1. Sticky rice
There are hundreds sticky rice stalls I Saigon with all kinds: the vendors, sidewalk shops or the restaurants. The sticky rice is sold in the morning, evening with extremely rich choices such as chicken sticky rice, cauliflower, quail eggs, sausage, pate, rolls minced pork,…
The sticky rice in Saigon makes people crave from the way of setting up with the eye-catching stalls with full and deliciously decorated food. More specially, sticky rice often includes onions and sauces that make each grain is more attractive and so tasty.
Here are some of the famous sticky rice restaurants in Saigon: Ba Chieu market chicken sticky rice, Tam Cau sticky rice…. The price of each serving is just about from 10.000 VND. Sticky rice is everywhere in the country, but if you visit Saigon, don’t forget to try the sticky rice to experience the special dish.
2. Bread
Bread is sold every where in Vietnam. However, in each place, bread has its own variation in ingredients, making a difference to the food which is very familiar. The city of Saigon is one of the most unique and fascinating bread variations, so it is definitely something you should try while you are there.
One of the most popular bread in Saigon is sandwiches with all kinds of sausages, pates, hams … The loaf of bread like Huynh Hoa’s famous restaurant can even reach to 50.000 VND (2.2 USD), but it is still value for money with tasty bread and delicious topping.
Moreover, the bread also has many variations such as barbecue bread, phá lấu bread, dried beef bread rolls bread, …. a tasty bread is only 15.000 to 20.000 VND (0.9 USD) on average. Let’s put bread on your bucket list of things to eat in Saigon.
3. Mixed rice paper
Saigon is considered a place where people from all over the country come to do business, so Saigon has no its own “specialties”, which can be right and can be wrong. Many “Saigon delicacies” are imported from other provinces, but in this bustling city, they are transformed into the unique dishes that can not be found anywhere except Saigon.
Banh trang tron – the mixed rice paper originates from shrimp rice paper in Tay Ninh province. However, when it came to Saigon, the rice cake changed a lot – people add many other ingredients like dried beef, herb, sweet and sour mango … It then has become an authentic Saigon specialty since about 8 to 9 years. A pack of “standard” mixed rice paper in Saigon includes no less than 10 ingredients. The dish can be found at every gate of the school, park … from 10. 000 VND to 20.000 VND (0.9 USD).
4. Hu tieu – Noodles
There are many kinds of noodle like: pho, hu tieu, bun, my… and all can be called noodle. The hu tieu in Saigon is a popular dish of many people. The Saigon noodle soup is very varied, the most popular and the most famous brand is the hu tieu go (knocking noodle). Among so many other types of noodles, you can chose to try: beef noodle, Nam Vang noodle (hu tieu Nam Vang) or fresh squid noodles.
Hu tieu noodle soup is also an “anytime” food –you can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner, supper. Wherever – in the restaurant or a stall on the sidewalk, there’s something for everyone with hu tieu. The noodles are soft, long, tasty and so spacial, making you remember forever about this hu tieu.
5. Egg sweet soup
Another dish originated from Chinese community – chicken egg sweet soup.It is a very famous dish in Saigon. It sounds strange and even if you have not eaten, you might assume that it will be fishy. However, that is a prejudice that you have to destroy by enjoying it directly. There must be reason for this dish to become a famous snack for Saigon people.
In fact, anyone who tries it once would not forget the taste, even “addicted”, craving for the taste of egg, which is well cooked with black tea. Taste of the tea penetrates into the eggs, giving it a sweet scent.
It is recommended for you to eat this dish calmly and slowly eat to fully feel the taste of “tea” in the “egg”. Black tea cooked with egg and palm sugar is just sweet and a little bit bitter. It would be more delicious if you put some ice and you will have a memorable tasty dish. Chineses have many famous sweet soups, but this one is the most outstanding and worth trying.
