Gỏi cuốn (fresh spring rolls, sometimes called summer rolls) are one of the more misrepresented Vietnamese dishes internationally. The versions served in Vietnamese restaurants abroad tend to be tight, underseasoned rolls with too much noodle and not enough herb. In Saigon, a properly made gỏi cuốn is a different experience — loose enough that the filling isn’t compressed, loaded with fresh mint and perilla, and eaten immediately after rolling so the rice paper hasn’t had time to dry out.

What’s inside

The standard gỏi cuốn tôm thịt (shrimp and pork) contains: poached whole shrimp (placed cut-side-down against the rice paper so they show through), sliced boiled pork belly, rice vermicelli (not too much), fresh mint, perilla (tía tô), chives or garlic chives, and sometimes a strip of lettuce. All wrapped in a single sheet of softened dried rice paper.

The dipping sauce is everything

The quality gap between mediocre and excellent gỏi cuốn often comes down to the dipping sauce. The most common is tương chấm — hoisin sauce thinned with water and seasoned with fresh lime and crushed roasted peanuts. A good version has a balance between the sweetness of hoisin, the acidity of lime, and the texture of peanuts. A bad version is just hoisin sauce from a bottle.

Some stalls serve a fermented peanut sauce (tương đậu phộng) instead, which is thicker, more savoury, and arguably even better.

Where to eat gỏi cuốn in Saigon

Gỏi cuốn stalls in Ben Thanh Market surroundings — the outdoor stalls on the east side of the market area have reasonable gỏi cuốn and are easy to find. Price: 25,000–35,000 VND per roll.

Neighbourhood stalls in District 3 and Binh Thanh — look for a cart with a glass display showing pre-rolled spring rolls. The freshest are made to order; ask for cuốn tươi (fresh-rolled). Price: 20,000–30,000 VND per roll.