Street Food Savvy
-
Port
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam
-
Activity Level
Moderate Activity
-
Excursion Type
All
-
Wheelchair Accessible
No
-
Starting At (prices in USD)
$180
-
Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
-
Duration
Approximately 5 Hours
-
Meals Included
Meals included
This is your chance to discover part of what makes Ho Chi Minh City tick with a glimpse into local herbal medicine and its culture of street food.
Begin with a visit to the FITO Museum -- a captivating treasure trove of Vietnamese herbal medicine. Explore the vast collection of ancient remedies and learn about the rich history of traditional healing practices. The philosophy here is that medical treatment (whether herbal or scientific) is made more effective if it is undertaken in concert with a healing diet of healthy food.
Perhaps not quite as health-oriented, but nonetheless delicious, the fare found at the famous Saigon Street Food Market demonstrates how to live and eat like a local. Stroll with your guide to learn about the Vietnamese diet and the availability of various staples and unusual (to the Western palate) foods.
Next, head to the Ben Thanh (Saigon) Market, best known for down-home Vietnamese food. A number of vendors and food stalls in the market's food section offer dishes freshly made to the order, including Vietnamese pancake (banh xeo), fresh spring rolls (goi cuon), Hue cakes (banh beo) and Vietnamese noodle soup (pho). Chef Gordon Ramsey visited this same market when he filmed a television show here in Vietnam.
Ngon Restaurant offers an extensive menu of foods gathered from the North to the South. The concept behind the restaurant was to bring together many different street vendors under one roof. They produce, in a compact venue, a range of classic Vietnamese dishes from all around the country with the flair, independence and simplicity of the impressive local street fare. Lunch is served here.
Feel free to participate in the demonstrations along with the local chefs at some of the food counters before the tour ends.
Please note:
Wear comfortable walking shoes.