Whenever I land in a new country, the first thing I want to taste is the soul of the place. In Vietnam, that soul lives in bowls of steaming broth, cups of bitter coffee, and street food. Over my days in Ho Chi Minh City, I tried many local dishes and even some comfort foods from home. Here’s how my stomach navigated the city.
Eating Like a Local
Local dishes are what it’s all about. If you’re in Vietnam, you should try Vietnamese food. This is something we did, and we ate a lot. Here are some highlights of the local food we sampled in Ho Chi Minh City.
Pho Bo
It turned out that a friend I met in North Korea was in the city at the same time I was, so we decided to meet up. He is really into Michelin star restaurants, but he couldn’t get any reservations the day we were to meet. So we arranged to meet at the Propaganda Vietnamese Bistro instead.
While not a Michelin Star, the restaurant was still more upscale than the smaller venues you’ll find on most streets. Everything was decorated in a modern style, and menus were in English. This was a place aiming to cater to tourists.
I went for the Pho Bo, rice noodles in a beef broth. This is a classic dish that Vietnam is famous for, and there are many restaurants all over the world serving pho. As is common in Vietnam, it was served with extras on the side: mint, lime, bean sprouts and green chili.
The soup had the perfect blend of salty and meaty. Adding the lime gave it nice sour twist, and the mint added a crunchy texture alongside the refreshing minty taste. It works surprisingly well when compared with the other flavours.
The noodles filled me up, and I drank all of the soup to help settle my stomach afterwards. While there was nothing wrong with the dish, I couldn’t help but think it was expensive for what it was. You can buy this in many smaller local places that feel more authentic than a bistro, and for a much lower price.
Egg Coffee
One legacy of French occupation is Vietnamese coffee culture. Coffee shops line the streets like pubs line the streets of London. Walk around in the morning and you will see many people starting their day with coffee. Tonkin claims to be the best coffee shop in the city, so we decided to pay it a visit and judge it for ourselves. It was here we got the chance to sample some egg coffee.
Originating in Hanoi, the recipe has spread across the whole country. The owner of Giang Café in Hanoi says his father developed it in the 1940s when milk was scarce. Today it is made by whipping egg yolk with condensed milk and sugar, then boiling it. The coffee is then poured over the cream, creating a coffee with a foamy texture.
As a fan of lattes, I really enjoyed a foamier version of coffee. You can spoon the foam off the top and eat it, before drinking the rest of the coffee underneath. I’ll be back for more next time I come to Vietnam.
Vietnamese Coffee
It turns out my friend is a coffee fiend, so he took us to a place called Cafe Linh to drink coffee the local way. It was a small wooden house built on the corner of a street. The wood creaked and moaned as you walked through. There were some small uneven stairs leading up to a balcony overlooking the street below.
Here we ordered some drip coffee. The coffee is served in a phin, essentially a coffee press that fits over a small cup. Patience is required, as you need to wait for it to brew, and this is one of the slowest ways to brew coffee.
We took in the view while we waited, and after a while we were ready to try it. The coffee hit me with a bitter taste that lingered on the tip of the tongue. I thoroughly enjoyed the flavour, but others may prefer a less intense coffee.
Banh Mi
We were getting hungry again, so we decided to try some banh mi. Another influence left over from the French, banh mi is a sandwich usually served in a soft baguette. It can be made using a variety of fillings, and it’s always easy to find a street vendor making these for passers-by.
We found a place called Bep Me In where we could sit down and eat. The place was hidden down an alley, and small with bright colourful decorations. This one does make the Michelin star list, and is listed as a place where you can “eat like a local”.
I ordered the chicken banh mi, which came with mint and red chili on the side.
I can’t complain about the sandwich, but the white sauce it came with didn’t fit. It had a weird texture and was very sweet, both things that didn’t match with the savoury sandwich or the other salty sauces. I guess some people like that mix of sweet and savoury, but it’s not something I enjoy.
Vietnamese Hotpot
Having lived in China for a long time, Szechuan hotpot became a weekly habit. So, of course, we had to try the Vietnamese version of hotpot. In Vietnam it’s known as Lẩu, and bears many similarities to Chinese hotpot. Unlike Chinese hotpot, it’s generally not spicy and makes heavy use of lemongrass. This gives it a distinct lemon flavour, without any hint of sourness.
We found hotpot in a small place near the river and ordered a decent amount of veggies and meat to cook in the pot. It was interesting to have a hotpot where you could taste the flavors and smell the aromas of the broth rather than being overwhelmed buy Szechuan peppers. A different experience for sure, but one just as enjoyable.
When Foreign Meets Familiar
When you live abroad or travel long term, you sometimes crave that taste of home. And sometimes you can discover new dishes by ordering the familiar and getting something you didn’t expect.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
We found a small hole in the wall place near our hotel, where I ordered some sweet and sour chicken. I was expecting it to be somewhat similar to the “Chinese” dish we get back in the UK, or closer to the Cantonese version. Deep fried chicken in batter, with a sweet sauce. Either served on its own, or with rice. Since we were closer to China it would likely be boiled rice rather than egg fried as it would be in the UK.
Instead I got chicken on the bone in a sweet and sour sauce, served with a side salad. The chicken wasn’t battered, but it was still deep fried. It was seasoned with sesame seeds and lemongrass, catering to local appetites.
It was interesting to see both the differences and similarities to both the British and the Cantonese version. It shows how the same dish can change and adapt to local tastes as it travels across cultures.
Despite the differences, I had no complaints. The sauce still had that familiar taste, and all I wanted was chicken in that sweet and sour sauce.
Sunday Roast
I have gotten into the habit of trying sunday roasts in different places. Partly out of curiosity, and partly because I miss British food. So on Sunday I went looking for a place where I could get a roast. It was far away from the center, but Union Jack’s was a local fish and chip shop that served what I wanted. As we went in we could smell vinegar and fried fish. I already felt at home.
I feel like it could have had more variety in vegetables, and it came with a sausage patty which is unusual, but apart from this, it could have been a meal you’d get in a pub back home. This is a restaurant that will be a haven to British expats, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they make up a large part of their customer base.
Jam Roly-Poly
While at Union Jack’s, I noticed they had Jam Roly Poly on the menu. This is a traditional English pudding, that’s kind of like a hot, crispy swiss roll. I hadn’t had one for decades, so I had to try it even if I was full from the roast.
It had been served in a way that was presentable, but there was barely any custard with it. Just a small amount dribbled on top to make it look nice. While it was otherwise as nice as I remember, I wish they had a decent amount of custard with it.
Next Time
I’ve only scratched the surface of Vietnamese food, and there’s definitely a lot more I want to try next time. Just writing this article I’ve learned of the origin of egg coffee, and am definitely going to visit Giang Cafe when I eventually visit Hanoi.
If you’re in Ho Chi Minh City, you should try one expensive tourist bistro for the experience, but otherwise spend most of your time eating in smaller places. Your wallet and taste buds will thank you.
