If you're in Saigon for a short amount of time and want to do a self-guided tour of some of the best local food, then follow this guide to my food/drink highlights of Ho Chi Minh City.
Note that most (if not all) of my favourite places to eat are very local places, so don't expect western-style dining experiences. TripAdvisor is full of pleasant restaurants with great ratings but boring westernised recipes and inflated prices - every time I give one a chance, I regret it.
You can open this list in Google Maps by clicking here.
Bún Thịt Nướng @ Chị Tuyền & Kiều Bảo
My favourite Vietnamese dish!
Chị Tuyền is my favourite, even though their version is slightly different from the standard bún thịt nướng. Ask for a bowl with everything (“tô đầy đủ”) and an iced tea (“trà đá”). Here's a video of them preparing a bowl for me.
Kiều Bảo is in a handy location in District 1, not far from Chị Tuyền. They have a classic bún thịt nướng that's cheap and tourist-friendly. If you're keen, go to both Kiều Bảo and Chị Tuyền so you can try both styles. Make sure you get one with everything ("tô đầy đủ": grilled pork, nem sausage and spring roll) at least to start and then when you go back you can personalise your order (mine is 2 nem and 2 spring rolls). Hoàng Văn does a better version of the classic bún thịt nướng but it's far from District 1 and can be a bit inconsistent.
For more detail on each place and the dish in general, read my write-up of Bún Thịt Nướng in Saigon.
Bánh mì @ Hồng Hoa
The classic bánh mì has various cold cuts, pâté (essential), Vietnamese mayo and various salad bits. However, there are other common versions worth trying too. I recommend starting with the classic and then experimenting to see what suits your tastes best. Most places will be more than happy to make you a fully customised sandwich.
Hồng Hoa makes a fantastic example of a classic "mixed meat" bánh mì using bread they've baked themselves. The meatball bánh mì at Hồng Hoa is also delicious but I highly recommend starting with the classic version which is on their menu as "bread with extra mixed meats" / "bánh mì thịt nguội thập cẩm". Here's a video I made of them preparing a bánh mì thịt nguội thập cẩm.
Huỳnh Hoa is packed with meat and customers. It used to be my go-to banh mi but I'm not so keen now as I think they use too much cold meat so the balance is off for my tastes.
Phở @ Phở Thìn
Phở is Vietnam's most famous dish and I'm sure you've had it plenty of times before. I prefer the northern style, which you can find at Phở Thìn with a delicious broth and is the best I've found in the area. Phở Lệ is also great and Phở Hùng has lots of locations around Saigon with a huge menu.
Bánh mì ốp la @ Hoà Mã
Bánh mì ốp la is one of the only things to tempt me out of bed early in the morning! A perfect breakfast of meat, eggs and bread to go with your coffee and tea. Make sure you order the extra paté.
Bò Né & Chén Bò @ Bò Né 3 Ngon
Bò né is a wonderful Vietnamese dish which is weirdly overlooked by foreigners. It's always served on the same cow-shaped metal plate and arrives still sizzling. This bustling road-side restaurant (for want of a better word) serves a pretty good version (I get the beef + egg + paté) but their Chén Bò is also a winner. Order both and be in beef heaven. Their bread lets them down a bit though, unfortunately.
Vietnamese Coffee (Cà Phê) & Iced Jasmine Tea (Trà Đá)
Possibly my favourite coffee in the world. Pretty much every street has multiple places to get delicious coffee. Try to get one with the traditional metal drip filter ("cà phê phin") for the complete Vietnamese experience. I personally always go for black and no sugar to really get the full strong/bitter coffee taste but it's also popular to have condensed (sweetened) milk which turns it in to an undeniably-delicious dessert drink. Trung Nguyên Legend and Phúc Long are popular (but relatively expensive) local chains if you want something a bit more like a Vietnamese Starbucks. The former has some interesting high-end versions of the traditional drip coffee. However, it's probably more rewarding to just find a tiny local café (such as Cafe Tabac) where a drip coffee should be around 15-20k.
As a bonus, almost all local coffee places will give you free iced tea with your coffee. They use a jasmine tea (or sometimes pandan tea, I think) and it never comes with sugar. It's probably my favourite type of iced tea in the world and is perfect for keeping hydrated in Saigon's heat. You'll also find it at every local restaurant for either free or incredibly cheap.
Beer
Bia Saigon, the cheap local beer (lager) is about 10,000d if you know where to look (or at least that was the case when I was drinking it) and around 20,000d in most places. Obviously if you drink at your hotel or on a fancy rooftop bar then you'll pay more. Bùi Viện street is the heart of Saigon's tourism and a lively (loud & stressful) place to drink beer at night.
There's a thriving craft beer scene in Saigon. Pasteur Street Brewing Company was the first big craft brewery in Vietnam and has a cute tap room that also serves food. Biacraft (the one in D3) serves 50 beers on tap from various breweries, most of which are Vietnamese, and it attracts a busy crowd including many locals.
Heart of Darkness Craft Brewery is newer than Pasteur Street but it's made a big name for itself with plenty of delicious beers and is probably my favourite for quality, but you pay the price.
East West is still (I think) the only one brewing in the city and their large bar/restaurant is impressive but their beers aren't the most interesting (although they have a happy hour 3-6pm).
And if you have time...
Tàu Hũ Đá @ a little stall near Ben Thanh market
In the evenings this little place serves a great little dessert of sweetened tofu with coconut milk, cubes of gelatinous rice and ice. I bet you're thinking it sounds disgusting but I think you'll love it! I've only ever seen Vietnamese people there and mostly a younger crowd. It's very close to Ben Thanh market (on the corner of Lê Thánh Tôn and Trương Định) and it's very cheap so give it a go. Thế Giới Tàu Hũ is another place for tàu hũ desserts but with a much bigger menu and longer (and more reliable) opening hours.
Fruit smoothies @ Five Boys
Right in the heart of the tourist area in a tiny lane off from Bùi Viện street is this little smoothie stall offering lots of options including some fruit that you might not have tried. I've never had a bad smoothie from them! Beware going at night as it means you have to suffer entering the madness of Bùi Viện.
Bánh Cuốn @ Quán Bánh Cuốn Hải Nam
If you can fit this in, it makes a great afternoon snack. Definitely expensive (for Vietnam) but worth it.
Ốc @ Mrs Truoc’s
There's not many Vietnamese experiences as local as eating ốc, especially in a group. Ốc is a collection of different snails and shellfish, each served in a different style. It lends itself perfectly to big groups where you can order loads of plates and try everything. It can be a bit daunting but it's worth it! This little place down a side alley is open in the mornings until early afternoon on weekdays and was featured on the Netflix show, "Street Food: Asia". Here's a short video of my visit.
"Waterfall" fried chicken @ Quán Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Su Su
Wonderful fried chicken, addictive sauce and ingenious cooking method, all rolled in to one experience! The last time I went, the place definitely needed some love and was a bit dirty but the chicken and sauce were still fantastic.
International options...
I highly recommend trying all of the best Vietnamese food, but if you're staying a bit longer and want a break, there are a few options which are great.
Pizza @ Pizza 4P's
Really delicious pizza, pasta and cheese (which they make themselves). The pizzas which have burrata on them are especially great. My favourite is the one with fresh leaves and tomato.
American BBQ @ Ụt Ụt
The same owners as BiaCraft, this is a lively place with an interesting menu of good quality American BBQ. The flavoured iced tea has free refills and you can ask for no sugar. The roasted drinking coconut is delicious.
Chocolate @ Maison Marou
French owners but everything is grown and made in Vietnam. Their chocolate bars are crazy expensive but their cashew brownie is incredible (60k).