening hour: 06:00 AM - 07:00 PM
• Reference price: VND 70,000 -100,000

Bun Mam 47

• Address: 91A Le Quang Sung, Ward 2, District 6
• Phone: (08) 39 601 727
• Opening hours: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
• Reference price: VND 35,000 - 55,000

Bun Mam Truong Sa

• Address: 340 Truong Sa, Ward 2, Phu Nhuan District
• Open hours: 09:00 AM - 10:00 PM
• Reference price: VND 30,000 - 60,000

2. Banh Canh Cua - Crab Soup Cake

If you're a crab lover, this Vietnamese dish is surely made for you. Banh Canh Cua (some places call it Banh Canh Ghe) is the Crab Soup Cake or Crab Soup Noodles. Different from other noodle soups in Vietnam, this unique dish is not only notable because of the crab but also famous for its special type of noodle. They use a hearty and thick noodle made with either tapioca flour, rice flour, or a combination of the two instead of traditional thin rice vermicelli noodles.

Banh Canh Cua is considered Vietnam's version of Japanese udon noodles. The broth is thickened like gravy and has mellow crab flavor. With chilies, green onions, and fresh lime on top, Banh Canh Cua is definitely a tasty bowl that you don't wanna miss once visit the bustling city of Saigon.

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Banh Canh Cua Hoang Lan

• Address: 484 Vinh Vien, 10 District
• Open hours: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
• Reference price: VND 45,000 - 60,000

Banh Canh Cua Ut Le

• Address: 204 To Hien Thanh, 10 District
• Open hours: 05:00 - 09:00 PM
• Reference price: VND 45,000 - 55,000

Banh Canh Cua 14

• Address: 223A Tran Binh Trong, 10 District
• Open hours: 07:30 AM - 11:00 PM
• Reference price: VND 40,000 - 55,000

3. Hu Tieu - Pork Noodle Soup

Another Vietnam's signature dish is Hu Tieu - Pork Noodle Soup. It is said that this delicious dish has origin from Cambodia and China. While there are a dozen variations of Hu Tieu, Hu Tieu Nam Vang is regarded as the tastiest dish of all.

There are 2 types of Hu Tieu Nam Vang: wet Hu Tieu and dry Hu Tieu. The wet version is similar to the noodle soup with broth. Its broth is a mixture of bones, dried squid and pork which is left to simmer for hours. The dry version, on the other hands, is separated broth and noodle in two bowls.

Hu Tieu Nam Vang is also served with fresh vegetable, herb, green lemon, chilies... Since it is very popular in the South area, you will be amazed that there are more stalls serving Hu Tieu than Pho vendors in Ho Chi Minh City.

>> Related: Top 10 Restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City in 2024

Hu Tieu Nam Vang Lien Hua

• Address: 90D Tran Quoc Thao, District 3 or 312 An Duong Vuong, District 5
• Opening hours: 10:00 AM - 09:00 PM
• Reference price: VND 50,000 - 70,000

Hu Tieu Nam Vang Phu Quy

• Address: 84 Ho Thi Ky, District 10
• Opening hours: 07:00 AM - 10:00 PM
• Reference price: VND 32,000 - 50,000

Hu Tieu Nam Vang Quynh

• Address: 197 Nguyen Trai, District 1
• Opening hours: 24/7
• Reference price: VND 60,000 - 70,000

4. Banh Tam Bi - Vietnamese Noodle in Coconut Cream

This dish will definitely make you redefine the old style food combination. Banh Tam Bi is another special food that only has in the south of Vietnam. It is a traditional Vietnamese Noodle in Coconut cream.

Similar to Banh Canh Cua (food featured above), Banh Tam Bi's main ingredient is thick tapioca noodles or sticky rice noodle. A plate of Banh Tam Bi is a mixture of thick sticky rice noodles, pork meat, green onions, and coconut cream sauce with some roughly cut herbs, sweet basil and Vietnamese coriander on the top. If you love the flavor of coconut milk, you're going to love this unique Banh Tam Bi.

>> Suggested Read: Shopping in Ho Chi Minh: All-In-One Guide for Shopaholics

Banh Tam Bi Dong Thap

• Address: 352 Nguyen Trai, District 5
• Phone: 091 715 13 69
• Opening hours: 09:00 AM - 06:00 PM
• Reference price: VND 25,000 VND - 55,000

Banh Tam Bi Nhung

• Address: 57 Chau Van Liem, District 5
• Phone: (028) 38 536 966
• Opening hours: 09:00 AM - 06:00 PM
• Reference price: VND 20,000 VND - 55,000

Banh Tam Bi To Chau

• Address: 271 Nguyen Trai, District 1
• Opening hours: 07:00 AM - 09:00 PM
• Reference price: VND 20,000 VND - 55,000

5. Com Tam

Too much noodle? Well, the last dish on today list will not disappoint you. Com Tam or also call the broken rice (broken grains of rice that occur in the milling process) is the most famous and favorite rice-based dish in Vietnam. The common version of the broken rice is Com Tam Suon Nuong (the broken rice with grilled pork chop).

The most interesting part about this dish is that you can choose anything you want for your plate. Starting from the most basic version (Com Tam Suon Nuong), you can then fill up your portion with all sorts of delicious extra things like a fried egg, chicken, thin cell pigskin, extra pork, sausage, cucumber, etc.

Com Tam Ba Ha

• Address: 389 Hung Phu, District 8
• Opening hours: 04:00 - 07:30 PM
• Reference price: VND 20,000 - 60,000

Com Tam Ba Ghien

• Address: 84 Dang Van Ngu, Phuong 10, Phu Nhuan District
• Opening hours: 07:30 AM - 09:30 PM
• Reference price: VND 40,000 VND - 66,000

Com Tam Moc

• Address: 85 Ly Tu Trong, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
• Phone: (028) 38.248.561
• Opening hours: 08:00 AM - 10:30 PM
• Reference price: VND 30,000 - VND 70,000

Above are 5 delectable dishes that we suggest for you to try at least once when you're in Ho Chi Minh City. For more travel ideas and tips for your adventures, you can take a look at our Vietnam Travel Guide.

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