Saigon: new kid on the foodie block

The Banh Beo Hue stall in Ben Thanh Market is very popular among the locals. Photo by Linh Nguyen

Asia’s top foodie cities have for long been Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong. Saigon’s a new kid on the block.

Australian magazine Traveller has included Saigon in its list of top ten foodie cities in Asia beyond Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

The magazine says Saigon is one of the best places in Asia to take to the streets and eat like a local. It recommends street stalls around the famous Ben Thanh market that serve “chicken and mushroom soup, pancakes, and seasoned beef with peanut sauce wrapped in leaves, all washed down with freshly sugarcane juice or cold beer.”

Other places on the magazine’s list include Taipei, Phnom Penh, Chiang Mai, Melaka, Mumbai, Kyoto and Seoul.

Last June, a survey by Booking.com, an e-commerce travel site, found that Saigon was among the best places in the world to take a local cuisine tour. It was also named among the best global food destinations.

Vietnam’s largest city has several plaudits from global gourmets.

Last year, Saigon was named among the world’s best food destinations by Caterwings, a site that offers online food ordering service in Europe.

Some of the dishes found on Saigon’s street corners have made it to all corners of the world, like the banh mi, a sandwich, is one of the top 20 must-try street foods in the world, according to Fodor’s Travel.

Source: e.vnexpress.net