Referring to Chinatown in Ho Chi Minh City, everyone immediately thinks of the Cho Lon area – a place that keeps the unique and attractive culinary quintessence.

The eateries in Chinatown are always loved by foodies because the sellers always keep their strong flavor over decades of existence. If you spend a whole day filling your stomach with Chinese cuisine, what are the typical dishes that you should enjoy?

Morning

1. An Duyen

Address: 15 Tran Dien, Ward 10, District 5

Price: 25,000 – 150,000 VND

Opening hours: 7:00 – 13:00 (closed on the 1st and 15th lunar month)

Photo: @foodholicvn H2, @coolbe1918

An Duyen is famous for its delicious Hainanese breakfast menu, including Cade Toast (Kaya Toast) dipped with egg yolks and soy sauce. Sipping a cup of hot milk tea or hot cow’s milk is the “right post”.

Photo: @anxoancyrus

2. Dim Sum

Address: 108B Xom Dat Street, Ward 8, District 11

Price: 20,000 VND

Opening hours: 6:00 – 8:30

This is a family restaurant, so it is quite small, but the menu is also very complete including: all kinds of dumplings (shrimp, meat, taro); dumplings (meat dumplings, char siu, kimsa) and fried wontons, rolls, shumai and sticky rice cakes. The dishes are steamed hot, the crust is soft, the filling is very good.

jаvascript:void(0)

Photo: @samlacareview, @cathyfoodaholic

Noon

1. Dong Nguyen Chicken Rice

Address: 801 Nguyen Trai, District 5

Price: 50,000 – 80,000 VND

Opening hours: 10:00 – 22:00

Dong Nguyen is one of the oldest famous rice stalls with nearly 80 years of trading. In addition to the famous boiled chicken rice and soy sauce chicken rice, the shop also sells nutritious stews such as: stewed pork brain with Northern medicine, stewed sea cucumber with tendons and flavorful stir-fried vegetables.

Photo: @Trangpinskyy, @nghigetsanotherplate

2. Vinh Phong Roast Duck

Address: 523 – 525 – 527 Phan Van Tri, Ward 7, District 5

Price: 100,000 VND – 1,100,000 VND

Opening hours: 05:30 – 21:00

For those who love roasted and grilled dishes, Vinh Phong roast duck restaurant is definitely not to be missed. This place attracts a lot of diners from other districts to enjoy because the quality of duck meat has received many “standard” compliments. Roasted meat is always hot, the sweetness of the meat blends with the crispy layer of the skin, making everyone eat it. Especially the dipping sauce served is an attractive combination of taste.

Photo: Hoang Trung Quan, Digiticket, Khoi Minh Vu

Late afternoon

1. Hong Phat Bakery

Address: 236/25 Hoa Hao, District 10

Price: 9,000 VND

Opening hours: 06:00 – 15:00

For more than 80 years, Hong Kong-style egg tarts have always captivated diners. The bakery is famous for its Hong Kong-style egg tart with a glossy golden egg filling, when eaten, you will feel the softness and delicious fatty taste. Since then, cake has become a favorite snack of Saigon people.

Photo: Do ​​Kim Ngan

2. Tan Da Coconut Cake

Address: 263 Hong Bang, Ward 11, District 5

Price: 40,000 – 55,000 VND

Opening hours: 08:00 – 18:00

Uncle’s bakery has been selling since the 1980s for more than 40 years now. Tan Da coconut cake is a brand from Chaozhou with a base of hot, fragrant coconut and cade. In addition, he also combines many other types of fillings for more variety such as: custard, durian, peanut…

Photo: @diadiemanuong, Hang Ha, @Saigonanuong

3. Hong Phong ginseng juice

Address: 154 Le Hong Phong, District 5

Price: 8,000 – 15,000 VND

Opening hours: 07:00 – 23:00

The shop here is super famous and always crowded with customers because the chrysanthemum ginseng drink is extremely fragrant, the taste is bar, not too sweet. There is nothing better than a day walking around the Chinese food court in the hot sun and making a glass of cool ginseng water.

Photo: @mysteriousaigon

Night

1. Citizen Fish Hot Pot

Address: 99 Chau Van Liem, District 5

Price: 50,000 – 110,000 VND

Opening hours: 16:00 – 22:00

If having dinner, hot pot is the most suitable choice. This is a long-standing hot pot restaurant and is famous for its traditional way of heating hot pot with charcoal. A high quality hot pot filled with toppings of shrimp, fish, fish balls, squid and vegetables. The hot pot here is very rich, served with vermicelli or yellow noodles. In addition, the shop also sells delicious dishes such as Duong Chau fried rice, shiitake mushrooms stuffed with shrimp, shrimp paste, … for you to choose from.

Photo: Kim Ngan

2. Tea Power Poles

Address: 476 Tran Hung Dao, Ward 14, District 5

Price: 10,000 – 20,000 VND

Opening hours: 16h30 – 21h00

After enjoying the main dishes throughout the Cho Lon neighborhood, you should switch to a cool dessert with tea. Different from other types of tea in Saigon, tea in Cho Lon is less sweet and less fatty. Some famous tea dishes to mention here are: egg tea, Cao Quy Linh, stewed papaya, ginkgo, black sesame tea, almond tea, ..

Photo: @Vivian Le, Nguyen Anh Kiet