25/50.- Saigon, street in Pham Ngu Lao

In this picture you can see a street intersection in Pham Ngu Lao. Restaurants in this area serve the local version of Western food: pizza, pasta and hamburgers. For the real local deal, go to a market or to a street stall.

Food is one of the main reasons to visit Vietnam. Thanks to the French presence in this country, local food is Asian but with a certain European touch. The offer of food is too extensive to be detailed in this guide, but I will give you some hints.

The most popular breakfast in Vietnam is Pho (pronounced Pha). It is a noodle soup usually with meat ('pho bo', beef soup; 'pho ga', chicken soup, and so on). Another local specialty are the Vietnamese spring rolls, Goi Cuon, with salad, vermicelli and pieces of pork, prawns, or beef wrapped around rice paper.

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