What to Eat in Saigon: 12 Dishes Worth Hunting Down

Ho Chi Minh City eats outdoors, all day, on tiny plastic stools. Food here is cheap, fast and seriously good, and much of the best of it never makes it onto a printed menu. These are the dishes we tell every first-time visitor to try, roughly in the order you will bump into them over a day.

Breakfast

1. Cơm tấm. Broken rice with a grilled pork chop, often topped with shredded pork skin, a slice of steamed egg meatloaf and a fried egg, all dressed with sweet fish sauce. It is the Saigon breakfast, though stalls serve it from dawn to late night.

2. Phở. The southern version comes with a big plate of herbs, bean sprouts and lime on the side, plus hoisin and chili sauce on the table. Add a little at a time; the broth should still taste like broth.

3. Hủ tiếu. A clear pork-based noodle soup with southern and Chinese-Cambodian roots. Ask for it 'khô' and you get dry noodles with the soup served on the side.

4. Cà phê sữa đá. Strong drip coffee over condensed milk and ice. It is sweet and powerful; if you want it lighter, try bạc xỉu, which is mostly milk with a splash of coffee.

Lunch and on the go

5. Bánh mì. A light, crackly baguette with pâté, cold cuts, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, herbs and chili. Every cart does it slightly differently, which is the fun part.

6. Bún thịt nướng. Cool rice vermicelli with grilled pork, herbs, crushed peanuts and a spring roll, all tossed with fish sauce dressing. A perfect hot-weather lunch.

7. Gỏi cuốn. Fresh rice-paper rolls with shrimp, pork, herbs and noodles, dipped in a peanut-hoisin sauce. Light, and an easy win for anyone nervous about street food.

8. Bánh xèo. A big, crispy turmeric pancake filled with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts. Tear off a piece, wrap it in lettuce and herbs, dip and eat with your hands.

Evening and late night

9. Ốc (snails and shellfish). Saigon's favorite night out with friends: plates of snails, clams and scallops stir-fried with tamarind, garlic butter or coconut, plus cold beer. Vinh Khanh street in District 4 is lined with these places.

10. Bánh tráng nướng. Rice paper grilled over charcoal with egg, spring onion and dried shrimp. Often called Vietnamese pizza, though that undersells how good it is as a street snack.

11. Chè. Sweet dessert soups and puddings with beans, jellies, fruit and coconut milk, served hot or over ice. Point at whatever looks good.

12. Sinh tố and nước mía. Fruit smoothies with avocado, mango or soursop, and fresh sugarcane juice pressed with a little kumquat. Both are the best cure for the afternoon heat.

How to eat street food without worry

• Pick busy stalls with locals eating. High turnover means fresh food.

• Most stalls specialize in one dish. If you want pho, go to a pho place.

• Carry small notes; many vendors cannot break large bills.

• Ice in established shops is generally made from purified water, but stick to bottled water to drink.

• Learn two words: 'ngon quá' (so delicious) will earn you a big smile.

Just landed? Our guide to getting from Tan Son Nhat Airport into Saigon will get you to your first bowl of pho faster.