A Local’s Guide to the Restaurants of Ho Chi Minh City

The fast and ever-changing landscape of Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) makes it an extremely exciting place to eat. This is truly a city that never sleeps. On top of that, the restless, entrepreneurial mindset of the Saigonese brings with it the creation of new spots on an almost daily basis – whether it’s food carts, speciality coffee shops, or swanky restaurants, there’s everything for everyone. 

I always curate lists that encompass a whole day of eating and drinking: For me, coffee is as essential as my lunch, so this list covers food and drinks, bites to fully-fledged meals, and takes in both the new and the old. 

Café Slow

Tucked in a small alley, and in addition to serving great filter brews, this coffee shop also serves the best vanilla choux in town. It is the perfect pit stop between meals. The atmosphere of this café to me is the quintessence of Saigon: A bustling city filled with pockets of slow-paced coffee shops where time seems to have stopped. 

27/63A Huỳnh Tịnh Của, Phường 8, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000

Every Half Coffee Roasters Tu Xuong

Another great coffee shop and roaster. Here, you can drink and buy Vietnamese beans and it also has a great non-coffee drinks menu, including a hojicha (roasted Japanese green tea) latte, my personal favourite. 

6E Tú Xương, P, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000

Vina Chuối

While roaming in the centre of Saigon, I would always drop by here for my afternoon snack. This is my top guilty pleasure: fried banana in a chewy, yet crispy batter. The perfect time to go is when there’s a queue, as it means the turnover will be fast. Be warned: you are most likely going to have an extremely hot, satisfying melt-in-the-mouth banana. 

25 Đ. Huỳnh Thúc Kháng, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Cari Ấn Độ Musa

A favourite among locals, this restaurant specialises in Vietnamese-style goat curry and dê tái chanh, a sort of goat ceviche. Both dishes are excellent and authentic in their own ways. 

The goat in the curry melts in your mouth, while the sauce is laced with lemongrass and you have bánh mì to mop the whole thing up. The ceviche is covered in raw onions and sawtooth coriander: a daring dish maybe, but such a flavour bomb, too. 

lo b chung cu, Đ. Sư Vạn Hạnh, Phường 9, Quận 5, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Xiên nướng Hà Nội

In the afternoon, a father and daughter duo sets up shop along the busy street of huỳnh tịnh của to sell one thing only: Grilled northern-style skewers. Take a seat by the road, order a plate of grilled skewers with pickles, watch as the traffic unravels itself, and enjoy people watching. 

Huỳnh Tịnh Của, Phường 8, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Bánh Xèo Bình Định Nẫu Ơi

While the large style of bánh xèo (crispy, stuffed rice pancakes) has been made famous internationally, I truly believe the best are the smaller ones – also known as bánh khoai – as they are much crispier and much easier to handle. The menu is not big: choose from either beef, pork, shrimp, eggs, or squid as your filling. The street itself is also worth checking out, as it is full of local restaurants and carts. 

63b Ung Văn Khiêm, Phường 25, Bình Thạnh, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000

Cơm Tấm Mười

This place opens from 5.30 pm and serves one of the best broken rice dishes in town. Once you’ve ordered your topping for the broken rice, they make a real crispy fried egg, and serve a significant amount of fried pork fat on the side. My go-to topping is: Bi – Chả – Sườn – Opla (shredded pig skin, Vietnamese meatloaf, grilled pork loin and fried egg.) 

294/35 Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh, Phường 21, Bình Thạnh, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Quan Oc 79

A favourite among chefs, this late night seafood restaurant serves a great array of grilled seafood, fried rice and one my favourites – a simple grilled rice paper smothered with a chilli glaze (bánh tráng nướng muối ớt ) and grilled chicken feet. 

76 Đ. Quốc Hương, Thảo Điền, Quận 2, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Mùa Craft Saké

For a change of scenery, I think Mùa is one of the best places in town to eat a modern take on Vietnamese food, and to drink fantastic craft saké made in Vietnam. You can easily drink too much and eat beyond desire. The food is playful, adventurous and just really delicious. The ingredients are locally sourced and all under the meticulous care of chef Trụ Lang. 

7 Lê Ngô Cát, Ward, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000

Neo-

Neo- is small, hidden beer bar, in a tiny street next to one of the busiest streets in Saigon. Nestled in an old home, this cafe/bar spans three storeys, and you can even sit on the rooftop, drinking fresh local craft beer while taking in the beauty of the city. Small bites are available, all very good sidekicks to the drinks.

393/7 Hai Bà Trưng, Phường 8, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Header image courtesy of Cafe Slow. All other images by Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen.