Saigon’s closest seaside resort town, Vũng Tàu, is just a 1 1/2 hour hydrofoil ferry ride from District 1. Ferries depart from the Saigon River dock at the end of Nguyen Hue Street in District 1 at least a half-dozen times each day.
The small coastal city is a popular weekend getaway for many of Saigon’s residents wanting to escape the chaos of Saigon’s streets and enjoy the cool breezes that sweep in from the Southeast Asia Sea (formerly South China Sea) across Vũng Tàu each evening.
Vũng Tàu is definitely NOT a spectacular tourist beach resort, like Vietnam’s more famous Phu Quoc or Hoi An. It’s just a peaceful town where you can enjoy a gentle day hanging around cafes, relaxing in seaside parks, walking along some sandy beaches (I’m not so sure about actually swimming there), or visiting a Buddhist pagoda with breathtaking views of the Southeast Asia Sea.
But, more than for its beaches, Vũng Tàu is famous for its bánh khọt – a small, deep-fried rice cake that has locals lined-up outside many of the town’s small eateries.
If you only have a limited time to enjoy Vietnam, I don’t put Vũng Tàu near the top of my list of recommended Vietnam must-sees. BUT, I do place bánh khọt near the top of my Vietnam must -eats!
Fear not … there is a way for you to enjoy your cake (bánh khọt rice cake), and eat it too (in Saigon) at Bánh Khọt Co Ba Vũng Tàu in District 3.
The week, before I temporarily returned to California for my shoulder surgery, I invited my good friend, Tan, to enjoy a farewell meal at Bánh Khọt Co Ba Vũng Tàu. Every time I eat there, without exception, I leave thinking, “What a great meal – healthy, delicious, and inexpensive”! My dinner there with Tan did not disappoint us.
We ordered our usual – bánh khọt and bánh xèo.
The deep-fried bánh khọt, made with rice flour, shrimps, mung beans, scallions, and chili were fresh, crispy, and flavorful.
We wrapped the small crispy cakes in a dark leafy green together with a few herbs to spike the flavor, added a dollop of shredded green papaya that had been marinated in fish sauce, and finally dipped them in sweetened fish sauce again spiked with chili. Heavenly!
After the bánh khọt, Tan and I shared a large bánh xèo.
Typically, I order bánh xèo with pork, shrimp and mushrooms. This time we agreed to explore a new option –bánh xèo with shrimp and “coconut throat”. Oh my god! What an amazing food item! The hearts of palm, the slivers of pork, and the steamed bean sprouts filling the crispy pan-fried Vietnamese “pancake” was perhaps the best bánh xèo I’ve enjoyed this year.
Bánh Khọt Co Ba Vũng Tàu is a prize. Comfortable and spacious, with a broad menu, the locals flock here to mostly to enjoy perhaps the best bánh xèo in Saigon, and perhaps the best bánh khọt in Saigon or Vũng Tàu.
Treat yourself to some great southern Vietnam food. We rate Saigon’s Bánh Khọt Co Ba Vũng Tàu as a YUM YUM.
Bánh Khọt Co Ba Vũng Tàu
UPDATE – April 2013 : They’ve moved across & down the street. The replacement restaurant at Bánh Khọt Co Ba Vũng Tàu’s old location is not as good! Be sure to go to Bánh Khọt Co Ba Vũng Tàu’s new location at:
102 Cao Thang
P.3, District 3
HCMC
+84 8 3832 3312
UPDATE – January, 2020: This year we just tried another branch of Bánh Khọt Co Ba Vũng Tàu located at: 40B Trần Cao Vân, P. 6, District 3, HCMC. Very delicious and convenient to “tourist central” areas.