Vietnamese Street Food: Cơm Bình Dân - Typical Rice and Side Dishes
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- When it comes to Vietnamese street food, there’s a meal called cơm bình dân, which means commoners rice and curry, and it’s about as basic and filling as you can get. Read the full post: migrationology....
There are all sorts of different delicious street foods to eat when you’re in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), from snacks to sweets to piping hot bowls of steaming noodles. And as much as I love to slurp down bowls of hot noodles, I’m actually really a rice man, and there’s nothing I normally enjoy eating more than dishes along with rice. Luckily, in Saigon, there’s a Vietnamese street food called cơm bình dân (com binh dan), which actually translates to commoner’s rice and side dishes, and you’ll find it all over the city, especially are street food stalls, and especially during lunch.
Just link in Thailand, Malaysia, or parts of India, one of the main restaurant types is one that serves a spread of pre-made curries, which sit out and wait for customers. When a customer arrived, he / she, get’s a plate of rice, and typically the food is served directly over the rice, a selection of different dishes that look good. Alternatively, if you’re looking to order bigger sized portions, you can normally get side dishes, with a separate plate of rice, and since I was quite hungry this day, that’s what I decided to get. On this day that we made this video, we were actually just walking around the neighborhood streets of Saigon, not too far from our hotel, and we were hungry. I had eaten plenty of bowls of noodles, and I was in desperate need of a rice meal, so that’s why we stopped here.
There were about 20 different dishes available at this cơm bình dân restaurant, many of them the major typical dishes that you’ll find at this sort of Vietnamese street food stall throughout the city. There were some fried fish, some curried fish dishes, quite a few stir fried items, and some soups as well. I really enjoyed the beef when I was in Vietnam, so the first dish I chose was a sauteed beef dish, thin sliced of beef, fried with bell peppers and onions. It was quite good, the beef was tender and salty and it went well with the rice. The next dish Ying and I chose was a sauteed squid dish, the squid was fired with tomatoes and cucumbers. It was quite plain, yet it was good, mostly because of the fresh and soft squid. Ying also got an order of a piece of fish, which tasted to me like some kind of tuna, as it was firm and meaty. It was kind of plain, but perhaps cooked in a little bit of soy sauce and sugar to make it slightly sweetened.
By far, the dish of the meal for me was a piece of tofu, which looked like it may have been deep fried, which was stuffed with minced pork and then doused in a thick tomato sauce. It was kind of like meatballs and spaghetti, but with the extra bonus of tofu wrapped around the pork meatball. This was easily my favorite dish of the meal, and it went so well with my plate of rice, and the other dishes of this very normal cơm bình dân meal.
Cơm bình dân is the most basic of all Vietnamese street food meals, it’s very popular especially with those looking for a big filling meal, and it’s especially known as a workmans, or working class meal. When I was in Saigon, I enjoyed many meals of com binh dan, and each place served a similar variety of dishes just like this.
You can go to thousands of street food restaurants serving com binh dan throughout Saigon, but this restaurant is right off Vuon Chuoi on So 2, in Ho Chi Minh City.
Music in this video is from audionetwork.com
Video produced by Mark Wiens and Ying Wiens: migrationology.... & www.eatingthaif...
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What a coincidence. Someone just requested that tofu dish on my channel hehe. I should make a video for it soon :)
Great vid Mark. The fresh veggies look like young mustard leaves.
hey Helen fancy meeting you here
Vietnamese street food - cơm bình dân - the most typical (and delicious) rice and side dishes in #Saigon #Vietnam
#travel #food
That FISH looked particularly delicious, I'd trade you for the Turkey pie I had today!!!!
That tofu looks awesome!
Can't eat tofu, it's a thyroid thing. My husband commented on your 'chili pepper addiction'. Keep eating and giving us all the ideas for and about food. Thank you Mark and Ying.
yumm yumm ..
TheSpritz0 Hah, thanks, wish we could swap!
I was born in Vietnam, came to the states when I was 7, now I'm 15. I went to Saigon about 2 months ago, my aunt always took me to fancy restaurants instead of street foods because she said it's not good, the food in the restaurants were okay, then I ate com tam somewhere on the streets, and wow, it tasted way better!
Ying sounds so adorable when she said "My fish!" Hahaha. Great video as always.
Wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Mark Wiens That juice rebound italian meatball was awesome, would love to have a bite of that! We also get pickled mustard greens here in Sichuan, pretty delicious too!
***** Hey Trevor, thank you. Man I would love to eat in Sichuan!
The Food Ranger YC masakan Indonesia Masak Rawon
The Food Ranger Visit Vietnam!!!! I'm a subscriber but never seen you in Vietnam once!!!! Trevor, remedy that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Food Ranger please visit Mumbai...so much to cover ...i can suggest few places
Huge appreciation from Vietnam 🇻🇳 ❤
I've started watching your channel very long time ago but during the quarantine in whole my country, this is the perfect time for watch all the old video
Hey Ying & Mark,
I'd like to take the opportunity to thank you two for all the wonderfully entertaining videos you've produced this year.
It's such a joy to see you enjoying different foods and cultures with your usual degree of respect and humility.
Hope you and Ying have a great Xmas and New Year.
Regards.
Jim.
evogardens Huge thank you Jim, Ying and I really appreciate your support for watching our videos. Hope you have a great Christmas and New Year.
+Mark Wiens hello from pakistan love your videos keep up the good work have u ever tried arabian /pakistani food
These Vietnamese Street Food dishes look so good. I also, really like the all of the fresh green herbs included with the meal and the dipping sauce. It looks much healtheir than my usual everyday one hour lunch break of Hotdog, Pizza, Burrito or double Cheese Burger and a Soda drink. This is normal fast food for me as an American growing up in the States. Thanks Mark for this awesome Video.
it's so nice to see everyday vietnamese dishes I eat at home sold as street food. Also your enthusiasm for this made me smile so hard :)
This guy's heat tolerance is off the charts!
Love your videos and your signature swoon!
Everybody should do a video like Mark when travelling. It's really satisfying and enjoyable to see the places, foods, atmosphere and firsthand experience. Unfortunately he's the only one on youtube right now and wish he did more food videos. No pressure lol
Hey mark id just like to thank you for inspiring me to be more healthy in my food choices. I have a thing for fast food, but ever since i started watching your videos, ive come to appreciate real food!
My family used to sell Com Tam when we were still living in Vietnam years ago. This brings back good memories! Thank you for the video! I love Vietnamese food
Hey, Mark. Just thought I'd recommend a couple of great dishes that I think you'd enjoy while you're there: Bo La Lot (Minced beef and garlic wrapped in beetle leaf served with a fish dipping sauce), Com Tam (Grilled pork chops, shredded pork, pork skin, egg, meat loaf, cucumber and pickled vegies served over rice), Bun Bo Hue (Spicy noodle soup with beef, pork, served with herbs/vegies), Cao Lau (noodles, pork, local vegies, served with spicy sauce/broth), Banh Xeo (Vietnamese crepe served with pork, prawns, bean sprouts and herbs/vegies with a fish dipping sauce), Banh Canh Cua (Crab noodle soup with thick udon style noodles, crab meat, served with herbs and chinese donut). That's quite a lot to get through (well, in one sitting lol). Hope you get to try them all. Bon appetite!
Oh yes! Especially the Bun Bo Hue and Banh Xeo, yum.
Billa Bum Thank you very much Billa. I was able to eat everything you listed, except for the cao lau. Many more videos to come, thank you again!
Mark Wiens No worries, it was my pleasure. I'm glad to hear that you did! That's a shame though, Cao Lau is very tasty I'm sure you would have liked it. Apparently, it is exclusive only to the city of Hoi An (where the dish originated from) so I'm not surprised that you missed it. Well, if you ever happen to visit Hoi An be sure to try it! Keep doing your thing, Mark, cheers :)
i really love how you are so open to new cuisine. i can't wait to travel to Vietnam. I will not go there soon but my boyfriend (he is vietnamese) will take me once I finish nursing school in the philippines in 6 more months. your videos make me crave it so badly!
My mouth is always watering every time i watch your video. Thanks for sharing with us!
Keep up the awesome work Mark, your description of food is very colourful and always depicts accurately what it tastes like, Vietnam is on our list of places to visit, Regards Don
Oh and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, Mark and your wife Ying. With respect always Mr.Molina from San Diego California
Hi Mark! I'm loving your recent videos on Vietnam, it makes me really nostalgic and I'm looking forward to the other videos! Com Binh Dan literally translates to the average person's lunch, I would equate it to Vietnam's version of comfort food. The fish you had seems like it was mackerel, and it was "Kho" or braised in caramelized sugar, coconut juice and fish sauce, which is one of the most common ways of cooking fish/meats in Southern Vietnam. The dipping sauce for the veggies also looks like "nuoc kho" which is the braising liquid from the caramelized fish. yum!
I love com binh dan Mark. Glad that you did a video of place like that. It's the cheapest way to enjoy a homecooked meal.
Lilian Tran Hey Lilian, glad to hear you love it. Yah, it's cheap and filling as well. I'm a big rice lover too.
I love all of your videos. Hope you can make more video in vietnam.
the consistency on your head tilt of aproval is worth my subscription.
Merry Christmas 2014! Good eats, man. Thx for sharing.
Love the fact that you were so honest about thinking that one dish to be a little plain.
Oh,Ying is so cute to say 'my fish!' Haha As a big fan of food, I sometimes wonder how she can bear the food untill you are finished with shooting @_@ alsways enjoying your videos! Thanks Mark!! :D - Bella
Com binh dan = meal for the common people.
Nice video as always.
I want the stuffed tofu!! Looks yummy and your expression says it all LOL
ZettaSnowyTora Thanks, that was my favorite dish too.
Try Indonesiam street food, Mark... do you think your stomach can handle it? :)
Stuffed tofu with tomato sauce! Soooo delicious! My favourite dish when I was a kid! Everytime my Granma cooked it I ate a lot and was really happy! :-)
This is a Vietnamese home cook. Believe it or not, we don't eat pho, bun bo hue, or banh mi every day. My mom used to cook like this for the family. Rice, a salty dish, a vegetable dish, and a soup. My mom is old now and she can't cook anymore, also after my father passed away she seemed to lose her appetite. I miss this kind of meal and I'll miss it a lot more when I can no longer enjoy a delicious healthy home meal like this.
Vietnamese that good foods . I'm so happy when other people different from to visit Vietnam said it's beautiful . Thanks u enjoy Vietnamese food
love the video so much. I haven't been back to Saigon for so long @@ your videos remind me lots of great memory. Tks u so much. Plss make more videos like this
I love how this is just everyday Vietnamese home food. Same thing my mum would cook. Yummy
Another really good film, thanks Mark! All that food for $3.26 is amazing and to be honest a lot better than the food I eat at home every day. I'm a Brit so curry and rice is a fave of mine.....and an easy thumbs up. Cheers mate!
sniff rat Thank you very much. Yah, this type of meal was probably the most affordable and most filling in Saigon, really enjoyed this type of eating while I was there.
Thats actuaaly expensive for viet nam
Òysterkung
You just make me miss Vietnam so much !!
The food you are eating is from the South of Vietnam, that's why it tastes a little sweet whilst Thailand food is a little sour and quite spicy. I love them both :)
Laughed out loud when Ying said, 'my fish'. Wish we can have the recipe for the tofu pork.
love your videos!and also love to see your face when you enjoy eating something...so funny and touching!thanks mark!
MegaJuju56 Thank you very much.
Ultimate comfort food for me Mark. Thanks for posting.
oh my god, Mark! your addiction to chilli is just like my uncle's =)) he lives in the country side and everytime he eats at a restaurant or vendor he'll ask the owner for extra chillies because he would eat a whole one with each spoon full of rice =)) watching you eat makes me miss him so much ^_^ thanks alot for your love to Vietnamese food
i can tell when you enjoy a food bc you do this head and eye thing every time lol
great videos all in all!
Mate, you've been fantastic with your videos. I always look forward to your regular wed and sun updates. Good on you. Also, merry Christmas and a very happy new year to you and your family.
Love your videos guys. Simple and refreshing
Keeping up with the great videos mark! You sure can handle your chilli!
I love your reactions! You're such a happy man :D
Big fan. Thanks for sharing all your adventures. You make me hungry all the time :-)
Larry Nakamura Thank you very much Larry, we really appreciate it.
Love your videos!
Thanks for sharing them.
yum looks delicious and sooooo affordable, so thankful my mum is able to cook up a meal like that. the fish looks like Ca Thu.. which is mackerel i believe :)
Again, you made me hungry! Thanks for the video Mark.
Nikki Herrera You're welcome, thanks for watching Nikki
Enjoy watching all your food videos in VN. I found street food dishes somehow are more delicious (and cheaper) than in fancy restaurants.
I’m looking forward to you coming back to Vietnam again!!
dude i watched this till freaky 4:00 am in the morning wtf , youre awsome
ptescort safget Thank you very much!
Actually, "bình dân" also cheap. I'm glad that you have experience the life style of people in Saigon. Wow, you make me miss my country very much.
hey, Mark. cơm bình dân is what we eat at home everyday in Vietnam. Those dishes will be mostly served at lunches and dinners daily.
Mouthwatering video! I love to eat out at places like this.
I love your foodgasm face lol gets me every time
I'm Vietnamese and.. I love the way you use the spoon when you eat "cơm bình dân" (it is not used that way though), really cute 😍 btw you very good at use chopsticks 👍 Thanks for all videos and love ya so much 💙💙
mark thanks for all your videos on vietnam.. now i will show the the videos and try to get the wife to go the last week in may were both are in are mid 50s its now or never.looks like your living your dream.
I eat com binh dan every lunch but I did not realise how yummy they are until I watch your video, hope we can have meal together
Now that place looks awesome.
my mouth is watering...please don't stop what you're doing:)
yeah that stuffed tofu....wow. You know now I love chillies even more after spending a year in India. My wife really showed me how awesome they are and how they bring out the flavors in food. ROCK ON!!
Mark, you make everything taste so good. :D
the sauce you dipped into with the herbs is made from braising pork or fish into a stew made from coconut juice, sugar, and fish sauce
That pork-stuffed tofu looked so good I immediately had to go find a recipe. I know what I'll be cooking soon.
I love your videos. You made me wanna go back so bad.
You should try some noodle soups in Vietnam ... Such as Bun rieu (in 3 thang 2 Ly Thuong Kiet) or bun Bo hue ... I had a chance to visit Vietnam last summer and got to try these amazing noodle soups. around Lu Gia in Ly Thuong Kiet there's a place that sell beef serve on a sizzling plate also a small plate of salad, egg, paste, and baguette.
Hope this will give you new experience in Vietnam.
hey sue Mark, you bit off half red chili pepper, and probably can eat 2 of them at lunch. Makes me sweat just imagining the heat! Love your videos.
I just love watching your vids.
joyfullyorganic Thank you!
I love your reaction when you eat food !
Finallly a new video :)
Om3zooz Alsyamy Thanks for watching. Right now 2 video per week, Sunday and Wednesday.
lol i really love your videos. and how you eat. the food everything :)
This is awesome! You've inspired me to take a trip to Vietnam! I'm definitely going now with my partner! 😝
this look like the typical meal I would cook for my family.
Yep, its actually said in the name of the meal. These kind of restaurant are made for people work in office to grab a quick lunch or for workers because of its cheap price.
Mark will you ever return back to Zanzibar or Tanzania or Ethiopia? Cause the food looks really good! And you finally got famous!! I've been watching you for 2 years :)
Very nice beautiful foods plenty to choose from thank you for sharing.
Needs more rice! I hope you'll also do a video on Vietnamese spring rolls while you're there :-)
The veggies which you deep into the sauce, they are baby mustard leaves. And the sauce from the fish dish.
That looked amazingly good!!!
JSKA980405 Thank you
the foods it’s looking so delicious yummy
Mark Weins. I love your shows. Those are the places I would visit if I come back to Vietnam. You must visit city Mo cay Nam and Ben tre. There are 2 places I would recommended.
At Mo Cay Nam, Ben Tre, there is a place sell Nem Nuong. (Only 1 in the city) It's the best Nem Nuong in the country!
In Ben tre City there is a PHO restaurant called, Anh Hong. It's super delicious! You will not be disappointed.
Oh my how I love to see you eat. You look like you really enjoy the foods but damn the chili....the whole thing? I'm thai and I can't eat spicy like that. Wowza!
my aunt used to make that stuffed tofu and i always get excited when shes cooks it when i come over
+Mark Wiens another great video! This is one of my mothers favourite dish to eat:)
van nguyen Thank you Van, great to hear that.
love your reation when you eat good food :D
Nice vid mark u make great videos and can u recomend some restaurants in tokyo japan
Can't wait to go there leaving end of the month.
Yum! I love pickled mustard greens!
wow you eat chili like its candy
im terrify too, even I cant do that (I like spicy food)
hey man, nice video and i believe you`ve enjoyed A LOT in VN, becasue I just did and dying to visit it again! BTW, you really can eat spciy food and chew chilli raw, I`m from China but still can`t do that )) Hopefully I can visit Saigon again soon with my Vietnamese GF, cheers!
Love your expression after you had ate something. Hehe. This is as good as Anthony Bourdain's.
Ah my mouth ~~~ full of saliva. You made me wanna eat the whole world at midnight.
Jezz, so delicious.
Beef and pork, fish, all dish are delicious, good food👍
LOL I just love your "mmmmm" reaction whenever you taste a dish. It's pretty cool and funny. Btw, where are you from? Love
Chau Phan Thank you very much Chau. I'm originally from the US, but I'm based in Thailand now.
Mark Wiens Oh sorry. I meant what is your ethnicity?
Keep up the good work!
ShadowVyrus Thank you!
Everything looks so good!
***** Thank you!
I love the stuffed tofu, too. You know how there are foods you have to become accustomed to growing up? Well, that tofu was one of the few things I loved right away and have loved all my life. It's definitely delicious!
LOL at Yin's "my fish!" No food is safe around Mark. LOL
oh and you should definitely try banh cuon it´s my favourite vietnamese dish.
Whenever they have caramel dishes, like that fish, you suppose to eat that with mustard green pickles. These two balanced out each other’s tastes
" My fish...." She's so cute.
Mark Wiens You never had any stomachache after eating all those food outside. You are one amazing dude. By the way, did you eat the Vietnamese crepes?
You got it right Mark....Most of those Vegetables are Organic in VN....Really missed those ca chien (tuna).