Snail street: an evening in District 4

Across the canal from the centre, a whole street of open-air eateries serves dozens of kinds of snails and shellfish, cooked in coconut, tamarind and salted egg.

Area

Food & nights

Start from

District 1

Distance

about 2 km from the centre

Time needed

an evening

Best season

All year; dry-season evenings are pleasantest

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Grab or a walk across the Khanh Hoi bridge

Tickets & rules

None

Why go

Ốc, snails and shellfish, are one of Saigon’s great evening pleasures, and Vinh Khanh street in District 4 is the place to try them. From late afternoon the pavements fill with tables and plastic chairs, grills start smoking, and crowds of young locals settle in for hours of beer, gossip and seafood.

The menus can be bewildering: sweet snails, horn snails, scallops, razor clams, blood cockles and many more, each available stir-fried with garlic, grilled with scallion oil, cooked in coconut milk, tossed with tamarind or coated in salted egg yolk. Order a few plates to share, a basket of bread to mop up the sauces and a bucket of ice for the beer.

It’s loud, smoky, messy and joyful, and it is one of the best nights out the city offers.

The story

District 4 sits on a triangle of land between canals and the river, just south of District 1. For much of the twentieth century it had a rough reputation, linked to the docks and to the gangs who controlled them. Today it is a busy, working residential area, and its street food has made it a destination.

Snail eating in Saigon is a social ritual more than a meal. Groups of friends order plate after plate, picking the meat out with toothpicks or small pins, while the conversation goes on late into the night. It is especially popular among students and young office workers.

Vinh Khanh became famous as a food street in the 2010s, and in recent years the local authorities have turned it into an official food street. Many of its eateries are family businesses that began with a single grill on the pavement.

Snails reflect the abundance of the Mekong Delta’s waters, and many varieties are brought from the delta provinces daily, fresh in the morning for the evening crowds.

Getting there

Vinh Khanh is about ten minutes by Grab from Ben Thanh Market. You can also walk across the Khanh Hoi bridge from the end of Ham Nghi, about twenty-five minutes from the centre.

A suggested plan

1. 6:00 pmArrive as the grills light up and tables fill.
2. First roundOrder snails in coconut milk and grilled scallops with scallion oil.
3. Second roundTry salted egg crab claws, tamarind shrimp or razor clams.
4. LaterWalk the street to see other stalls and maybe a dessert cart.
5. EndGrab back to the centre, or walk back across the bridge in the cooler night.

Where to stay

Most visitors stay in District 1 and come over for dinner; District 4 has some apartments and hotels with river views at more modest prices.

Good to know

• Point at other tables’ dishes if the menu is confusing.
• Prices are usually by the plate; check before ordering, as seafood varies.
• Bring hand sanitiser and wet wipes.
• Go with a group to try more dishes.