Ho Chi Minh City was ranked fourth on a list of the world’s top 20 culinary capitals in 2024 compiled by British magazine Time Out.

“Sweet, spicy, fragrant, fishy – however you’d describe it, Vietnamese cuisine never compromises on flavor, and you can sample the very best of it in Ho Chi Minh [City],” the global magazine, focusing on food, tourism, and culture, commented about the diverse foods in the Southeast Asian country and the city particularly.   

In Ho Chi Minh City, food lovers have a chance to enjoy street foods such as banh mi (a Vietnamese baguette typically filled with cold meats, pâté, and vegetables), com tam (broken rice topped with grilled ribs, egg pudding, and shredded boiled pig skin), snails, and offal stew, Time Out said.

Besides them, foodies can also experience many Bib Gourmand and Michelin-starred restaurants that serve up creative versions of classic dishes, the magazine said.

However, Time Out revealed that pho, a signature Vietnamese dish of fresh rice noodles with broth and meat, usually beef or chicken, has been the most mentioned dish in the magazine’s surveys so far.

“The warming noodle soup, in the south typically heavily garnished with basil, coriander, chilli and hoisin sauce, is a Vietnamese staple, ubiquitous across the city,” commented the magazine.

‘Pho Saigon’ is a must-eat dish in Ho Chi Minh City, Time Out recommended.  

Topping the magazine’s latest ranking is Naples in Italy, with its suggested must-eat dish being pizza margherita.

The second and third places go to Johannesburg in South Africa and Lima in Peru, with their must-eat dishes being Kota sandwich and ceviche, respectively.

Holding the fifth to ten positions in the list correspondingly are Beijing (China), Bangkok (Thailand), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Mumbai (India), Dubai (the UAE) and Portland (the U.S.).  

Accordingly, six among the world’s ten best cities for food in 2024 are in Asia. 

The 11th to 20th ranks are held by Liverpool (the UK), Medellin (Colombia), Seville (Spain), Porto (Portugal), Marrakech (Morocco), Lyon (France), Sydney (Australia), Montreal (Canada), Osaka (Japan), and Copenhagen (Denmark), respectively. 

To compile the list, Time Out narrowed down the selection by excluding cities with lower overall scores and including only the highest-scoring city for each country, according to the magazine.

Time Out then asked its global network of editors and writers to present the lowdown on what makes their city an exciting dining destination in 2024, and to recommend their favorite places to eat for the year.

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