One big part of a fun adventure to a new culture is getting to try the local cuisine. Learn more about Vietnamese dishes with our list of best dishes and restaurants for local dining in Ho Chi Minh City.
Dishes for Local Dining in Ho Chi Minh
In a country with close-knitted family tradition, the family meal is a really important time for all members to gather and talk to one another. While lunchtime is not a really good time for this, dinner is the perfect time to meet with your family. Some will choose to cook at home with simple dishes like poached vegetables, claypot, and braised pork; some will choose to dine out.
Many now prefer new taste from other countries like Japan, Thai, and Europe, but restaurants for local dining in Ho Chi Minh City still welcome a large number of people who want to taste traditional Vietnamese foods like Pho, Bun (all kinds of vermicelli and noodles), and grilled dishes.
Check out more details in the best places to eat and drink or the list of best dishes and restaurants for local dining in Ho Chi Minh City below.
Streets for Local Dining in Ho Chi Minh
It is not an exaggeration to call Ho Chi Minh City the heaven of street foods. You can find eateries no matter where you go. The below are only some of the streets which gather the most vivid local dining in Ho Chi Minh City, but there are still many more that we cannot cover them all.
District 1
District 1 and 3 is home to luxury dining restaurants
The streets in the French Quarter in Ho Chi Minh City are mostly for luxurious and Western dinners in hotels and fancy restaurants. But if you step outside of this zone, you will find a lot of local dining in Ho Chi Minh City serving Vietnamese dishes.
| Streets | Cuisines |
| Dong Khoi Street, Le Loi Street, and Nguyen Hue Street | Japanese, Thai, and European cuisine |
| Bui Vien Street, Ben Thanh Night Market, Ben Thanh Street Foods Market, or Tan Dinh Market, and Co Giang Street | Vietnamese cuisine, beer, seafood, noodles (e.g. pho, bun thit nuong, and bun rieu), etc. |
District 3
For a cheaper and more local experience but still near Ho Chi Minh City’s center, you can visit District 3, the house of cheap eats and street foods.
| Streets | Cuisines |
| Vo Van Tan, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Nguyen Thuong Hien, Le Van Sy, Cao Thang, Nguyen Thien Thuat, and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai | Banh trang tron, Banh trang nuong, Bun cha, Banh cuon, Dumplings, Beefsteak, Hotpot, Hainanese chicken with rice, etc. |
District 5, District 10
Chinatown in Ho Chi Minh City boasts delicious Chinese cuisines
If you prefer Chinese or Vietnamese cuisine combined, you can head to Chinatown for local dining in Ho Chi Minh City.
| Streets | Cuisines |
| Ngo Quyen, Nguyen Van Cu, Nguyen Tri Phuong, Ba Hat, Cach Mang Thang 8, Thanh Thai, and To Hien Thanh | Hu tieu (clear noodles), dumplings, Mi hoanh thanh, BBQ, Banh cuon, etc. |
District 4, Binh Thanh District
This is another heaven of cheap eats for the locals and students.
| Streets | Cuisines |
| Xom Chieu, Doan Van Bo, and Dinh Tien Hoang | Offal stew, Balut, Seafood, etc. |
For the details address, read more on the section below.
District 2
American BBQ in District 2
District 2 is where the majority of Western expats reside, where you can find many authentic Western food and bars with cool concepts.
| Streets | Cuisines |
| Thao Dien Street, Xuan Thuy Street | American BBQ, Balut, Mexican food, etc. |
District 7
Korean food in District 7
District 7 is the Korean hotspot, and you might be surprised by the selection of Korean restaurants here. For a Vietnamese dining experience in D7, you can expect to find goat restaurants or sea snail eateries.
| Streets | Cuisines |
| Phu My Hung Compound, Huynh Tan Phat Street | Korean BBQ and noodles, Vietnamese goat BBQ, |
For the detailed addresses, read more in the section below.
List of Best Dishes and Restaurants for Local Dining in Ho Chi Minh
Check out some of the best restaurants for local dining in Ho Chi Minh City!
Pho restaurants
Pho
Pho Hung
241 Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1
288 Nguyen Tri Phuong, Ward 4, District 10
Opening hours: 6 AM – 3 AM
Price: VND 68,000 – VND 78,000
Pho Phu Gia
146E Ly Chinh Thang, Ward 14, District 3
Opening hours: 6:30 AM – 10 AM, 5 PM – 9 PM
Price: VND 62,000
Pho Phu Vuong
339 Le Van Sy, Ward 1, Tan Binh District
Opening hours: 7 AM – 1 PM, 5 PM – 9:30 PM
Price: VND 45,000 – VND 65,000
Click on the link to see other places to have authentic Pho in Ho Chi Minh City.
Restaurants for Banh xeo, Banh khot (Vietnamese Pancake and Mini Rice Pancake)
Banh xeo and Banh khot
Banh xeo 46A
46A Dinh Cong Trang, District 1
Opening hours: 9:30 AM – 2 PM, 4 PM – 9 PM
Price: VND 80,000 – VND 135,000
Banh xeo mien trung
1 Bac Hai, Ward 15, District 10
Opening hours: 4 PM – 11 PM
Price: VND 20,000 – VND 55,000
Read more on Where to eat Banh xeo in Ho Chi Minh City and Banh khot – Mini rice pancake.
Banh mi restaurants (Vietnamese Baguette)
Banh mi
Banh mi Huynh Hoa
26 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 2:30 PM – 11 PM
Price: VND 40,000 – VND 50,000
Banh mi Ba Huynh
185K Cong Quynh, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 2:30 PM – 11 PM
Price: VND 40,000 – VND 50,000
Banh mi Nhu Lan
50 -64 – 66 – 68 Ham Nghi, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
365 – 367 Hai Ba Trung, Ward 8, District 3
Opening hours: 7 AM – 9 PM
Price: VND 25,000 – VND 30,000
Banh mi Ha Noi
83 – 85 Nguyen Thien Thuat, Ward 2, District 3
Opening hours: 6 AM – 10 PM
Price: VND 15,000 – VND 35,000
See more of Banh mi in Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnamese seafood restaurants
Snails and crab
-Vinh Khanh Street, District 4
-Pham The Hien and Duong Ba Trac Street, District 8
-Truong Sa Street, District 3, Phu Nhuan District, Tan Binh District
-Bui Vien Street, District 1
More details of snails eateries in Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnamese noodles restaurants
Bun thit nuong Chi Tuyen (Grilled pork with vermicelli, Southern Vietnam style)
175 Co Giang, Co Giang Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 7 AM – 9 PM
Price: VND 42,000 – VND 47,000
See details of Bun Thit Nuong in Ho Chi Minh City.
Bun Thit Nuong
Banh canh cua Me Pu (Tapioca noodle with crab)
483/10 Le Van Sy, Ward 12, District 3
Opening hours: 10 AM – 8 PM (closed on Sunday)
Price: VND 55,000 – VND 70,000
Read more on What is Vietnamese tapioca noodle.
Banh canh cua
Mien Ga Ky Dong (Mung bean noodle with chicken)
14/5 Bis Ky Dong, Ward 9, District 3
Opening hours: 5 AM – 1:30 AM
Price: VND 47,000 – VND 50,000
Hu Tieu Ca Can (Clear rice noodle)
110 Hung Vuong, Ward 9, District 5
Opening hours: 6 AM – 2 AM
Price: VND 65,000 – VND 85,000
Mi Vit Tiem Luong Ky My Gia (Noodle with stewed duck)
1 Huynh Man Dat, Ward 19, Binh Thanh District
Opening hours: 3 PM – 11:30 PM
Price: VND 90,000 – VND 100,000
Restaurants for Vietnamese desserts
Sweet soups
Che Thai Y Phuong
382 Nguyen Tri Phuong, Ward 4, District 10
Opening hours: 8 AM – 11 PM
Price: VND 20,000 – VND 47,000
Xoi Che Bui Thi Xuan
111 Bui Thi Xuan, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 6:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Price: VND 10,000 – VND 25,000
Che Ha Ky
138 Chau Van Liem, Ward 11, District 5
Opening hours: 10 AM – 10:30 PM
Price: VND 20,000 – VND 28,000
See more in our guide to Vietnamese Desserts.
Restaurants for Vietnamese family meals
A Vietnamese family meal
Hoang Yen Cuisine
7 Ngo Duc Ke, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 10 AM – 10 PM
Price: VND 150,000 – VND 450,000
Secret Garden
158 Pasteur, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 10 AM – 10 PM
Price: VND 65,000 – VND 395,000
Cuc Gach Quan
10 Dang Tat, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 9 AM – 11:30 PM
Price: VND 80,000 – VND 400,000
Restaurants for Hue cuisine
Hue cuisine, the traditional dishes of people in Central Vietnam, includes dishes like Banh beo, Banh bot loc, Bun bo Hue, Banh uot tom, and Banh khoai.
Banh beo
Com tam restaurants (Broken rice)
Com tam
Cali
This chain has several restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City. Some stores in city downtown are at:
236 Le Thanh Ton, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
449 Vo Van Tan, Ward 5, District 3
Opening hours: 6:30 AM – 11 PM
Price: VND 60,000 – VND 88,000
Thuan Kieu
This chain has several restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City. Some stores in the city downtown are at:
46 Dinh Tien Hoang, Da Kao Ward, District 1
26 Ton That Tung, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 6 AM – 2 PM, 5 PM – 9 PM
Price: VND 29,000 – VND 90,000
Other restaurants for Vietnamese cuisine
Banh cuon Hai Nam (Steamed rice roll)
11A Cao Thắng, Ward 2, District 3
Opening hours: 6:30 AM – 10 PM
Price: VND 52,000 – VND 60,000
Click on the link to see more Banh cuon restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City.
Banh cuon
Banh trang Trang Bang Hoang Ty (Trang Bang rice paper and noodle)
74 Truong Quoc Dung, Ward 10, Phu Nhuan District
1 Nguyen Huu Cau, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 9 AM – 10 PM
Price: VND 66,000 – VND 350,000
Goi cuon tom thit (Spring/Summer roll)
93 Cach Mang Thang 8, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 11 AM – 9 PM
Price: VND 10,000/roll
Goi cuon
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