Saigontourist Group Culinary Culture & Delicacies Festival 2023

Organized by Saigontourist Group, the Culinary Culture & Delicacies Festival 2023 took place over four days from April 20 to 23, 2023, at Van Thanh Tourist Area, Ho Chi Minh City. Building on the success of the previous year, the 2022 edition was honored with the prestigious Asia’s Best Culinary Festival 2022 title by the World Culinary Awards.

According to the organizers, the festival aimed to celebrate the culinary culture of Vietnam’s three regions. Participating units, including 4–5 star hotels, resorts, and restaurants under Saigontourist Group in Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces, showcased over 350 signature regional dishes and beverages prepared by highly skilled chefs. The event also featured traditional craft demonstrations, cultural performances, and folk games.

Lễ hội văn hóa ẩm thực 2023

The festival space was divided into three zones representing the North, Central, and South, gathering more than 40 food stalls from Saigontourist Group’s nationwide network. Visitors enjoyed hundreds of unique dishes prepared by chefs from renowned 5-star hotels such as Rex Saigon, Majestic Saigon, Grand Saigon, Caravelle Saigon, and New World Saigon, as well as from other luxury hotels and resorts like Continental Saigon, First Hotel, Kim Do, Oscar Saigon, Thien Hong, Dong Khanh, and Saigon – Phu Quoc, among many others. The festival also welcomed participation from Ben Tre, Tay Ninh provinces, and Vietnam Airlines.s.

Introducing to festival visitors, the organizers have carefully curated dishes that perfectly capture the distinct, authentic flavors of each region—dishes that stir nostalgia and evoke cherished memories, known as comforting “heritage foods.” The festival also features a dedicated vegetarian booth offering a variety of exquisite plant-based specialties for vegetarian cuisine lovers.

For those from the North of Vietnam, the taste buds will be delighted by classics like authentic Hanoi Bún Chả, West Lake shrimp cakes, fried crab spring rolls, Trà Cổ crab rolls, braised pork belly (Thịt Khâu Nhục), grilled Lo River pork patties, Bún Đậu Nắm Tôm, highland ethnic specialties from the Northwest and Northeast, and even the humble yet beloved white sticky rice with sesame salt.

Central Vietnam cuisine lovers can savor Mì Quảng, steamed mackerel rolls in rice paper, Cao Lầu with char siu pork, sautéed clams served with rice crackers, wild dove sticky rice, “King Oysters” from Cồn Cỏ, fresh ocean tuna, and a variety of seafood from central coastal provinces. The festival also highlights Hue royal dishes, Central Highlands delicacies, and famous Dalat street foods.

For fans of Southern Vietnam cuisine, the menu features Bún Mắm, Bún Nước Lèo, crispy pork belly with woven rice vermicelli, coconut-shoot pancakes, lotus-stem fish noodle soup, green papaya salad with pork ear and shrimp, iconic Saigon–Chợ Lớn dishes, specialties from the Mekong Delta, Tay Ninh, and Ben Tre, plus street-style treats such as fresh snails, pigeon sticky rice, and the quirky “oil-lamp” balut eggs.

A special highlight in the Southern area this year is a recreated Old Saigon neighborhood featuring 20 traditional houses, complete with a cà phê vợt stall—an old-school coffee brewing method unique to Saigon. Visitors can also enjoy mobile street-food carts serving freshly prepared delights.

While gastronomy takes center stage, the event also integrates a variety of vibrant activities, including live art performances, cultural exchanges, traditional folk games, and demonstrations of heritage crafts for visitors to enjoy. Guests can immerse themselves in Quan Họ folk songs, Ca Huế royal chamber music, Southern Đờn Ca Tài Tử, monkey dances, Chhay Dăm drum performances by Khmer artisans, and Then singing from the Northwest—creating a festive atmosphere rich with Vietnam’s diverse cultural colors.

Joining the celebrations, visitors can relive childhood memories through traditional folk games. The festival also recreates authentic traditional craft villages, allowing guests to watch artisans skillfully perform age-old techniques such as rice wine brewing, tofu making, fresh noodle crafting, rice cracker baking, candy pulling, traditional cake preparation, bamboo weaving, conical hat sewing, sedge mat weaving, and pottery making.

the Saigontourist Group’s Cultural and Culinary Festival 2023 welcomes guests from 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM daily, over four consecutive days: April 20, 21, 22, and 23, at Văn Thánh Tourist Site.

On April 22 and 23 (Saturday and Sunday), the festival will also open for extended lunch sessions from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Admission includes a full-service coupon: VND 200,000 per adult, with free entry for accompanying children.

Festival Details

• Opening hours: 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM daily (April 20–23, 2023)

• Special lunch sessions: April 22 & 23, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

• Ticket price: 200,000 VND/person (including coupons for use inside the festival) – free for accompanying children

• Early bird offer: 10% discount for tickets purchased before 5:00 PM on April 17 (limited quantity)