Top 5 Favorite Breakfast Meals Of Local People In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

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 Experiencing Vietnam’s food scene is reason enough to visit the country. Best described as fresh, light, and local, Vietnam manages to create a variety of innovative and delicious recipes out of largely similar ingredients. If you travel to Vietnam and find it hard to choose a dish for breakfast, you have come to the right place:

1. COM TAM – BROKEN RICE

Saigon cuisine is a blend of regions, so it is difficult to find a dish with the characteristics and flavors of Saigon. However, no matter where you are, with Com Tam, you cannot find the feeling and the taste like eating it in Saigon.

Com Tam is a legendary symbol of intercultural cuisine of the northern, southern, western and eastern: Com tam is served in plate, using spoon and fork to eat, served with French-style barbecue (Suon), the pork skin of the North (bi) and the traditional steamed sausage of Chinese (cha)…. Saigon people put in Com Tam two wonderful spices, two things to decide the charm of this legendary dish, which is sweet and sour fish sauce and onion with oil.

Vietnamese broken rice – Com Tam

Especially, hidden in this famous dish of Saigon is also an interesting story, explaining why Saigon people often eat breakfast with rice – a strange habit compared to people in other regions of Vietnam. The reason is because for a long time ago, people see rice as a dish to eat for full. It is also too difficult for your stomach to digest if being used as breakfast. But since the appearance of Com tam, suddenly the Saigon people changed their minds. Then the hobby gradually formed as a habit, making Saigonese unconsciously choose Broken Rice to become the best breakfast before starting a long day of studying or working hard.

So far, the Saigon people can eat Com Tam not only at breakfast but also at noon, evening. Some people even try to eat Com Tam at late night before going home to sleep because they are so craving for a plate of Broken Rice. Looking at the gleaming ribs, hearing the smell of this cuisine, you surely cannot resist.

2. BUN BO – BEEF NOODLES

Originated from the Central of Vietnam (Hue city), Beef noodles are quickly became Saigon people’s favorite dish. Hue beef noodles have been recognized as a delicacy of Asia, introduced on CNN by culinary expert Anthony Bourdain, “the most wonderful soup I have ever tasted”.

Hue beef noodles are eaten throughout three meals of a day, but breakfast and lunch are the most popular. After being introduced to the South, vermicelli’s soup is reduced the taste of spicy and added sweetness. Especially the pork roll ingredients are added to increase the fondness and the sweetness for food.

Vietnamese Bun Bo

A bowl of beef noodles in Saigon is full of flavors. It does not bring in the strong flavor on Hue beef noodle soup, Saigon beef noodle have beef ball (a meatball made of finely pulverized beef and bits of tendon), thinly sliced ​​beef, beef tendon, and of course – one more piece of pork rolls. Finally is adding into the bowl the broth with lemongrass, with the Hue sauce.

3. BANH MI BO KHO – BREAD AND BRAISED BEEF

Travelers must always sow their nostalgia for Banh Mi (Saigon bread). Bread and Braised beef is loved by many people. This dish included pieces of beef stewed in a special sauce of five flavors spices, carrot, onion and pepper.

Vietnamese Banh Mi Bo Kho (BREAD AND BRAISED BEEF)

For a long time, beef bread is not a strange dish in Saigonese’s menu. Not sophisticated, anyone can enjoy, Banh Mi Bo Kho pleases even the most fastidious diners. A simple dish that is unique as the lifestyle of the Saigon people. Just one time to enjoy this delicious dish, you will not forget the sweet taste of beef, the spicy flavor of chilli, soy sauce. The bread is crunchy, dipped in hot beef sauce is just perfect for a breakfast, especially in the rainy, cold day.

4. HU TIEU – CLEAR RICE NOODLES SOUP

Another classic breakfast of Saigon is clear rice noodles soup. The popular and familiar of Hu Tieu with Saigon people is like Hanoi has Pho. Hu Tieu has developed very fast in South Vietnam since the 1950s, especially in Saigon. It is easy to find a Hu Tieu store on the street or a Hu Tieu cart at an alley.

HU TIEU – CLEAR RICE NOODLES SOUP

The delicious noodles will have the sweet and clear broth with the true sweetness comes from pork bones and pork chop, not from fragrant or sugar. Pork chop, deep-fried onion, chopped green onion, coriander are used as toppings.

There are many branch names that famous for Hu Tieu like Nam Vang, My Tho, Sa Dec, etc. Besides original Hu Tieu, people can also find Hu Tieu with Vietnamese Stewed Beef, Dry Clear Rice Noodle, Hu Tieu with Fish and so on.

5. BANH CUON/BANH UOT – STUFFED PANCAKES/WET CAKES

Breakfast in Saigon not only resonates with Central but also North. Besides Pho is the most familiar dish, the “national spirit” dish, we have to mention wet cakes, stuffed pancakes from the North. To prepare the light and delicate dish, rice batter is spread out over a round cloth above boiling water. It only takes a few moments for the thin batter to cook to perfection.

Vietnamese stuffed pancakes

This cuisines have been extremely change by Saigon people. Stuffed pancakes, wet cakes from Northern is usually thin, hidden inside is meat chop, served with a little fried onion and cinnamon rolls. Stuffed pancakes and wet cakes in Saigon are influenced by the style of the Chinese community here. The cake base is too thin but will be formed as small square. The fish sauce is replaced by sweet and sour fish sauce and fresh peppers.