UnTour guide Topher B. recently had some recommendations for some Shanghai guests who were heading to Ho Chi Minh City, and we wanted to share them with the world and hopefully make it a better place, one bite at a time. Here’s Topher’s thoughts:
I would highly recommend checking out this banh mi place. We walked past it the first night and there were 15 people waiting in line. I had it the next afternoon and it was really really good.
We went to Nha Hang Ngon on the first night, and I think that was a good choice. It’s a nice introduction to Vietnam street food (great prices) but also has gobs of atmosphere that make it nice enough for a date. The grilled shrimp was great, as was the dry vermicelli noodles with grilled pork and spring rolls (maybe get the pork on the side). We actually ended up eating here again for lunch after our flight was delayed.
Also on Pasteur Street, but pretty far away was a really good pho place: Pho Hoa Pasteur. Apparently there are tons of pho places around the world that name themselves after this place, and it’s definitely my kind of restaurant.
We went with a big group of people to this place: Cuc Gach Quan. There’s a sister restaurant across the street too. They had a really good tofu dish, an eggplant dish, and a fantastic fish soup. It’s pretty hard to find, but it seems like it’s really popular and a great date place.
Last but not least, I’d recommend Fanny’s Ice Cream.
We did a lot of walking around the Reunification Palace, the park to the east of that on the way to the church, and then south of that towards the river. The big market is so-so in my opinion, although worth checking out. We did the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum. Both are good, although the War Remnants Museum can be depressing.
Definitely keep an eye out for the huge number of electrical wires that slink around downtown in huge gobs. It can get interesting.
When taxiing around, we were recommended Vinasun or Mai Linh. Don’t feel bad about leap frogging other taxis to get to those. We never had any problems with them (although they generally rounded up the fare on the meter).
And go with the flow when crossing the street. The scooters will go around you.
Sherry, another guide for UnTour’s Dumpling Delights tour, also recommends local tour operator Back of the Bike Tours for a great food tour option (a highlight of her trip!).
Here are some more posts from #UnTourOnTheRoad:
Beijing & Xi’an, More Beijing, More Xi’an
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