People from Saigon go to eat snails with the saying "if you want the authentic taste, go to Vinh Khanh, if you want the most lively atmosphere, come to Oc Oanh." Located at the beginning of the snail street in District 4, Oc Oanh 534 Vinh Khanh has been open for nearly 20 years and is one of the restaurants that gave birth to the unique "snail dining" culture of Saigon: sitting on the sidewalk, low plastic tables, hot snails, cold beer cans, and the sound of snail shells clinking against porcelain plates.

The menu here is nearly two pages long, featuring everything from salted chili roasted snails, garlic fried snails, coconut fried snails, stuffed snails, grilled clams with scallion oil to Thai steamed clams, steamed cockles, and garlic fried mantis shrimp. The snails are sourced fresh daily from Binh Dien wholesale market, cleaned, soaked, and prepared immediately, so they are almost never fishy or slimy. The seasoning is bold – typical of Saigon – but when dipped with a bowl of salt and lime, you'll still taste the natural sweetness of the snails.

The "must try" dishes at Oc Oanh: salted chili roasted snails, with slightly charred shells, crunchy snail meat infused with ground chili from Quang; and coconut fried snails – a specialty from the Mekong Delta but seasoned to Saigon's taste, rich and sweet, slurping up all the coconut water is a delight. Customers often order a combo of 5–7 dishes to share, plus grilled squid with satay for a little extra.

The snail street Vinh Khanh lights up from 4 PM, the busiest time is from 7 PM to 10 PM. Oc Oanh usually has full tables, so you might have to wait 10–15 minutes or make a reservation in advance. The average price is 60–120 thousand VND per plate, and a group of 4 can eat well for about 350–500 thousand VND. The restaurant is suitable for groups of friends looking to "unwind," families who enjoy a rustic atmosphere, and curious foreign tourists wanting to try authentic street food in Saigon.

After eating snails, just a short walk leads you to Tan Thuan bridge, with the cool breeze from the Saigon River blowing in. Many people say that the deliciousness of Oc Oanh is not just in the dipping sauce, but in the rhythm of life – people sit down on low chairs, roll up their sleeves, laugh and chat, making this city feel unusually close.

Content generated by AI. Image sources: VnExpress Travel, Xanh SM, Green SM, Houze Blog, Bách hoá Xanh.