Exploring the streets of Ho Chi Minh on the back of a motorbike is an incredible way to get around the city, and we did just that on a street food tour with Street Food Man, declared by both Mr B and I as one of the best food tours we have ever done!
We had a private tour, the communication beforehand was excellent and our guides came to pick us up directly from our hotel. That was the start of our adventure with our wonderful guides Tanya and Harry, who, after discovering we were novices at hopping on a motorbike, gave us a quick how-to on getting on and off.
We were in very safe hands and whether on the manic roads or bustling side streets, we were very safe and comfortable with Tanya and Harry’s excellent driving skills.
Our first stop was to try Bánh Xèo and Bánh Khọt, Vietnamese pancakes. We got to see them being made which was a great start, then we got to tuck in, with a local how-to guide from Tanya and Harry who talked us through all the wonderful fresh herbs we could add and the tasty dipping sauces.
We were offered a choice of drinks and both opting for a refreshing beer, Tanya also ensured we got to try the refreshing iced tea.
The large pancake, Bánh Xèo, was packed with so much tasty filling, prawns, pork, squid, bean sprouts, mung bean, wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Oh my gosh! What a taste sensation, so much texture and depth of flavour, what an incredible start to our food journey with Street Food Man!
The small pancakes (Bánh Khọt) were served with a coconut sauce, I dunked mine in the dipping sauce and wow! I was in love, so much so I had three of them! I loved the texture of the pancake which, unlike its large counterpart, was thick and slightly doughy, topped with a fat juicy prawn and flavourful pork. They were just a wonderful mouthful of flavours.
Next we visited The Nguyen Thien Thuat apartment buildings. The apartments constructed in 1968 were originally built for the American soldiers during the Vietnam war. They are now homes with an array of businesses. Walking around was fantastic, soaking up the atmosphere and seeing a glimpse of real life in Ho Chi Minh.
We then went to visit the food night market. Walking through the streets, being amazed at the sights and smells, Tanya answered all our questions on what certain dishes were. Just walking around was a fun experience in itself!
We finished our walk with lovely Harry waiting for us with our drink of choice, fresh sugarcane juice. Ours was with cumquat, it was so refreshing, lovely and naturally sweet.
Our food tastings included a Vietnamese pizza – the base was rice paper which gave it a wonderful crunch. We both loved this pizza and Mr B and I ate the entire thing! We also had beef with lemongrass – the beef is cooked with the lemongrass through the centre which makes it lovely and aromatic. Harry got us a selection of dipping sauces, the chilli and BBQ were my favourite.
After that amazing tasting we walked through the adjacent flower market to get back to our motorbikes, but not before a stop off to admire the Vietnamese national flower, the lotus. Tanya showed us how to fold the petals and Mr B and I both had a go. At the end we were kindly gifted the flowers which we took back with us, such a special gift.
For our fifth food tasting, we stopped at Bò Kho Gánh which is featured in the Michelin guide. We were there to try the Vietnamese Beef Stew, Bò Kho. Served in a clay pot, the smells before we had even tasted got our mouths watering!
The beef fell apart, it was so tender and aromatic, the broth is incredibly tasty to drink on its own or, as I loved, dunking in pieces of Vietnamese baguette. Tanya showed us how to use beef stew and stuff a Vietnamese baguette for the most delicious sandwich we have ever had!
Driving to our next stop in District 5, I loved being able to see the city at night as we drove from place to place. When we arrived, we were treated to a cooling coconut ice cream served in a coconut bowl. The ice cream was very creamy and smooth, not too sweet and extremely refreshing.
Onto our final stop which included another 4 tastings! As we drove there, we got to see the city lit up from a different angle, I would never get tired of seeing the city and the sights and sounds it gave us.
Our final stop was to first sample 3 savoury dishes, Mr B and I both love seafood. Our first dish of crab was made even better as Tanya and Harry did all the hard work for us getting the crab out of the shell so we could enjoy the sweet juicy crab meat. The sauce it was in was extremely tasty, I could not resist mopping it up with the lovely Vietnamese baguette.
We then got to try some delicious, sweet scallops which were very fresh and another dish of fried chicken, which Mr B adored. The layers of fragrant chili and garlic made them very tasty.
To our surprise we were treated to a shot to ‘help our digestion!’. It was a homemade Forest Banana Sticky Rice Wine, which was lovely and smooth and went down a treat. Mr B and I couldn’t resist saying no to a second round of shots!
Our last tasting was to end on something sweet, the Vietnamese cream flan. Instead of it being topped with traditional caramel, ours was topped with coffee ice. Mr B and I fell in love the with Vietnamese coffee on our trip, so were delighted at this option.
I am a lover of desserts and really enjoyed this. The flan was sweet, the ice was cooling and the coffee sharp and refreshing.
This tour was an incredible way to try so much authentic and delicious Vietnamese food. But it was also so much more than that. Tanya and Harry taught us so much, from the history of the food, Vietnamese culture and local life.
If you are lucky enough to be in Ho Chi Minh, you have to book this tour, it is one you will never forget.
