Vietnamese$$district-1
Hoi An Sense is a Michelin Selected restaurant bringing central Vietnamese cooking to a garden villa in Da Kao, from cao lau to white rose dumplings.
Signature: Cao lau, White rose dumplings, Central Vietnamese dishes
Order: Cao lau noodles and the white rose shrimp dumplings.
Tip: The garden courtyard is the seat to request; there is often live traditional music at dinner.
Modern Vietnamese$$$binh-thanh
Nephele is a Michelin Selected modern Vietnamese room in Binh Thanh, working local herbs and seasonal produce into a quiet, contemporary set menu.
Signature: Tasting menu, Seasonal Vietnamese plates
Order: The seasonal set menu, which leans on the day's market.
Tip: It sits down a residential lane in Binh Thanh; booking ahead is the safe move for dinner.
Modern Vietnamese$$$thao-dien
Okra Food Bar is a Michelin Selected Thao Dien room plating modern Vietnamese small plates alongside a serious cocktail list in a compact, design-led space.
Signature: Modern Vietnamese small plates, Cocktail pairings
Order: A run of the small plates with a cocktail pairing.
Tip: Seats are limited and the counter is the best view of the kitchen; reserve for weekends.
Vietnamese$$$district-1
ST25 by KOTO is a Michelin Selected farm-to-table Vietnamese restaurant on Le Duan, run by the KOTO social enterprise that trains at-risk youth.
Signature: ST25 rice dishes, Farm-to-table Vietnamese
Order: Dishes built around Vietnam's award-winning ST25 rice.
Tip: Eating here supports KOTO's hospitality training programme; the set lunch is good value.
Cantonese$$district-5
Dim Tu Tac is a Bib Gourmand Cantonese house in Cho Lon known for its trolleys of dim sum and its Peking duck, a fixture of District 5 banquet dining.
Signature: Dim sum, Peking duck, Roast meats
Order: The dim sum spread and the Peking duck.
Tip: Go with a group for the duck and a full round of dumplings; weekend lunch is the liveliest.
Pizzeria$$district-1
Pizza 4P's is the Vietnam-born chain that makes its own cheese and fires Japanese-Italian pizzas; the Saigon Centre branch is its polished downtown flagship.
Signature: Burrata pizza, House-made cheese, Wood-fired pizzas
Order: The half-and-half burrata pizza with house-made mozzarella.
Tip: Book ahead; the chain is hugely popular and the mall branch fills at lunch and dinner.