Saigon Food: These are a few of my favourite things.
Saigon is a unique city in so many ways. It is by far the largest city in Vietnam, yet the capital is found 1000 Km away in the north. It sits firmly in Asia yet its Architecture is on many occasion French. The 3 million and more, motor bike riders in the city, hit the roads every day, yet somehow, the traffic moves better than many other cities. However, for me, the most unique thing about it, is the food and particularly the food on the streets. Steeped in centuries of Asian culture it does though firmly reflect the French colonists who ruled here up until 1945.
The Vietnamese national dish is Pho. This superbly aromatic beef noodle soup is everywhere. It is sold from street stalls, in shophouses and restaurants throughout the city, and indeed, the country. It originated in Hanoi but rapidly spread throughout the whole country. It has a fresh, clean taste and is served with vegetables, bean sprouts, chillies and lime. It is absolutely delicious and is very cheap. How they manage to get so much flavour into an almost clear broth amazes me.
The biggest French influence on food is probably the bakeries. One of the most prevalent dishes here is Banh Mi, which roughly means sandwich. These are a baguette style sandwich filled with various cold cuts, salad and delicious dressings. A personal favourite is Banh Mi Babecue, which is a kind of doner meat, filled baguette. It also contains, dried roasted onion, white radish, carrot and greens with a fabulous dressing and chilli sauce.
The bakeries also sell amazing fresh croissants every morning. Many advertise the times that they come out of the oven. There is nothing finer than arriving just as they come out, piping hot and fresh. Cafés sell them everywhere. The preponderance of superb coffee and fantastic croissants make having a European style breakfast, extremely easy. It seems odd sometimes to be seated in the midst of a thriving Asian metropolis, eating such a blatantly obvious continental breakfast. But this is Saigon.
Whilst I’m on the subject of baked food, I must give mention to Banh Tart Trung. These are delicious, small egg custard tarts. I have never tasted better anywhere. Vietnamese people love sweets and these are a real treat. There is a bakery on Hai Ba Trung, just over the road from the Park Hyatt hotel. Their’s are tiny and absolutely beautiful.
Good food is everywhere in Saigon. I have just mentioned a couple of famous dishes and some of my personal favourites. However, the quality of restaurants in the city, rivals anywhere in the world. From backstreet restaurants that are little more than a few plastic tables and chairs, to five star fine dining, the city offers everything.
Author Profile:
Keith Hancock is a singer/songwriter and writer based in Saigon, Vietnam. He has lived in Asia for more than 5 years and travels throughout the continent researching and writing. He owns and writes for Saigon Districts, an informative website about life in Vietnam’s largest city, aimed at the expat community. Keith is one of only two DIAMOND STATUS rated writers on Ezine articles in the whole of Indochina He has had work published in magazines and websites in the UK, Europe, USA, Australia and Asia. His great loves are music and travel, but he writes on a whole range of subjects.
