TOP LOCAL FOOD IN SAIGON
CƠM TẤM (Vietnamese broken rice)
Literally translated as “broken rice”, this hearty dish is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Com Tam is usually served with fried egg, diced green onions, and a variety of meats such as suon nuong (barbecued pork chop), bi (shredded pork skin), and cha trung (steamed pork and egg patty). Diners can also enjoy this dish with a side of pickled vegetables, cucumber slices, and nuoc cham Vietnamese dipping sauce.
MÌ VỊT TIỀM (Roasted Duck and Egg Noodles Soup)
Mi Vit Tiem is a Shanghai-style noodles, which is not only tasty but also healthy. It comes with several different parts of the duck – breast, thigh, neck.
The dish features a trifecta of well-made, mouthwatering components: rich, flavorful broth, a generous serving of golden-brown braised duck and a tuft of al dente egg noodles. The broth of Mi vit tiem is made from pork bone, ginger, star aniseed, cinnamon, black cardamon and it has a sweet aroma.
BÁNH XÈO (Crispy Pancake)
Banh Xeo is a savoury pancake that’s made of rice flour, coconut milk, and turmeric, stuffed with ingredients such as pork slices, shrimps, sliced onions, bean sprouts, and button mushrooms.
Unlike the ones you find in Nha Trang and Hanoi, Banh Xeo in Ho Chi Minh City is much smaller in portion as it is usually eaten as a snack or appetiser.
The best way to enjoy Banh Xeo is by wrapping it in mustard leaf, lettuce leaves or rice wrappers, together with mint leaves, basil, herbs, and sweet fermented peanut butter sauce. Lastly, dip it in a sweet and sour fish sauce.
GỎI CUỐN (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)
Goi Cuon or Vietnamese spring rolls comprise vermicelli noodles, pork slices, shrimp, basil, and lettuce tightly wrapped in translucent banh trang (rice papers).
Due to its very subtle flavour, you can dip it in a mix of freshly ground chilli and hoisin-based dipping sauce topped with crushed peanuts. This traditional appetiser is perfect for a hot summer day.
BÚN MẮM (Vietnamese Seafood Noodles)
Bun Mam is specifically a southern Vietnamese dish.
The base of any bowl of Bun Mam is a dark colored broth prepared with fermented fish sauce. Along with the broth, bun, or rice vermicelli noodles, are loaded into the bottom of the bowl, before the entire assortment of meats like squid, prawns, and pork are all scattered on top of the noodles. Finally, a slice or two of eggplant, which soaks up all the broth, is another essential component of a bowl Bun Mam.
