Grab 'Ho Chi Minh City Iconic Eateries' Awards 2026: A Dental Tourist's Culinary Guide

Grab Honors 60 of HCMC’s Best Restaurants

Ho Chi Minh City’s food scene just received a major spotlight. In partnership with the HCMC Tourism Festival 2026, Grab has launched the “Ho Chi Minh City Iconic Eateries” Awards, recognizing 60 restaurants that define the city’s culinary identity. The winners were selected through a combination of GrabFood ordering data and rigorous on-ground evaluations, ensuring both popularity and quality.

Award Categories

The awards paint a comprehensive picture of a city where a bowl of pho from a decades-old street stall sits alongside innovative fusion dining — and both earn recognition.

Grab Travel Pass: Your All-in-One Companion

For international visitors, Grab also introduced the Grab Travel Pass, a bundled package offering transport, dining, and shopping benefits worth up to VND 2.5 million (roughly USD 100). The pass is designed specifically for tourists and makes navigating the city seamless — from airport transfers to late-night food deliveries.

Alongside the awards, 15 themed culinary tours have been launched across HCMC districts. These guided experiences take visitors through local markets, hidden alley kitchens, and award-winning restaurants, offering a deeper understanding of Saigon’s food culture.

Why Dental Tourists Should Pay Attention

Ho Chi Minh City is one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing dental tourism destinations, and the food scene plays a surprisingly important role in recovery.

Soft Food Paradise

After procedures like implants, veneers, or extractions, patients need soft, nutritious meals. Vietnamese cuisine is uniquely suited for this:

• Pho — warm rice noodle soup, gentle on healing gums
• Chao (rice porridge) — a go-to comfort food after oral surgery
• Banh flan — smooth caramel custard, no chewing required
• Che — sweet dessert soups with soft beans and jellies

Many of the 60 awarded restaurants specialize in exactly these dishes.

GrabFood: Recovery-Friendly Delivery

Not feeling up to leaving your hotel after a dental appointment? GrabFood delivers from the majority of awarded eateries directly to your door. You can browse menus, filter for soft-food options, and have a meal arrive within 30 minutes — all from your phone.

Culinary Tours Between Appointments

Dental treatment plans in HCMC often span several days with rest periods between sessions. The 15 new culinary tours offer a perfect way to fill those gaps, turning waiting days into memorable food adventures across the city’s most vibrant districts.

Making the Most of Your Trip

The convergence of world-class dental care and an internationally recognized food scene makes Ho Chi Minh City a destination where health and pleasure coexist. The Grab Iconic Eateries Awards give dental tourists a curated, trustworthy list of where to eat — whether you are recovering in your room or exploring the city between appointments.

Pick up a Grab Travel Pass on arrival, bookmark the award winners on GrabFood, and let HCMC take care of the rest.