What to eat in Ho Chi Minh City
Pho is only the start. Here are the dishes worth knowing by name, plus a few places from the 2026 MICHELIN Guide's Bib Gourmand list (good food at good prices).
Dishes to know
- Phở: rice noodle soup with beef (bò) or chicken (gà). In the south it comes with a big plate of herbs and bean sprouts.
- Cơm tấm: broken rice with a charcoal-grilled pork chop. Saigon's signature breakfast and lunch.
- Bánh xèo: a thin, crispy rice-flour crêpe with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts. Wrap pieces in lettuce and herbs and dip.
- Bún bò Huế: spicy beef noodle soup from Hue, heavy on lemongrass.
- Bánh cuốn: steamed rice sheets rolled around minced pork and wood ear mushroom.
- Bún riêu: noodle soup with crab and tomato, a little sour.
- Bánh mì: the baguette sandwich, sold on almost every street.
Michelin Bib Gourmand picks
Bánh Xèo 46A
Making bánh xèo for over 70 years. The crêpes are huge, filled with mung beans, bean sprouts, pork and shrimp. There's an air-conditioned room, but the open-air tables by the kitchen are the classic experience.
- Address: 46 Đinh Công Tráng, Tân Định Ward (former District 1)
- Hours: daily 10:00–13:50 and 16:00–20:50
- Cash only. Food can run out near closing, so go early.
Nhà Tú
Home-style Vietnamese cooking in a leafy old house with a top-floor balcony. The owner cooks dishes from her childhood. Michelin singles out steamed snails stuffed with minced pork, and mixed vegetables in a fish sauce reduction with pork crackling.
- Address: 129/4 Võ Văn Tần, Xuân Hòa Ward (former District 3)
- Hours: daily 11:00–23:00
- Cards accepted. Book by phone: +84 28 3930 5069.
More Bib Gourmand spots
- Bánh Cuốn Tây Hồ 127: new to the list in 2026
- Bún Riêu Yến: new to the list in 2026
- Bò Kho Gánh: Vietnamese beef stew
Good to know
- Most local places are cash only. Carry small notes.
- Wet towels, peanuts or spring rolls left on the table may be charged if you use them.
- Don't want coriander? Say "không rau".
For pho and broken rice specifically, see the best pho and cơm tấm in Ho Chi Minh City.
Sources: MICHELIN Guide Vietnam 2026 announcement (June 4, 2026), MICHELIN Guide: Bánh Xèo 46A, MICHELIN Guide: Nhà Tú