Throughout my stay in Saigon, I’ve dug through the streets of the city to find great Vietnamese at the local price. Unfortunately, some of my recommended restaurants aren’t exactly the most accessible from the main area, District 1. And since the access to phở is considered by the UN as a basic human right, I figured it’d be good to list a few extra restaurants so that you can get that Vietnamese cuisine fix you need. This list is meant to compliment the older posts and give you more options. You can view the original five posts if you want more details about the dishes.
With further ado and in keeping with “Eat Like a Local” tradition…
A Quick Note
EAT THE ICE CREAM AND AVOCADO SHAKES
Remember when I described the heavenly nature of avocado and condensed milk smoothies? Well it somehow got better. If an avocado and condensed milk smoothie would make you achieve apotheosis and join the pantheon of Gods, then an ice cream and avocado shake will make you usurp Zeus and rule Mount Olympus itself.
How did the Vietnamese achieve such a miracle? An avocado and condensed milk smoothie is added with a scoop of light coconut ice cream and topped off with coconut shavings and candied coconut. This combination allows for the refreshing ice cream to compliment the creamy avocado. The already hallowed smoothie has improved itself and found a way to elevate mankind to Godhood.
Out there is immortality! Seize it! Take it! It’s yours!
Anyway…
Phở Hòa Pasteur
260C Pasteur, Phường 8, Quận 3, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Phở Le
415 Nguyễn Trãi, Phường 7, Quận 5, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Pho Hung
241-243 Nguyễn Trãi, Phường Nguyễn Cư Trinh, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
Those are three centrally located and great phở options close to downtown. Phở Hòa is probably one of the most famous venues and quite the tourist hotspot but that doesn’t make the food any less delicious, just more expensive than it should be. Phở Le is also pretty well known and a bit expensive, but their tasty meatballs make that okay. Expect prices at these places to range from 60k – 80k VND ($2.57 – $3.43).
Mì Quảng 84
85 Trần Quang Diệu, Phường 13, Quận 3, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
This is simply one of the best and filling mì quảng stores I’ve come across. A price for one of these filling bowls is 38k VND ($1.63). The flavors are sweeter and are closer to southern styled cuisine than the traditional central flavors where mì quảng originated from. The only downside to this store is that they do well enough that they end up closing by 10:30 AM, so you’d better set that alarm clock
Lau De Ban Tui
835 Hoàng Sa, Phường 11, Quận 3, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
This mini-chain restaurant has taken the spot for my favorite lamb hotpot. The broth tastes better, the lamb chunks are bigger and the price is lower. What’s not to like?
Bún Thịt Nướng Hoàng Văn
137 Chấn Hưng, Phường 6, Tân Bình, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Another immensely popular place with the locals. For the price of 27k VND ($1.16), you get a huge portion of bún thịt nướng so it’s well worth the trip.
Cơm tấm Ngon
31 Cộng Hòa, Phường 4, Tân Bình, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Another great place for broken rice. Portions are slightly smaller but the price matches that at roughly 45k VND ($1.93) a plate.
Bánh mì Huỳnh Hoa
26 Lê Thị Riêng, P, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
My previous recommendation is a very local taste at a
slightly higher price. This place caters more to foreigners but still keeps all
the traditional flavors. It’s jam packed with meat which ends up compensating
for the higher price.
Bánh Xèo Miền Tây THANH PHƯƠNG
31 Hoàng Hoa Thám, Phường 12, Tân Bình, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Banh Xeo 46A
46A Đinh Công Tráng, Tân Định, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
These two are interesting options. I personally find both of them to be pretty delicious but due to their popularity (especially the latter), they’re pretty expensive for Vietnam with prices around 100k VND ($4.30) for one.
Until next time.