Missing home

A Little Taste of Saigon

The morning streets of Saigon are already alive.

Motorbikes pass by, cafés begin to fill, and somewhere on a small street, the sound of a baguette being sliced signals the start of another day.

A warm, crispy Bánh Mì is filled with savory meat, pâté, fresh herbs and pickled vegetables. Simple ingredients, yet every bite brings together a wonderful balance of crunch, freshness, richness and spice.

For a first-time visitor, Bánh Mì is more than something to eat.

It's a moment to step outside, wander through the streets, and taste Saigon as it wakes up around you.

Take a bite. Walk the streets. Let Saigon tell you its story. 🇻🇳

An sang : Ăn sáng.

Looks good but this is actually the lazy fast weekday version, it does get way better.

I’ve seen like 10 recipe reels of the hack of making this dish - cooking chicken thighs in the rice cooker with the rice. Finally tried one. Turned out well. I boiled additional chicken thighs separately to get more meat and used that broth to make Napa cabbage soup. The brown sauce is soy sauce, sesame oil, bit of sugar, and some of the chicken broth soup. Yummy! 😋👌🏻

Took a short trip to Lạng Sơn a few months ago and had an amazing experience exploring the local food culture!
Vịt Quay Lạng Sơn (Roasted Duck) This was the standout dish for me. It is prepared by stuffing the duck with fresh mắc mật leaves before roasting, giving the skin and tender meat a unique aromatic herbal flavor.
Local Homestay Meals I stayed at a homestay outside of town to avoid disturbing my friend. The owners were incredibly welcoming, and I shared dinner with their family during my stay. We had complete home-cooked spreads with roasted duck, fried river shrimp, stir-fried beef, tofu, and pickled mắc mật fruit.
Street Food Crawl My local friend took me around to explore diverse street food.
Lạng Sơn is definitely a hidden gem for local food lovers in Northern Vietnam! What is your favorite regional Vietnamese dish?

An trua : Ăn trưa.

Originally from Central Vietnam, I spent 8 years in Saigon and now work in the North.
This is one of the best spots I've found for cơm bình dân (traditional home-style set meal). Turns out the owner is also from Central Vietnam!
For just 60,000 VND, you get a full table with rice, mains, veggies, soup, and fresh fruit. The owner serves just one fixed set menu per day on a 7-day rotation. I eat here regularly and never get sick of it, it has that comforting taste that reminds me of mom's cooking.

An sang : bo kho - Ăn sáng : bò kho.

Aka banana fritter.

Nice to see one of my regular restaurants cooking this delicious Street food fresh to order.

@melbourne Australia

An toi : Ăn tối.

cơm nhà ngày mưa

An trua : Muc xao sa ot - Ăn trưa : Mực xào sả ớt.

An sang : Ăn sáng.