Known for her rich history, friendly town folks and incredibly cheap and delectable eats, Ho Chi Minh City is the best place for foodies to embark on an all-you-can-eat extravaganza.

Sure we all know what a good pho or banh mi should taste like, or so we believe we do. Prepare to have your perceptions completely flipped on its head. Though, it’s only fair that we warn you that having your favourite Vietnamese treats in Singapore won’t be the same anymore.

If that doesn’t deter you at all, dive into true-blue Vietnamese food starting from the back alley streets of Ho Chi Minh to some of the poshest looking bars. To help guide you along, here’s our Ho Chi Minh City District 1 food guide.

33 DE THAM RESTAURANT

While pho, spring rolls and banh mi are great, they aren’t all that Vietnam is good for. Tucked away along a quiet street in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, lies 33 De Tham Restaurant.

Specialising in zi char-style cooking, their menu boasts a wide range of delights ranging from the usual to the exotic, and not only is the quality topnotch, but the price is also unbelievably affordable as well.

Cau Ong Lanh Ward, District 1
Ho Chi Minh City 700000
Daily: 11am – 1.30am

BRIX WINEBAR KITCHEN

If you’re looking for a bar with great vibes and wines, look no further than to BRIX Winebar Kitchen. BRIX serves a great range of charcuterie, cold cuts and cheeses on their menu that pair excellently with their wines.

You can mix and match a few of your favourites to enjoy while you drink the night away.

42 Pasteur Street
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh 700000, Vietnam
Mon to Sat: 11am – 12am
Sun: 1pm – 12am

L’AMANT CAFE

L’amant Café impresses with both its gorgeous decor and a sensational medley of tasty treats. Conveniently located in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, the elaborate yet cosy café is best known for their range of Vietnamese coffee and contemporary Vietnamese dishes.

It certainly is a must to pop in for a nice warm cuppa or some cafe food too if you fancy it.

12 Nguyên Huê, Ben Nghé
Ho Chí Minh, Vietnam
Sun to Mon: 7.30am – 11pm
Sat: 7.30am – 10.30pm

LUNCH LADY

When visiting Ho Chi Minh City, no one ever leaves without paying the acclaimed Lunch Lady a visit. This internationally-renowned street food stall—located just a few steps away from popular pho joint, Pho Phuong 25—is famous for their down-to-Earth, rustic charm and menu that rotates daily.

Until today, Lunch Lady is still highly patronised by locals, tourists, as well as food bloggers from around the world.

23 Hoang Sa Street
Phuong Da Kao, District 1 (Quan 1)
Daily: 9am – 3pm

MAMA PHO

Mama Pho has a stellar pho-centric menu, featuring not only different flavours of the classic soup-based pho. Here is where you’ll find unique pho-based creations such as their Crispy Pan-Fried Pho, Rolled Pho and even Wok-Fried Pho.

You won’t find many locals dining here given its higher price point, but Mama Pho is worth a visit regardless.

111, Hem So 9,
Ben Nghé Quan 1,
Ho Chí Minh, Vietnam
Daily: 8am – 10pm

MAM BAC

Specialising in a variety of Vietnamese dishes from the classic pho, grilled meat dishes to some pretty exotic items as well, Mâm Bac is a 2-storey eatery in Ho Chi Minh’s District 1 that is worth visiting for a pleasant introduction to local flavours in a modern and comfortable setting.

94 Ho Tung Mau, Quan 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: +84 90 130 15 08
Daily: 7am – 11pm

NHU LAN BAKERY

A popular pit stop among the Vietnamese locals, Nhu Lan Bakery houses a banh mi kiosk, a proper sit-down Vietnamese eatery as well as a delicatessen and meat grocer.

They serve everything under the sun, from bowls of pho bo to a massive selection of banh mi toppings and even some other local delicacies not commonly found elsewhere.

50 Ham Nghi,
Ben Nghé, Quan 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Daily: 4am – 11pm

NHU LAN BANH MI

Like Pho, Bahn Mi is found in every street corner, available in fancy food joints and street stalls anywhere in Ho Chi Minh City, and definitely here at Nhu Lan Bakery too.

While Banh Mi usually features pork paté, a variety of cooked meats, Vietnamese hams and sausages and more, you can also customise your own Bahn Mi from their wide variety of toppings here too!

50 Ham Nghi,
Ben Nghé, Quan 1,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Daily: 4am – 11pm

STREET FOOD – MULTI-COLOURED GLUTINOUS RICE

While strolling through Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll inevitably come across a street cart or two selling gorgeous colourful glutinous rice desserts topped with coconut cream and desiccated coconuts, making for that perfect Instagram shot.

We do recommend asking locals for the best recommendations and asking for the price before ordering though.

STREET FOOD – RICE PAPER CRISPY PANCAKE

Known as Banh Trang Nuong, it’s a type of rice cracker more commonly found in Ho Chi Minh City. A rice paper sheet is toasted over a charcoal fire to a nice crisp before being topped up with ingredients such as diced vegetables, cream cheese, quail eggs, minced meat and a variety of sauces.

If you see a stall like this around Ho Chi Minh City, do not hesitate!

PHO HA

Having been around for the past 20 years, these folks know how to serve up a proper bowl of pho, so skip your McDonald’s and head over to Pho Ha for a delicious late-night bite instead.

Meaty and straightforward yet brimming with heady notes of spices, there really is no questioning why the locals here can have this every single day.

19 Hai Trieu, District 1,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Daily: 4pm – 2am

PHO HAI TRIEU

Specialising in an assortment of chicken dishes, pho and hearty soups, this humble eatery may not seem like much at first, but it really does impress with its wide array of menu offerings. Also great if you’re in a hurry—because service here is lightning quick while packing a substantial arsenal of yummy delights with their chicken dishes standing out the most.

Ben Nghe, District 1,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

PHO PHUONG 25

For a truly authentic and out-of-this-world beef pho experience when in Ho Chi Minh City, you really have to drop by Pho Phuong 25.

Besides offering tasty bowls of pho, they feature both indoor and open-air seating, you could easily bask in the aroma of simmering beef broth and freshly plucked herbs surrounding the entire eatery.

25 Hoàng Sa, District 1,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tue to Sun: 5.30am – 9pm
Mon: 5.30am – 1pm

PHUC LONG COFFEE & TEA

Essentially the Starbucks of Vietnam, this Vietnamese-born chain is best known for their tea and their iced teas are a big hit with many people of all ages, and although it might resemble the look and feel of a commercial coffee and tea chain, it was far from it.

It’s the perfect place to pop by and grab a quick iced coffee or tea and go about the rest of your day in the city.

29 Ngo Duc Ke Q 1
Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam (
Multiple outlets located within District 1)

THE RUNNING BEAN

If you’re planning to take a short break before embarking on more adventures in HCMC, take a break at The Running Bean and lounge in one of their comfortable seats inside or al fresco. This gorgeous cafe boasts a boho-theme, similar to the ones you’d typically expect to find in Bali.

They serve up ice cold smoothie bowls that are nothing short of perfect to cleanse and detoxify all the Vietnamese coffee and street food you’ve probably had by now.

115 Ho Tung Mau Dist.1,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Daily: 8am – 10.30pm

For more recommendations, read our Ho Chi Minh City’s guides to discover the best places to visit in the city.

Whenever we talk about Vietnamese food, the first thing that comes to mind is a cuisine that boasts complex heady aromas of fresh herbs and robust flavours that pack a punch yet remain light on the palate.

An amalgamation of fresh and exotic flavours hailing from various regions of Vietnam, newly-established Paper Rice aims to give diners nothing short of the real taste of Vietnam. This new concept by Arteastiq Group—you may know them for their stellar range of brewed teas and art jam spaces—sees a collaboration of colossal proportions, tying in the skillsets of Arteastiq’s award-winning Executive Chef Yip and Vietnamese-born Chef Minh.

Officially opening its doors at Changi City Point on 30 November 2018, Paper Rice takes diners through Vietnam’s rich gastronomic history encompassing the cuisine’s signature clean, exotic and robust flavours. Think nostalgic classics such as the hearty pho, smoky street-style grill and Vietnamese drip coffee, as well as other traditional and uncommon Vietnamese delights.

As part of their launch, you get to enjoy Saigon Export beers at just S$2 and 50% off Kirin beers with any purchase of food from 30 November to 31 December 2018. The best part? That’s probably the least exciting promotion the restaurant has in store. Make sure to read till the end of this article for more details.

STARTERS

Offering a pretty decent selection of starter dishes, these are what we advise you to start with to give you a more restrained introduction to the courses to come.

Vietnamese spring rolls are a must and on their menu, they have more than just the conventional spring rolls available. Feeling undecided? Consider their Spring Rolls Platter. heFeaturing 4 different kinds of spring rolls, the platter comes with two dipping sauces accompanied by rice noodles and greens.

PHO

A quintessential Vietnamese dish, the pho provides hot and meaty comfort in a nutritious bone broth.

At Paper Rice, you can choose from 5 different variations of pho originating from different parts of Vietnam. Apart from meat toppings such as beef, chicken, and pork, Paper Rice also offers a vegetarian option. Regardless of which you choose, each bowl of pho boasts silky rice noodles soaked in a flavourful broth which has been simmered overnight. Served with a heaping plate of crunchy leafy greens and various aromatic herbs, these aromatic bowls of comfort are certain to lift your senses.

RICE VERMICELLI

Rice vermicelli are essentially served dry, keeping the ingredients from becoming sodden. In the mouth, what you get is an ingenious combination of flavours accentuated by a vibrant dressing and exciting textures of beef slices, crunchy peanuts, bean sprouts and fresh herbs.

To bind it all together, stir in a tablespoon or two of fish sauce. One particular offering that we’re stoked to try is their Fresh Rice Vermicelli With Grilled Chicken.

BANH MI

On our recent visit to Ho Chi Minh City, we tried multiple delicious variations of this Vietnamese staple – the Banh Minh, and was thrilled to see this Vietnamese street food featured in Paper Rice’s menu.

Banh mi—which literally translates to bread—is made up of a toasted baguette stuffed with grilled meat and pickled vegetables. At Paper Rice, two classic Banh Mi is featured—the Grilled Pork Banh Mi and the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi.

MEKONG SPECIAL

The restaurant’s ‘Mekong Special’ features a selection of specialty dishes hailing from the Mekong region of Vietnam which has been known for its more pronounced flavour profiles and unique ingredients.

The Deep Fried Seabass with Spicy Lemongrass Peanut Sauce and Signature Hand Pulled Chicken are among the many unique Mekong dishes that grace this section of the menu. A special curation, the dishes here aim to bring nothing but sheer authenticity from pasture to plate.

EGG COFFEE & VIETNAMESE-STYLE HIGH TEA

To round out the entire experience, be sure to order up a cup of hot Vietnamese Egg Coffee. Every sip rewards the tongue with a frothy, creamy foam that provides a subtle sweetness as well as a gentle nuance of egg, all working well to complement the intensely flavoured dark coffee.

An all-day dining destination, Paper Rice also offers Singapore’s first Vietnamese-style high tea set ($32++ for 2) featuring colourful traditional snacks, desserts and pastries served alongside your choice of Vietnamese coffee or Arteastiq’s signature teas.

As part of their opening promotion, diners get to enjoy authentic Vietnamese coffee at just S$1 (with purchase of any food items) from 2pm to 5pm on Mondays to Fridays until 31 December 2018.

GIVEAWAY OF A LIFETIME

In need of a getaway? Visit Paper Rice any time between 30 November 2018 to 31 Jan 2019, share about your dining experience on either Instagram or Facebook as well as post a review on Google or Tripadvisor and you just might stand a chance to win a free 3D2N trip to Danang, Vietnam.

If lounging on pristine beaches and visiting the Instagrammable Da Nang Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills sounds like the perfect vacation for you, be sure to make a trip down on their opening day (30 November 2018) to stand a 10x chance of winning this prize!

Paper Rice
Changi City Point #B1-26/27
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
Singapore 138617
Tel: +65 6443 1261
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest MRT Station: Expo

This post was brought to you by Paper Rice. 

When visiting Ho Chi Minh City, no one ever leaves without paying the acclaimed Lunch Lady a visit. This internationally-renowned street food stall—located just a few steps away from popular pho joint, Pho Phuong 25—is famous for their down-to-Earth, rustic charm and menu that rotates daily.

The stall made its mark less than a decade ago after the late, great Anthony Bourdain visited them as part of his food programme, No Reservations. Until today, Lunch Lady is still highly patronised by locals, tourists, as well as food bloggers from around the world—like us.

The humble stall is owned and run by Ms Nguyen Thi Thanh, also known as the Lunch Lady. An international street food icon, her modest stall in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 is packed daily and for good reason–her food is truly out of this world. Period.

The moment you get yourself seated down, you are welcomed with an abundance of side dishes from deep-fried prawn fritters to an assortment of traditional Vietnamese spring rolls. Feeling rather stuffed, and with our stomach’s set on trying Ms Nguyen’s ever-popular Thursday Noodles, we decided to give the sides a miss.

For those of you pining for a taste of legit Vietnamese spring rolls, you’ll be happy to know that the snack is available here too. Having it alone won’t leave much of an impression, but accompanying it is a special dip that you simply must try.

A beautiful harmony of sweet, savoury and umami notes with an assertive characteristic of dried shrimp and roasted peanuts, the sauce really does elevate the taste of the spring roll, allowing the fresh herbaceous qualities from the basil to really shine through.

Lunch Lady specialises in serving noodle dishes with a different variant on the menu every day. We got ourselves what she calls, the Thursday Noodles (50,000 VND), and what it is is basically noodle soup dish with generous amounts of roasted pork belly, sliced pork, large prawns, fish cake, morning glory (kang kong) as well as cuttlefish.

The ingredients were fresh and for what the dish was worth, we were utterly shocked by how generous she was with her ingredients, but more so by how incredibly tasty the entire dish was from the rich broth to its individual components.

The broth was a hearty mix of deep, meaty flavours with a hint of savoury seafood, perfectly melded together to form a concentrated yet deeply satisfying combination of flavours. Despite it being so simple, the manipulation of skill and passion really showed, and every spoonful of the flavourful broth propelled our tastebuds into gastronomic nirvana.

Lunch Lady
23 Hoang Sa Street
Phuong Da Kao, District 1 (Quan 1)
Tel: +84 93 388 79 22
Daily: 9am – 3pm

For more recommendations, read our Ho Chi Minh City’s guides to discover the best places to visit in the city.

Vietnamese fare has always been a mainstay in Singapore’s food scene with NamNam being a common choice. But there is so much more to Viet cuisine than just beef pho.

Recently, the Vietnamese food trend has picked up with many new passionate individuals opening eateries that bring the very best of the country’s cuisine to Singapore. From authentic street-style charcoal barbecue, seafood and of course, our beloved pho prepared several other ways other than in a beef broth, the options that we have here are pretty substantial.

Whether it’s a proper, comforting bowl of pho you crave or something with a little more attitude, here are the best Vietnamese restaurants in Singapore worth visiting.

Photo Credit: Fat Saigon Boy

FAT SAIGON BOY

Skewering away from the traditional and the authentic is Fat Saigon Boy, a restaurant in Telok Ayer that fuses together the sheer rustic nature of Aussie cuisine to good old Vietnamese street food, delighting guests with a myriad of quirky creations that are anything but mundane.

From hefty mains to small plates, the options are pretty extensive. Here, anything goes, meaning you can settle for a hearty bowl of pho or go to the extreme with their Viet Veg Frittata or Soft Shell Crab Sliders—your choice.

51 Telok Ayer Street #01-02,
Singapore 048441
Tel: +65 6221 6784
(Closed on Saturdays & Sundays)
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 9pm
Nearest Station: Telok Ayer

Photo Credit: Lang Nuong Vietnam

LÀNG NUÖNG VIETNAM

Every culture has their own version of barbecue and frankly we love them all, but perhaps one of the more underrated ones is Vietnamese barbecue. Bringing traditional Vietnamese barbecue and the first of its kind to Singapore is Làng Nuöng Vietnam.

Serving up authentic Vietnamese street-style charcoal barbecue, this humble restaurant will give you a Viet experience like no other—from its lively ambience to the Vietnamese marinades that go onto their various meat options.

Mileslife is our favourite app to accumulate miles through everyday spending. You can earn miles for every dollar spent at this restaurant. Download and try Mileslife out now! You can use our code ‘Ladyironchef‘ upon your first spending to get 1,000 miles.

18 Foch Road
Singapore 209260
Tel: +65 9235 3548
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 2am
Nearest Station: Bendemeer

Photo Credit: Little Vietnam Restaurant & Cafe

LITTLE VIETNAM

Nestled within Grandlink Square, a shopping centre easily overlooked by the common eye, lies Little Vietnam.

This Vietnamese joint serves up an eclectic array of Vietnamese home cooking so you can expect the likes of traditional Vietnamese spring rolls, salads as well as deep-fried quail, cockles served with various sauces and not forgetting, the iconic chicken and beef pho.

511 Guillemard Road,
#01-25, Grandlink Square
Singapore 399849
Tel: +65 6547 8587
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar

Photo credit: Long Phung

LONG PHUNG

In Vietnam, seafood and beer make up a huge part of the nation’s culinary scene and it can be seen literally everywhere along the streets of Saigon. If you find yourself yearning for seafood and authentic Vietnamese fare at the same time, Long Phung is a good choice.

From cockles, gong gong to clams, the eatery has it all, and the best part is that most of their offerings are designed to be paired with beer—meaning that you can probably expect a fiery kick to come with each bite.

159 Joo Chiat Road,
Singapore 427436
Tel: +65 6440 6959
Daily: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Eunos

Photo credit: Mrs Pho

MRS PHO

Located along a row of shophouses along Beach Road is humble Vietnamese eatery, Mrs Pho. This is where you can expect the usual staples from spring rolls, pho and the likes but what sets them apart is their cockles.

Their cockles are tossed in a mixture of garlic, chilli and lard (yes, lard) and stir-fried to yummy perfection. Spicy, garlicky and everything you could ever want in a shellfish dish, this alone is worth making a trip down for.

Mileslife is our favourite app to accumulate miles through everyday spending. You can earn miles for every dollar spent at this restaurant. Download and try Mileslife out now! You can use our code ‘Ladyironchef‘ upon your first spending to get 1,000 miles.

349 Beach Road
Singapore 199570
Tel: +65 6292 0018
Sun to Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

Photo Credit: Cô Hai Bánh Mì

CÔ HAI BÁNH MÌ

While the speciality here at Cô Hai is obviously their banh mi, we must admit that their other dishes are stellar as well. One notable one to try is the mammoth, everything-in-one, Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Pork, Minced Pork and Spring Roll.

The pork itself is well marinated and boasts a smoky flavour and the crispy spring roll provides a nice textural contrast to the chewy noodles and crunchy vegetables. If you’re yearning for a comforting pho, theirs is pretty spot on as well.

359 Beach Road
Singapore 199575
Tel: +65 6291 6435
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Nicoll Highway

NAMNAM NOODLE BAR

We are sure NamNam Noodle Bar needs no further introduction—the successful Vietnamese restaurant chain is almost always at the top of our minds whenever someone mentions ‘beef pho’. You can always expect their beef broth—which has been boiled for over 24 hours—to be splendid.

If you are not there for their signature Hanoi Pho, there are also other traditional Vietnamese delights such as Banh Mi, noodle recipes from Southern and Central Vietnam, and small plates.

252 North Bridge Road
#B1-46/47, Raffles City Shopping Centre
Singapore 179103
Tel: +65 6336 0500
Daily: 8am – 10pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

Photo Credit: Nico Nguyen

PHO 99 VIETNAMESE DELIGHT

Quite possibly one of the closest you can get to dining in the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh without having to fly there, Pho 99 Vietnamese Delight promises authenticity and good-old Vietnamese comfort food like no other.

Hidden among the many shophouses nestled along the happening food enclave of Amoy Street, this humble eatery draws in a pretty massive lunch crowd, many of which patronise the place for their delicious pho. Served piping hot and brimming with deep beefy flavours, we can see why people love it.

57/58 Amoy Street,
Singapore 069883
Tel: +65 6410 9600
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Fri: 10am – 9pm
Sat: 10am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Telok Ayer

PHO STOP

Tanjong Pagar may sport a slew of bars, fancy restaurants and hipster cafes but Vietnamese food is probably not something you would think to find there—until you’ve visited Pho Stop.

This is one restaurant that does not skimp and we’re talking about everything from the size of their noodle portions, meat to the fresh herbs that they serve on the side. But generosity aside, their cooking is on a totally different level altogether. The broth of their beef pho is light yet robust in flavour and stands up well on its own despite being so clear in appearance.

6A Shenton Way #02-28,
Downtown Gallery,
Singapore 068815
Tel: +65 9695 6885
(Closed on Tuesdays & Sundays)
Mon, Wed to Fri: 11.30am – 9pm
Sat: 11.30am – 8pm
Nearest Station: Tanjong Pagar / Downtown

Photo Credit: Saigon Alley

SAIGON ALLEY

If you ever wanted to get properly acquainted with real-deal Vietnamese street food, then Saigon Alley at Novena Gardens is definitely a place to visit. From their home-made salads, spring rolls to their various other dishes, they will have you falling in love with the cuisine entirely.

We highly recommend their Spicy Australian Beef Noodles as well as the Northern Vietnamese Beef Salad—both feature a generous serving of tender beef plus a unique, flavoursome kick that not many other commercial Vietnamese dishes possess.

273 Thomson Road, #01-05/06,
Novena Gardens
Singapore 307645
Tel: +65 6265 7662
Daily: 12pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Novena

BÁNH MÌ 888