If you’re looking to experience some of the amazing street food in Saigon, you could (of course) just head on out there and explore on your own…
But… would you really know where to go to find some of the most amazing Vietnamese food you’ve ever tasted?
Uh-huh, didn’t think so.
To be completely honest, neither did I, until I started reading up on some of the various foodie options (well, Saigon street food tours) available in this amazing city. And I really really wanted to discover some tasty Saigon morsels, the ones that I’d take to the grave with me…
So, rather than struggle to find some of the many hidden gems in Saigon on my own – and also limited by my very basic Vietnamese – the only option that made any real sense was to join a Saigon street food tour. And the tour that grabbed my attention, was the Saigon Street Food Man, a.k.a Vinny’s street food tours (click here to grab a 5% discount on Saigon Street Food Man Tours!).
Vinny has a number of Saigon street food tour options available, including a night tour on the back of a motorbike, but as I’m already well-traveled in Saigon (and experienced (and terrified) on the back of a motorbike), I went with the walking tour. What grabbed my interest was Vinny’s apparent love for street food, and his carefully selected tour guides – typically students with great English and a passion for sharing knowledge about Saigon’s many attractions – and its amazing food!
My tour guide for the night was the charming Diep (or Shane). As I was staying in District 3, he met me at my AirBnB, and it wasn’t long before we were sat at a small, nearby restaurant, eating some amazing Bo la lot – beef wrapped in betel leaves.
We were soon moving on, heading down tiny alleyways into a whole new world of secret food gems, only known to locals… but being with Diep, a local guy who seemed to know the backstreets like the back of his hand, everything felt very safe, and heck, even exciting!
Among the tasty delights we got to enjoy were the legendary Banh Xeo (a fried, rice-flour pancake stuffed with vegetables) and Saigon Pizza (rice-paper pizza topped with sliced sausage, sauces and veggies, and grilled on the BBQ).
The tour’s last food stop was at the seafood alley in the Old Apartments of Saigon (in Vietnamese: Nguyen Thien Thuat). This was an awesome neighborhood to explore, with countless foodie options all around us, before arriving at the bustling seafood alley, which was teeming with customers on a mid-week evening, impressive!
There we parked our tired, sweaty arses (yes, it was a sultry Saigon night!) on the ubiquitous red plastic stools, before being served some great, freshly-cooked seafood. Accompanied by some shots of rice wine (and fine-tuning how to say Cheers in Vietnamese), the food went down rather spiffingly, old chap!
But the night wasn’t over just yet – Diep continued on to the Cambodian market, a busy, thriving market full of action and shoppers, even though it was getting late. There wasn’t any food to try here, but as I was already full, there really wasn’t any need to squeeze anything more down into my belly!
From there, we walked through the adjacent Flower Market, which apparently runs 24/7 but is especially busy in the early hours. If you’re with your partner, this is the perfect opportunity to bedazzle them with a freshly blooming flower of some sort!