Saigon, the Pearl of the Far East, is not only famous for its vibrant pace of life and unique architectural works but also a diverse culinary paradise. Among countless delicacies, Saigon sweet soup (chè) always holds a special place in the hearts of locals and tourists. From street vendors to long-standing sweet soup shops, each bowl of chè carries a unique flavor, contributing to the rich culinary identity of this city. Let’s explore the best Saigon sweet soup spots with “Travel Around The World”, where you can find sweet, cool flavors and cultural stories hidden behind each dish.
1. Che Mam Su Van Hanh – Familiar Flavors for Nearly 50 Years
Speaking of Saigon sweet soup, one cannot miss Che Mam Su Van Hanh, an address that has been associated with generations of Saigon people for nearly 50 years. Located on the bustling Su Van Hanh street, this shop is famous for its tray of 16 colorful and flavorful sweet soups.
Every evening, Che Mam shop is always crowded with customers coming to enjoy the diverse tray of sweet soups. The highlight of the shop is the assorted sweet soup tray with 16 different types of chè, from traditional ones like Che Ba Ba, Che Dau Xanh (mung bean sweet soup), Che Dau Den (black bean sweet soup), Che Khoai Mon (taro sweet soup), to modified versions like Che Tao Xon, Che Chuoi (banana sweet soup), Che Rau Cau (jelly sweet soup), and Banh Flan (crème caramel).
A full tray ordered by customers includes flan and coconut jelly in addition to sweet soups
Each sweet soup in the tray is meticulously prepared, preserving its characteristic flavor. Ingredients are carefully selected and fresh. Che Mam is usually served hot or slightly cool, without ice, with a natural sweetness, combined with rich coconut milk, creating an unforgettable culinary experience.
With its diversity and appealing flavors, Che Mam Su Van Hanh is an ideal choice for groups of friends or families who want to enjoy many types of sweet soup at once. If you are traveling alone or in a small group, the shop also serves individual sweet soups for you to freely choose from.
Most of the sweet soups at the shop are hot. Despite being small, the shop is crowded with diners every evening.
Che Mam – Su Van Hanh Information
- Address: 32 Su Van Hanh, Ward 2, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 3:00 PM – 10:30 PM
- Reference price: VND 5,000 – 30,000
2. Che Ha Ky – 30 Years of Flavor in Chinatown
Che Ha Ky is one of the oldest and most famous sweet soup shops in Chinatown (Cho Lon), District 5. With over 30 years of history, this shop has become a part of the sweet memories of many generations of Saigon people. Starting from a small street vendor, Ha Ky has developed into a spacious store, still maintaining its signature traditional sweet soup flavors.
Ha Ky’s menu is extremely diverse, divided into two main categories: hot sweet soups and cold sweet soups. Hot sweet soups include familiar dishes such as Che Me Den (black sesame sweet soup), Che Dau Xanh, Che Dau Do (red bean sweet soup), Che Dau Den, Che Troi Nuoc (sweet glutinous rice balls in ginger syrup)… Cold sweet soups are more varied with Dau Hu Hanh Nhan (almond tofu), Sam Bo Luong (herbal sweet soup), Tao Do Nhan Nhuc (red dates and longan sweet soup), Che Trai Dau (strawberry sweet soup), Che Hot Sen (lotus seed sweet soup)…
The shop's sweet soups are diverse and attract many customers
The sweet soup that made Ha Ky famous is Che Me Den. The black sesame sweet soup here is not only delicious but also highly appreciated for its nutritional value. The sweet soup has a jet-black color, smooth texture, melts in your mouth when eaten, with the fragrant aroma of roasted sesame, sweetness, and richness. The secret of this dish lies in the sesame roasting process, which requires meticulousness and experience to ensure the sesame is evenly cooked and fragrant.
Besides Che Me Den, Tuyet Nhi Tao Do Du Du Tiem (snow fungus, red date, and papaya stewed sweet soup) is also a unique choice at Ha Ky. This sweet soup is served in a stew pot, with shaved ice, bringing the mild sweetness of ripe papaya, red dates, snow fungus, and rock sugar. Hot Ga Tra (tea egg sweet soup) is also a unique sweet soup; chicken eggs are cooked with black tea until they turn dark brown, bringing the richness of chicken eggs mixed with the slight bitterness and coolness of tea.
Ha Ky sweet soup shop menu with more than 30 different types of sweet soups
In the evening, passing by this street, you will see the sweet soup shop bustling with customers inside
Che Ha Ky Information
- Address: 138 Chau Van Liem Street, Ward 11, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Reference price: VND 25,000 – 38,000
3. Che Chanh Nguyen Phi Khanh – 50-Year-Old Sidewalk Sweet Soup Stall
This small sweet soup stall nestled on the corner of Nguyen Phi Khanh street, District 1, stands out with the image of the “snobbish” owner smoking a pipe, has existed for over 50 years and has become a familiar place for many Saigon people. This sweet soup shop is known as “Che Chanh” (Snobbish Sweet Soup) because of the owner’s special serving style.
Coming to Che Chanh, you will see customers patiently queuing to buy sweet soup, while the owner leisurely scoops sweet soup, without speaking, without smiling, but seemingly no one feels uncomfortable. This unique “snobbishness” has created a distinct feature for this unnamed sweet soup stall, and the name “Che Chanh” was born from there.
Although the sweet soup stall is "snobbish", it is never short of customers
Che Chanh’s menu is quite simple, only including bean sweet soups such as Che Dau Xanh, Che Dau Den, Che Dau Van (lima bean sweet soup), Banh Lot (pandan short pasta sweet soup) and Suong Sa Hat Luu (agar jelly with pomegranate seeds). Although not diverse in dishes, Che Chanh conquers diners with its traditional, rich flavor. The beans are cooked until soft, retaining their natural richness. The special highlight of Che Chanh is the rich, slightly salty coconut milk, which enhances the delicious flavor of each cup of sweet soup.
Each type of sweet soup has its own unique flavor, unmistakable
The "snobbish" sweet soup shop has existed for over 50 years on Nguyen Phi Khanh street
Che Chanh – Che Ba Mau Information
- Address: 142 Nguyen Phi Khanh Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Reference price: VND 10,000 – 20,000
4. Che Ky Dong – Airy Space in the Heart of District 3
Che Ky Dong is another long-standing sweet soup shop in Saigon, with over 30 years of operation. Located right in the center of District 3, the shop has a spacious, airy space, an ideal place for you to enjoy delicious sweet soup while watching the vibrant pace of city life.
Che Ky Dong’s menu is quite diverse with about 20 popular sweet soups such as Che Thai (Thai sweet soup), Che Thach Dau Xanh (mung bean jelly sweet soup), Che Thap Cam (assorted sweet soup), Che Cu Nang Dau Xanh (water chestnut and mung bean sweet soup)… In addition to sweet soup, the shop also serves snacks at affordable prices, suitable for students.
The shop is always bustling with a diverse menu for customers
The staff at Che Ky Dong are rated as quick and enthusiastic, serving attentively. The shop is a suitable place for you to relax after stressful hours of studying and working.
Che Ky Dong Information
- Address: 16C Ky Dong, Ward 9, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Reference price: VND 10,000 – 22,000
5. Che Thanh Tam – Chinese Sweet Soup with Rich Flavors
Che Thanh Tam, located on Bui Huu Nghia street, District 5, is famous for its special Chinese sweet soups. Diners who come here often prefer Chinese sweet soups to traditional ones because of their unique flavors and meticulous preparation.
Che Thanh Tam has a spacious, airy space, a diverse sweet soup menu, and a mild sweetness that is easy to eat. The shop serves quickly, even when crowded, helping you not have to wait long to enjoy your favorite sweet soup.
The shop space is airy and always bustling with customers
Besides sweet soup, soups and snacks at Thanh Tam are also highly appreciated by many people. The shop space is clean, ensuring food safety and hygiene. The staff is friendly and enthusiastic.
Che Thanh Tam Information
- Address: 98 Bui Huu Nghia Street, Ward 7, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 9:00 AM – 0:00 AM
- Reference price: VND 18,000 – 44,000
6. Che Co Bay – Mekong Delta Flavors in the Heart of Saigon
Che Co Bay is a famous sweet soup shop in District 10, known by many for its distinctive Mekong Delta sweet soup flavors. The owner uses homemade ingredients, natural colors, ensuring the quality and flavor of each bowl of sweet soup.
Bowls of sweet soup at Co Bay look small and pretty, but are full of sweet soup inside. The sweet soup has a strong flavor of Can Tho tea, with a mild sweetness, not too strong, combined with homemade rich coconut milk, fragrant and rich.
The sweet soup here is also very delicious, not too sweet, especially the homemade coconut milk is fragrant and rich
Che Buoi (pomelo sweet soup) at Co Bay is loved by many diners, with crispy pomelo pulp, a slight bitterness, harmonizing with the richness of coconut milk and the richness of mung beans. Besides sweet soup, the shop also serves Mekong Delta cakes such as Banh Bo (honeycomb cake), Banh Bi Do (pumpkin cake), Banh Da Lon (layer cake), Banh Chuoi Hap (steamed banana cake), Banh Khoai Mon (taro cake)…
The shop space is spacious, airy, and the staff is friendly, enthusiastic, and attentive to customers.
The bowl of sweet soup is small and pretty but really has a lot of sweet soup
Che Co Bay Information
- Address: 384 Su Van Hanh Street, Ward 2, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Reference price: VND 25,000 – 30,000
7. Che Co Huoi – Unique Cambodian Flavors
Che Co Huoi is a special sweet soup shop, famous for its Cambodian-flavored sweet soups. Starting from a small street vendor, after more than 40 years, Co Huoi has built her own sweet soup shop, loved by many for its delicious, unique Cambodian sweet soup flavors.
Co Huoi’s sweet soup menu is not too extensive, only about 5-7 dishes such as Che Thap Cam, Che Hot Me (tamarind seed sweet soup), Xoi Xiem (Cambodian sticky rice), Che Bi Chung (steamed pumpkin sweet soup), Che Thot Not (palmyra fruit sweet soup)… Che Bi Chung (Num-à-pơi) is the shop’s signature dish, made from small pumpkins, hollowed out, stuffed with a mixture of powdered milk, condensed milk, egg yolks, and coconut milk, then steamed. This sweet soup has a sweet, rich, and particularly delicious flavor.
Co Huoi's Cambodian sweet soup sold in alley 57 is quite famous and very crowded with buyers
Besides Che Bi Chung, Che Thap Cam at Co Huoi is also very popular, with many diverse ingredients, eye-catching colors, and delicious flavors. The shop only sells from afternoon to evening, but is always crowded with customers.
Looking at the bowl of assorted sweet soup with many eye-catching ingredients, different colors, emitting a fragrant aroma
Che Co Huoi Information
- Address: 57/21A Ho Thi Ky Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 2:30 PM – 9:00 PM
- Reference price: VND 10,000 – 22,000
8. Che Hien Khanh – 60 Years of Memories in the Heart of Saigon
Che Hien Khanh is one of the oldest sweet soup shops in Saigon, having existed for over 60 years. Located in an old house on Nguyen Dinh Chieu street, District 3, this sweet soup shop carries a strong mark of time and is a part of the memories of many generations of Saigon people.
The shop sign still retains its classic lettering, reminiscent of old Saigon. The shop’s menu has nearly 20 sweet soups, with affordable prices, suitable for many people’s budgets, especially students. Che Thach Trang (white jelly sweet soup) is the shop’s signature dish, loved by many people from past to present.
Hien Khanh jelly sweet soup, a piece of Saigon memory
Coming to Hien Khanh, you will not only enjoy delicious sweet soup but also feel the cozy, familiar atmosphere of a traditional family sweet soup shop. The shop also sells local delicacies such as Banh Dau Xanh (mung bean cake), Banh Dau Phong (peanut cake), Banh Su Se (husband and wife cake), Banh It (pyramidal glutinous rice dumpling), reminiscent of hometown flavors.
This sweet soup is not fussy, simply jelly strands and sugar water but it is extremely delicious
Che Hien Khanh Information
- Address: 718 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM – 10:00 PM daily
- Reference price: VND 10,000 – 33,000
9. Che Tuong Phong – Nutritious Chinese Sweet Soup Flavors
Che Tuong Phong is a famous Chinese sweet soup shop in District 5, located deep in Chinatown. The shop has a clean, airy space, serving many sweet soups cooked in Chinese style, not only delicious but also very nutritious.
Tuong Phong’s menu is extremely rich, with nearly 50 different sweet soups, each dish has Vietnamese, Chinese names, and illustrations. The sweet soups here have a mild, pleasant sweetness, not too strong. Dau Hu Dua (coconut tofu sweet soup) is one of the most popular dishes, with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Chinese sweet soup shop with spacious and airy space
Du Du Tiem (stewed papaya sweet soup) is also a specialty of Tuong Phong, rarely found elsewhere. Che Thap Cam, Che Bach Qua (gingko nut sweet soup), Che Trung (egg sweet soup), Cao Quy Linh (herbal jelly), Che Sam Bo Luong are also delicious and nutritious sweet soups that you should try when coming to the shop.
The sweet soups here are mildly sweet and pleasant, the flavor is also gentle, not too strong.
Seven-color sweet soup with quail eggs
Che Tuong Phong Information
- Address: 83 An Diem Street, Ward 10, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 6:00 PM – 0:00 AM daily
- Reference price: VND 25,000 – 30,000
10. Che Den Dau Nguyen Kiem – 44-Year-Old Sweet Soup Stall by Oil Lamp
Che Den Dau (Oil Lamp Sweet Soup) stall is a special sweet soup stall that has existed for over 44 years on Nguyen Kiem street, Phu Nhuan district. The stall is simply a small table and a few plastic chairs, set up every night by Mrs. Sau, the 77-year-old owner, under the warm yellow light of an oil lamp.
Che Den Dau stall only sells 5 traditional sweet soups: Che Troi Nuoc, Che Dau, Che Chuoi Chung (steamed banana sweet soup), Che Tao Xon, Che Dau Xanh Bot Ban (mung bean and tapioca pearl sweet soup), priced at only VND 5,000 per bowl. Although simple, this sweet soup stall brings a warm, familiar space, where people can sit together, enjoy delicious sweet soup and chat.
Image of Mrs. Sau lighting up her sweet soup stall with a small oil lamp
The gentle yellow light of the oil lamp, the sweet and fragrant bowls of sweet soup, and the friendly atmosphere have created a special attraction for the Oil Lamp Sweet Soup stall, making it a familiar place for many Saigon people.
The price of a bowl of sweet soup is both cheap and delicious
Che Den Dau Information
- Address: 504 Nguyen Kiem, Ward 4, Phu Nhuan, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 7:30 PM – 0:00 AM daily
- Reference price: VND 5,000
11. Che Y Phuong – Famous Thai Sweet Soup in District 10
Che Y Phuong is a famous sweet soup shop in District 10, especially known for its delicious Thai sweet soup. The shop has two locations, both located on major roads, easy to find, always crowded with customers, especially the Nguyen Tri Phuong location with a spacious sidewalk space.
Y Phuong’s Thai sweet soup is praised by many diners; this sweet soup has built the shop’s brand over many years. A glass of Thai sweet soup at Y Phuong is full, with many toppings such as jackfruit, jelly, agar, pomegranate seeds, durian…
Saigon has many Thai sweet soup shops, but the most famous among them is still Y Phuong Thai sweet soup shop
Besides Thai sweet soup, Y Phuong also has many other types of sweet soup and ice cream such as Che Thot Not Sau Rieng Nhan (palmyra fruit, durian, and longan sweet soup), Che Hat Luu Sau Rieng (pomegranate seed and durian sweet soup), Che Khuc Bach (panna cotta sweet soup), Che Ba Mau (three-color sweet soup), Italian ice cream, jackfruit sticky rice ice cream, Thai coconut ice cream… Although the shop space is not too spacious, Che Y Phuong is still a popular place for many people.
Image of a full glass of sweet soup at Y Phuong sweet soup shop
In addition to sweet soup, there are also avocados, ice cream, smoothies, etc.
Che Y Phuong Information
- Address: 382 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, Ward 4, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM daily
- Reference price: VND 28,000 – 40,000
12. Che Cot Dien Tran Hung Dao – Chinese Sweet Soup Flavors in Old Saigon
Che Cot Dien (Electric Pole Sweet Soup) stall is located in front of the yard of a French-era power substation on Tran Hung Dao street, District 5. The stall has existed for nearly 10 years and is loved by many Saigon people for its unique Chinese sweet soup flavors.
Che Cot Dien does not have the simple, rustic style of Northern sweet soup, nor is it elaborate and eye-catching like Hue sweet soup, but a harmonious combination of sweet and salty, with a strong Chinese character. The shop’s menu has more than 20 sweet soups, from familiar dishes such as Sam Bo Luong, Hanh Nhan (almond sweet soup), Che Dau Xanh, Dau Do, to unique dishes such as Hot Ga Chung (steamed egg sweet soup), Hot Ga Nau Tra Duong (egg cooked with tea and sugar), Nhan Nhuc, Bach Qua, Cu Nang…
Under the dim lights, the sweet soup stall is located modestly in the yard in front of the substation
The sweet soups at Cot Dien have a strong Chinese root, with a combination of Quy Linh Cao, Hoai Son, Bach Qua, Bo Bo, Tau Hu Ky, quail eggs… creating a special flavor that may surprise many people when they first taste it. However, Che Cot Dien stall is still always favored by Saigon people, not only because of the delicious sweet soup but also because of the old space, reminiscent of a quiet Saigon.
The sweet soups are diverse and the cook balances the sweetness
Che Cot Dien Information
- Address: 476 Tran Hung Dao Street, Ward 14, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 4:30 PM – 11:00 PM daily
- Reference price: VND 15,000 – 25,000
Conclusion
Saigon is not only a modern, dynamic city but also a treasure trove of rich culinary culture. Saigon sweet soup, with its diversity in flavors and cooking styles, has become an indispensable feature of Saigon street food. From long-standing traditional sweet soup shops to affordable sidewalk vendors, each location offers unique culinary experiences and unique cultural stories. Hopefully, with the list of 12 best Saigon sweet soup shops that “Travel Around The World” introduces, you will have more choices to explore and fully enjoy the sweet flavors of this city. What are you waiting for? Let’s invite your friends and family to explore the world of Saigon sweet soup right away!