By late afternoon in Saigon, small dessert shops begin filling their counters with bowls of beans, colourful jelly, tropical fruit and stainless-steel pots of coconut milk. Known locally as chè, Vietnamese sweet soup is not one fixed recipe. It can arrive as a warm pudding, a chilled drink, a bowl of sticky rice dumplings or a layered glass packed with fruit and crushed ice. This guide explains where this Vietnamese dessert comes from, which varieties first-time visitors should try and where to find some of the best chè in Ho Chi Minh City.

What is Vietnamese sweet soup (chè)?

Today, Vietnamese sweet soup (chè) remains a familiar treat at markets, street stalls and family gatherings. This is also an enjoyable discovery for travellers exploring Vietnamese food culture. Chè does not trace back to one particular place or recipe. It grew naturally from Vietnamese home cooking, where families combined familiar ingredients such as rice, beans, seeds, roots and seasonal fruit with sugar. Coconut milk, ginger and pandan were later added to create different flavours and textures.

Over time, each region developed its own style. Northern chè is often light and gently sweet, while Huế is known for a wider variety of refined recipes. In Southern Vietnam, coconut milk, tropical fruit, jelly and crushed ice make chè especially refreshing in hot weather. 

Top 5 Vietnamese sweet soups worth trying in Saigon

Chè ba màu offers colour and contrast

It is an approachable first choice because the flavours are familiar even when the combination is new. Three-colour dessert (Chè ba màu) usually layers beans, pandan jelly and coconut milk. Crushed ice lightens the creamy base, while the ingredients move between soft, slippery and slightly chewy textures.

Chè bà ba captures the richness of Southern Vietnam

The name of this food is often associated with the traditional áo bà ba worn in Southern Vietnam. For travellers looking for a dessert with a clear connection to the Mekong Delta, chè bà ba is a useful place to begin. This Southern speciality combines ingredients such as sweet potato, cassava, taro, mung bean and coconut milk. Recipes vary, but the result is usually creamy, filling and gently fragrant.

Chè bưởi turns pomelo peel into dessert

This is also an interesting example of Vietnamese cooking transforming an easily discarded part of a fruit into the main ingredient. Chè bưởi uses the white inner rind of pomelo rather than its juicy segments. Careful soaking and preparation remove excessive bitterness before the rind is coated with tapioca starch. The finished pieces have a crisp, chewy texture that contrasts with soft mung beans and creamy coconut milk. 

Chè trôi nước is best enjoyed warm

This traditional Vietnamese dessert is particularly comforting during rainy evenings. Glutinous rice dumplings filled with mung bean float in ginger syrup, giving the dish its name. Coconut cream and toasted sesame may be added before serving. The first bite moves from a soft, chewy wrapper to a savoury-sweet mung bean centre. Warm ginger then keeps the dense rice dough from feeling too heavy. 

Chè Thái brings fruit and durian together

Despite its name and Thai inspiration, chè Thái has become a familiar part of Saigon dessert culture. A typical glass may contain jackfruit, lychee, longan, jelly, coconut milk and durian. Durian gives the dessert its strongest aroma. If you are unsure about the fruit, ask for a small serving or request a version without it. Without durian, the glass becomes lighter and allows the other tropical fruits to stand out.

Where to eat chè in Ho Chi Minh City

While exploring Saigon, travellers can easily spot small chè carts near markets, on street corners and along busy neighbourhood roads. Their displays are usually filled with colourful beans, jellies, fruit and coconut milk, making it easy to stop and choose a bowl that catches your eye. These humble carts offer one of the simplest ways to experience the city’s everyday dessert culture. For those who prefer a well-known address, the following shops represent different sides of Saigon desserts.

Chè Hiển Khánh for a taste of old Saigon

Established in the 1960s, Chè Hiển Khánh has remained familiar to several generations of local diners. Its hand-painted sign and poems displayed inside preserve the atmosphere of an older family dessert shop. The signature of this place is white jelly with ingredients such as longan, lotus seed or water chestnut in a lightly scented jasmine syrup. The flavour is more restrained than many coconut-rich Southern desserts.

• Address: 718 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, District 3
• Try: White jelly, lotus jelly or mung bean chè
• Best for: Travellers interested in old Saigon food culture

Chè Hà Ký for Chinese-Saigon dessert culture

This place has served the Chợ Lớn community for more than three decades. Its menu brings together hot and cold desserts associated with the city’s Chinese-Vietnamese food traditions. Black sesame soup offers a smooth texture and deep roasted aroma, while red bean, peanut and glutinous rice ball desserts provide warmer, more filling alternatives. This is the most useful stop for travellers who want to see how migration has shaped Vietnamese sweet soup in Saigon.

• Address: 138 Châu Văn Liêm, District 5
• Try: Black sesame soup or a hot bean-based dessert
• Best for: Exploring the food culture of Chợ Lớn

Chè Kỳ Đồng for a wide range of familiar favourites

Chè Kỳ Đồng suits groups who cannot agree on one style. The long-standing shop offers bean-based desserts, fruit-filled glasses and creamy Southern combinations in a casual street-side setting. First-time visitors can begin with chè Thái, chè đậu trắng or mung bean chè. The broad selection also makes it easier to compare a light bean dessert with a more colourful fruit-and-coconut combination.

• Address: 16C Kỳ Đồng, District 3
• Try: Chè Thái, white bean chè or mung bean chè
• Best for: Groups looking for several choices

Vietnamese sweet soup is a traditional dessert that reflects the creativity and regional diversity of Vietnamese food culture. Made with familiar ingredients such as beans, rice, fruit and coconut, Vietnamese chè offers travellers a delicious glimpse into the country’s local flavours and everyday way of life. 

After enjoying chè, travelers can visit Tales by Chapter for a different expression of Vietnamese food. This restaurant has one shaped by plants, seasonality and contemporary techniques.  Explore the current Tales menu, then reserve your table at Tales by Chapter to continue your journey through the flavours of Vietnam.

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Tales by Chapter

The first zero waste plant-based dining in Vietnam

Add: 10 Nguyen Thanh Y, Tan Dinh, Ho Chi Minh City

Hotline: +84 368 150 125

E-mail: reservation@talessgn.com – Reservation

Are you ready to taste the future? Visit us at talessgn.com to book your sustainable dining experience today.