Saigon is a feast for the senses. Fish sauce perfumes alleyways and incense wafts from the houses; modernity shines bright in its neon lettering and flashing signs right next door to historic red and yellow temples; motorbikes whizz by and cars honk incessantly. And the food! Fresh, vibrant, colorful, pushing your palate to the limit in every direction: pungent, sour, sweet, salty.
Tourists don’t necessarily come to this city for history, at least not in the way they do to Hanoi and Hue. Ho Chi Minh is relatively modern entity, a product of Cambodia selling its swampland and the swamp soon being populated by a wide mix of people from across Asia. No, tourists come here more often than not for the food, where you can see all those diverse Asian elements in conversation with one another on the plate. So here’s a list of places to help you plan out your time in this dizzying, spectacular city.
*As a new feature for 2026, you can now see these lists on google maps!
Little Bear: My favorite elevated meal of my last trip was Little Bear, an intimate wine bar nestled in D2. An open kitchen, a big fridge of natural wines, and a lively atmosphere are all part of the deal here, as you get to feel like you’re stepping into a Parisian bistro while the plates that arrive at your table will have a decidedly Vietnamese flair to them. A set menu here, which was plenty of food, was about $55, and the wine pairing costs about $45. Standout dishes were the chawanmushi, the cuttlefish, and the pork chop.
Cuc Gach: For a taste of countryside Vietnamese cooking in the city, head into Cuc Gach and order a variety of small dishes to share. The one problem: the menu is massive, with every section (the salads, the clay pot dishes, the fried dishes) having endless options. I’d recommend asking your server for advice, but making sure to get at least one braised clay pot dish, a couple vegetable dishes, and whatever else they recommend. It’s a popular, somewhat elevated spot frequented by tourists, but I never had an issue getting a table.
Bahn Xeo 46A: a remarkable place for a remarkable dish. Bahn Xeo has long been a favorite of mine but it’s hard to do it right; trust me, I’ve tried many. Leave it to the pros here, who have many of these giant turmeric crepes cooking over the fire at any one time. They come with greens, herbs, and nuoc cham, making it enough for a meal–but there are great spring rolls and more worth ordering here too. See a glimpse below:
Pho Huong Binh: this was my basic bowl of chicken pho, within walking distance from my apartment and my favorite park. It’s not just my favorite, either: the Michelin guide has been recommending this place for years. They do the simple things very well here, with the broth being clean and crisp, the meat being tender, the herbs fresh and fragrant.
Banh Bo Nuong duong thot not Baaboo: if you’re not familiar with Vietnamese pastries, this is a must. You’ll likely wonder where I’ve led you, as this is not as much of a stand alone bakery as it is a house tucked into a mazelike set of streets in D3. But once you’re here you’ll understand the appeal, as the people running this specialize in the heavy hitters of Vietnamese cakes, from the tapioca based Banh Bo Nuong to the mung bean forward Bang Dau Xanh and more. The owner speaks English and will be happy to tell you more about the cakes, though I recommend getting the sampler pack so you can try them all for yourself.
Banh Cuon Nong - Ba Bay Hai Phong: There’s a lot of street food to parse between in Saigon, and it’s hard to go wrong. This breakfast spot stole the show for me after one visit: it’s run by a sweet couple who make one of my all time favorite dishes and make it very well. Banh Cuon is a rice-based crepe that gets filled with a mixture of pork and mushrooms and served with herbs and nuoc cham. Here, it also gets a fried egg and a small bowl of broth with a pork meatball inside of it, reminiscent of Hanoi’s bun cha. It’s a complete breakfast, one that I ate again and again during my time there.
Lac Teahouse: In a country with a strong tea culture, it’s odd to not have more dedicated tea shops in a city of Saigon’s size. That’s likely because much of the best tea growths in the northern parts of the country, and because it’s herbal tea that gets more attention in the south. Lac Teahouse, however, stands out as a great option to sample the country’s many tea offerings, from green to white to puer and more, in addition to some wonderful sweets and matcha. The staff here is all very knowledgeable: tell them what kind of tea you like and let them guide you towards a great experience.
Pho Phu Vuong: beef pho is the star of this shop, which I believe has locations around the city. My local shop was in D3 and I was first drawn to it because all the staff were wearing Santa Clause hats or reindeer antlers. Turns out the pho was pretty excellent too. There’s a variety of cuts of beef to choose from, from the safe and beloved options like flank or brisket we can most often find stateside to other cuts like tripe and tendon.
Cafe Slow: the cutest cafe tucked away in D3, Cafe Slow is a popular option for locals and tourists alike. Great coffee, gorgeous space; fun pastries, occasional pop-ups: the whole shebang. It’s a great place to get some work done or to spend a cozy afternoon with book in hand.
Bep Nguoi Hoi An: If you’re not making it to Hoi An on your trip, consider eating some of its beloved food here in Ho Chi Minh. Hoi An food is celebrated for being elegant and light, and that’s certainly the case at this shop, which serves just a handful of items and does them all really well. There’s Mi Quang noodles, the turmeric noodles with broth, pork, and shrimp; there’s chicken rice; there’s chicken and herb salad; plus a few sides. I had a stomach bug when I first arrived in Vietnam and little of the fishy, funky southern vietnamese hits sounded appetizing, so I found myself here quite regularly for nourishing bowls of the Mi Quang.
Quan Chau Ky: Bun Mam! It’s a dish you have to try in Saigon, and a polarizing one at that because of how fishy it can be. It’s sometimes called the gumbo of southern Vietnam for how it incorporates pork, fish, vegetables, and various influences from around the region. The version you’ll find at Chau Ky, my favorite shop for it, is just right without being overpowering: it’s pushing it on all fronts–salt, umami, sweetness, fishiness–but it’s all tied together in a miraculously harmonious way. It’s a fitting paradigm for a lot of cooking for the region, in fact.
Esta: Saigon is not a city one seeks out for its fine dining, necessarily, when remarkable dishes are to be found for cheap on nearly every street corner. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying, especially when a 9 course tasting menu at a Michelin-recommended restaurant runs you $100. Esta specializes in wood-fired cooking, from grilled meats and vegetables to smoked fish and more. Vietnamese ingredients and flavors shine here while being brought into conversation with global influences.
Yeshi: Who would have thought a Taiwanese restaurant would be one of the trendiest spots in Ho Chi Minh? Yeshi is a fun, playful spot with two locations (D2 and D3) where the food really meets the hype. The popular Taiwanese staples are here, from beef noodle soup to fried chicken to dumplings, with some fun inventive dishes thrown into the mix as well, like salt and pepper shimeji mushrooms. The cocktails here make up about half the menu and are smart and dialed in, incorporating taro and milk tea and oolong and more.
