- Mi Quang, the yellow noodles from Danang
Hailing from Danang, this Vietnamese Noodle Soup is comprised of yellow rice noodles in a chicken/pork broth. Local eateries serve it with an assortment of veggies and rice crackers for textural purposes. The turmeric based meat broth is usually used to just to barely cover the noodles and meat. The most common Mi Quang dish is made with Pork broth, served with Pork ribs, quail eggs and a prawn. If you truly want a spectacular bowl of Mi Quang, go to Danang, if you cant, go to our recommendations ⬇️
We like : Me Vui, D3
Located on the border of D3 & D1, Me Vui has so far been the only Mi Quang restaurant to satisfy our extremely demanding taste buds. Their broth has a nice, strong turmeric flavor, and the fish Mi Quang ( Mi Quang Ca Loc) is outstanding! Plus the service is extremely friendly! Price range 40-60K
Hours 7:00-19:30 | Address 41 Kỳ Đồng, Phường 9, Quận 3 Hồ Chí Minh
- Bun Bo Hue, A Member of Hue’s Royalty
This is probably Hue’s most recognized dish found across the country and is arguably the second most popular soup dish after Pho Bo. Its main ingredient is beef, however the predominant flavors which set it apart from its other robust counterparts include the elevated spiciness and the lemongrass. Accompanying the chunks of beef are the large cylindrical vermicelli noodles and a very rich beef broth.
Bun Bo Hue
We like : Bun Bo Hue Nhan Tri 2, D5
This epic Vietnamese noodle soup spot is located in the heart of bustling District 5. The richness of the beef broth is incomparable, the large pieces of meat are delectable, and their special “Dac Biet” version is most likely the largest bowl of soup you can have in Vietnam, packed with all manner of Pork and Beef chunks. This is an all-round home-run when it comes to one of Vietnam’s most ubiquitous broths. Price range 50k-120k.
Hours 9:00-21:00 | Address 758 Đường Trần Hưng Đạo, Phường 7, Quận 5
- Pho Bo, Needs No Introduction
Probably the most ubiquitous and recognized Vietnamese dish thanks to thousands of refugees who settled around the globe following the Vietnam war. This mighty dish is said to have originated in the North of the country where people contend it is saltier, in contrast to its sweeter southern counterpart. Made of beef bone broth, often boiled for over 8 hours, it produces a rich, sweet taste, accompanied by various types of beef cuts and thin rice noodles.
We like : Pho Tanh Binh, D1
Consistency and quality reigns supreme at this small family run pho spot. The broth is rich and perfectly hot, the chunks of meat are tender and the accompanying herbs are always fresh. Another plus for our readers is the location, at the edge of D1 but still quite accessible.
Hours (irregular) 11:00 -14:00, 17:00 – late | 18B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Đa Kao
- Banh Canh Cua, Crab Soup with Tapioca Noodles
Banh Canh is literally translated into Cake Soup, because of the thick, gelatinous noodles which makes up more than 50 % of the dish. The thick noodles are made of tapioca flour, contrasting quite sharply with the usual rice noodles found in most dishes in Vietnam. Accompanying these fantastic noodles, they make the broth from pork or/and crab meat, and of course the dish comes loaded with delicious chunks of crab meat. Usually a bowl of Banh Canh also comes and long pieces of buttery bread sticks to dip in the broth.
We like: Banh Canh Cua 14, D5
Banh Canh Cua 14 is a simple, no-frills spot with their own unique cilantro/lime dipping sauce for the crab chunks. What makes this spot stand out from the crowd is the outstandingly rich broth, fresh crab chunks and this unique sauce. We recommend sticking to the basics here and ordering the plain crab soup. Price range 45k-55K
Hours 7:00 – 23:00 | Address 215 Trần Bình Trọng, Phường 3, Quận 5
- Bun Rieu, a Tomato and Crab Soup.
This unique soup is served with a tomato and crab based broth and topped with freshwater crab paste, rice noodles, home made pork sausage and topped with an assortment of greens. The broth is somewhat sour and usually preferred by locals in the summer months.
We like: Quan Bun Rieu, Thao Dien
Situated in the heart of “ex-pat central”, this tiny, unassuming street stall is the definition of Saigon street food. Contrasting with the neighboring hipster cafes and breweries, this family run joint serves a rich broth choc-full of goodness. Price range 30K-50K.
Hours (irregular) 11:00-14:00 | Address 1 Đường Lê Văn Miến, Thảo Điền, Quận 2