Ho Chi Minh City has ranked fourth on a list of the world’s Top 10 Food Cities.
The list, published by respected magazine and television channel National Geographic, is topped by Louisville, Kentucky and includes three Asian cities. The other two are Chennai in India, ranked second, and Osaka, Japan.
The National Geographic pays special tribute to the banh mi, now a staple of the Vietnamese diet, and loved by the local expat community as well as tourists.
“Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, became the hot spot for the popular Vietnamese crispy bread sandwich bánh mì, originally served on a French baguette, after gaining independence from France in 1954.”
Louisville might seem an odd choice for pride of place on the list, but again it was a sandwich which caught the imagination of National Geographic’s travel writers.
“Invented as a midnight snack for revelers at the Brown Hotel (335 W. Broadway), Hot Brown, an open-faced turkey sandwich on Texas toast with bacon, tomatoes, and a cream sauce, gives eaters plenty to get excited about, day or night.”
Read the full list online.
