If you are a food lover and your goal is to visit all of the countries which have the great food, don’t hesitate to go to Vietnam – the homeland of Pho. The cuisine in Vietnam is so different from North to South and there is always a balance between meats, herbs and vegetable and so on in the way they cook. Moreover, the price of food here is incredibly cheap. A bowl of noodle soup in Vietnam will cost you around $1.5 US dollars or a spring roll is less than a dollar. With vendors and restaurants selling specialty dishes daily on every street corner, you don’t stay hungry for long in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City.
There’s an unmistakable feeling of excess disposable income in Thao Dien, with new food stalls and restaurants opening up every week to get in on the action. It wasn’t easy to narrow this list down to just 10, because there are so many excellent restaurants here – but it had to be done, so here are the best.
1.Duck Tacos
The melding of East and West takes place in so many facets where cultures and people from different backgrounds intermingle. In this food stall, Robert Nussbaum and Nguyen Thu Nguyen are serving up tacos filled with traditional spit-roasted duck. A drizzle od hoisin, a splash of red salad and the homemade corn tortilla makes for high fives all around. Like most things in this world, this delicacy can be a bit elusive as it is only sold one night a week, typically on Tuesdays when fresh tortillas arrive straight from the griddle.
Tacos vịt – 544 Nguyen Thi Dinh, Binh Trung Tay Ward, District 2, HCMC.
Opening hours: 5.30 pm – 9 pm in Tuesday evenings
2.Banh trang nuong – Vietnamese pizza
Vietnamese pizza is the nickname of a dish known as banh trang nuong, which translates into “grilled rice paper”. This dish is a relative newcomer to the realm of Vietnamese food, having been around for only five to seven years. It starts off as a circular sheet of rice paper slathered with butter and then set atop a coal brazier. The vendor sprinkles the sheet with minced pork, shredded pork floss, dried baby shrimp, and chopped spring onions. The finishing touch is some quail egg yolk to bind all the ingredients together and a squirt of chili sauce. When it’s done grilling, it has a crunchy bite similar to the consistency of a taco shell.
Bánh tráng nướng Dì Nguyệt – Alley 99, Luong Dinh Cua, District 2, HCMC.
Opening hours: 3.30 pm – 9 pm
3.Trung vit lon – Fetal duck egg
Trung vit lon, aka fully-formed duck egg is a nutritious and popular food un Vietnam even though it looks a little bit scary to Western and international tourists. The reason why people around the world find this food creepy is that the egg contains a duck fetus and you can see its beak, feet, and feathers very clearly after breaking the shell. Sound a bit frightening, doesn’t it? But believe me, the taste is very different to the look. You can enjoy it slowly, piece by piece, accompanied by the irreplaceable herb and a mixture of salt, pepper, and chili. You can also add kumquat juice to the mix if you like a sour flavor.
Trứng vịt lộn Kim Thảo – 104 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, District 2, HCMC.
Opening hours: 3 pm – 11 pm
4.Seafood
Snails on a plate have been such a favorite and delicious Vietnamese street food for generations. Over the years, the dishes het more and more diverse thanks to the locals’ creativity and learning from other culture.
There are countless of street foods in Ho Chi Minh City and seafood is one of the most favorite dishes among locals and tourists. Saigon people usually eat seafood at street food stalls in the evening. Traveling to Saigon, foreign visitors should try amazing seafood and have fun like the locals.
Everything is super fresh and every single dish ordered are very delicious accompanied with special dipping sauce. To the right of the entrance of the restaurant you can have a look at what’s available on the day and choose your favorite snails to eat inside.
Ốc Vịnh Nhỏ – 5 Thao Dien, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, HCMC.
Opening hours: 7 am – 11 pm
5.Bun dau mam tom
Like durian, bun dau mam tom, Vietnamese fermented shrimp paste noodle, may be smelly but both these foods have loyal fans. Bun dau mam tom has 3 main ingredients: vermicelli noodle, fried tofu and shrimp paste. The tofu should be well deep fried until it turns yellow on the outside but still can retain the moisture, softness and the original taste on the inside. The shrimp paste shouldn’t be too salty or too thick, but definitely it needs to have a specific sour taste from the lemon or kumquat served to you and the spice from the chili.
Bún đậu mắm tôm A Đậu – 283 Nguyen Thi Dinh, Binh Trung Tay Ward, District 2, HCMC.
Opening hours: 10 am – 11 pm
6.Pop Fries
Pop Fries is a Street Food concept that originates from Los Angeles and born from a passion of sharing simple, fresh, balanced food. Loca Fries are likely to become favorite, using a satisfying mix of chicken breast, salsa, garlic white sauce, pickled green chili and cilantro. What is more, the other three on the menu are Korilla Fries (pulled pork, kimchi, green onion and Gochujang BBQ sauce), Japa Fries (beef curry with the spice mixture togarashi and green onion) and the vegetarian choice of Parma Fries (eggplant, tomato cream sauce and Parmesan cheese).
Pop Fries – 14M Quoc Huong, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, HCMC.
Opening hours: 11 am – 10 pm
7.Boathouse restaurant
Looking out across the Saigon River, and hidden down the canopied of the An Phu compound, the Boathouse has a relaxed pub feel with an extensive menu. Moreover, with a riverside perch that provides the perfect place to watch the sunset reflected between the floating fauna, Boathouse Restaurant is a fine spot to start – or end – your evening, especially live music on Sunday afternoons.
Boathouse Restaurant – 40 Lily, An Phu Compound, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, HCMC.
Opening hours: 7.30 am – 10 pm
8.Mekong Merchant
Mekong Merchant is one of the first businesses to spot the potential of District 2 area. Set around an open-air courtyard lit by strings of lights and hanging lanterns, Mekong Merchant can’t be more atmospheric of it tried. It’s good for lunch, dinner or just a quick coffee and, whilst the twilight vibe is different to that of daylight hours, a visit at any time is sure to be a chilled one. Their menu features pasta, sandwiches, salads, steaks and pizza.
Mekong Merchant – 23 Thao Dien, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, HCMC.
Opening hours: 7 am – 11 pm
9.Quan Bui Garden
Thao Dien has culinary experiences from around the world, but Vietnamese food is always a great choice. Quan Bui is a long-time Vietnamese restaurant in District 1 and now expanded into District 2. The extensive menu offers seafood, noodles, spring rolls, and so much more in a mellow space of indoor and outdoor dining.
Quán Bụi Garden – 55 Ngo Quang Huy, Thao Dien, District 2, HCMC.
Opening hours: 7.30 am – 11 pm
10.Lu Bu Mediterranean Restaurant
Located in the heart of Saigon’s Thao Dien area, Lu Bu offers a chance to leave behind the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy inspired cuisine, fine wines, and fantastic service. With a healthy nutritious menu, the restaurant draw inspiration from the great cuisines of Europe and The Mediterranean. You can just come to enjoy a great of coffee, a glass of wine a cocktail or an icy cold beer with some tasty tapas.
Lu Bu Mediterranean Restaurant – 97B Thao Dien, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, HCMC.
Opening hours: 8.30 am – 10 pm