5 main dishes you should try in Saigon (there are others as well, but I am only including five here).

Banh Mi

Banh Mi is one of the most famous Vietnamese food as it is convenient for everyone to eat, especially in the morning. It starts with a crusty baguette that’s sliced in half and stuffed with layers of pork, luncheon meats, shredded cured pork skin, pâté, mayonnaise, Vietnamese radish, and carrot pickles, a handful of sliced cucumbers, cilantro, and a scoop of fresh pounded chilies (optional).

In Ho Chi Minh City, you can find Banh Mi everywhere, but there are some well-known places. First, Banh Mi Huynh Hoa at 26 Lê Thị Riêng, Ben Thanh, District 1. Second, Banh Mi Hong Hoa at 62 Nguyễn Văn Tráng, District 1. Third, Banh Mi Hoa Ma at 53 Cao Thắng, District 3. As a note, some of the places are open until they sold out, so if you want to try Banh Mi at these places, you will need to go there early.

Pho

Pho is the one that every foreigner mentions when answering if they already tried Vietnamese food. Pho is the combination of soft rice noodles in a soup broth, normally prepared with either bo (beef) or ga (chicken). The noodles are flash boiled until soft, topped with your choice of meat, and often finished with a sprinkle of chopped green onions and sometimes sweet onions as well. Besides, Vietnamese people usually eat with sawtooth herb, mint, beansprouts, and Vietnamese coriander, along with house-made chili and hoisin sauce. You should visit the following places for pho, including Pho So 1 Ha Noi (25 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai) and Pho Phuong 25 (25 Hoàng Sa, District 1).

Bun Rieu

Bun Rieu’s broth is made from a crab base stock, and another key ingredient is tomatoes, which create a broth that’s slightly seafood tasting with a natural sweetness and tartness from the tomatoes. The noodles are often similar in shape and size to spaghetti noodles, but it is soft rice noodles. Topping the noodles are pieces of golden fried tofu, sometimes meatballs, hearty chunks of pork, squares of congealed pig’s blood, and finally a slab of rich crab paste. Bun Rieu Nguyen Canh Chan is one place that you should try Bun Rieu there.

Bun Bo Hue

Bun Bo Hue is including beef bone broth with lemongrass, rice vermicelli noodles, a hunk of either oxtail or pork knuckle, Cha Lua, scallions, and sweet onions. You should visit Bun Bo Chu Ha (300 Võ Văn Tần, District 3) and Bun Bo Ganh (110 Lý Chính Thắng, District 3).

Banh Xeo/Banh Khot

Banh Xeo is the Vietnamese crepe with a thin layer of batter is fried in a lot of oil, then combined with your choice of ingredients, often including slices of pork belly, shrimp, and onions, then folded over with a handful of lightly cooked bean sprouts in the middle. Banh Khot is the smaller side of Banh Xeo. You can eat both of them with salad, different Vietnamese herbs, carrot pickles, and fish sauce. One recommended place is Banh Xeo 46A (46 Đinh Công Tráng, Tan Dinh, District 1).

Snacks that you should in Saigon (you can find them anywhere in Saigon since they are famous streetfoods.)

Banh Trang Tron

Banh Trang Tron or Vietnamese Rice Paper Salad is the most popular snack and street food in Vietnam. It includes rice paper, quail eggs, shredded mangos, fried onions, dried shrimps, jerky, peanuts, Vietnamese coriander, sate sauce, and home-made sauce (typically soy sauce but mix with other ingredients).

Banh Trang Nuong

Banh Trang Nuong or Vietnamese Pizza includes similar ingredients to Banh Trang Tron, like quail eggs, rice paper, sate sauce, and dried shrimps. However, you can add your own meat and Cha Bong (pork loss), and chili sauce, then grill it.

Bap Xao 

Bap Xao is also known as the Vietnamese Sauteed Corn with Dried Shrimp. It has corn and dried shrimps, obviously, and green onions as well as butter. You will taste the sweetness from corn, slight saltiness from dried shrimps, and richness from butter. You should try it with chili sauce as well.

*Notes: You should download the Foody or Now App to search for the best restaurants when visiting Ho Chi Minh City or big cities in Vietnam, like Ha Noi and Da Nang.

Credit to Mark Wiens