3 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This sprawling seafront eatery is regarded as the best seafood place in town. Like many Vietnamese places, the interior design takes a back seat to the food and the view. It's pricier than the more local joints farther along Tran Phu Street, but you get what you pay for, which in this case, aside from the great food, is English-speaking staff, an English menu, and servers used to dealing with international tourists.

A visit to Con Son isn't complete without a meal at Thu Ba. Chef Thu Ba works her magic in the kitchen while her daughter Thuy works the guests in the homey front section, recommending dishes from the extensive menu full of Vietnamese seafood, pork, and beef dishes (the slipper lobster is highly recommended). Western and Vietnamese options are available for breakfast and Thu Ba can also prepare picnics for hikers and campers.

Banh khot (tiny rice flour pancakes topped with shrimp that you wrap in baby mustard leaves) is Vung Tau's signature dish and locals rate Banh Khot Goc Vu Sua as the best in class. This is simple, inexpensive, and 100% delicious local street food—and adventurous foodies will enjoy the whole banh khot experience, sitting on tiny chairs in a big tin shed that fills with smoke every time a new batch is cooked.