When it comes to travelling, it’s really best to go with people who share the same interests. That means experiencing the things you love and maximising short holidays well. For us, food is definitely (and very obviously) prioritised– there’s nothing quite like tasting local cuisine right where it’s meant to be. After all, a mee goreng doesn’t taste quite the same in New Zealand just like even the simple homemade hamburger has an inexplicably distinct taste in China.

Even then, we can’t just settle for mediocre food. Lucky for us, our AirBnb host in Ho Chi Minh City had good recommendations for dishes we hadn’t even considered. Already, we’d horked our way through a humble, yet mouth-wateringly delectable plate of cơm gà (chicken rice), so we figured their suggestions were reliable, at least for our palate.

So at the mention of a dish we hadn’t heard of before, we didn’t hesitate. Located only 5-10 minutes’ walk from the central Bùi Viện Street in Ho Chi Minh is a row of restaurants selling bò lá lốt, a dish of beef wrapped in lolot (otherwise known as betel) vine leaves and chargrilled to absolute fragrant perfection.

This sounded like an ideal way to venture deeper into Vietnamese cuisine, so we went with no expectations – and they sure were exceeded. Rather than the row of restaurants we’d expected, the eatery (as is the most appropriate word) that our host had suggested was nothing more than a huge stretch of roadside land sectioned off in neat blocks, with each occupied by different vendors selling generally the same dish.

With little more than covered tables piled with fresh ingredients prepped for service and rows of knee-high tables and stools for eating, this may not be some people’s idea of a good time. But for establishments like these, food is usually the focus, so we were all the more keen to start eating.

Our host suggested one particular eatery called Hòa – Bò Lá Lốt & Mỡ Chài. Neighbouring establishments had similar names, possibly because one original stall derived a street of imitations. Nonetheless, each one was so busy on the evening we went that it seemed needless to stress over which one is particularly more delicious than the others.

Ordering is simple: the menu on the signboard lists only the price: ₫25,000 (~US$1.15). All we had to do was indicate how many portions we wanted, and take a seat. Then, as is normal, the food comes quickly. Within a couple of minutes of sitting, we each had a little plate of the bò lá lốt topped with a surprising condiment – mayonnaise. As is common with Vietnamese cuisine, this was served with a selection of fresh salad vegetables and herbs, rice noodles, rice paper, and the ever-present nước mam (fish sauce) for dipping. Though there isn’t such a strict rule for construction, we went with the typical combination of putting a little of everything onto a sheet of rice paper and dipping it into the nước mam. A couple of minutes of fiddling, and there we had a flavour bomb ready for our hungry gobs.

And explode it did. The first flavour that comes is a huge burst of the beef rolls – savoury, juicy, and dense with a smoky fragrance. Then comes the nước mam, with its precise balance of sweet, salty, savoury, and sharp, all elevated by the fresh herbs and mellowed by the rice noodles. The salad was crispy and refreshing, bulking the meal up to make a light, but highly satisfactory dinner.

Each portion only consists of 8 rolls of bò lá lốt, which for us was enough when eaten with its accompaniments. That being said, the average adult likely eats more than we do, so it’s perfectly normal to order additional portions if they’re too moreish for a scant 8 wraps. Despite each bite consisting of virtually the same ingredients, there’s so much flavour and texture incorporated into each bite that you’re sure to not get tired of it.

So long as one is comfortable with the local atmosphere and the open-air location, it is, to put simply, a faultless meal. If anything, this dish to us, represents southern Vietnamese cuisine so beautifully. It showcases the technique of grilling, the freshness of the herbs, and the incredible combination of the basic flavours to make such an unassuming yet complex meal. This was by far one of our favourite meals, and a set recommendation for anyone looking to visit the amazing city of Saigon.

Hòa – Bò Lá Lốt & Mỡ Chài
92 Cô Giang, Phường Cô Giang, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam