Turkish couple spends 24 hours eating 10 street foods under 1 USD in Ho Chi Minh City

(Dan Tri) - For their first time in Vietnam, two Turkish tourists spent a whole day to visit and explore the street food in Ho Chi Minh City. Both were surprised by the flavors and prices of the dishes they enjoyed.

Vietnamese street food has long impressed international tourists with its diverse flavors and affordable prices. During their trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Turkish YouTuber couple Kay and Gogo eagerly embarked on a quest to find dishes priced under $1 (approximately 26,000 VND).

The couple shared that when they first came to Vietnam, they chose Ho Chi Minh City because of its vibrant and diverse cuisine , and were willing to try all kinds of affordable street food.

A Turkish visitor enjoys Vietnamese banh mi (Photo: Screenshot).

To begin their exploration , the couple enjoyed banh mi – an iconic dish that almost every foreign visitor to Vietnam wants to try. Since they don't eat pork, the vendor made them an egg banh mi specifically for them.

Gogo commented: "The crust is crispy, the fried egg is soft, and the addition of cilantro and mildly spicy chili sauce makes for a fantastic combination."

Next, the couple tried two familiar soft drinks: sugarcane juice and mung bean juice, each costing only 20,000 VND. Both customers felt that the prices were not expensive at all, and the taste was well worth it.

“The sugarcane juice is fragrant, with a slight sourness from the lime, refreshing, and not too sweet. The mung bean juice is creamy, fragrant with the aroma of mung beans, and has an appealing color,” Gogo shared.

Savory sticky rice is one of the signature breakfast dishes in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Screenshot).

Continuing their stroll through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, the two foreign tourists decided to buy a box of savory sticky rice for only 20,000 VND. After eating, Kay nodded in approval.

"I'm not a foodie, but for under $1, this generous and flavorful meal is totally worth it. I give it a 10/10," he said.

When trying the crab soup, both were initially hesitant because of its thick consistency, but after the first bite, Kay exclaimed, "Wow, I love this! I give it a 10/10; the texture is unusual but the flavor is delicious."

Meanwhile, Gogo remarked that the way the crab soup was prepared reminded her of Chinese dishes she had tried in England. The couple then enjoyed traditional desserts such as salted mangoes (20,000 VND) and grass jelly with chia seeds (17,000 VND).

"The dessert is so sweet, the jelly is soft, the little pieces break apart in your mouth, it's very refreshing," Gogo said with delight.

Female tourists are delighted with the grass jelly and chia seed dessert priced at only 17,000 VND in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Screenshot).

In Vietnam, eating fruit with salt is common, but for tourists, it's quite a novel experience. Upon tasting the mangoes with salt, both visitors were surprised: "The mangoes have a slightly sour taste, a crunchy texture, and a hint of saltiness. I don't understand why they eat them this way, but it's a perfect combination."

Not stopping there, Kay and Gogo also tried the 20,000 VND fish cake – a dish fried on the spot, served with Vietnamese coriander and chili sauce. “I’ve eaten many kinds of fish cake, but this is the best. The texture is light and crispy, and it goes perfectly with the Vietnamese coriander,” Gogo commented.

On their first visit to Vietnam, the two tourists repeatedly praised the diverse cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Screenshot).

To conclude their journey, they both tried familiar Vietnamese snacks such as sweet cakes and banana bread. While enjoying the sweet cakes, they both commented that the crust was crispy, the cream filling inside was soft and smooth, and it had a fragrant coconut aroma.

Regarding the banana fritters, Gogo also acknowledged: "The crispy texture on the outside and the soft, ripe banana inside are truly delicious. These are the best banana fritters I've ever eaten."

After a day wandering the streets, Kay said he really enjoyed the food he had tried that day.

"I think I've fallen in love with Vietnamese food. In Vietnam, you don't need to go far. Just step out onto the street and you can find countless delicious dishes for less than $1," he said.

Hoang Thu

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/cap-doi-tho-nhi-ky-danh-24-tieng-an-10-mon-duong-pho-duoi-1-usd-o-tphcm-20251023143031981.htm