Van Kiep Street: border of Phu Nhuan and Binh Thanh districts
Even in the light drizzle of a cool rainy season evening, Van Kiep Street is a thrilling exhibition of Vietnamese street food. Showcasing dozens of different dishes all in the space of a couple hundred metres, Van Kiep Street straddles the border of two of Saigon’s most vibrant districts, Phu Nhuan and Binh Thanh. There must be at least fifty different dishes available on this street and over a hundred eateries to choose from. The street is packed with young Vietnamese.
Don’t miss Quan Ut Lang, an intoxicating barbeque joint with mounds of fresh meat, seafood and vegetables on skewers, cooked to order over a huge coal-fired grill, on the corner of Van Kiep and Phan Xich Long streets, the grilled octopus is incredible.
Su Van Hanh Street: District 10
The block between Ngo Gia Tu and Nguyen Chi Thanh on Su Van Hanh is a street food gem, especially its dozens of banh xeo vendors. If you are a fan of Che, be sure to head down to the desert stall on the end of the street where you will find 16 different varieties of the sweet soups.
Co Giang Street: District 1
Co Giang is a long, straight street that unofficially marks the southern perimeter of Saigon’s burgeoning backpacker area in District 1. However, Co Giang Street is much quieter than Pham Ngu Lao, Bui Vien and De Tham streets whose bars, western restaurants and mini-marts make up the centre of the backpacker district.
In general, travelers who choose to stay or spend time on Co Giang Street are looking to get something more ‘authentic’, more ‘Vietnamese’ from their time in Saigon. While Co Giang is not as densely packed with food stalls as other streets in this list, it still offers plenty of local street-life and bustling open-air eateries, especially around the intersection of Co Giang and De Tham streets. There is a cluster of hugely popular outdoor restaurants, specializing in thick Chinese-style fried noodles called Hu Tieu Xao.
Vinh Khanh Street: District 4
Vinh Khanh Street is one of the most popular places for street food in Saigon, especially seafood. The atmosphere is electric as hundreds of small and large groups of friends hunker down at tiny red and blue plastic tables, splitting shells, cracking crab legs, clinking beer glasses and having a really good time.
Phan Van Han Street: Binh Thanh District
Located just across from District 1’s gleaming skyline is an inconspicuous narrow street that is frequented by university’s students looking for a cheap meal.
Try the Bot Chien at the corner of Phan Van Han and Xo Viet Nghe Tinh streets where the vendor has been selling the specialty for 20 years. There is also a great noodle place, Luong Ky Mi Gia. Street which serves up a number of Vietnamese noodle dishes, the best of which may be the Mi Vit Tiem. But be sure to arrive early as it quickly sells out.