“Don’t go to Bến Thành Market!” i would say. “It’s just a bunch of overpriced food,” I would inadvertently tell friends visiting from elsewhere. Yet when avoidance is futile, one finds a way. Instances of necessity made it crucial to seek out good food around the market’s vicinity, and I can say with confidence that I’ve succeeded.
This list wasn’t made just for a potentially scandalous title. It’s a great summary on how to spend half a day at Ho Chi Minh City’s 150-year-old central market while enjoying 5 best food places for less than US$20 a head.
Yes, that includes a full meal at a French bistro, so keep reading!
Bún mộc Thanh Mai
Address: 14 Trương Định Street, Bến Thành Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Just steps away from Bến Thành Market at Saigon’s “Halal Street” (Nguyễn An Ninh Street) is ironically the city’s centre’s most famous place to sample bún moc (often also spelled bún mộc), a Northern Vietnamese mixed meatball and ham vermicelli soup dish featuring a broth made from pork ribs.
Different sizes are available but we opted for a VND60,000 small and VND80,000 for a large premium bowl.
The broth is crystal clear, featuring a good amount of umami, but the ultimate reason to visit is for the assortment of Vietnamese hams. If you don’t want to eat Vietnamese ham in a bánh mì, this is a foolproof alternative.
Bánh Canh Cua Bà Già chợ Bến Thành
Address: Near Gate 7, Bến Thành Market, Bến Thành Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Apart from bún riêu, I personally consider bánh canh to be a quintessentially Vietnamese dish that one should not miss when visiting Bến Thành market.
You could offensively or comically insist that bánh mì is just a variant of a French baguette sandwich, but bánh canh cua, or thick rice noodle soup with crabmeat, is relatively immune to that sort of double reverse cultural appropriation.
The S-shaped country offers several regional variants of the popular dish, and Bến Thành Market’s version at Gate 7 (Cửa số 7) facing Phan Chu Trinh street is an exemplary thick tapioca noodle type with a red starchy broth, crab, pork trotters and soft meatball.
VND70,000 for small and VND90,000 for a maxed-out size serving.
Cocotte Lê Thánh Tôn
Address: 136 Lê Thánh Tôn Street, Bến Thành ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
In urban picturesque Alley 136 Lê Thánh Tôn just about 50 metres away by foot from Bến Thành Market is popular French bistro Cocotte, a household name amongst both French expatriates living in the city. For years, they’ve also maintained the unspoken title of must-visit destination for Japanese and Taiwanese travellers who demand authentic French food when stopping by Saigon.
We mean everything from authentic Beef Bourguignon to Salade Niçoise and Duck Magret, served with amazing in-house mini French sourdough baguettes that are unfortunately available only when you dine-in. (Yes, we’ve tried, and also failed every time, to buy them for takeaway.)
The French sauces are rich, most mains less than VND200,000 (US$7.80), and the vibes are a perfect mix of al fresco European and Saigon backalley.
By the way, if you happen to be a Michelin-junkie, Michelin-selected Vietnamese Diner Bếp Mẹ Ỉn is also neighbour, but we think the relentless queues there might convince you to pick Cocotte instead.
Bánh bèo Huế chợ Bến Thành
Location: Near Gate 7, Bến Thành Market, Bến Thành ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam’s old imperial capital Hue is a culinary destination for many reasons and here’s one — countless traditional Vietnamese rich cakes, or bánh, featuring wildly different textures.
In Saigon, hue cakes are popularly consumed on a mix plate splattered with sweetened fish sauce, shrimp floss and croutons. At Bến Thành Market’s Bánh bèo Huế kiosk right beside the crab Bánh Canh we mentioned earlier, just VND30,000 (USD1.20) will get you a mix of bánh nậm, bánh ít, bánh bột lọc and Vietnamese ham.
The namesake bánh bèo is the star of the show — soft and tiny dimpled rice cakes that gently absorb the sauce for a perfect summertime treat. Opt to add the nem chua (fermented pork) too if you like a touch of sourness.
Maison Marou Café (Bến Thành Market Branch)
Location: 144 Lê Thánh Tôn street, Bến Thành ward, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh City.
If you’re a regular foreign visitor to the city, this name will not be new to you.
But perhaps you don’t yet know that Saigon’s most beloved Chocolatier now has a cafe right opposite Bến Thành Market on Lê Thánh Tôn street.
Calling themselves Vietnam’s finest artisan chocolate maker, Marou sources local cacao grown in 6 provinces — Mekong Delta (Tiền Giang, Bến Tre), Southeast (Đồng Nai, Bà Riạ) and Central Highlands (Đắk Lăk, Lâm Đồng).
Combining single origin chocolate with different tasting notes with innovative flavors devised from local ingredients such as coconut, chilli, cashew and more, it’s no wonder Marou Chocolate has become a favourite chocolatier and patisserie for both locals and visitors.
Other food & drink suggestions near Bến Thành Market
Phở Việt Nam
Popular Michelin-selected pho restaurant that happens to be the only pho spot in town that makes pho noodles from scratch.
Hủ Tiếu Mì Cật
Al dente Chinese noodles served with your choice of xá xíu (char siu) and/or pork offal.
Okkio Cafe
Adorable hole-in-the-wall specialty cafe that’s very photogenic.
Giò chả Minh Châu
Artisanal Vietnamese ham and sticky rice snack maker a short walk away from Bến Thành market.
Coi Gift Shop
A souvenir store popular with Japanese tourists, Coi Gift Shop focuses on handmade toiletries and specialty snacks such as artisanal coconut candy.
