TYPICAL CHINESE DISHES IN SAIGON CHINA TOWN

Saigon, a splendid and colorful city, is not only famous for its rich culture but also for its unique cuisine, including Chinese cuisine. The Chinese came to Saigon many centuries ago, bringing with them unique culinary traditions, creating an indispensable part of the city's culinary culture.

Great dim sum

Dimsum, also known as dim sum, is one of the most typical dishes of Chinese cuisine. In Saigon, this dish has been transformed and developed to suit Vietnamese tastes better but still retains its original identity.

Popular dim sum dishes in Saigon

In Saigon, you can find many attractive dim sum types such as:

Bao: Bao is made from soft flour, and filled with delicious pork or chicken. The special thing is that the filling is often prepared with traditional spices, bringing a rich flavor.

Siu Mai: This is an indispensable dish on any dim sum menu. Siu mai is usually minced pork, shiitake mushrooms, and spices. The highlight is the thin, chewy crust, which helps to enhance the rich flavor of the filling inside.

Banh cuon: This dish is made from rice flour, and then rolled with fillings such as shrimp, meat, or vegetables. When eaten, banh cuon will be dipped in soy sauce or sweet and sour fish sauce, creating an irresistible flavor.

Not only is dim sum delicious, but it is also an interesting experience when you can enjoy it in the cozy space of tea shops or luxurious restaurants.

Places to eat delicious dim sum in Saigon

1/ San Fu Lou - Cantonese Kitchen at Vincom Center Dong Khoi

Address: Basement B3, Vincom Center Dong Khoi, 72 Le Thanh Ton, Ben Nghe, District 1, HCMC.

2/ Saigon Xiao Mei

938 Tran Hung Dao, Ward 7, District 5, HCMC.

877-879 Tran Hung Dao, Ward 1, District 5, HCMC.

157 Vo Van Tan, Ward 6, District 3, HCMC.

3/ Yu Chu

Address: Corner of Hai Ba Trung - Le Duan Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC.

Stew - The Essence of Chinese Cuisine

Soup is an indispensable dish in Chinese meals, especially on cold days. Soup is usually cooked from meat, bones, and vegetables, bringing a refreshing taste.

The ingredients for making stew soup are very diverse, from chicken, and duck to seafood. To have a delicious pot of soup, you need to simmer it for a long time and use natural spices to create a unique flavor.

Typical stewed soups:

Black chicken soup with Chinese herbs: Black chicken soup with Chinese herbs is not only delicious but also very nutritious, suitable for people who need to recover their health, pregnant women, and people with nutritional deficiencies. Lotus root

soup: Lotus root soup is one of the Chinese soups that is easy to eat and easy to cook. This soup has a sweet and cool taste is nutritious, and is suitable for people with bleeding. Carp

and radish soup: Chinese carp and radish soup helps to nourish blood, reduce fat, and is very good for bowel movements. The soup has a milky white broth, sweet with the taste of radish and carp, with a hint of warm ginger aroma, very suitable for cold rainy days.

Stomach soup stewed with green pepper: Stomach soup stewed with green pepper is also a warm soup that many people love. This soup is very good for malnourished children, treating night sweats...

Places to enjoy stew in Saigon.

1/ KowLoon Dimsum - Cuu Long Quan

Address: 74 - 76 Bui Huu Nghia, Ward 7, District 5

2/ An Duyen Food and Drink Cho Lon

Address: 15 Tran Dien, Ward 10, District 5

3/ RaoHe - Taiwanese cuisine

Address: 119 Pham Van Chieu, Ward 14, Go Vap District

Quang Dong rice rolls

are different from Vietnamese rice rolls in that they are made by hand instead of in a steamer. Rice rolls have a variety of fillings including char siu, eggs, minced pork, shrimp, and beef. The dipping sauce is the factor that keeps many diners coming back. Soy sauce with a little shrimp satay, with the aroma of garlic and lemongrass, makes the dish more flavorful. Rice rolls are chewy, soft, and thin, so they are not greasy to eat.

Places to enjoy Cantonese rice rolls in Saigon

1/ Cantonese rice rolls

Address: 26 Duong Dinh Nghe, Ward 8, District 11

2/ HongKong Rice Rolls - Phung Hung

Address: 189/1 Phung Hung, Ward 14, District 5, HCMC

3/ Hanh Phuc Ky Cantonese Rice Rolls

Address: 681 Nguyen Trai Street, Ward 11, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City

Peking Duck

This is a familiar specialty in Chinese cuisine in Vietnam. To make delicious Peking duck, chefs will choose large, fat ducks with thin skin. They are plucked, cleaned, and marinated with malt and many spices from red vinegar, sugar, and salt to five-spice powder... then wait for a while for the spices to soak into the skin. When eating, you will feel the spices are evenly distributed.

When roasting, people will put the duck on a tree and rotate it to cook evenly. To let the inside of the duck cook, the chef will put water in the duck's belly and when the water boils, it will help the duck meat cook from the inside. The characteristic of Peking duck is that after being roasted, it will have a dark yellow, crispy skin that looks very attractive and gives off a fragrant aroma that stimulates the taste buds.

Places to enjoy Cantonese rice rolls in Saigon

1/ Dim Tu Tac Restaurant

Dong Du Branch: 55 Dong Du, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

Tan Son Nhat Branch: 2nd Floor - 202 Hoang Van Thu, Ward 9, Phu Nhuan District

Tran Hung Dao Branch: 29B Tran Hung Dao, Ward 6, District 5

Saigon Centre Branch: 6th Floor, Saigon Centre - 65 Le Loi, Ben Nghe, District 1

Estella Place Branch: 4th Floor, Estella Place - 88 Song Hanh, An Phu, District 2

2/ Ngan Dinh

Address: 52-54-56 Dong Khoi, District 1, HCMC - 028 3982 6688

5th Floor, Windsor Plaza Hotel, 18 An Duong Vuong, District 5, HCMC

3/ Dragon Palace Restaurant

Address: 2Bis Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Ward Da Kao, District 1

Conclusion

Chinese cuisine in Saigon not only brings delicious dishes but also contains many stories and emotions. Each dish is a work of art, showing the sophistication and skill of the chef. Hopefully, this article has helped you gain a deeper insight into Chinese cuisine in Saigon and ignited your passion for culinary exploration.