Ho Chi Minh City is one of the best places to visit on the Vietnam tour for its street food scene. But, with such a varied range of specialty dishes, the street food options can be a little confusing. A well-planned street food tour of the city is easily organized with a local Vietnam travel agent.

Let’s get a quick overview of the top street foods in Ho Chi Minh City:

Pho
Even though Pho originated in Hanoi, there are now several variations of this dish across the country. This is a popular dish in Ho Chi Minh City with common types including pho ga (chicken pho) or pho bo (beef pho). Plus, there is the option to eat a pork, seafood and vegetarian pho. It is severed with plenty of fresh herbs and a selection of condiments to tailor the dish to please the palate.

Hu tieu
Hu tieu is a versatile rice noodle and pork dish. It is either served dry with noodles served on a plate and a side bowl of broth or wet much-like a soup. There are several variations of this dish with Hu tieu found in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The common types served in Vietnam are hu tieu Nam Vang (offal like heart, liver or port) and hu tieu My Tho (pork ribs, ground pork, quail eggs and prawns).

Banh xeo
Banh xeo is a type of savoury pancake that is popular in Southern Vietnam. They are stuffed with bean sprouts, prawns and pork. Also, a platter of mustard or lettuce leaves accompanies the meal to act as wrappers. The prepared pancake is often dipped in a dipping sauce for extra flavour.

Banh canh
Banh canh is a quite filling Vietnamese noodle dish and served throughout the day, from breakfast to dinner. It starts with a pork broth that can include a little cornstarch to thicken. Variations of banh canh include: banh canh cha ca (fish sausage), banh canh cua (crab meat), or banh canh gio heo (sliced pork and pork knuckle). Plus, the noodles are tapioca based which is chewier and has more fat compared to the plain rice noodle.

Banh mi
Ban me is a type of light, fluffy baguette filled with ingredients. The baguette has maintained its popularity and a noticeable relic of past French colonial rule. Over the years, it has been improved by the Vietnamese bakers. A common variation to Ho Chi Minh City is this light, crispy bread filled with fresh herbs, pickled daikon, chilli, cucumber, cuts of deli meats, mayonnaise, and a thin layer of pate. This meat baguette is locally known as banh mi thit.

Banh cuon
Banh cuon (steamed crepe) started off in Hanoi, but has now grown popular elsewhere, including Ho Chi Minh City, where it is eaten as a light meal or even for breakfast. The crepe is made with rice flour batter and filled with bean sprouts, baby prawns, jicama, pork mince and woodear mushroom. It is served with fish dipping sauce, nuoc cham and shredded greens.

Simply organizing a tour with a local Vietnam travel company gives a perfect opportunity to experience the best food and tastes in Ho Chi Minh City.