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The larger city, once known as the pearl of the Far East, Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon is an all-you-can-play tourist destination with full-service fun from restaurants ranging from vegetarian to yachts, museums, art galleries, high-class massage, and not to mention menu of specialties that are considered one of a kind; 6 of them have become the signature of Saigon food, and have also been recognized as national dishes.
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1. Cơm tấm Saigon (Saigon Broken Rice)
Cơm Tấm, or Saigon Broken Rice, is a Saigon dish that usually serves as the main course not only for Vietnamese people but also for foreign tourists. During the husking process, the first part of the rice grain - the broken grain - is accidentally broken, and people use this ingredient to make broken rice, a kind of rice that is very different from the normal white rice of Vietnamese.
This dish is usually served with grilled ribs or grilled chicken and you can choose to eat with pork rolls or vermicelli. Normally, this Saigon food comes in a full "combo" of broken rice with ribs and pork patties.
However, the important factor that determines the flavor of Saigon's broken rice is fish sauce - the soul of the dish. Therefore, the dipping sauce recipes for broken rice dishes are mixed very skillfully and accurately according to each restaurant's unique flavor.
Originally, it was a dish only for poor people because the price of broken rice grains was cheaper than regular rice. But now, thanks to years of endurance, Cơm Tấm Saigon has become one of the best foods in Saigon.
Popular addresses for broken rice in Saigon:
- Ba Cuong rib rice (263 Tran Quang Khai, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1)
- Minh Long broken rice (607 Nguyen Thi Thap, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City)
- Com Tam Huyen (Alley 95 Dinh Tien Hoang, Ward 3, Binh Thanh District, HCH City)
- Ba Ha broken rice (389 Hung Phu, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City)
2. Hu Tieu Saigon (Saigon Noodle Soup)
Hu Tieu Saigon or Saigon Noodle Soup, is a dish that was recognized as the signature food of Vietnam's Southern cuisine. The image of a bowl of Hu Tieu has always been attached to the daily life of the Southern people, from the food boats on the Cai Rang floating market to TV shows, or just a breakfast that can be found at every Vietnamese restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.
Luckily, Saigon is a gathering place for many special types of noodle soups such as squid noodles, Nam Vang noodles, fish noodles, etc.; Each dish has a unique taste, and each store holds a secret recipe, together they create the whole brand of Hu Tieu Saigon and make Ho Chi Minh City the heaven of noodle soup. Below are some outstanding types of noodle soup for example:
Saigon fish noodle soup
Tourists coming to Saigon cannot help but try the Chinese fish noodle soup. The main ingredients of this dish are commonly fresh snakehead fish cut into slices and served with a bowl of delicious broth cooked from bones combined with lettuce, chili, and lemon.
Squid noodle soup
Another seafood noodle soup is squid noodle soup. The way of cooking squid noodle soup is the same as that of traditional ones, only the meat or fish is replaced by squid.
Nam Vang Noodle Soup
Next on the list is Nam Vang Noodle Soup - one of the Saigon dishes imported from Cambodia. After many years, the locals have adjusted the ingredients according to Vietnamese recipes and created a dish that has become a Mekong specialty.
3. Jiaozi (Sui Cao)
As a place where many Chinese people live, especially in areas such as Saigon Chinatown, it is not strange that one of Saigon's specialties comes from Chinese cuisine.
Jiaozi Saigon is prepared similarly to wontons but is larger, and has more flavorful fillings and meat. The most common Jiaozi is a cake with a yellow crust, filled with meat and whole shrimps. In addition to being used with dipping sauce, Jiaozi can be deep-fried or eaten with noodles. Some stores allow customers to customize their fillings.
Popular addresses for Jiaozi in Saigon:
- Thien Thien Jiaozi (197 Ha Ton Quyen, Ward 4, District 11, HCMC)
- Ngoc Y Jiaozi (187 Ha Ton Quyen, Ward 4, District 11, HCMC)
- Jiaozi Shop 193 (193 Ha Ton Quyen, Ward 4, District 11, HCMC)
- Tan Tong Loi Jiaozi Noodles (311 Vo Van Tan, Ward 5, District 3, HCMC)
- Gia Y Jiaozi (548/29 Dien Bien Phu, Ward 21, Binh Thanh, HCMC)
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4. Saigon Banh Mi
Being among the most popular breakfasts in Vietnam, Banh Mi is no doubt a dish that carries parts of the soul and the life of the Vietnamese people. When walking on the streets of Vietnam, you can see countless bakeries or bread carts. Due to its familiarity, not many people think that banh mi is one of Saigon's specialty dishes - especially the basic Banh Mi served with meat.
Banh mi is considered one of the top street foods and has been included in the top 10 best sandwiches in the world including Banh mi Hoi An and Banh Mi Saigon. The traditional costume "Banh Mi" in the international beauty arena also partly affirms that this is a specialty dish of Vietnamese people in general and of Saigon in particular.
The wonderful flavor of the banh mi recommended by "experts" in Saigon is a combination of ham, spring rolls, patties, pate, pickles, onions, cilantro... and a very special sauce, all sandwiched between two hot, crispy pieces of cake. Visitors can also customize their banh mi by choosing other kinds of filling such as roasted pork, shumai, grilled chopped fish,...
5. Phá Lấu
Phá Lấu or Vietnamese Stew with Organ Meats, is a Ho Chi Minh City food made of pork meat and offal that is braised in a spiced stock of five-spice powder. To odorize Pha Lau, the chef must prepare it very carefully using spices to cover the smell of the internal organs.
Not only that, the flavor of the pot of broth is equally important to create a bowl of Pha Lau that is fragrant, fatty, and delicious. The two most popular types of pha lau in Saigon are Pha Lau instant noodles and Pha Lau banh mi.
6. Mixed rice paper
Mixed rice paper, Vietnamese rice paper salad, or Banh Trang Tron in Vietnamese, is a combination of simple ingredients such as rice paper with young mango, laksa leaves, dried beef, dried chicken, boiled quail eggs, dried shrimp, fried onions, peanuts... and a little sauce. As simple as it seems, it is quite markable that this Saigon food became one of Saigon's top 6 specialties.
A properly mixed rice paper meal must be made from dew-dried rice paper cut into small, even strips. This is a dish that can be said to please everyone of all ages, especially students, on all occasions. whether it is daylight or nighttime in Saigon.
One of the familiar images of Ho Chi Minh City is groups of friends, families, and lovers sitting on the sidewalk, watching the streets, chatting, and underneath, delicious pieces of mixed rice papers are waiting.
Saigon Foods, together with Can Tho Foods, has long been the 2 largest cuisines in the Southern Delta of Vietnam contributing greatly to southern cuisine as well as Vietnamese cuisine. So if you ever set foot in the South of Vietnam, remember to enjoy Saigon food.
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