Vietnamese$district-3Daily 09:00-21:00
This District 3 alley kitchen specialises in central-Vietnamese bun mam nem, cold vermicelli with grilled pork, herbs and a punchy fermented-anchovy dressing.
Try: Bun mam nem
Order: Bun mam nem with grilled pork and plenty of herbs.
Tip: It sits down a narrow lane; the fermented-anchovy sauce is the whole point, so do not skip it.
Vietnamese$phu-nhuanDaily 08:00-21:00
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$district-1Daily 04:00-23:00
Banh Mi Hong Hoa is a bakery-and-stall near Ben Thanh where warm baguettes come stuffed with cold cuts and pate for a fraction of a sit-down meal.
Try: Cold-cut banh mi
Order: The mixed cold-cut banh mi with extra pickles.
Tip: Bread is baked through the day, so the baguette is almost always warm and crisp.
Vietnamese$district-5Daily 15:00-23:00
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.
Vietnamese$tan-dinhDaily 06:00-21:00
Di Tam is one of Saigon's oldest broken-rice stalls, a Tan Dinh fixture plating com tam with a charcoal-grilled pork chop, egg and pickles for a few dollars.
Try: Com tam suon
Order: Com tam suon with a grilled pork chop and egg.
Tip: It is central District 1 but still cheap; go at lunch when the grill is at full tilt.
Vietnamese$district-1Daily 06:00-14:00
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.