What’s there to do in Ho Chi Minh? If like me you’ve already been to the musts like the Reunification Palace, the Ben Thanh Market, and the Opera House – it’s  time to discover the food and drinks of Saigon. 

Why not? Wear your casual shorts and sneaks and line up for Bun Cha at 145 Bui Vien. It’s a 20-seater place that’s on Trip Advisor so you can tell there are more tourists than locals. But it’s a friendly place to learn how to eat a Hanoi favourite, Bun Cha. Portioned rice noodles, a bowl of meatballs, grilled pork soaking in a mix of Nuoc mam (fish sauce), a plate of assorted leaves and vegetables, and a small serving of chopped garlic and chilies – mix it all together and eat and slurp. You may order spring rolls as an extra treat. Since you want others to be able to sit too, you pay and leave right after eating; no sitting around due to the limited capacity of the place. 

On the same street about 30 steps to the right is Cong Caphe, a local coffee chain famous for its Coconut coffee — a cool blended drink of rich Vietnamese coffee and icy coconut milk and syrup. Very cool and very local. Lactose-free too. Hang out and enjoy the free wifi while taking your time in this cool cafe until you’re ready to hit the road again.

Walk around the streets but remember to stay on the road as sidewalks are occupied by parked motorcycles. If you need to cross, look straight ahead and allow the motorcycle drivers to avoid you. Do not ever stop in the middle of the road as that may cause a domino effect of one rider being bumped behind by the next rider if they stop for you. 

To sample the best Banh Mi, take a cab or Grab car to Bakery Huynh Hoa on Le Ti Rieng and from 3:30PM they serve a queue of locals and tourists a standard VND38,000 a piece of a thick, ‘meatful’ Baguette served with all the fixin’s - pepper, onion, pork floss, four kinds of meat inside a freshly baked baguette. There is another banh mi shop a few steps from it- but it’s not the one locals go to. 

Coffee, Banh mi, and Bun Cha – done. You can now relax and probably go for a swim at the hotel. Before you know it, the sun is setting, and it’s time for cocktails.  

The next day you may want to visit another area and check out the Notre Dame cathedral and walk along the tree-lined Dong Khoi for some local shopping. If you feel like having a treat after shopping, check out any of the foot spa or massage places. I found a spa right beside another food destination called Chava La Vong on Ton That Thiep – just off Nguyen Hue (say “Wing Way”) – the main pedestrian street (closed to traffic on weekend nights). Chaca la Vong is another Hanoi specialty which is now also in Saigon. It’s turmeric-flavoured catfish cubes cooked with dill leaves, chives and eaten with a special fish sauce and lime. Instead of rice, you eat it with rice noodles. 

Do the foot spa first before lunch, then walk around the area for some local food specialties or shopping for handicrafts and souvenirs. Try the Pho Ga (chicken) or the Beef Pho. The hot soup will make you sweat and cool you down. Pho Hoa on Pasteur Street is a famous destination. But Pho Hung is also tasty and is a good choice. It’s a chain of pho shops like Pho 24, (now a Jollibee company).

After trying the musts of Vietnamese cuisine along the streets like Banh Mi and Bun Cha, you may want to sit in the comforts of a rooftop restaurant for dinner with a view of the city. Make reservations at SH Garden on Nguyen Hue. You ride an antique elevator like those in small European hotels. An escort locks you in to make sure you get safely to the top floor; another wait staff unlocks the car (it fits four adults comfortably) as you reach the top floor. 

SH Garden is an experience in sampling many kinds of regional cuisines – three from soft shell crabs to the usual shrimps wrapped in sugar cane. It’s also worth trying the Ban Xiao —a crepe with shrimps and pork, which you wrap in vegetable leaves, and dip in fish sauce. It’s also time to try the Saigon Special – a local pale Pilsen or pale beer. It’s okay to ask for ice in your beer as it is always so warm in Ho Chi Minh.  

Most tourists stay in the area around Nguyen Hue and Dong Khoi and the area teems with many shops selling coffee beans, breads, and souvenirs. I personally like the quiet in District 5; it’s also not crowded and gives one a good place for rest and relaxation. It’s near District 3 or the French area and actually next door to District 1. 

In Ho Chi Minh City, it’s okay to ride from one place to another. Walking is best done in the parks and along the pedestrian way in Nguyen Hue (like Shanghai’s Nanjing Xi Lu). Other than these places, sidewalks are hard to come by. 

Check out this destination on your next weekend out. It’s a warm place with good food and great coffee, and lots of local fruits and vegetables. On my last day, I walked along Dong Du and found a surprise— a vegetarian haven called, Hum. And they have good ways of introducing an all-vegetarian menu. Find time to eat at Hum – a nice experience even if you’re not vegetarian. 

Ho Chi Minh is a good place to visit for a weekend or a foodie trip. The weather is so like Manila, you won’t miss home. In fact, they also have Jollibee serving Chicken Joy in about a hundred locations… it brings out the Pinoy pride in me. 

Well that’s Ho Chi Minh for you. It’s a little different but so much reminds you of home; Chicken Joy included.