7 Piping-Hot Snacks That Will Make You Want to Visit Saigon Right Away

Here are 7 snacks that you can easily find on the streets of Saigon, especially perfect to munch on for fun on rainy days or simply when Saigon turns cool.
Saigon is entering its most unpredictable sunny and rainy days of the year.

It is not hard to understand why on days like these, people often feel a surge of emotion, feeling sad inside and even bored-mouth (craving food). It sounds a bit funny, but it's true. Especially on days with pouring rain and chilly winds outside, you just wish for something to munch on to pass the time, and of course, the hotter it is, the tastier it gets.

Here are 7 snacks that you can easily find on the streets of Saigon, perfect for snacking on rainy days or even when Saigon.. turns cool.

[red]1. Fresh Milk Boiled Corn[/red]

Normally, corn is already a super cure for boredom cravings because it's cheap and easy to buy, especially since plucking out kernels row by row and munching on them all afternoon is fun enough. But what if you get to munch on hot corn with a fragrant milky scent, both sweet and rich on a chilly, slightly hungry afternoon?

[i]Do you see this super glistening boiled corn cart? [/i]
Ever since Saigon entered the rainy season, many carts selling this corn started appearing along Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street in District 3. Here, sellers set up individual carts parked all along the road. Although it is just a street cart selling boiled corn, it is arranged extremely neatly and cleanly. The cart is loaded with ears of corn still in their green husks, stacked very tidily. Above hang fresh bundles of pandan leaves, while below is a traditional wood stove still smoking with the scent of freshly lit charcoal and a large pot full of corn.


Every time you pass by and happen to catch the owner lifting the pot lid to check on the corn, releasing a fragrant, sweet cloud of steam, you won't be able to resist and will definitely have to stop by to buy one and eat it hot right then and there.

Holding the hot cob in your hands, turning it around, then taking a bite, the milky juice infused into the corn bursts into your mouth, and the crunchy, sweet, fragrant feel of the corn just makes you want to keep eating bite after bite.

[i]A round, plump, and firm-kerneled cob like this will surely satisfy your cravings.[/i]
2. Roasted Chestnuts

I remember when I was small, every time it rained, I would immediately think of this quirky treat. Not knowing how nutritious or tasty it was, I still loved it. Perhaps because every time I bought chestnuts, I could get close to the flickering stove to seek warmth. In particular, I could sit there for hours waiting for the chestnuts to cook and listening to their crackling sound as they were roasted in a pan of hot salt.


Even though occasionally a few nuts exploded loudly from being overheated, splashing salt that burned my skin, I ignored it and considered it one of my weirdest pleasures. But thanks to that, I always got to eat the tastiest and highest quality chestnuts. Because chestnuts are best when piping hot right out of the oven, becoming soft and nutty, whereas when they cool down, they turn extremely bland.

[i]Piping hot chestnuts freshly roasted on the stove.[/i]

[i]The pleasure of eating chestnuts lies in their rich, nutty, sweet aroma, and a hint of saltiness from the outer sea salt coating.[/i]
[red]3. Grilled Rice Paper[/red]

Whenever I catch rain on the street or around Notre Dame Cathedral area, I always have to find a grilled rice paper stall to sit, nibble, and watch the rain fall.

Currently, Saigon's grilled rice paper has become an international dish known as Vietnamese pizza. With a base of rice paper, toppings include minced pork, scallions, tiny dried shrimp, fried shallots, and quail or chicken eggs to add extra richness. If you want it even tastier, drizzle a layer of chili sauce evenly over the top, then place it over hot coals to grill until the crust puffs up.


Grilled rice paper differs from rice paper rolls in that it must be eaten hot to be delicious—the crispy crust crackles with every bite, the toppings are aromatic, and you can especially taste the richness of the egg. That spicy and hot sensation is truly wonderful for a cool day.


4. Crab Soup

This is definitely an indispensable dish whenever it turns cold or rainy in Saigon. Especially on days when it rains heavily, feels chilly, or right after you've gotten soaked in the rain, sitting in a corner sipping a bowl of hot soup will warm you right up. As for the flavor of this soup, it is so mind-blowingly delicious that nobody can argue with it.

One of the best crab soup spots in Saigon is located in a small alley on Le Duan Street, District 1. Rain or shine, this soup stall is always packed with customers. With a bowl full of shredded chicken, two quail eggs, half a century egg, shiitake mushrooms, a little fresh cilantro, and a sprinkle of white pepper, just that alone—you have to try it to know what deliciousness beyond words means.

[red]5. Pha Lau (Offal Stew)[/red]

This dish brings back memories of student days. I remember on drizzly days, I just wanted to get to school a bit early to quickly slurp down a small bowl of pha lau for 5,000 VND. If you wanted to feel fuller, you just called out Ma'am, Sir, a baguette please! or broke a cake of instant noodles in half into the bowl, then poured the broth over it. To make it even tastier, sprinkle a few Vietnamese coriander leaves for color, and remember—definitely remember to add a spoonful of tamarind sauce and a few slices of super spicy chili, stir it up with chopsticks, take a loud slurp first, and then no matter how hard it rains, you won't care about anything else.

[i]With a super tempting pot of pha lau steaming like this, what rain is left to fear?[/i]
That's enough reminiscing about memories, but even now it's still the same! Whenever it rains or gets a bit cool, I imagine the intoxicating scent of pha lau wafting nearby, and then I can't resist braving the rain to go sit at a stall and eat it.

Saigon especially loves to rain at night. Prolonged, drizzly rain stops you from going anywhere and often leaves you feeling cold and hungry. At times like these, you just wish for a piping hot, super delicious, and famous bowl of pork rib porridge from Tan Dinh Market.
Porridge here costs only 15k a bowl, but it fills a large bowl with four or five pieces of pork rib, topped with a dash of pepper, scallions, and a bit of chili. Just like that, you have a light late-night meal that is both delicious and warming under the Saigon rain.

Famous pork rib porridge bowl at Tan Dinh Market