Known as the busiest city in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City (also locally known as Sai Gon) offers a wide variety of delicacies to travelers. Therefore, you will find it easy to satisfy your hunger with scrumptious dishes during your visit to the city.
In this post, I will answer the question, ‘Where to eat in Ho Chi Minh City District 1?’ by providing recommendations for places to enjoy Pho, banh mi, bun thit nuong, com tam, and snails in this area.
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Table of Contents
Best places to eat Pho in Ho Chi Minh City District 1
When talking about Vietnamese food, one of the first dishes that tourists want to try is Pho – a traditional Vietnamese noodle dish with rich flavors and aromatic qualities. It may appear simple, but the process of making it is a true masterpiece. The most crucial element of Pho is its broth, which is infused with ingredients such as pork or beef bones, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, onions, and more.
Once the soup is ready, the chef pours it into a bowl filled with noodles, chicken or beef, spring onions, and Vietnamese coriander, creating a scrumptious bowl of Pho. To enhance the broth’s flavor, you can add lime juice and chili.
You can enjoy Pho almost anywhere in Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, though the taste may vary among different regions. As a native of northern Vietnam, I can clearly distinguish the difference between Northern and Southern Pho. The Pho broth in South Vietnam, particularly in Ho Chi Minh City, tends to be slightly saltier than that in North Vietnam.
Where to eat Pho in Ho Chi Minh City District 1?
Pho Quynh
- Address: 323 Pham Ngu Lao St, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, HCMC
- Opening hours: 8:00 – 3:00, daily
- Price range: 50.000 VND – 80.000 VND
Pho Phu Vuong
- Address: 120 Nguyen Thai Binh St, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1, HCMC
- Opening hours: 6:00 – 21:30, daily
- Price range: 65.000 VND – 85.000 VND
Pho Hung
- Address: 243 Đ. Nguyễn Trãi, Phường Nguyễn Cư Trinh, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
- Opening hours: 6:00 – 3:00 next day, daily
- Price range: 70.000 VND – 90.000 VND
Mama Pho
- Address: 134 Le Thanh Ton St, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, HCMC
- Opening hours: 7:00 – 22:00, daily
- Price range: 80.000 VND – 130.000 VND
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Best places to eat Banh Mi in Ho Chi Minh City District 1
Another iconic Vietnamese food is Banh Mi, which is also my personal favorite dish in Ho Chi Minh City. I have always been proud that my hometown, Nam Dinh City, serves the best Banh Mi in Vietnam. However, when I visited Ho Chi Minh City, I realized that I was overly confident.
Banh Mis in Ho Chi Minh City are filled with a variety of ingredients, including pate, the meat of your choice, cold cuts, jambon, cucumber, pickled daikon and carrot, and more. This combination may seem messy, but it actually tastes extremely delightful. This is definitely a must-eat in Saigon.
However, there are two things to keep in mind when buying Banh Mi in Ho Chi Minh City. First, the baguette here is quite large, especially the “special” option. So if you don’t have a big appetite, it’s best to go for the normal size. Second, most of the famous Banh Mi stores only offer takeaway services.
Where to eat Banh Mi in Ho Chi Minh City District 1?
- Address: 26 Le Thi Rieng St, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, HCMC
- Opening hours: 6:00 – 22:00, daily
- Price range: ~ 60.000 VND
Banh Mi Ba Huynh
- Address: 185K Cong Quynh St, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1, HCMC
- Opening hours: 6:00 – 21:00, daily
- Price range: 45.000 VND – 59.000 VND
Banh Mi Hong Hoa
- Address: 54 Nguyen Van Trang, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, HCMC
- Opening hours: 5:30 – 21:00, daily
- Price range: 40.000 VND – 50.000 VND
Best places for Bun thit nuong in Ho Chi Minh City District 1
Bun Thit Nuong, also known as Vietnamese grilled pork with rice vermicelli, is a popular dish in Vietnam. A serving of Bun Thit Nuong includes rice vermicelli, sweet and sour fish sauce, lettuce, herbs, and flavorful grilled pork.
The soul of this dish lies in the sweet and sour fish sauce, which is prepared using fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, chili (optional), and garlic (optional).
The key to crafting this sweet and tangy sauce is about achieving a balanced ratio of all the ingredients, ensuring it isn’t overly sweet, salty, or sour. To be honest, as a Vietnamese, I rarely succeed in perfecting this sauce.
Where to eat Bun Thit Nuong in Ho Chi Minh City District 1?
Bun Thit Nuong – Nguyen Trung Truc
- Address: Nguyen Trung Truc St, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, HCMC
- Opening hours: 6:00 – 20:00, daily
- Price range: 65.000 VND – 100.000 VND
Quan Bun Thit Nuong 88 Mac Dinh Chi
- Address: 88 Mac Dinh Chi, Da Kao, District 1, HCMC
- Opening hours: 6:30 – 21:30 (close on Sunday)
- Price range: ~ 40.000 VND
Best places to eat Com tam in Ho Chi Minh City District 1
Com Tam means the small broken grains of rice. At first, only poor farmers in the Mekong Delta region ate broken rice. The reason was, during times of poor harvests, many people did not have enough good quality rice to sell, so they saved the good grains for sale and used broken rice to cook their meals.
When Saigon became a major tourist destination attracting many international visitors, vendors adjusted the broken rice dish to suit the tastes and preferences of the customers. Broken rice began to be served on plates, using forks and spoons instead of bowls and chopsticks as before.
A traditional Com Tam portion consists of broken rice, grilled pork chop, shredded pork skin, egg meatloaf, and dipping sauce.
Nowadays, the local Saigonese create many variations of Com Tam that suit the taste buds of many tourists.
Where to eat Com Tam in Ho Chi Minh City District 1?
Com Tam A Dung
- Address: 50 Bis Co Dac St, Cau Ong Lanh Ward, District 1, HCMC
- Price range: 40.000 VND – 60.000 VND
Com Tam Cali – Nguyen Hue
- Address: 48 Nguyen Hue St, Ben Nghe, District 1, HCMC
- Opening hours: 9:00 – 21:30, daily
- Price range: ~ 100.000 VND
Best places to eat snails in Ho Chi Minh City District 1
When spending time with friends, Vietnamese people often enjoy snails, which are among their favorite street foods. In Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), local restaurants offer a wide variety of snail dishes, along with seafood options. Personally, I am absolutely enamored with the snail dishes in HCMC, thanks to their incredibly delicious and unique sauce, which differs from the cooking style found in my hometown of Northern Vietnam.
Where to eat Snails in Ho Chi Minh City District 1?
Oc Ken Sai Gon
- Address: 18 Đ. Trần Hưng Đạo, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
- Opening hours: 11:00 – 14:00, 16:00 – 3:00, daily
- Price: From 150.000-200.000 VND/person
Oc Chu Lun
- Address: 76 Nguyen Van Thu, Da Kao, District 1, HCMC.
- Opening hours: 11:00 – 22:00, daily
- Price: From 150.000-200.000 VND/person
Quan Oc Khanh
- Address: 25 Nguyen Binh Kiem, Ben Nghe, District 1, HCMC.
- Price: From 100.000-200.000 VND/person
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So…Have you decided where to eat in Ho Chi Minh City District 1? Share your thoughts and opinions below. Thanks for reading!
all dishes look delicious, one day I will come to hcm city and try all of them!!
Vietnamese food so great to try, it’s very famous in our country and Vietnam restaurants always be crowed. Thank you for suggesting these delicious dishes 🙂
You’re welcome