What to eat in Vietnam... or shall I say, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnomnom!!!

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​Honestly, I don't think I would have crashed my friend's Birthday trip, if he was just going to Thailand and Cambodia. I love Thailand, but I've been twice in the last 3 years and the thought of going back was not that enticing. What tipped the scale in favor of me going, was the last stop on the trip... VIET...F&^KING...NAM!  Vietnam has been on my MUST VISIT LIST for years. I just hadn't made the time to go. 

My desire to visit has roots in two place, 1) my love of Vietnamese food, and 2) all the rave reviews I've heard from my world travelling friends. 

In my mind, I wanted to see the little rice farmer villages and experience rural Vietnam. Of course I randomly selected Ho Chi Minh and, did ZERO research, and ended up in a HUGE city with millions of people and motorbikes!!! I was kinda sad at at first, bc that's not how I imagined experiencing Vietnam, but Ho Chi Minh City didn't not disappoint.

It is a big city, which allows for BIG adventure, lots of food options (and recommendations), and endless possibilities. My first impression was that it was an INTENSE city, bc I have never seen so many motorbikes in my life! That coupled with the fact that the city has very few traffic lights. Crossing the street the first time was TERRIFYING. Within a could of days we were pros. It looks a lot more intense than it actually is, bc once you get on one you realize they're not going as fast as it appears. 

The food was highly anticipated and recommended and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT. I ate it all and LOVED it! 

[What to Eat]

Bahn Mi (A Vietnamese sandwich). Best place to have a Bahn Mi (under $2) according to everyone we met was from a food cart. Bahn Mi 37 Nguyen Trai is well known and on google maps, so showing the address to your taxi or Uber driver will be easy.
Address: https://goo.gl/maps/ncXFkDi97uD2 

I grew up steps from Manhattan's Chinatown; therefore I have definitely had a bahn mi before. I can always taste the love someone puts into their food. This lady makes some incredible bahn mis. I can't believe she charges less than $2. Definitely worth visiting.

ANYTHING at The Secret Garden. We had chicken, seafood, and beef, loads of vegetables and we loved it.  The prices at the secret garden are very affordable. That paired with the fact that we arrived hungry and excited, meant we ordered A LOT. LMAO. Lots of plates and there was ooing and ahing for each plate. The fresh juice was yummy too. HIGHLY Recommended! Address: https://goo.gl/maps/1VCrjVXxr2A2

Pho is their traditional soup and we had it at lots of places. Everyone recommend we have it on the street on little stools, but we ran out of time to do that. We did have some delicious Pho near the Mekong Delta, but that's no where near Ho Chi Minh. My rule of thumb is to dine where there are lots of locals. Avoid empty restaurants and restaurants with lots of foreigners. I never trust those places.

Bahn Khot. Who knew such a joy existed in Vietnamese culture? These little rice flour and shrimp fried treats were amazing. They reminded me of my mom's bacalaitos... so supremely delicious. We made friends with a Vietnamese American on a tour and she recommended we try it. At the same restaurant, I tried this tastiness, we also tried ostrich, crocodile, and goat udder. Strange in name, but not in taste. It all tasted familiar even though it wasn't.

Lastly, I'd recommend trying some Vietnamese dessert. My favorite by far was their traditional Vietnamese shaved ice. I tried it after a 3 hour food tour. I was so full, but the moment I tried it, I couldn't stop eating it. It was so refreshing with so many varying textures and flavors; coconut milk and juice, ice, tapioca, red beans, coconut, oh my was it delectable. It reminded me of Filipino halo-halo, but it was slightly different, perhaps more coconuty. I had it 2 weeks ago and I'm still looking for it in NYC. I will find you amazing shaved ice... I WILL!!!

There's definitely a whole lot more to eat, but I never like giving 20 suggestions. Then you end up running all around the place trying to check things off a list. I say try a few staples and then explore on your own and make some of your own memories sampling and discovering new amazing food.

Live, Love, Eat, and Travel!

LMJ