How safe is street food in Saigon?

Q: We're planning a possible three or four days in Saigon, and everyone tells us to try food from street vendors, as it is one of the highlights of traveling in Vietnam. However, as we were getting our pretravel vaccinations, the nurse was adamant about avoiding all street food. Should we just be extra careful (avoid anything raw, or cooked on an unclean surface), or is this advice to be taken without exception?

A: This depends, of course, on the vendor, and your general tolerance. There certainly are no guarantees and no hard rules that will prevent you from getting sick, so in that respect you're taking your chances, but many people also get sick eating in five-star hotels. The general rule of thumb is to absolutely avoid anything raw, uncooked, and unpeeled fruit, salads, etc. as well as drinks made with water. Cooked foods are less risky.

Look for vendors whose stalls look clean and busy. Food courts inside shopping malls or hawker centers are excellent places to try traditional "street" food in a sanitary environment.

In Saigon, the best place to sample street food without actually eating on the street is Quan Nn Ngon, 138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia www.quananngon.com. I ate its Hanoi branch last year with a Vietnamese friend. It was excellent.

Carol Pucci, Seattle Times Travel writer

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