Bistros, trattorias and the everyday places where Ho Chi Minh City actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Ho Chi Minh City actually eats.
Pho Hoa Pasteur has poured beef pho on this District 3 corner since 1968 and now carries a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its long-simmered, clean-tasting broth.
OrderA bowl of pho tai, plus the quay dough sticks for dipping.
TipPrices are posted by bowl size; the tables of fresh herbs and gio chao quay are self-serve.
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.
OrderThe full beef pho with brisket and tendon.
TipSouthern pho runs sweeter than Hanoi's; the hoisin and sriracha on the table are meant for it.
Com Tam Ba Ghien is the only broken-rice shop in Vietnam with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, famous for an oversized caramelised grilled pork chop over broken rice.
OrderCom tam with the giant grilled pork chop, egg and crackling.
TipGo at lunch when the grill is busiest; the pork chop is the size of the plate.
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Banh Xeo 46A is the sizzling-pancake specialist off Tan Dinh, where turmeric-yellow rice crepes stuffed with shrimp and pork come wrapped in herbs and greens.
OrderA whole banh xeo, torn into lettuce with herbs and fish sauce.
TipOne pancake is bigger than it looks; order one to start and share before adding more.
Bun Bo Nam Giao has cooked Hue-style spicy beef noodle soup since 1991, its lemongrass-and-chili broth a backpacker-district fixture near Bui Vien.
OrderThe full bun bo Hue with beef shank and cha.
TipThe broth is fiery by Southern standards; add the shrimp paste on the side to taste.
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.
Ha Ky is a long-running Cho Lon dessert house serving Cantonese-style sweet soups, warm and cold che by the bowl, in central District 5's Chinatown.
OrderA bowl of warm black-sesame or almond sweet soup.
TipIt doubles as a savoury spot, but locals come for the Chinese sweet soups after dinner.
Com Ga Hai Nam plates Hainanese-style chicken over rice cooked in the poaching broth, a tidy District 10 counter for steamed or roasted chicken.
OrderSteamed chicken over the broth-cooked rice with ginger sauce.
TipAsk for a mix of steamed and roasted chicken if you cannot choose; both are strong.
This District 10 counter is known for banh canh ghe, a thick tapioca noodle soup piled with sea crab and served with tangy green-chili salt.
OrderBanh canh ghe with a whole sea crab and the green-chili salt.
TipCrack the crab into the soup and dip the meat in the green-chili salt on the side.
Pho Quynh sits on the backpacker strip of Pham Ngu Lao and runs nearly around the clock, a reliable late bowl of pho and beef stew for the Bui Vien crowd.
OrderThe pho bo kho, a beef-stew twist on the classic bowl.
TipIt is one of the few kitchens serving proper pho well after midnight in the backpacker area.
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.
OrderMi vit tiem, the herbal braised-duck egg noodle soup.
TipThe 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.
OrderMi vit tiem with a whole braised duck leg.
TipThe duck leg is fried before braising, so the skin stays firm; go early evening before it sells out.
Ha Ton Quyen is Saigon's sui cao street, and this corner is a favourite for hand-pulled egg noodles and plump pork-and-shrimp dumplings in clear broth.
OrderA bowl of sui cao dumplings with hand-pulled mi.
TipThe whole block is dumpling shops with pavement tables; it is busiest and best in the evening.
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.
OrderA bowl of pork-and-offal chao with youtiao dough sticks.
TipIt 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.
OrderA bowl of mixed pha lau offal with a baguette to dip.
TipThe coconut-and-five-spice broth is the draw; tear the bread and soak it in the sauce.
Pho Phu Vuong has poured beef pho for nearly twenty years, a Le Van Si mainstay whose broth balances Northern depth with the sweeter Southern palate.
OrderA bowl of pho tai nam with the works.
TipIt runs from early morning to midnight, a dependable pho stop outside the tourist centre.
Pho Hung is a big, busy pho hall on Nguyen Trai near the backpacker area, a convenient all-day bowl of Southern beef pho with the full raft of herbs.
OrderPho bo with a side plate of herbs and lime.
TipIt is roomy and central, an easy pho stop between District 1 and Cho Lon.
This District 3 alley stall is known for bun rieu, a tomato-and-crab-paste noodle soup, and its heartier cousin canh bun, ladled from a bubbling pot.
OrderBun rieu cua with crab paste, tofu and tomato.
TipIt is down an alley off Nguyen Dinh Chieu; the crab-paste broth is tangy and best with shrimp paste.
Thanh Dat is a busy hu tieu Nam Vang specialist on Ly Thai To, serving the Phnom Penh-style noodle in a clear, sweet pork broth topped with pork and shrimp.
OrderHu tieu Nam Vang kho, dry with the broth alongside.
TipOrder it dry to appreciate the springy noodles; the broth comes in a separate bowl.
Hoang Lan is a District 10 favourite for banh canh cua, a thick tapioca noodle soup heavy with crab meat, pork and quail eggs in a glossy, peppery broth.
OrderThe loaded banh canh cua with extra crab.
TipIt runs late morning to evening; the broth is deliberately thick, so eat it while piping hot.
Ut Le is an evening banh canh cua stall on To Hien Thanh, ladling a rich crab-and-pork tapioca noodle soup to a loyal District 10 crowd from mid-afternoon.
OrderBanh canh cua with crab, cha and a quail egg.
TipIt opens mid-afternoon and runs late; a good stop on a District 10 evening food crawl.
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.
OrderA whole banh xeo torn into mustard leaf with herbs.
TipThe crepes are large and best shared; the fish-sauce dip and greens are self-serve.
Nha Go is a rustic wood-lined beef hotpot house on Ly Thai To, where groups gather around bubbling pots of lau bo with fresh herbs, noodles and beef.
OrderA shared beef hotpot with the full herb basket.
TipHotpot here is a group affair; go with several people and order a mix of beef cuts.