I’m personally not a huge fan of the overly-touristy restaurants in Saigon, as they tend to do a poor job of recreating the smoky, motorbike-fume instilled flavours of some of the city’s real street food gems. BUT, there are some great restaurants in Saigon that really do deserve a visit – and Banh khot Co Ba Vung Tau is definitely one to consider…
It has some great food options on the menu, but if you’re really looking for something local and even traditional, try their Vung Tau versions of banh xeo (crispy, savory pancakes) or banh khot (small pancakes topped with shrimp).
The banh xeo are huge in size, and, if you fancy it, ensure your banh xeo comes with the rather delicious coconut peaks (called as such on their menu, but they mean the tender, fresh core of the coconut tree, which can even be eaten raw, or partly cooked to become a much loved part of their banh xeo).
The restaurant has a huge menu book, and many of the items look great, and targeted very much for tourists and newbies to Vietnamese food. But I think many of the items are a bit hit and miss – I’d definitely recommend the pancakes, both banh xeo and banh khot, as these are their signature dishes. But would you really come here for a pho or noodle dish…not so sure I would…
Price-wise, Banh khot Co Ba Vung Tau is not the cheapest around, and for a banh xeo you’ll be paying upwards of 130,000 VND. BUT is it huge, don’t forget, and if it’s just you and an additional diner, one banh xeo and some banh khot is more than enough.
Banh khot Co Ba Vung Tau can be found in Saigon’s district 1, just off Turtle Lake. Check out the map below for directions.