Barely more than a week old, Ben Thanh's brand-new street food market is already turning heads with its souped-up version of the standard roadside dining experience.
The market, located on District 1's Thu Khoa Huan Street, is decorated with brightly colored murals and a retractable awning overhead, which can be opened or closed to suit the weather. Geared toward foreign tourists, its cluster of vendors sell everything from snacks and desserts to barbecue, Vietnamese dishes and other Asian favorites.
Just behind the larger Ben Thanh Market, the street food center serves as an outdoor food court to its traditional counterpart, reminiscent of hawker stalls in other Southeast Asian nations. Picnic-style benches and tables occupy both the front and back of the space, interrupted by a tight-knit maze of clean, modern food stalls.
Despite its recent debut, the market is already packed with diners on most evenings and and gets a steady stream of passersby during the day. Prices are a little higher than your average street food fare but the extra cash goes toward better ambiance and a cleaner environment. The market is now open from 10am – 11pm everday.
