The following is a Guest Post submitted to Eating Saigon! by James Clark of Nomadic Notes.
Thank you, James!
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Bún Thịt Nướng in District 1
First meal back
Whenever I am returning to a city I’ve been before I think about what my first meal back will be. Sometimes this is an easy decision and I will know which restaurant I will go to straight away. In the case of Saigon it is a real challenge to pick a favourite meal. I mean, c’mon, how could you possibly pick a favourite!
When I was returning to Vietnam on a flight from New York to Saigon, I had 16+ hours to think about what I would like to eat first. Over the course of the flight I must have thought of a dozen meals that was going to be eaten first. By the time I landed though I knew what I wanted to have – bún thịt nướng.
The bún thịt nướng I was dreaming of is in the heart of District 1, not far from the tourist masses of Bến Thành Market. What I love about Saigon is that even in the middle of the city – where glass box towers are slowly transforming the city – you can still find temporary street stalls with little plastic blue chairs that sell inexpensive and delicious food.
Street dining
After being in the US, or Australia (where I am from), there is nothing like the feeling of returning to Vietnam and sitting on a little plastic seat while watching your food being prepared in front of your eyes. The pork is grilled on a little bbq on the street and the noodles are prepared on a table that is set up each day next to the bike park outside a jewelry shop. If you pass by in the morning or at night you wouldn’t know that at this little spot is home to a popular street food stand.
Like most busy lunch places in Saigon, I try and get there between 11:30 and 12:00 because after 12 is can be hard to get a seat.
Grilling pork on the street
I have spent about a year in Saigon since returning to Vietnam in 2012, where I have been using the city as a home base while travelling around the region. Every time I come back I wonder if my favourite street food stands will still be there. When I first got here I found a lady who served bún mắm on Nguyễn Trung Trực, every weekday at lunch. The building she used to set up in front of was then scaffolded up in preparation for renovation and she hasn’t been back since. I have no idea if she will come back, or if she is still serving her delicious soup somewhere else.
I have the same concern for my bún thịt nướng dealers as well (I call them dealers because they have become a weekly addiction). The BTN Dealers (let’s call them) are working opposite an empty lot which is currently a giant bike park, which will eventually be a messy construction site. On the other side of Le Loi, the Saigon Centre project is now busy with cranes and excavators. I often wonder what was over there before it was cleared and if there were street vendors there that are missed.
Saigon Centre under construction
So I post this as a recommendation of a good place to get bún thịt nướng, but it may end up being a historical record of one of the best bún thịt nướng’s ever served on the streets of District 1.
Bún Thịt Nướng Vendor
1 Nguyễn Trung Trực (near the corner of Le Loi)
District 1
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James Clark is currently based in HCMC and can be found online at Nomadic Notes.