Ben Thanh Market and more food

I first wanted to take a moment to talk about the Ben Thanh Market in Saigon. It is incredibly popular for purchasing a variety of consumer goods. You have to show up with your best bartering skills. They sell everything you can think of, including scarves, knock-off Nike sneakers, houseware and food. It is a great place for gifts for both yourself and your loved ones back at home. It can be overwhelming since the place has hundreds of different stalls in rows, and the sales people can get aggressive. You should start bartering at less than half of what they offer you. I ended up buying sneakers, scarves and even some Vietnamese coffee to take home. 

Speaking of Vietnamese coffee...it is a must try. The beans are much different than ones we are used to. They are stronger, darker, almost bitter because of the way they are roasted. It is almost always served iced, with sweetened condensed milk. And it is amazing. It definitely gives you a different type of caffeine high but the taste is what made me want to buy it and bring it back to the US. Hopefully I can make it using the same technique you do and remember all the days we sat on a sidewalk café here on the streets and enjoyed cà phê đá! 

I also highly recommend going to Ben Thanh Street Food Market for dinner. It is about a block and a half from the main market and has little stalls with a million and one delicious food options. It is like upscale street food and is a good and inexpensive way to try a variety of Asian food.

I wanted to point out some of the other wonderful Vietnamese dishes I had while living here. Here I am focusing on their noodle soups which they are definitely known for.

Bun Cha Ha Noi

Grilled pork with rice noodles and vegetables. Absolutely amazing broth

One of many Pho Bo bowls I ate (Beef Rice Noodle Soup)

This one is from a chain called Pho 24. Really great with fresh herbs on the side

Next, one of my favorite new dishes, Bahn Xeo - these are known as savory Vietnamese crepes and I absolutely loved them. The outer part is made with rice flour, eggs and turmeric, so it tastes somewhat like a crispy omelette. It is traditionally stuffed with shrimp, pork, and a healthy serving of bean sprouts. But I saw variations on these with choices of other seafood and vegetables. It is eaten by cutting up the crepe into strips, wrapping it in lettuce leaves, and dipping it into an accompanying sweet sauce. By the end of my time in Vietnam I was having one several times a week. It is healthy, naturally gluten free, and incredibly tasty.

With the accompanying lettuce, herbs and sauce.

Banh Xeo 46A - recommended by Anthony Bourdain