Take a bite out of Saigon's sizzling 22-cent ‘pizza’

Why travel to Italy when you can sample the Vietnamese version for pocket change?

Banh trang nuong is rice paper grilled over charcoal with toppings such as egg, dried beef, mayonnaise and shallots. The snack is said to have been invented in Da Lat in the Central Highlands and is often dubbed “Vietnamese pizza” due to the way it looks and is prepared. 

The snack is now one of the southern city's favorite street foods and can be found all over, but we recommend this eatery in the alley at 209 Ton That Thuyet, District 4, where a slice only costs VND5,000 (22 cents). 

The restaurant is at its busiest between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., but no matter how many customers she expects, this woman never grills the 'pizzas' in advance because she wants everyone to enjoy them hot and sizzling. 

 
She also uses fresh ingredients.

The snack combines the taste of roasted pate, which looks almost like ground pork, with fried onions and green shallots.

Some people prefer quail eggs with the running yolks on top, while others are just fine with dried beef. Spread the sauce, fold and take a bite!

Some order the rice paper with this special mango salad, which costs VND15,000 a plate and is the most expensive option here. The restaurant is open from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m. and closes on Sundays.