July 6th, 2006
What recommendations do you have about eating in Vietnam?
I strongly recommend you try the small local restaurants, especially the street kitchens which consist of a few tables and a stove in an open-fronted dining area. They usually specialise in one type of food (often com and pho - rice dishes or noodle soups respectively). Sometimes there will be a range of prepared dishes on display like a buffet, called com binh dan (people’s meals), where you just point at what you want. Often the quality is extremely good, the food is cheap (under $1 for a good plateful) and it’s a great experience.
The key is to choose carefully. Look for clean places with a high turnover and where the ingredients on display look fresh. If you see the food cooked in front of you, all the better. Even so, you can never be one hundred percent sure, but I know more people who’ve been struck down with food poisoning or stomach upsets after eating in upmarket restaurants than from patronising street kitchens.
Expensive restaurants usually price their menus in dollars. In the middle of the range it could be in either dollars or dong, but at this level prices are often not indicated at all, which makes for tedious ordering as you go through each dish. It’s worth doing, however, to avoid a nasty shock at the end of the meal. Watch out for the extras as well: peanuts, hot towels and packs of tissues on the table may be added to the bill even in untouched. Ask for them to be removed if you don’t want them.
Finally, eat early. Though places in the south (especially in HCMC) tend to stay open longer, outside the main cities and tourist areas restaurants rarely serve beyond 8pm.