Where to Eat Near Ben Thanh Market: A Hidden Gem Restaurant Away From the Crowds
Ask anyone where to eat in District 1 and the answer usually starts with Ben Thanh Market. The market is a landmark, and the blocks around it hold some of the best food in Saigon. They also hold some of the most tourist-focused, with laminated picture menus, touts at the door and prices that change depending on who is asking.
This guide is about eating well near Ben Thanh without falling into those traps: how locals choose, what the side streets offer, and why MULAN — a Cantonese restaurant on the second floor of 18 Thu Khoa Huan — has become one of the Ben Thanh local gems that people pass on by word of mouth.
The problem with eating right next to the market
The busiest streets facing a famous market have to serve a constant stream of first-time visitors. That is not always bad, but it rewards being visible over being good. A restaurant that will never see the same customer twice has less reason to care whether you come back.
Locals in Saigon tend to eat one street back, or one floor up. Rents are lower, the noise drops, and the restaurants survive on regulars rather than foot traffic. That is where most hidden gems near Ben Thanh are found.
How to spot a non-touristy restaurant in District 1
A few simple checks will save you from most disappointing meals around Ben Thanh:
- Look at who is eating. Vietnamese families, office workers and groups of friends at lunch are the best review a restaurant can have.
- Check that prices are printed. A menu with clear prices in Vietnamese dong is a good sign; vague pricing is not.
- Prefer a focused menu. A kitchen that cooks one cuisine well beats one offering pho, pizza and pad thai on the same page.
- Read recent reviews on Google Maps, not just the overall score, and see whether the photos show the dining room as it is today.
- Notice whether anything is made in front of you. An open kitchen is a kitchen with nothing to hide.
What a hidden gem near Ben Thanh actually looks like
MULAN is easy to walk past. It sits on the second floor at 18 Thu Khoa Huan, a narrow street just up from Ben Thanh Market, with a modest entrance at street level. Upstairs, the noise of the city falls away: oak lattice screens divide a calm dining room, paper lanterns and wall lamps light the evening, and a tiled steam counter stands in the middle of the tables.
That counter is the heart of the restaurant. Every dumpling is rolled, folded and steamed by hand in front of the guests, in small batches from opening to close. It is the opposite of the reheated, mass-produced food that gives market areas a bad name — and it is why our guests have given MULAN a 5.0 rating across 66 Google reviews.
Local food near Ben Thanh: why Cantonese belongs here
Visitors sometimes ask why they should eat Cantonese food in Vietnam. The answer is that Cantonese cooking has been part of Saigon's food culture for generations, carried by the Chinese-Vietnamese community, and dishes like wonton noodles, roast duck and char siu are everyday local food in the city.
MULAN cooks in that tradition, rooted in Cantonese technique with a light Vietnamese touch: local herbs, local produce and flavours tuned to the Saigon table. So a meal here is not a detour from local food — it is one of its oldest chapters.
What to eat at MULAN
Most guests mix dim sum with one Cantonese roast. A few dishes we recommend for a first visit:
- Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow), 78,000₫ — handmade, translucent and the best test of any dim sum kitchen.
- Salted Egg Custard Bao, 68,000₫ — molten, sweet and salty at the same time.
- Cantonese Roast Duck, 238,000₫ — glossy lacquered skin, served with its own sauce.
- Wontons in Black Vinegar and Chilli Oil, 78,000₫ — for those who like some heat.
- Specialty Sharing Tray, 398,000₫ — six signature dumplings for two or three people.
- Jasmine Lychee Iced Tea or Salted Kumquat Fizz, 65,000₫–70,000₫ — cold, refreshing and very Saigon.
Planning your day around Ben Thanh
Ben Thanh Market is best in the morning, before the heat builds. A good rhythm is to walk the market, then come upstairs to MULAN when lunch service opens at 11:00, before the midday rush. The window tables keep natural light until about three in the afternoon and are the most requested seats at weekend lunch.
In the evening, the area changes character. The streets around the market get lively after dark, and our dinner service runs from 16:00 to 23:00, which makes MULAN an easy place to sit down for a long meal after a day in District 1.
Practical information
Address: Lầu 2 (2nd floor), 18 Thu Khoa Huan, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00–14:00 and 16:00–23:00. Closed Mondays.
Booking: through the reservation page by WhatsApp or Zalo, or by phone on 0965 718 101 for groups of eight or more.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good non-touristy restaurant near Ben Thanh Market?
MULAN - Cantonese Grill House is on the second floor of 18 Thu Khoa Huan, one street back from the market. It serves handmade Cantonese dim sum and roast meats with printed prices and an open kitchen.
Is MULAN expensive?
Dim sum baskets cost 68,000₫–138,000₫ and roasts around 228,000₫–238,000₫. Lunch for two usually costs 600,000₫–800,000₫.
Is MULAN good for tourists who don't speak Vietnamese?
Yes. The menu is in Vietnamese, English and Chinese, and you can book in English over WhatsApp.