After a full day of eating Pho and Bahn Mi, we were feeling guilty after gorging ourselves with that much delicious and hearty street food, so we knew we had to cleanse ourselves with something a little healthier. Just a stone’s throw away from Ho Chi Minh City’s very own “Stark Tower”, the Bitexco Financial Tower, sits one of the trendiest and most modern-looking cafés in District 1, The Running Bean.

We were first drawn to the chic architecture of the single-story building, reminiscent of South Korean-style cafés with geometric patterns lining the exterior of the building. The Running Bean is popular amongst a younger demographic and the entire compound is filled with Instagram-worthy backdrops for you to snap the perfect “OOTD”.

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.

After trying out a bunch of really great Vietnamese coffee, we had to take a break from the caffeine for fear of a sleepless night. Hence, we went for the Smoothie Bowls, something we were very much intrigued by on their menu.

It comes in 3 variations—Dragon Fruit (95,000VND | S$5.60), Mango and Green (90,000VND each | S$5.30).

We were surprised by the huge and generous portions but we were immediately sold on one thing—the vivid colours! We went right for the Dragon Fruit and Green Smoothie Bowls and they were both a hit.

The Green is a blend of banana, avocado spinach and almonds. It reminded us of regular green smoothies but elevated. The bowl is topped off with even more bananas, almond flakes, raspberries and chia seeds. If we were feeling anything but healthy before, the thought was certainly long gone. We especially liked the rich texture of this smoothie bowl from the bananas and avocados blended in.

The Dragon Fruit smoothie bowl is vivid purple and topped with strawberries, chia seeds, walnuts and honey. The actual smoothie was sweet and slightly tart but we love the chunks of fruit still unblended in the smoothie bowls to give it a nice bite.

Refreshing and extremely pleasant, it was a good palate cleanser before we went on to more street food!

If you’re an avid café hopper visiting Ho Chi Minh City, you must add The Running Bean onto your list!

The Running Bean
115 Ho Tung Mau
Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: +84 28 3915 0055
Daily: 8am – 10.30pm

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

Just a stone’s throw away from the hotel we were staying at in Ho Chi Minh City, sits cosy little pho joint, Mama Pho Restaurant. The seemingly cafe-style establishment serves up pho as well as other local delights but how it differs from those you get from the streets is a massive variety of pho types, as well as sides.

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 here’s why we think that Mama Pho is worth a visit regardless.

Stepping into the cosy little joint, you’ll be greeted by gorgeous floor tiles and comfortable seating. The wait staff was attentive and their strong air-conditioning really relaxed us after a long day of walking in the heat.

We went right for the unique Pho Sate Bo (78,000 VND, S$4.61) which is essentially beef pho but served in a rich peanut-based broth instead.

The pho broth was incredibly unique and we liked that it wasn’t overly rich, complementing the springy rice noodles and tender beef slices to perfection. After trying so many bowls of pho, we were glad to dig into something a little different.

We were torn between the Wok-Fried Pho and Crispy Pan-Fried Pho but we settled for the latter.

The Pho Ap Chau Tom & Rau Cu (Sautéed Shrimp & Vegetables over Crispy Pan-Fried Pho, 78,000 VND, SS$4.61) was, unfortunately, a little too tough to bite through.

For a light nibble before your meal, order up the Cahn Ga Chien Sa Nghe (Fried Lemongrass & Turmeric Chicken, 48,000VND, S$2.84). This deep-fried chicken wing delight comes served with a sweet chilli sauce on the side but truly, it stood up well on its own.

The chicken wings were marinated well and who can dislike the combination of turmeric and chicken, fried to golden perfection?

There were a few hits and misses during our visit but despite that, Mama Pho certainly deserves praise for their unique pho creations. Which one will you be trying?

Mama Pho Restaurant
111, Hem so 9, Ben Nghé
Quan 1, Ho Chí Minh, Vietnam
Daily: 8am – 10pm
Tel: +84 28 3915 1009

Phuc Long Coffee & Tea is essentially the Starbucks of Vietnam, with outlets sprawling all over Ho Chi Minh City at literally every corner.

This Vietnamese-born chain is best known for their tea and their iced teas are a big hit with many people of all ages. The outlet we visited was rather spacious and it took up 3 levels of a stretch of shophouses, and although it might resemble the look and feel of a commercial coffee and tea chain, it was far from it.

Here’s what’s actually worth ordering at Phuc Long Coffee & Tea.

We went for a Cappuccino Blast (49,000VND, S$2.89) and a Vitamin C Relaxing Fruit Smoothie (49,000VND, S$2.89) as we were craving for something refreshing.

The former was a quick kick and we instantly felt a lot more awake after a few sips. The caffeine content was pretty high but the strong roasted taste was actually really pleasant.

The latter was a nice refreshing and healthy drink that made for a good pick-me-up after our heavy pho lunch but it was nothing to shout about. Stick to their coffee and tea and you’re set.

We also picked up a croissant that we saw in their glass display but it was disappointing. We like our croissants buttery and flaky but this was the complete opposite of that.

A word of advice is to just stick to their drinks and skip the food. Just pop by and grab a quick iced coffee or tea and go about the rest of your day in the city.

Phuc Long Coffee & Tea
29 Ngo Duc Ke Q 1
Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam
Tel: +84 1800 6779

(Multiple outlets located within District 1)

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

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L’amant Café impresses with both their 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.

Upon stepping into L’amant Café, you will be amazed by the huge and spacious interior and the massive range of instant coffee in their retail section. From the food, the coffee and even the service, here is what we loved about L’amant Café in Ho Chi Minh City.

Craving a taste of Vietnamese coffee (after so long), we went right for the most unique item on their coffee menu—L’amant Egg Café (65,000VND, S$3.82).

Floating above strong, black Vietnamese coffee is a sweet egg custard. The frothy custardy layer was sweet, eggy and creamy and it complemented the bitter coffee exceptionally well. Having egg in coffee was something that we had never tried before and we were pleasantly surprised.

The café doesn’t have many food items on their menu since they specialise in coffee, but we went for a breakfast item that seemed (to us) like a deconstructed banh mi sandwich

Costing us 90,000VND (S$5.30), this platter consisting of fried eggs, Vietnamese pork sausages, hams, luncheon meat, cilantro and pickled vegetables arrived at our table on a sizzling hot griddle. It is then accompanied by (you guessed it) a baguette.

The dish was tasty and made for a pretty decent breakfast (and picture), but it was truly nothing exciting. We could have easily gotten a version that boasted similar flavour profiles on the streets for a fraction of the price.

It certainly is a must to pop in for a nice warm cuppa before continuing on the rest of your trip in Ho Chi Minh City, or some cafe food too if you fancy it.

L’amant Café
12 Nguyên Huê, Ben Nghé
Ho Chí Minh, Vietnam
Tel: +84 28 3827 7978
Sun to Mon: 7.30am – 11pm
Sat: 7.30am – 10.30pm

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

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City, we found a cosy little wine bar in the heart of District 1—BRIX Winebar Kitchen. This cosy little bar stood out amongst the other bars in the vicinity with its sleek design and modern furniture—and considerably less dodgy appeal.

BRIX also 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.

If you’re looking for a nice and comfortable retreat in Ho Chi Minh City, you will fall in love with BRIX Winebar Kitchen.

Before we even saw the wine list, we were sold by their impressive range of cheeses and cold cuts. You can have them in 2 sizes—Platter of 3 (270,000VND, S$15.80) or Platter of 6 (540,000VND, S$31.71).

Their cold cuts selection include Honey Glazed Ham, German Beer Sausage, Parma Ham, Salami Milano and so much more. We decided on the Salami Milano.

Their cheese selection is even more impressive. Their range features cheeses such as Gruyère, Camembert, Gorgonzola and Pecorino.

The platter has a very generous serving of each cheese and cold cut we chose and it went exceptionally well with their house white wine.

Their House bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (560,000VND, S$32.90) was smooth and crisp and the wine tasted even better when enjoyed together with the salty, creamy nuggets of cheese.

If you’re looking for a bar with great vibes and wines, look no further than to BRIX Winebar Kitchen.

BRIX Winebar Kitchen
42 Pasteur Street
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh 700000, Vietnam
Tel: +84 8 3825 6300
Mon to Sat: 11am – 12am
Sun: 1pm – 12am
Website: brixsaigon.com

Visiting night markets in any country is one of the best things to do to truly soak up a country’s culture, largely due to the amount of local street food, people and shops present. In Saigon, the popular Phan Boi Chau Night Market is a hit among tourists.

In the day, Ben Thanh Market is bustling with locals and tourists buying fresh produce and knick-knacks. When night falls, the area surrounding Ben Thanh Market comes to life and the Phan Boi Chau Night Market emerges. In District 1, Phan Boi Chau Night Market is the most populated night market as they open daily from 7pm.

When we arrived, we were slightly disappointed by the size and crowd of the night market. However, that didn’t stop us from exploring it in its entirety. Should you visit the Phan Boi Chau Night Market? Let’s break it down for you.

PRODUCE AND PRODUCTS

There were a number of stalls around the market offering Vietnamese products, produce and snacks in the night market. However, we did realise that they were priced slightly higher than the exact same ones we saw in the day at another street stall.

While the price difference wasn’t a huge issue for us as it was not significant, we were thoroughly underwhelmed by the variety of items sold at the stalls.

Tip: Check the prices of the items you want in the day before purchasing anything here. It’s harder to bargain for snacks and produce compared to fashion items such as bags, clothing and accessories.

FOOD & DRINKS

There were roughly only 2 to 3 stalls here that offer full sit-down meals and dishes. The majority of the stalls offer seafood and a number of standard Vietnamese dishes priced higher than regular street stalls.

Tip: Ask for the prices before ordering anything as most of the seafood items do not have a specific price on the menu and you might be conned into paying way more than what it’s worth.

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

If you compare the retail stalls at other night markets to Phan Boi Chau Night Market, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Most stalls offer only touristy t-shirts and every single bag stall here sells the exact same thing. There are a ton of fake luxury goods here, from branded bags to even sneakers.

Tip: You can bargain easily, especially if you purchase more than one item, as long as you don’t quote too ridiculous a price to annoy the stall owners.

VERDICT: HIT OR MISS?

Phan Boi Chau Night Market was just immensely underwhelming for us and it lacked the fun and exciting atmosphere of most of the markets we’ve visited in Asia. Many of the shops sell similar items and there really isn’t much variety with regards to street snacks and apparel.

Phan Boi Chau Night Market
32-30, 36-34-32-30 Phan Boi Châu
Phuoung Ben Thành, Quan 1
Ho Chí Minh, Vietnam
Daily: 7pm – 11.30pm

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

The bustling and vibrant city of Ho Chi Minh City is the busiest and most populated area in the whole of Vietnam. Named after the late leader of Vietnam, people flock to this colourful city for its friendly people, incredible street food and rich history. For foodies like ourselves, our quest for the best food in Ho Chi Minh City started from the streets.

It is in the streets that you find the best of their street food with the most authentic flavours. Everywhere you stroll in Ho Chi Minh City, you will see a variety of road-side vendors dishing out tasty street food and passing them on to busy motorists or see groups of people sitting on tiny plastic stools enjoying their street food by the sidewalk.

We’ve tasted some of the best street food in Ho Chi Minh City but in our adventures, we also stumbled upon pretty disappointing ones. Here’s our Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Guide to help you find the best street food.

THE CLASSIC PHO BÒ (BEEF NOODLE SOUP)

When you think of Vietnamese food, most people will have pho on their minds. It is the country’s national dish after all.

You can find Pho in just about every street corner in Vietnam. The most common Pho is Pho Bo, or Beef Pho but you can easily find other variations such as Pho Ga (Chicken Pho). While we tried our best to find the best Pho Bo in random alleyways and street corners, our favourite Pho was still the one at Pho Phuong 25, a pho joint just beside the famous Lunch Lady.

Besides the tender cuts of beef and generous portions of other beef parts such as tendon and beef balls, the broth of their pho bo is just sensational. The slightly darker clear broth brimmed with flavour and each mouthful bore an intense meaty quality. Your trip to Ho Chi Minh City will not be complete without a trip here.

Our favourite Pho in Ho Chi Minh City:
Pho Phuong 25
25 Hoàng Sa Da Kao, Quan 1, Ho Chí Minh, Vietnam

Verdict: #1 must-try street food Ho Chi Minh City.

BÁNH MÌ (VIETNAMESE SANDWICH)

Whenever you need a quick and satisfying bite on the go in Vietnam, people go right for a Bahn Mi, a Vietnamese baguette sandwich popular all over the world. Like Pho, Bahn Mi is found is every street corner, available in fancy food joints and street stalls any where in Ho Chi Minh City.

Bahn Mi usually features a baguette sandwich with pork paté, a variety of cooked meats, Vietnamese hams and sausages, pickled vegetables, chilli, coriander and more. You can also customise your own Bahn Mi in most places. While we thoroughly enjoyed the Bahn Mis we had in Ho Chi Minh City, nothing really stood out for us.

Verdict: Worth a try just for the experience. .

BÁNH TRÁNG NUONG (RICE PANCAKE)

While strolling around in the city, we passed by a couple of road-side stalls offering the Bánh Tráng Nuong. It is a type of rice cracker more commonly found in Ho Chi Minh City (in Southern Vietnam). 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.

For just about S$1, this pancake was one of the highlights of our trip. Each bite was an explosion of savoury, umami flavours and each bite came with a pleasant crunch. If you see a stall like this around Ho Chi Minh City, do not hesitate!

Verdict: Extremely satisfying, a must to try if you see it around.

COLOURFUL GLUTINOUS RICE

When strolling around the Phan Boi Chau Night Market, we were privy to a street cart offering gorgeous colourful glutinous rice desserts topped with coconut cream and desiccated coconut. We quickly ordered up a serving without first asking for a price. We chose a mix of colours and the total came up to about S$9 for a pathetically small portion.

The sticky rice was hard and not cooked well and the coconut cream made the taste one dimensional. We quickly tossed the dessert away after a bite or two because it was that bad. These street carts hang around the night market and serve tourists exclusively to trick them into buying a portion. You have been warned!

Verdict: Do not try unless you’re recommended by a local. Check the prices beforehand.

VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS

You can find Goi Cuon or Vietnamese Spring Rolls every where in Vietnam. In Ho Chi Minh City, you can find street vendors offering them and restaurants serving them as a start or side. On our trip to Ho Chi Minh City, we realised that many locals enjoy this dish as a full-fledged meal. They would gobble up 4 to 6 of these rolls before going about the rest of their day.

We are huge fans of Vietnamese Spring Rolls and each refreshing bite really whets our appetites for more food. Each roll features rice wrappers stuffed with shrimp, Thai basil, mint leaves, coriander, lettuce and more. Dip it in some hoisin sauce and you’re good to go.

Verdict: Must-try street food, easy to consume and great for any time of the day.

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

To only have a single bowl of pho during a vacation to Vietnam is a downright atrocity. The popular street food is the core staple of Vietnamese cuisine and is literally what going to Vietnam’s all about—for us anyway.

Stumbling upon a rather unassuming eatery by the street going by the name Pho Hai Trieu, we were lured in by the bold aromas of simmering meat broth and freshly stir-fried delights, as well as a team of friendly wait staff who were eager to sit us down.

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—especially their chicken dishes.

While pho was the main item on our agenda, we were intrigued by the sheer number of dishes available in this small eatery. From an assortment of chicken dishes, comforting soups that include anything and everything, to a wide array of noodle dishes, they have it all.

Seeing as to how literally every table was having chicken, we decided to give their chicken a go too. Ordering a bowl of their Pho Ga (55,000 VND) did not disappoint as it came with a generous portion of tender shredded chicken meat, sliced onions and an insanely huge serving of rice noodles.

The broth was heavenly, to say the least, with every mouthful delivering so much more than just a deep, comforting chicken flavour. There was a subtle sweetness in the broth that complemented the overall savouriness of the dish as well as a thin yet crucial layer of chicken fat that provided an additional layer of hearty chicken flavour.

The Pho Tai (55,000 VND), essentially a bowl of beef pho featuring rare steak, was a tad underwhelming—only because of the fact that we already had our minds blown from the beef pho at Pho Phuong.

Nonetheless, the broth and everything else in it was pretty solid. Our only gripe was that the beef could have been slightly rarer so as to give it a better texture.

Great if you’re in a hurry—because service here is lightning quick—, Pho Hai Trieu may not be the best place for pho if that’s your main goal, but it sure does pack a substantial arsenal of yummy delights with their chicken dishes standing out the most.

Pho Hai Trieu
Ben Nghe, District 1,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: +84 98 984 62 18

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