For Arthurus, a Lithuanian content creator, exploring Vietnam’s street food was the perfect welcome back after his journey abroad.
Arthurus, a content creator from Lithuania who has lived in Ho Chi Minh City for around five years, runs a YouTube channel with over 11,000 subscribers. Known locally as Mr. Abroad, he shares travel experiences with Vietnamese audiences.
Arthurus returned to Vietnam because he wanted to continue enjoying street food.
In a video posted earlier this year, Arthurus explained that he returned to Vietnam after visiting his home in Northern Europe because he missed the country's wide range of delicious dishes, including banh chung (traditional rice cake).
Once in Ho Chi Minh City, he headed straight to Nguyen Thuong Hien Street (District 3), famed for its vibrant street food scene.
“I wanted to try the traditional banh chung wrapped in banana leaves. I also wanted to enjoy Vietnamese coffee and sample other street food here,” he shared.
Arthurus’s decision to visit Nguyen Thuong Hien Street stemmed from its reputation as a “food paradise” for local youth. Although he visited at midday, outside of the street's usual operating hours (7-11 p.m.), he was still surprised by the lively atmosphere and variety of food stalls.
As he strolled the street in search of a light lunch, he spotted a stall selling roasted pork skewers, their aroma immediately captivating him.
After inquiring about the price, the YouTuber decided to try one on the spot. He was delighted by the flavors, exclaiming over the unexpected taste of the dish he had never tried before.
“I’ve lived in Vietnam for quite some time but never encountered this dish. It’s incredible,” Arthurus told the stall owner.
The tourist bought a skewer of Northwestern-style grilled meat for 30,000 VND and kept praising how delicious it was.
Arthurus found the pork to be perfectly cooked, visually appealing, slightly sweet, and served with aromatic herbs and a tasty dipping sauce. He appreciated the vendor’s thoughtfulness, noting that despite purchasing only one skewer, it came with an array of condiments. The vendor even checked multiple times to ensure the food met his expectations.
“The vendor was friendly and genuinely interested in my feedback. Naturally, I enjoyed this snack,” Arthurus expressed.
Continuing his journey, Arthurus discovered a stall selling various Vietnamese sausages and thought one wrapped in banana leaves might be the banh chung he sought. However, it was introduced as cha bo (beef sausage). Though it wasn’t what he had initially wanted, he decided to buy cha bo, nem chua (fermented pork), and cha gio (pork spring rolls) to sample their flavors.
The foreign YouTuber was delighted by the stall displaying dishes such as beef sausage (chả bò) and fermented pork rolls (nem chua).
Arthurus found the cha bo to have a “crisp, smooth texture,” while the cha gio was “enhanced by a flavorful dipping sauce.” He also sampled the nem chua, describing it as “lightly tangy,” and enjoyed it enough to take several more bites, praising its taste.
During his exploration, Arthurus tried a fried dumpling stuffed with quail eggs, minced pork, and black fungus, along with fresh quai vac (savory turnovers).
“The fried dumpling might not look impressive from the outside, but its filling was delicious. The quai vac was fresh and richly flavored,” he noted.
Arthurus enjoyed the hot bánh quai vạc (Vietnamese dumplings). Photos: Mr. Abroad
While paying, Arthurus was surprised and moved when the vendor added a complimentary sesame donut to his order. Touched by the generosity, he expressed his gratitude repeatedly.
“They work incredibly hard to make a living yet are still willing to offer freebies to foreigners like me,” he said.
Although he didn’t find the banh chung he was looking for, Arthurus left with joy after a day spent experiencing Vietnam’s street food delights. According to him, street food in Vietnam is not only diverse, tasty, and affordable but can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
Vietnamnet.vn
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