Lonely Planet: The Best Foods And Drinks You Can Try In Vietnam
	A Corner of Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in England

“Sweet, spicy, fragrant, fishy – however you’d describe it, Vietnamese cuisine never compromises on flavor, and you can sample the very best of it in Ho Chi Minh [City],” the global magazine, focusing on food, tourism, and culture, commented about the diverse foods in the Southeast Asian country and the city particularly.

Time Out revealed that pho, a signature Vietnamese dish of fresh rice noodles with broth and meat, usually beef or chicken, has been the most mentioned dish in the magazine’s surveys. Photo: Vy Tran

In Ho Chi Minh City, food lovers have a chance to enjoy street foods such as banh mi (a Vietnamese baguette typically filled with cold meats, pâté, and vegetables), com tam (broken rice topped with grilled ribs, egg pudding, and shredded boiled pig skin), snails, and offal stew, Time Out said.

Besides them, foodies can also experience many Bib Gourmand and Michelin-starred restaurants that serve up creative versions of classic dishes, the magazine said.

However, Time Out revealed that pho, a signature Vietnamese dish of fresh rice noodles with broth and meat, usually beef or chicken, has been the most mentioned dish in the magazine’s surveys.

“The warming noodle soup, in the south, typically heavily garnished with basil, coriander, chili and hoisin sauce, is a Vietnamese staple, ubiquitous across the city,” commented the magazine.

‘Pho Saigon’ is a must-eat dish in Ho Chi Minh City, Time Out recommended.

Topping the magazine’s latest ranking is Naples in Italy, with its suggested must-eat dish being pizza Margherita.

The second and third places go to Johannesburg in South Africa and Lima in Peru, with their must-eat dishes being Kota sandwich and ceviche, respectively.

The fifth to ten positions in the list correspondingly are Beijing (China), Bangkok (Thailand), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Mumbai (India), Dubai (the UAE) and Portland (the U.S.).

Accordingly, six of the world’s ten best cities for food in 2024 are in Asia.

The 11th to 20th ranks are held by Liverpool (the UK), Medellin (Colombia), Seville (Spain), Porto (Portugal), Marrakech (Morocco), Lyon (France), Sydney (Australia), Montreal (Canada), Osaka (Japan), and Copenhagen (Denmark), respectively.

To compile the list, Time Out narrowed down the selection by excluding cities with lower overall scores and including only the highest-scoring city for each country, according to the magazine.

Time Out asked its global network of editors and writers to present the lowdown on what makes their city an exciting dining destination in 2024 and to recommend their favorite places to eat for the year.

Some of the best Ho Chi Minh’s dishes

Banh Mi

Next to pho, banh mi is perhaps the best-known Vietnamese dish. The iconic sandwich is said to have originated in Ho Chi Minh City and has since made its way around the world, but is prepared very differently in different parts of Vietnam. Because the baguette is the dish's centerpiece, a good banh mi depends on the bread's quality.

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The soft and crunchy baguette is first covered with pate and chili sauce, then stuffed with a variety of meats, fresh herbs, and pickled vegetables, usually carrot and daikon.

The sauce is mandatory, and ties together the salty, sweet, and spicy flavors. The convenient delicacy is eaten at any time of the day and sold everywhere at absolutely any time. Try banh mi from a few different sellers to get used to the subtle differences.

Com Tam

Com Tam is perhaps the most essential Saigonese dish, a city staple found on nearly every street. The smell of barbecued pork wafts from com tam eateries to perfume busy streets and lure in hungry passers-by at all hours of the day.

Com Tam is perhaps the most essential Saigonese dish, a city staple found on nearly every street. Photo: Shutterstock

Marinated pork ribs are slow-grilled over low heat for hours, allowing the flavor to absorb evenly while the meat remains juicy and tender. The ribs are then served over “broken rice” (rice that has been broken or fractured during harvest or processing), paired with an omelet, egg rolls, and sausages, and topped with onion fat or pork grease. Be sure to add a hefty serving of fresh and pickled vegetables for the full experience.

Hu Tieu

Pho gets all the acclaim as Vietnam’s national soup, but hu tieu gives Pho a run for its money. Pho is best in Hanoi, where northerners have spent a hundred years perfecting the recipe, while hu tieu is best in Ho Chi Minh City.

Hu tieu can be served as a dry salad as well as a soup. Photo: Shutterstock

As with all Vietnamese soups, the best bits are in the broth, Hu Tieu broth is simmered for hours with pork bones, dried squid and shrimp, and root vegetables.

It’s a delicate, slightly sweet, clear broth, and is usually topped with boiled eggs and shrimp as well as pork every which way: ground, lean, liver, intestines, and tongue. Different hu tieu eateries have different toppings, but these are the most common. Add a fistful of lettuce, bean sprouts, and scallions for balance.

Hu tieu can be served as a dry salad as well as a soup. When served as a salad, the broth comes in a bowl on the side – it’s the backbone of the dish.

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