A historic pocket of District 1 around the pink Tan Dinh Church and market, full of old-Saigon snack stalls, banh canh cua and family villas turned restaurants.
Cuc Gach Quan is a Bib Gourmand favourite: an architect's old villa turned into a warm room for home-style Southern Vietnamese cooking and clay-pot braises.
OrderThe clay-pot braised pork and the tofu the kitchen makes in house.
TipThere is no fixed menu; tell the staff your group size and let the dishes arrive family style.
Banh Canh Cua 87 is a Tan Dinh sidewalk institution with a single-minded focus: a thick, savoury crab noodle soup of tapioca noodles, crab and quail eggs.
OrderThe full banh canh cua loaded with crab and quail eggs.
TipIt is a busy sidewalk stall with plastic stools; go mid-afternoon to beat the crowd.
Tan Dinh Market, trading since 1926 by the pink Tan Dinh Church, is a local produce and fabric market whose surrounding stalls serve fine street food.
OrderBanh canh cua or a snack from the stalls ringing the market.
TipSkip the fabric floors and graze the food stalls around the market's edges in the morning.
Di Tam is one of Saigon's oldest broken-rice stalls, a Tan Dinh fixture plating com tam with a charcoal-grilled pork chop, egg and pickles for a few dollars.
OrderCom tam suon with a grilled pork chop and egg.
TipIt is central District 1 but still cheap; go at lunch when the grill is at full tilt.
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