Vietnam 26 V2
Recommended by: Ho Chi Minh’s grand niece Ate with: her, @jasontran Rating: 4.6/5 Things I enjoyed: the hole in the wall size of the spot and low stools to practice our Asian squat
Slurping Lil green pandan worms with grapefruit peel and coconut soup
Recommended by: Kimi’s friend Ate with: Phong, Kimi, @jasontran Rating: 3.5/5 Why? Because they forgot our order and after 39 mins of waiting they informed us that they ran out of cream so we’d need to order something else without cream, and then we waited another 17 minutes, before receiving a relatively mediocre lemon cold brew. Staff were also just clocked out. Interior was nice tho. *thoughts on a cool, random feature* If ratings, and other key notes from other people that were also there (are with) could show up on your own review as if it’s a kind of shared review thing. Then you could compare ratings/review etc
local nhau joint - full of uncs. not much more to be said. no english spoken here lol
The uncs here r unmatched
Local as fuck joint
Recommended by: our host Co Hong Anh Ate with: all the aunts, @jasontran Rating: 4/5 Why? Because it was yum, an immersive experience, and we ate plentiful
Luc chun ga
Co Hong Anh’s friend (ao Yai maker) dish of choice: Thing to get: Com zang zeu bo - toasted beef rice with pickled mustard green 4.3/5
Place of Gou Hong Anh’s ky niem
Old quarter joint rec by Gou Hong Anh
And break up spot
A popular student spot
The fried fermented pork roll street. Rec: Gou Hong Anh
*WOULD RECOMMEND* Ate with: @jasontran, Ho Chi Minh’s grand niece Rating: 4.55/5
Pho thing
Post-hoan kiem lake feed. energizing, herb forward, and a delicious morning awakenings
Mean chicky
A little stroke of nhau genius
Not bad, but as Jason said, would taste better cold with the perilla oil
*MUST GO* Recommended by: SUIKA viewer and fan Van, and also I believe by WOKBOI. Ate with: Van , @jasontran Rating; 4.5/5 Review: Very satisfied with this one. The duck came apart like two negative poles of a magnet - likely slow cooked for a good 4+ hours. Came with a modified Hoi sin sauce for dipping (essential), and the menu itself had extras like har gow and wontons to keep the mouth busy. Seems like a rather popular local hangout. Location and ambience of the restaurant felt particularly hit the spot, away from the tourist eye. Seemingly separate from the numbered districts - Thanh my tay.
Deliciously, succulently fork and chopstick tender leg of duck waddling (no longer) in a hearty bowl
*note for the creators* Where should one rate..here, or the one liner? Or a separate optional rating system? Anyway, this would be a 4.15/5
You must, and I repeat, must, ensure that you squeeze the kumquat into any bowl of nuoc Cham. It tastes bland and one dimensional without the citrus hit, and you’ll be wondering why Australian Vietnamese food tastes better. It’s because you need to season that shite yourself.
4.15/5 Not too bloody shabby of a bun Cha in this joint
Ate with: @jasonTran Rating: 3.5/5 (unsolicited psychic reading and sitting around as the shaman and other lady yapped their faces off in a mumble jumble of northern Vietnamese for nearly 2 hrs straight). Food was aight tho. Dishes: - shrimp on a plate - gai lan soup - thit heo quay - bi with heo - heo ankle stew + coconut meat - noodle soup
Unsolicited psychic facial reading into a sit down on the ground homecooked feed with shaman and co
Needed a pick me up after this heinous news.
Round 2 at this Bo Ne institution. Through the fire and flames comes a scorching hot plate of rare beef, pate and a sunny side up egg. A Build it yourself experience with airy fluffy banh mi. Times visited: 2 Ate with: @jasontran Recommended by: Simon Kim, Jess Mag Rating: 4.55/5
Banh mi but sizzlin
Ba banh mi was an absolute cracker. Had some good chats (in between her jestering threats to whack/punish (dao dan may) us for various unknown reasons) before agreeing to us filming her making us a banh mi. Not bad at all for a street vendor just parked outside our hotel. The nuoc mam addition is novel but works too.
Good yarn by the banh mi cart
Final meal and night in Saigon for 2026. Just before the heavens opened and the rain came thundering down, I managed to scoff down my last com tam and thit kho of the trip. No regrets Oh wait this was not that. This was just some com tam outside Ben thanh market. Still raining tho
One of the more challenging eats of this trip. Went through• duck embryo,• boiled snake + fried snake • rice field mice (grilled and fried) My conscience is glad to know we said no to the baba soft shell turtle, that would’ve haunted me for a lifetime. Sipping on tiger, chewing on boney scaley snake skin,, yarning in southern Vietnamese with our fellow my xuyen country men. A truly healing experience. Then karaoke with the uncs. Nhau at its finest.
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