Seonguk and Simon, both from South Korea, have been living and working in Vietnam for five years.

Beyond improving their Vietnamese, they have also built a YouTube channel where they regularly share videos documenting their culinary adventures and food discoveries across different regions.

In a recently uploaded video, the two revealed they had pushed themselves to overcome their usual reluctance to wake up early, just to try a local breakfast specialty in Ho Chi Minh City - banh cuon.

“Today, two people who usually wake up late decided to get up early to try a special breakfast dish in Vietnam.

This is also our first time trying it after many years living here. Normally, we just cannot wake up early, so we never had the chance,” they said with a laugh.

The sidewalk eatery they visited is located on Quoc Huong Street in An Khanh Ward, formerly part of Thao Dien.

The stall operates only in the morning and specializes in banh cuon, offering two main fillings: minced pork with wood ear mushrooms and egg.

After watching the preparation process up close, Simon and Seonguk were clearly intrigued and immediately ordered two portions of egg banh cuon.

Simon noted that each serving was generous, including not only the rice rolls but also a variety of accompaniments such as pickled vegetables, fried dough, Vietnamese pork sausage, and fermented pork rolls.

“This is our first time eating banh cuon. It looks a bit like rolled egg, but the rice sheets are soft and silky, slightly rich, and the minced pork filling is very fragrant,” he shared.

He added that each side dish brought its own distinct flavor, yet everything blended harmoniously. To him, the dish felt like an interesting combination of banh hoi, rice paper, and rolled egg - unusual yet delicious.

Seonguk shared the same enthusiasm, praising the egg version before ordering an additional portion with minced pork filling.

After trying both, he admitted that the pork-filled banh cuon suited his taste even more.

“The minced pork version has a better chew and feels less heavy,” he said.

In Ho Chi Minh City, banh cuon is typically served with various accompaniments such as sausage, fried dough, and pickled vegetables, and is eaten with a savory fish sauce. This gives it a slightly different character compared to versions found in northern Vietnam.

Simon agreed that waking up early for the meal had been worthwhile. He expressed genuine satisfaction, saying he felt happy to have experienced such a distinctive Vietnamese breakfast.

Beyond the taste, the two Korean guests also appreciated the affordability. A portion of banh cuon with minced pork costs VND30,000 (US$1.20), while the egg version is priced at VND40,000 (US$1.60).

Thao Trinh