Saigon's Chinatown, dense with Cantonese and Teochew kitchens, herbal shops, dim sum houses and the hu tieu and roast-meat stalls of Cho Lon.
Dim Tu Tac is a Bib Gourmand Cantonese house in Cho Lon known for its trolleys of dim sum and its Peking duck, a fixture of District 5 banquet dining.
Signature: Dim sum, Peking duck, Roast meats
Order: The dim sum spread and the Peking duck.
Tip: Go with a group for the duck and a full round of dumplings; weekend lunch is the liveliest.
Tan Nguyen Thai is a packed Cho Lon hole in the wall where locals crowd in for pages of steamed and pan-fried dumplings under red and yellow signage.
Signature: Steamed dumplings, Pan-fried dumplings, Cho Lon dim sum
Order: A stack of steamed and pan-fried dumplings straight off the menu pages.
Tip: It is always busy and cash-friendly; the pan-fried dumplings sell out early.
Pho Le is a Cho Lon institution famous for a rich, sweet Southern-style beef broth and generous portions, drawing steady queues on the edge of Chinatown.
Signature: Pho bo, Beef brisket pho, Pho with tendon
Order: The full beef pho with brisket and tendon.
Tip: Southern pho runs sweeter than Hanoi's; the hoisin and sriracha on the table are meant for it.
Ha Ky is a long-running Cho Lon dessert house serving Cantonese-style sweet soups, warm and cold che by the bowl, in the heart of District 5's Chinatown.
Signature: Che, Chinese sweet soups, Sesame ball soup
Order: A bowl of warm black-sesame or almond sweet soup.
Tip: It doubles as a savoury spot, but locals come for the Chinese sweet soups after dinner.
Hai Ky Mi Gia is a Cho Lon institution for mi vit tiem, herbal braised duck over springy egg noodles, a Cantonese noodle house beloved in District 5.
Signature: Mi vit tiem, Duck egg noodles, Wonton noodles
Order: Mi vit tiem, the herbal braised-duck egg noodle soup.
Tip: The duck is braised in Chinese herbs; ask for it dry with the broth on the side to taste the noodles.
Thiem Huy is a well-loved Cho Lon noodle shop specialising in mi vit tiem, deep-fried then herb-braised duck leg over egg noodles in a fragrant broth.
Signature: Mi vit tiem, Duck noodles, Roast duck
Order: Mi vit tiem with a whole braised duck leg.
Tip: The duck leg is fried before braising, so the skin stays firm; go early evening before it sells out.
This Cho Lon congee counter simmers Teochew-style rice porridge loaded with pork, offal and century egg, a warming District 5 bowl for afternoon and night.
Signature: Chao, Congee, Pork organ porridge
Order: A bowl of pork-and-offal chao with youtiao dough sticks.
Tip: It runs afternoon to late; add the fried dough sticks to dip into the porridge.
Tam Ky is a Cho Lon specialist in pha lau, offal slow-braised in a five-spice coconut broth, a rich Chinese-Vietnamese snack eaten with bread in District 5.
Signature: Pha lau, Braised offal, Coconut broth
Order: A bowl of mixed pha lau offal with a baguette to dip.
Tip: The coconut-and-five-spice broth is the draw; tear the bread and soak it in the sauce.
Ngoc Son is a District 5 banh xeo specialist frying big, crisp turmeric rice crepes stuffed with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts, wrapped in greens and dipped.
Signature: Banh xeo, Sizzling pancake
Order: A whole banh xeo torn into mustard leaf with herbs.
Tip: The crepes are large and best shared; the fish-sauce dip and greens are self-serve.
ABC Bakery is the homegrown Saigon chain that supplies baguettes to banh mi stalls across the city, and its shops sell cakes, buns and the crisp bread.
Order: A fresh baguette, still warm, or a salted-egg custard bun.
Tip: This is where many stalls buy their bread; the plain baguettes are the thing to grab.
Worth the queue: Banh mi baguettes
Xoi Ga Number One is a Michelin Selected spot for its sticky rice topped with a fried or steamed chicken drumstick, eaten from a paper wrap.
Try: Xoi ga
Order: Xoi ga with a fried chicken drumstick and scallion oil.
Tip: It runs late into the evening; the fried chicken version is the one to get.
An Dong is one of Saigon's oldest and largest indoor markets, a wholesale fashion hall in District 5 whose basement food court draws locals for Cho Lon eats.
Order: A bowl of che or a plate of banh from the basement food court.
Tip: Skip the upstairs clothing floors and head straight to the basement food stalls.
Xoi Ga Number One is a Michelin Selected spot for its cheap plate of sticky rice topped with a fried chicken drumstick, scallion oil and crisp shallots.
Try: Xoi ga
Order: Xoi ga with a fried chicken drumstick and scallion oil.
Tip: It runs into the evening; the fried chicken version is the one regulars order.