\"Saigontourist Group,\" Vietnam's leading travel and tourism group, is holding a major food culture festival in Ho Chi Minh City. This celebration lets you sample over 500 dishes across 10 themes \u2014 a perfect chance to experience Vietnamese food culture in its entirety. It's a must-see event for anyone currently traveling or planning to visit Ho Chi Minh City soon.<\/p>\n
The \"Culinary Culture & Delicacies Festival 2026,\" hosted by Saigontourist Group, is currently being held at the Van Thanh Tourist Area in Ho Chi Minh City (as of March 27, 2026).<\/p>\n
This year's theme is \"Connecting the Essence of Vietnamese Culinary Culture.\"<\/em>Its major feature is a design that lets you experience the food culture of each Vietnamese region as a story, rather than being merely a gourmet event.<\/p>\n Experience 500 dishes through \"10 culinary journeys\"<\/strong><\/p>\n At the festival, over 500 dishes are displayed and served, divided into themed zones called \"10 Flavour Journeys.\"<\/p>\n Especially noteworthy is the internationally colorful cuisine zone provided by various consulates. Dishes from a wide range of countries \u2014 including Japan, France, Italy, Thailand, and South Korea \u2014 gather in one place, giving it an aspect of \"diplomacy through food\" as well.<\/p>\n What is Saigontourist<\/strong><\/p>\n Saigontourist Group (Saigontourist Holding Company) is one of Vietnam's largest comprehensive tourism companies, founded in 1975. It runs a wide range of businesses including hotel management, travel agencies, and tourist facilities, and plays a central role in promoting domestic tourism in Vietnam. This festival was also planned as part of promoting Vietnamese food culture at home and abroad.<\/p>\n Ho Chi Minh City also has a thriving food-culture event scene, and theHo Chi Minh City Banh Mi Festival 2026<\/a>held last month also drew a lot of attention.<\/p>\n Right after the festival opened, many reactions poured in on social media. Below we translate and quote representative voices from Facebook, Instagram, and Zalo.<\/p>\n \"Went with my family on the weekend! Even I, from Hoi An, was moved to encounter Hue imperial dishes I didn't know. My kids were absorbed in the banh mi\u2013making experience corner. As a Vietnamese, I'm proud.\" (Facebook user, living in Ho Chi Minh City)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \"The consulate booths of various countries were more substantial than I expected. At the Japanese consulate booth, matcha sweets were super popular with a long line. The fusion menu of Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine was interesting too.\" (Instagram user, from the tags #saigontourist #culinaryfestival)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \"The hu tieu in the Mekong Delta zone was the best. I grew up in Saigon, but I feel like I finally properly understood the difference between the My Tho style and the Sa Dec style.\" (Zalo user)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \"The venue was a bit too crowded, and I waited over 30 minutes for the popular zones. I wish they'd made the venue a little bigger, but the quality and variety of the dishes are Saigontourist as expected. I'll definitely come next year too.\" (Local food blogger, Facebook post)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \"I rediscovered the richness of Vietnamese food culture all over again. North, central, south, ethnic minorities \u2014 it's so diverse, yet it's truly wonderful that it comes together as one country. I wish my foreign friends could have come too.\" (Twitter user, living in Ho Chi Minh City)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n For Japanese travelers visiting Ho Chi Minh City, this festival is a valuable chance to \"experience diverse Vietnamese cuisine all at once.\" Use the following points for reference.<\/p>\n 1. Venue: access to the Van Thanh Tourist Area<\/strong><\/p>\n The Van Thanh Tourist Area is located in Binh Thanh District of Ho Chi Minh City, about 20\u201330 minutes by taxi or Grab from the city center. Since it's near the extension area of the subway (Metro Line 1), access is expected to improve further going forward.<\/p>\n 2. Points for advance preparation<\/strong><\/p>\n 3. Making use of the cooking-experience corners<\/strong><\/p>\n At the festival, you don't just eat \u2014 cooking-experience corners are also set up. For banh mi making and pho broth\u2013making experiences, there may be Japanese-speaking staff. It's perfect for making travel memories.<\/p>\n 4. Japanese cuisine too in the international cuisine zone<\/strong><\/p>\n Japanese cuisine may also be featured at the consulate booths of various countries. Comparing the local twists on \"Japanese food\" in Vietnam is an interesting experience too.<\/p>\n 5. Combining with Ho Chi Minh City sightseeing<\/strong><\/p>\n The Van Thanh Tourist Area, the festival venue, is also used as a departure base for day tours to the Mekong Delta. It's a good idea to plan suburban sightseeing combined with the festival. Also, as a Vietnam-travel classic, access to Hoi An is popular, andthe latest information on Hoi An, which the world is watching<\/a>.<\/p>\n Vietnam's \"food\" is not merely cuisine but an experience that distills history, culture, and regional character. This festival is a special place where you can touch on all of that. If you're staying in Ho Chi Minh City, be sure to stop by.<\/p>\n\n
Reactions from Vietnamese readers \u2014 real voices gathered from social media<\/h2>\n
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Impact and points for Japanese tourists \u2014 to enjoy the festival to the fullest<\/h2>\n
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