RAMENVENTURES IN HO CHI MINH

Spread out in multiple lanes around the seedy nightlife area of Le Thanh Ton, are a cluster of exceptional Ramen restaurants mainly catering to the businessmen that frequent this area. After an intense and hard fought negotiation with a local client, they tend to work up an appetite and head for one of these places to quench the insatiable itch. Lured by the promise of authenticity, a new crowd of locals and tourists have begun to descend on these alleys, not only for pleasures of the flesh, but also pleasures of the fleisch. Unsurprisingly, a few bars began to pop-up a few years ago, and Le Thanh Ton is slowing turning into a major destination for night-time activities.

If, like us, you love nothing more than slurping noodles at 2am, then take a Grab motorbike and set your compass to anywhere on the google map links below.

Whilst Tonkotsu style ramen seems to be the prevailing favourite, there are a couple of Shoyu and Miso restaurants a few blocks outside the main spider web. If you regard ramen as a weekly human right (daily?), then follow our steps and sip yourself through an odyssey of Saigonese ramen epiphanies.

Hit one, hit them all! Here is our list of the 5 best ramen in Saigon!

TORISOBA MUTAHIRO

#THEMOUTHSCHOICE

You're never finding this place by accident, tucked in the furthest corner down prostitute lane, but if you ever need a deliriously slapping bowl of ramen in Saigon, then this is your jam. Deep umami hits, perfectly tender meat, solid noodles and a divine egg. Heaven in ramen terms doesn't get much better.

MISO CHIKURA RAMEN

Heavier than Electric Wizard played through an oil spill, this ramen is as authentic as you'll find outside of Japan. Whether or not you want to eat it where the average temperature is 32 degrees is another question. We did.

RAMEN DANBO

A chain ramen restaurant that serves up superb bowls of goodness. We have visited their branch in Okinawa and would be pulling teeth to compare them.

ITTOU RAMEN

A thicker, creamier version of Tonkotsu than Danbo offers, and yet somehow slightly less flavoursome. If you're in Japan-town and have eaten at all the others, then this is a fine alternative.

CHOI OI

Twenty meters away from the agreeable 7 Bridges bar, Choi Oi is constantly awash with noodle-hunters. Expect to wait in line if you arrive at peak times.

Ask for the spicy tantanmen. Prepare for fire!