Nguyen Thuong Hien Food Street in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City was officially put into operation on Wednesday night, attracting a large number of both local and international visitors.

City authorities had prepared for three months for the inauguration of the food street, which stretches 368 meters from Dien Bien Phu Street to Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street.

It operates from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm daily, featuring 92 eateries, besides 51 shops selling clothing, shoes, beauty products, and other goods.

Numerous food and drink stalls offer Vietnamese-English menus to welcome foreign tourists.

Cars are banned from the section and motorbikes are required to be driven at restricted speeds. 

Authorities have also arranged two parking lots for motorbikes.

Pham Thi Thuy Hang, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee of District 3, said there have always been food businesses on Nguyen Thuong Hien Street and turning it into an official food street would be beneficial to all.

Among many visitors to the food street on Wednesday evening, Thomas and his wife, Elizabeth, from the U.S. said that they happened to know the opening of the street, so they decided to pay a visit and found its organization method and cuisine offers really attractive.

The couple tried ‘banh mi’ (Vietnamese meats-and-vegetables-stuffed bread) and ‘hu tieu’ (Vietnamese rice noodle soup) while enjoying the bustling atmosphere.

Deputy chairman Hang said the authorities are open to feedback about the new food street until June 20, 2023.

Ho Chi Minh City has three pedestrian-only streets, including Nguyen Hue and Bui Vien in District 1 and the Ky Dai Quang Trung promenade in District 10, as well as several food streets in various districts.

In 2019, U.K.-based Time Out magazine singled out Nguyen Thuong Hien Street for a street food mention while listing District 3 as one of the neighborhoods highly recommended for visitors.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!