To write about Asia and not include a segment dedicated to street food seems low-key criminal. Every street is occupied by a multitude of street vendors, showcasing a variety of local cuisine. I am going to have to base this story around Saigon, which in my opinion is the most intense and authentic street food experience I have found so far. This is due mainly to the absolute scale of street food vendors per square metre. Saigon is a city that never sleeps, it is booming with life. Its heartbeat is a mixture of the epic vibration of the excessive amount of motorbikes whizzing around, mixed with the various chants of the vendors, and lastly the pounding sound of EDM music or karaoke rising from the street corners of either western nightclubs or Asian street bars. Saigon is consistently booming. Before you even walk down a street, vendors are usually cycling past with a speaker and a cooker attached to their vehicle, repeating ‘Bánh bao’ (a stuffed Vietnamese bun) over and over. When you do decide to walk down a street, you will be greeted at least twice per step by vendors. The first street I walked down, I bought two items. Firstly, a young coconut- which was absolutely divine and hugely common in Vietnam. They crack off the top and give you a straw. The sips are heavenly, with the coconut juice being cool and refreshing. We went back to ask the vendor to chop open the coconut and we ate what we could off the pieces which I highly recommend doing. The second item I bought was mango slices. I was charged rather highly for them (in relative terms) and they were pretty under ripe and underwhelming. This dichotomy of experience is pretty much how I would summarise Vietnamese street food. It is either an absolute gem of a find and super value, or you get ripped off and sold something that is not what you expected, and at times, unappetising.
As a vegetarian, I have recently been in flux and slip to pescetarian when I feel that I am not offered the choice of something I deem as satisfying my needs, whether it is due to a lack of protein, too unhealthy or just unappetising. I have to admit, I have struggled in Vietnam to find decent vegetarian food so far street food-wise. For example, I would order Pho and find that underneath all of the delicious steamy Thai basil and chilies, would be floating fish or meat at times. Lost in translation, unfortunately, which has happened a few times. Recently, we headed out for some street food, and as I tried to translate and communicate ‘no meat’ to the street vendor who consistently shook her head, a little angel emerged from the crowd in the form of a small Vietnamese lady. She had understood what I had said and decided to bring me into the depths of the market to a place she said was ‘her favourite spot’, turns out she was veggie too. When we arrived, I took a little blue seat beside the female street vendor our veggie angel had brought us to. I was handed a bowl of noodles, peanuts, handfuls of fresh leaves- coriander and Thai basil, chilies and Vietnamese spring rolls filled with mushrooms and deep-fried. This meal cost me 25,000 dong, the equivalent of €1. It was a divine experience.
In Saigon, there are many bakeries with unreal baked goods. The mixture of colonial french cuisine infused with Asian locality brings vibrant and authentic food items. When we were in Saigon, we came across these pink bread rolls for sale. It turns out that the owners, ABC Bakery, had begun selling pink bread made with dragon fruit that had gone unsold due to the corona-virus outbreak in mid-February. It was delicious and a perfect example of Vietnam and its resourcefulness, which was portrayed in the wars and how their resourcefulness, alongside their strength, made them the victors in the end.
Some of the most famous Vietnamese food, in my opinion, is so unique due to its defined simplicity. Take Morning Glory, for example, a rural food item that plays a large part in the nation’s culinary identity. Morning Glory is a green plant that comes from the same family as water spinach. It is usually served cooked and soaked in soy sauce and garlic. It is cheap but rich in Vietnamese food culture, and flavour. I recommend a helping of Morning Glory to match with a phat stack of vegetable fried rice, which you can also access everywhere at a low price.
Lastly, the ultra-famous and ultra-delicious BAHN MI.
I am personally going to put on a stone in weight solely due to eating Bahn mi's, they are too good. What is a Bahn mi you ask? Well, it is the perfect blend of French and Asian cuisine. Here is my favourite version, which is found at every Bahn mi street vendor, which are usually found on every street of Vietnam from what I can gather so far- so, one super fresh, soft yet crispy baguette, one layer of laughing cow cheese, one layer of Thai basil, one layer of chili sauce, one layer of fried egg and there you go, the ideal Bahn mi, at the ideal price- usually 20,000 dong- less than a euro. If in doubt street food-wise, you can NEVER go wrong with a Bahn mi. There are many variations that you can get, make sure to ask around for recommendations, as you can usually find some unique and creative combinations in specific places- all hail Banh Mi Phuong!
There is a well-versed story of food poisoning associated with street food. I have dodged the bullet so far, however, at times I have had a sore stomach which hasn't resulted in anything too extreme. My advice? Try out the street food, it is part of the culture and you are missing out on an interesting and most of the time fulfilling experience. However, if you try a dish and you don't like it, that's okay too. There is also the well-versed story that all street food is AMAZING. I also disagree with this narrative, I have had some street food that I just didn't like. Don't believe the hype, either way, not every single piece of street food will make you violently sick, and not every bit of street food will be super exciting and tasty. Use your intuition, we have gone to places on the street that looked extremely run down and uninviting, but turned out to be great. We have gone to sit-down restaurants that looked magical and were magical, but have also been ripped off and served average food. Either way, take a wander down the streets and see where you end up, no doubt many hidden gems are waiting at every corner.
P.s hidden gems list on request x
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