This self guided District 1 tour (brought to you by our Inspiree Team) is dedicated to local low cost streetside restaurants 25k – 70k per person. The idea is that you try some of the delicious local options that the city has to offer for what locals would pay. Let’s get right into it.
Bánh Cuón
Bún Chả
Bún Thịt Nướng
Bò Lá Lót
Bánh Mì Heo Quay
Bánh Cúon
A light Vietnamese dish traditionally served for breakfast in Vietnam. The dish is made of delicate rice flour, poured over a steam tray using a ladle to form a thin layer. Sautéed ground pork, mushrooms, and caramelized onions, are then put inside and it’s then rolled up and served. The dish is then topped off with crispy fried scallions for added savoriness and texture.
The dish is usually accompanied by a crispy fried shrimp cake, Vietnamese pork sausage, and bean sprouts and herbs. The dish is both delicate and savory, eaten by pouring a sweetened fish sauce over the rolled pork rolls.
The first Banh Cuon place is breakfast only and tucked down an alley off the main street. They also do fantastic smoothies. They specialize in Banh Cuon and do not make anything else.
The second place, Hong Hanh, specializes in Banh Cuon but have diversified into other dishes as well. They are a bit more touristy but still do a great Banh Cuon.
Bánh cuốn nóng Hào Hoa 177/1 Lý Tự Trọng, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh
6am – 11:30am
Bánh Cuốn Hồng Hạnh 17A Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Bến Nghé, Quận 1,
24 hours? Dunno, never been there super late before.
Bún Chả
This is a northern dish and is a similar version to the Bun Thit Nuong version in the South of Vietnam, the difference being that the pork (grilled over coals) in Bun Cha is steeped in a savory broth and the meat focuses on spiced ground pork and pork belly. This is often served with crispy crab cakes, or crispy sweet potato shrimp cakes, rice noodles and fresh herbs. This place is a local favorite in little Japan town. Breakfast and lunch Only. Take the time to explore some of the Japanese establishments in the area or grab a brew at Seven Bridges.
Bun Cha Hanoi 26 is located in a network of alleys that are worth exploring as it is an eclectic mix of people and establishments that come alive in the afternoon and evening.
There are other Bun Cha places that do a crispy crab spring roll that is very tasty, and the second place in the link below specializes in that (though they are a bit pricier)
Bun Cha Hanoi 26 8A/9C2 Thái Văn Lung, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh
7am – 8:30pm
Quan Nem restaurant 15E Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Bến Nghé, Quận 1
10am – 10pm
Bún Thịt Nứong
A classic southern dish with the foundation being pork grilled over coals and crispy spring rolls on a bed of fresh herbs and rice noodles. The key here is to go to a place that gets the meat off the grill fresh and hot, and the crispy spring rolls are fried fresh and delicious.
Southern style spring rolls are generally made of pork, onions, and mushrooms and seldom include crab or shrimp unless specified. The fish sauce is used as a dressing and poured over the food directly. If you’re wondering where the herbs and sprouts are, they are underneath the bed of rice noodles so dig them up and mix it up for a balanced taste!
These two places are some of the most popular to get this dish in District 1 and both have been doing it for over 20 years. The second place on the list has some dishes that are definitely worth trying as well, but I will do another post on unique items to try. Both places are better than the Michelin rated one in my opinion. The Michelin rated list is mostly terrible, but that’s a subject for another day.
Bún Thịt Nướng Chả Giò – Nguyễn Trung Trực 1 Nguyễn Trung Trực, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
6:30 am – 8:00 pm
Bun Thit nuong Chi tuyen 175c Cô Giang, Phường Cô Giang, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh
6 am – 9 pm
Bò Lá Lót
This is a very interesting dish, with the focus being Betel leaves as a wrapping for spiced ground beef, rolled up and grilled over hot coals. These establishments often serve regular beef sausages mixed with beef fat also grilled over hot coals. The idea is to give it a tender, moist, and deeply rich flavor profile. The richness is tempered with light noodles, herbs, and lettuce to wrap everything inside. The wraps are dipped in sweetened fish sauce or a fermented pineapple fish sauce. If you’re not used to fermented fish sauce, i’d opt for the former dipping sauce. This dish is a local favorite not to be missed.
This stall opens from 2:30 pm
Bo la lot hoang yen 143 Cô Giang, Phường Cô Giang, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh
Bánh Mì (Crispy Pork)
The banh mi I’m recommending is a different type of Banh Mi from the traditional variety. Crispy roast pork Banh Mi. This is one of my favorites since I love crispy things, and if the pork is freshly roasted, there is nothing better. A Banh Mi here costs 20-25k, and is such a fantastic little treat. This place is a small chain that roasts their own pork belly, their own duck, and bake their own banh mi.
The most popular Banh Mi places in Saigon are similar to Banh Mi Huynh Hoa, Hong Hoa, and Madame Huynh and specialize in Vietnamese style cold cuts. I believe the first two were either sisters or business partners who had a falling out over the meat production and then decided to go separate ways. That being said those places are very tasty and worth trying for an over the top Vietnamese Banh Mi. These meats are quick cured and sliced into your Banh Mi, giving you layers of different cuts and plenty of rich Pate.
Banh Mi Tuyen Ky 127 Đề Thám, Phường Cô Giang, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
5am – 9pm
Wrap up
Of course district 1 has over a thousand restaurants and stalls that are local and worth trying. These are a handfull that are favorites among locals and are cheap and cheerful as well as easy to walk to if you want to stay relatively central in Saigon. Don’t be afraid to venture out and try any stall or food that catches your fancy. There are so many gems here, and there are new ones that open up every day.
I will do a different list on Pho, local rice lunch places, unique one off must try restaurants, local family style dinner restos, and more so stay tuned in!
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