A Michelin-starred chef’s favourite Ho Chi Minh City eats

When the Michelin guide launched in Vietnam in June, Peter Cuong Franklin’s Anan Saigon was the only restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City to gain a star. The Vietnamese American chef, who was born and raised in central Vietnam, specialises in Cuisine Moi, or New Vietnamese Cuisine. This style of cooking is imbued with a profound respect for history and tradition alongside a distinctly progressive outlook. That comes partly from Cuong Franklin’s training at the famed culinary education institution Le Cordon Bleu, as well as his time cooking in top global kitchens including Caprice in Hong Kong and Alinea in Chicago. 

Few people are as qualified to recommend dining destinations that truly embody the essence of authentic Vietnamese cuisine. At Cuong Franklin’s five Ho Chi Minh City picks, a combination of flavour, texture and atmosphere is guaranteed. 

1. Quan Co Lan 

Bun Mam, fermented fish noodle  

This spot is very local. Every day for lunch, the cook does a different fermented fish noodle soup called bun mam. The soup contains roast pork, prawn, eggplant and fried fish paste, but the core is the broth. She uses two kinds of fermented fish in the sauce, giving it a full-on Mekong Delta flavour, balanced with sugar and tamarind paste. Similar to Thailand’s Isaan region, the Mekong is a poor area where people would leave to find work in the city, bringing their food with them. You’ll also find a very strong Chinese influence in its cuisine. For me, this lady is better than Anthony Bourdain’s “Lunch Lady”, which is saying something.   

Stall at the corner of Ton That Dam and Huynh Thuc Khang streets, District 1 

2. Pho Tien  

Pho, beef noodle soup   

I eat here because it’s within walking distance from my restaurant, but also because it’s a family-run Hanoi-style pho restaurant. The broth has a very beefy flavour, while the noodle is Hanoi-style, meaning velvety soft with a hint of ginger, similar to some Hong Kong noodle dishes. They use minimal herbs – just a few pieces of coriander, no bean sprouts or chilli. You can tell they really care about the broth and use different cuts of brisket. They dry the beef outside first to get rid of the blood, making for a very clean broth and a raw beef taste. It’s the old-school way, and very few places take the time and care to do this. 

88 Ngo Duc Ke, Ben Nghe, District 1 

3. Ngoc Xuyen 

Banh mi sandwiches 

When it comes to banh mi, people gravitate towards the famous versions which look like sub sandwiches. They’re huge, but I prefer simpler ones such as those at Ngoc Xuyen. They serve a much more balanced sandwich, especially in terms of meat, as they are still first and foremost a charcuterie shop. People buy their pâté and cold cuts to take home and make something special, as it really is better quality. The classic Saigon version is seasoned with everything from mayonnaise to Maggi sauce, chilli, cucumber, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs and spring onion.  

41 Bis Tran Quoc Toan, Phuong Vo Thi Sau, District 3 

4. Com Tam Nguyen Van Cu

Com tam, broken rice with grilled pork

This classic Saigon dish of pork cooked on the grill can’t be missed. They marinate it for a long time to give it a lot of flavour. Cooking it outside also ensures that the smoky aromas attract you as you walk by. The bone-in pork chop is two or three times the normal size, served with broken rice and fried egg. A good sign here – and generally for local restaurants – is that they’re not open all day. It means that they care about the product, as once they open 24/7, something has to give – and it’s usually the quality. 

74 D. Nguyen Van Cu, Phuong Nguyen Cu Trinh, District 1

5. Tiem Com Tho Chuyen Ky 

Com Tho, Cantonese-style rice bowl

The Chinatown area of Ho Chi Minh City is full of good Cantonese eateries, but my go-to is conveniently located in District 1 in Cho Cu wet market on Ton That Dạm Street. They have been in business since 1948 and are one of the last surviving Chinese restaurants in the centre of the city. The rice is served with chicken or beef and ginger in stone pots, but don’t miss the lap xuong, our Vietnamese version of lap cheong Chinese sausage. Their double-steamed baby black chicken with black seaweed and Chinese herbal medicine is amazing: flavourful with a dark, soothing and clean broth, like the best French chicken consommé.

65-67 Ton That Dam, Ben Nghe, District 1