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STREET FOOD – MUST-TRY WHEN TRAVELING TO SAIGON

Gánh bánh tráng – Rice paper street vendors

This is typically the most famous street vendor in Saigon. People here not only use rice paper as a cooking ingredient but also eat it as snacks. The most common rice paper snack is Bánh tráng trộn – Mixed rice paper with grated mango, quail eggs, Vietnamese coriander, crispy minced garlic, special shrimp salt, chili oil, kumquat juice, etc. Each street vendor has different ingredients in addition to the above basic one based on their creativity, which makes this dish so special among Saigonese. Prices range from 15.000 vnđ to 30.000 VND. They usually sell by serving, the lowest is 15.000 VND, larger servings add 5.000 VND and so on. 

Locals usually order according to their taste. For example, one less spicy mixed rice paper with no mango and add quail eggs. This is why sometimes prices change based on additional ingredients requested by the customer.

Aside from mixed rice paper, they may also sell rice paper rolls and rice paper dip with sauce.

These street vendors do not have a fixed sell time but they usually start selling from 2 pm in the afternoon to the evening. You can find them anywhere on the street (Saigon Corners recommend the small vendor next to Hoa Sen University). 

CategoriesAbout Saigon Our Blog
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BORN ABROAD AND SHINE IN VIETNAM

Each country or ethnic group will have different tastes and eating habits. Therefore, when a dish in one country is imported into another, it will have to change to suit the people there. Vietnam – a country famous for its rich and diverse cuisine also has subtle variations for food originating from other countries of the world.

In this article, let’s learn a bit more about the history of Hu Tieu with Saigon Corners! This is one of the popular dishes in the South of Vietnam and you will definitely “fall in love” when enjoying it. 

When mentioning “Hu tieu Nam Vang” or “Phnom Penh Noodle Soup”, people will think it is a pure Vietnamese dish. However, it is actually a dish that originated from Cambodia and was created by Chinese immigrants. “Nam Vang” here is the Vietnamese name of Phnom Penh – the capital of Cambodia. 

Basically, the way to cook this dish is still quite similar to the original, the broth is stewed with pork bones for many hours along with some vegetables. The difference here is Vietnamese people have modified the ingredients to change the taste of each region. The popular edition of Hu Tieu Nam Vang comes from Sa Dec and My Tho (the West of Vietnam) with soft chewy noodles and rich broth which bring a memorable impression to anyone who tries it. 

Besides, there is also an extremely attractive dry noodle version. The noodles are drizzled with soy sauce, fried garlic oil. When eating, people usually add chili, garlic vinegar, squeeze a piece of lime and mix into the noodles. Dried noodles are always served with a bowl of clear broth.

Hủ Tiếu Gõ – Hu Tieu Go

Back in the old days, when walking along the streets of Saigon at night, you would hear the rattling sounds telling you that the Hu Tieu Go cart was nearby. People would shout “hu tieu!”, then the seller pushed the cart over and sold it to them.  Making sound with castanets was considered a very unique way of inviting customers without spending too much effort. 

Hu Tieu Go is considered a very interesting culinary culture and only Saigon people know it. No one remembers exactly when Hu Tieu Go started appearing, only a few people of Saigon origin said that noodle cart appeared long ago, before 1975 to serve the demand of Saigonese: “Delicious – Nutritious – Economical”. 

Although it is a rustic one, this noodle dish is always loved by many people because of its unique flavor that has been preserved over the years until now. The toppings of Hu Tieu Go includes thin slices of pork, pork liver and intestines. Some places also have attractive pork or beef balls mixed with bean sprouts and chives. Just hearing it is enough to motivate you to plan a trip to Saigon, right?

Sold in many places and widely distributed throughout Saigon, you can easily see trolleys selling Hu Tieu Go on the roadside, sidewalk or crept into alleys, where residents live. Serving a variety of customers from children, students, ordinary workers, office workers to parked cars come and eat familiar bowls of noodle soup. Prices for Hu Tieu in Saigon range from 15,000 VND up to more than 70,000 VND depending on the ingredients. 

CategoriesOur Blog Talkie Jolly
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TALKIE JOLLY – CAFÉ DE SAÏGON

Black, brown, bitter and sweet – that’s what coffee is all about. The beautiful color of a cup of black coffee, also the brown is mixed between black coffee and condensed milk. All of them create the special flavors of this unique drink and coffee is also the strongest spiritual connection that appears from the corners of the sidewalk to the luxury shops. Coffee appeared in Vietnam in 1857 and became popular all around Vietnam over the time. 

Saigon – a city that always wakes up before dawn. Everyone starts their new day while the sun is still hidden behind the tall buildings. As a habit for many generations, “a cup of coffee” in the morning is an indispensable part of who lives here. In Saigon, coffee They use coffee as an energetic drink in the morning and in different styles. These different styles are the ways people enjoy the coffee or the ways to make coffee such as by a racket or fin, et. All of these things gradually became an old beautiful coffee culture of Saigon – Ho Chi Minh city.  In this Talkie Jolly meeting organized by Saigon Corners, participants explored the 2 most special types of coffee here in Saigon.

“Bet coffee”, no one knows when it originated, it’s simply buying a cup of coffee on the sidewalk, then spreading a small tarpaulin on the ground and sitting down. But somehow it has always been likened to an inseparable cultural feature of Saigon. 

CategoriesCommunity Activities Our Blog
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PHAN CHAU TRINH – LIFE AND CONTRIBUTION

After many delays because of the epidemic, Saigon Corners and partners came back with an exciting cultural event at Book Street in Ho Chi Minh City! As the time was on the occasion of the 150th birthday of Phan Chau Trinh, the theme for this comeback was “Phan Chau Trinh – Life and Contribution”.

Phan Chau Trinh was an official in the court who resigned from the mandarin to look for ways to save his country and the people here. He wrote a letter to appeal to the French colonialists to change their administration policies to improve the life of the Vietnamese people. With this letter, Phan Chau Trinh greatly influenced the people in the patriotic movement at that time. That was the reason why the funeral of Uncle Phan Chau Trinh was recorded as the largest ever in Saigon with more than 60,000 people paying homage, regardless of politics, party, or religion. 

Besides the music performance from students of Hoa Sen University, the event consisted of the sharing of Mr. Nguyen Dong Hoa – great grandchild of Phan Chau Trinh – about special and outstanding deeds in Phan Chau Trinh’s life. The event also had attractive cultural performances from Mr. Ho Nhut Quang together with the Southern Culture Research and Honor Club. 

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GET RID OF COVID WITH HOA SEN – FUNDRAISING FOR F0

“Tolerance”, “generosity”, “the spirit of solidarity”, “the leaves protect tattered ones”, … are adjectives and proverbs used to describe Vietnamese people. . Those good personalities have lasted for many years, but that spirit is most evident during the Covid-19 pandemic through humane actions.

 To maintain that spirit, Saigon Corners and Faculty of Tourism from Hoa Sen University responded to the “Get rid of Covid with Hoa Sen” to raise funds for Covid victims. Each member will record a short video with the music “Get rid of Covid with Hoa Sen”. The videos not only bring warmth and positive messages, but also contribute 20,000 VND/clip to the fund.

CategoriesOur Blog Travel Tips
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NOTES TO AVOID FRAUD AND ANNOYANCE WHEN TRAVELING

Always keep your bag in front 

Whether you’re carrying a backpack or a shoulder bag, you’d better keep an eye on your bag all the time. Getting cut in your bag by a razor blade is one of the situations that can happen when you keep your bag unattended.

Cover your expensive jewelry while in the street 

Try not to get much attention to yourself by wearing too much sparkling jewelry. If you must bring your jewelry, you’d better cover it. When going out for a tour or a walk in the street, you can keep your expensive belongings in a safe box in your rooms (most hotels in Vietnam have one).

Street vendors and pickpocket
Street vendors, who are considered a part of street-culture in Vietnam, have impressed many tourists with amazing shots captured by travel bloggers. The fact is that many of them are struggling with their lives, trying hard to get through a day with only a few bucks. However, you should also expect a downside, street vendors in Vietnam, in some cases that can be annoying. If you’re not interested in things they invite you to buy, you can just ignore them. However, many thieves undercover as street vendors create a scenario for pickpockets. Therefore, be careful when street vendors or some strangers approach you and create a confusing situation.

Withdraw money from the ATM.
Withdrawing money from the ATM and exchanging currency are ones of the most common things that tourists do when travelling, but always keep in mind that someone is watching you and maybe they also intent to rob you.
About exchanging currency, you should ask that agency for the exchange rate because some people tend to increase the exchange rate to make them more profitable.

Overcharge Taxi
Meter Taxi normally cruise the street but it is best for you to ask them about the price before hopping on because some meter bar is rigged and the price will go up faster than it usually should. In Ho Chi Minh City, we recommend you to choose these 2 well-known brands: Mai Linh and Vinasun based on convenience and fare. In other cities, we recommend you to choose taxis which have a speedometer called Grab, and they are also one of the easiest ways to travel because they will provide you information about the price, the drivers…
Don’t forget to bargain when buying things in an open-air market
Most products in the market should be bargained down because some of the retailers tend to increase the price for foreign ex-pats. There are quite a few sellers who want to increase the price of their products to make a profit from foreigners, but do not lose the opportunity to buy what you need. You can practice your bargains in the market and the best thing that can happen is that you win the bid and get the item for the best price.

CategoriesOur Blog Talkie Jolly
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TALKIE JOLLY – TABOOS

In any culture, there are always do’s or don’ts, and in a place with a long-standing culture with many customs and rituals… like Vietnam, it is certain that taboos are one of the characteristics of Vietnamese people. This 2nd online event of Talkie Jolly – Tourism English Club with the topic “Taboos” had expressed the quintessence of Vietnamese culture through seemingly simple things but were actually taboos. With the number of participants up to 100 people, the event succeeded in bringing memorable experiences to participants through interesting guest speaking session with games and more importantly, the endless vibrant debate session with prizes up to 1 million VND.

CategoriesOur Blog Talkie Jolly
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TALKIE JOLLY – SAIGON THE MELTING POT

Talkie Jolly Tourism English Club with the theme “Saigon – The melting pot” on 17th of July 2021 is an online meeting through Zoompro due to Covid 19 which helps participants to understand more about the cultural characteristics of Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City. The specification of the city is covered through the humorous talk of a top professional guide. Many entertainment activities and direct exchanges with students living and studying in New Zealand during the meeting!

CategoriesOur Blog Talkie Jolly
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TALKIE JOLLY – AO DAI

It is rare to hear an old man passionately talk about the Vietnamese Ao Dai, images like slow-motion film appearing before my eyes through the story of my grandfather. Living from the 40s to the present, he has witnessed many changes in the Ao Dai over the decades. Designer Si Hoang said: “Ao dai is beautiful, attractive, expressed by the character of a woman, discreetly beautiful, gentle, thoughtful, and ethical. This is one of the few traditional costumes that meet the requirements of the new era while maintaining the national identity. Always a symbol of gentle, loving beauty, like attracting all the eyes of people on the street. Talking about the history of Ao Dai, to this day, no one has been able to confirm or clearly write down the history and origin. There is a document that on the Ngoc Lu bronze drum appeared the image of a woman with split dress. Happily, despite going through a long time, many variations appeared, but the Vietnamese Ao Dai still retains the inherent essence of the costume with two split dresses. According to legend, Hai Ba Trung wore ao dai with two golden armor plates and splendid jewelry when riding an elephant to fight against the Han army. It is also said that out of respect for the Hai Ba, Vietnamese women avoid wearing two-piece robes and instead wear a four-part dress with four bodies representing four births (of the couple). Until the reign of King Gia Long (1802-1819), the four-dress Ao Dai was changed to a five-piece shirt, at this time the shirt has a small body symbolizing the wearer. In 1884, when the French received the right to rule from the Hue court, Western culture began to enter Vietnam and brought many changes with the Ao Dai. From here, the Ao Dai steps through another page of history and reveals many shapes of the Ao Dai today.

Attend a talk with guest Nguyen Hong Tan at Tourism English Club to hear him talk about the history of the formation of the Ao Dai, share more interesting stories as well as the role of the Ao Dai. Vietnam in each historical period!