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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. 

CategoriesAbout Saigon Our Blog
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ANOTHER VIEW OF SAIGON

How did our city develop after being independent?

The adjective words such as  “extravagant” and “gorgeous” are not easily bounded by the history of this area. Everything in the world will be changed if we choose different angles to evaluate their aspects. The same as Saigon, the small alleys, and the bustle streets will bring you beauties from another angle. Let’s take a look at this lovely city from high above, shall we?

Looking at the panorama of Saigon, we wouldn’t deny the contribution of our ancestors because they had designed a charming Saigon which we couldn’t stop contemplating. The ancient features still remain within the present modernity. That is the reason why we are emotional when looking at this city, don’t you agree?

Feel free to share with us about the time you had the chance to see Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City from above. We do have a lot of things to share, right?

Link: https://www.facebook.com/saigoncorners.org/posts/701446050397303

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SAIGON IN THE PAST AND PRESENT

Sai Gon – The city of dynamism, changing day by day, making domestic and foreign tourists want to visit to admire the beauty and learn the development history of the place known as “The Pearl of Far East” of this Asia.

Through many historical periods, the old Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, has gradually become the busiest commercial center in the country for more than 300 years of development. However, somewhere on streets, roads, works, etc., still retain poetic scenes that make many people feel proud and cherished.

Unlike “Love at first sight”, only when you know about Sai Gon, you can fall in love. Let’s consider the changes in the Saigon period. 🧐🧐

Link: https://www.facebook.com/saigoncorners.org/posts/948035632405009

Photo: Internet

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RAINY SEASON IN SAIGON

When does someone tell me what’s toughest to imagine?

In Saigon, I’ll respond to the rains.

Rain in Saigon is really weird! It often looked like a 17-year-old girl, as it rushed-she was like having some troubles of being spoiled. The rain here is oddly close to the pace of life: hurry and panic. Sometimes, we lose the opportunity to feel the thunder, and then, as the rainy season arrives, our hearts turn hawkish.

Sometimes the rain came only briefly to refresh the city’s heat and quickly rushed away like leaving some water on busy people’s shirts, which were briefly sunny. Crop out. Spread out. Crop out. Then there was a day when the girls were counting the rain, and there was the rain, the rain and the rain endless. Then there was a day…

Link https://www.facebook.com/saigoncorners.org/posts/733340893874485

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SAIGON CUISINE – CULINARY INTERFERENCE

When it comes to the busiest and most developed area in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City cannot be ignored – one of the special things about this place is its long-standing culinary culture. This place is said to be the intersection of Northern – Central – Southern cultures, Saigon gives you the culinary experience of almost all the typical dishes of Vietnam.

1. Saigon Bread

In March 2012, the travel page of The Guardian – a famous UK newspaper, voted Saigon bread in the top 10 most delicious and attractive street foods in the world. Walking around Saigon, you can see dozens of cars selling bread with different filling recipes such as pate, shumai, roast pork, grilled meat, ham, sausage, fried egg… Vegetables sliced cucumbers, cilantro, pickles, scallions, onions, basil. Although it is not difficult to find bread in Saigon, if you have the opportunity, try Huynh Hoa bread, which is one of the best bakeries in Saigon. The price is a bit high, but it’s delicious and worth the money.

2. Noodle soup (Hu tieu)

The next dish we want to introduce is noodle soup. The most famous is My Tho noodle soup, which is processed by the My Tho people, the main ingredients are dried noodles, the broth is minced meat, and pork intestine cooked with pork bone marrow. Then boil the noodles with the broth and add the main ingredients such as vegetables, beef balls, seafood, wontons, and boiled meat. In 2009, My Tho noodle soup of the My Tho noodle production cooperation group was granted the certificate of “Vietnamese Brand” by the Vietnam Trademark Center, under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology.

3. Broken rice (Com tam)

If you are living in Saigon, you will surely find broken rice is one of the super ‘hot’ dishes here. The most special thing about this dish is that it is more crowded at night. Broken rice is a Vietnamese dish made from broken rice grains. Although there are many different names such as Saigon broken rice, night rice, popular rice, … but the main ingredients in the dish are still the same for most places. Includes rice with ribs, eggs, shredded pork skin,…

Broken rice is difficult to find competitors because almost every restaurant creates a little bit of different flavor.

4. Tofu rice vermicelli (noodles) with shrimp paste (Bun dau mam tom)

Tofu rice vermicelli (noodles) with shrimp paste is a simple, rustic dish in Northern Vietnamese cuisine. This is a dish often served as a snack. The main ingredients include fresh vermicelli, boiled meat, fried tofu, spring roll, fried spring roll, shrimp paste mixed with lemon, chili and served with herbs such as perilla, marjoram, basil, lettuce, eggplant, cucumbers. For Hanoi, this is considered a snack, but in the South, this is considered a meal in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

5. Banh Canh

Banh Canh is a familiar dish of Vietnam. The dish consists of a broth made from shrimp, fish and pork leg with spices depending on the type of cake soup. Banh Canh fiber can be made from rice flour, flour, tapioca starch, or rice flour mixed with tapioca. This dish is made from dough that is rolled into sheets and cut into large and short strands.

6. Beef rice noodles (Bun bo Hue)

Beef rice noodles is one of the specialties of Hue, although this noodle dish is popular in all three regions in Vietnam and Vietnamese people abroad. In Hue, this dish is simply called “bun bo” or more specifically “bun bo with pig’s feet”. Other localities call it “Hue beef rice noodle soup”, “Hue original beef rice noodle soup” to indicate the origin of this dish. This is one of the best-rated restaurants and our favorite restaurant.

  • Thai sweet gruel (Che Thai)

There is no doubt that Y Phuong’s sweet gruel has won the hearts of Saigon people for decades. This place gathers all kinds of sweet gruel from all over the country. Not only that, but it also sells papaya salad with black beef, dumplings, fish balls, and sticky rice ice cream. And the special thing is that all kinds of sweet gruel from cassava to lotus rhizome are made by the staff, so everyone can rest assured.

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SAIGON WATERBUS

𝙏𝙍𝘼𝙑𝙀𝙇 𝙎𝘼𝙄𝙂𝙊𝙉 ON THE 𝙍𝙄𝙑𝙀𝙍 ? 🛥🛥🛥

Been in Saigon for a long time, but are you confident that you have fully understood this city?

If you are tired of the noise and bustle in this land then why don’t you try to experience a day on the Water Bus to see Saigon in such a special way? 

🧑🏻‍✈️👩🏻‍✈️ Water Bus, a popular means of transport in European countries, however, it is quite new to Vietnamese people. As a matter of fact, it is simply public transport, but instead of moving on the ground, it uses boats and moves on waterways. Even with the “student fare”, the quality of Water Bus still gives the vibe of being on a luxury yacht, clean and airy with professional staff.👩🏻‍✈️🧑🏻‍✈️

🦺🦺🦺 Water Bus will bring you unforgettable experiences in the lovely land of Saigon. This bus trip goes through famous destinations in Saigon such as Saigon Bridge, Thu Thiem Bridge, Landmark 81, Vinhomes Central Park urban area, and so on… 

All you need to do is find a comfy seat and Saigon Water Bus will take good care of you.

Have you had the opportunity to experience this “city boat” yet?

Link: https://www.facebook.com/saigoncorners.org/posts/841711989704041

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HOP ON – HOP OFF BUS

Known as a thriving city, Ho Chi Minh City has a lot of places to explore.

🏢HOP ON – HOP OFF bus is designed with two floors with 63 seats, the top floor is designed as a convertible to help visitors have a great experience. Immerse yourself in the breezes of Saigon’s current weather, go through architectural works with long-standing historical landmarks such as Independence Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral,  Fine Arts Museum, Ben Thanh Market,… The panoramic picture of Saigon appeared beautiful and stirred up people’s hearts. On the other hand, you can choose automatic captions including English, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, .. very convenient. The most impressive thing is a palm-leaf conical hat which is provided for visitors to shade the sun. It can be considered as a tool to help you take extreme virtual life photos.

🧢On a daily basis, although I go through these places many times, I just focus on driving and ignore their beauty. So, if you are living in Saigon, let’s book a ticket right away to experience this lovely city with a completely different perspective.

Link: https://facebook.com/saigoncorners.org/posts/872991469909426