When our friends, Carol & Alan, from Berkeley, California told us that they would be in Saigon for a few days while we were here, we asked ourselves – What could we do to give them a wonderful introduction to Saigon – and especially to Saigon’s great street food??
The answer came easily. Let’s introduce them to XO Tours’ evening street food adventure!
Our friends, Carole & Alan caught in the act of enjoying they’re Saigon street food tour!
It had been over ten years since Hai and my first street food tour with XO Tours. So, the question we had was – How had the tours changed?
A wonderful surprise – It was better than ever!
The first stop on our four-plus hour eating adventure immediately set the mood for the evening.
Bún bò Huế – absolutely delicious! A rich flavorful broth, a large serving of fresh Vietnamese herbs, and tender beef slices.
It was going to be a great evening!
Each of the 20+ guests this evening had their own personal young woman guide wearing a traditional blue áo dài.
They carefully explained the evening’s route, the food we would be enjoying, motorbike travel safety tips, and general Vietnamese culture. A truly rich and delicious Saigon experience.
Between courses at the evening’s various neighborhood eateries (giving us time to appreciate and digest the previous entree), the evening’s tour took us to street markets and more distant Saigon neighborhoods to experience the full social and economic breadth of the city’s population.
[Try to find us in the video being accompanied by our blue áo dài guides].
Did Carole enjoy it??
What do you think!
The evening also provided us with an opportunity (for those who dared) to test the limits of our culinary adventurism … with a serving of hột vịt lộn xào me (steamed duck embryo in a rich tamarind sauce). Reactions ranged among the guests from shrieks of horror to request for a second serving! [I ate Carole’s portion :-)]
We ended our tour on a delicious seafood note.
The BBQ’d scallops and crab were the perfect way to complete a truly extraordinary evening in Saigon.
XO TOURS
An absolute “Must Do” for any visitor in Saigon … Enjoy an amazing experience with good people and the best Saigon Street food!
XO TOURS
Take a look here at our post from over a decade ago about our very first experience with XO Tours.
Wow!! Looks like fun . Where is the market? My husband and I will be in Saigon in 2 weeks and we love going to markets. Thank you for the excellent blog and outstanding information you provide.
The tour went to the sprawling Binh Tay Market that offers everything from fresh produce and seafood to fabric and lacquerware. Eateries and street food stalls selling Chinese-style noodles, roast pork, and salted duck eggs pack narrow lanes along with traditional herb stores.
Our favorite market, though, is Cho Ba Chieu – see: https://www.eatingsaigon.com/2014/08/10/saigon-market/
The most popular Cho Ben Thanh is really just for tourists & over-priced!