Eat well in Ho Chi Minh City for under €15 a plate: the locals'-budget edition.
Eat well in Ho Chi Minh City for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Tu Hai is a cheap banh mi counter near the Da Kao end of Dinh Tien Hoang, known for the thin banh mi que pate sticks that locals snack on all day.
Try: Banh mi que
Order: A bag of banh mi que, the slim pate baguette sticks.
Tip: The pate sticks are made for snacking; buy several, they cost next to nothing.
Bun Mam Co Cuc ladles the Mekong Delta's pungent fermented-fish noodle soup, a dark, deep broth loaded with squid, prawn and roast pork on Nguyen Thien Thuat.
Try: Bun mam
Order: The full bun mam with squid, prawn and roast pork.
Tip: The fermented-fish broth is an acquired taste; pile on the herbs and eggplant to balance it.
This District 3 alley kitchen specialises in central-Vietnamese bun mam nem, cold vermicelli with grilled pork, herbs and a punchy fermented-anchovy dressing.
Try: Bun mam nem
Order: Bun mam nem with grilled pork and plenty of herbs.
Tip: It sits down a narrow lane; the fermented-anchovy sauce is the whole point, so do not skip it.
Com Tam Ba Ghien serves the Bib Gourmand broken-rice plate that made it famous: an oversized caramelised grilled pork chop over broken rice.
Try: Com tam suon
Order: Com tam with the giant grilled pork chop and a fried egg.
Tip: It is a Michelin-listed bargain; the pork chop alone feeds most appetites.
Banh Mi Hong Hoa is a bakery-and-stall near Ben Thanh where warm baguettes come stuffed with cold cuts and pate for a fraction of a sit-down meal.
Try: Cold-cut banh mi
Order: The mixed cold-cut banh mi with extra pickles.
Tip: Bread is baked through the day, so the baguette is almost always warm and crisp.
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.
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.
Try: Com tam suon
Order: Com tam suon with a grilled pork chop and egg.
Tip: It is central District 1 but still cheap; go at lunch when the grill is at full tilt.
This Co Giang stall serves a bargain bowl of bun rieu, the tomato-and-crab-paste noodle soup, for around 28,000 dong, one of the cheapest sit-down meals.
Try: Bun rieu
Order: A bowl of bun rieu cua with tofu and tomato.
Tip: At under thirty thousand dong it is a genuine bargain in the centre; go for an early lunch.
Down an alley off Ho Hao Hon, this old Chinese-Vietnamese counter serves cheap egg-noodle and wonton soups for breakfast, a longtime local favourite.
Try: Mi hoanh thanh
Order: Mi hoanh thanh, egg noodles with wontons in clear broth.
Tip: It is a morning spot down a hem; go for an early, filling and very cheap breakfast bowl.