Max McFarlin, also known as “Mac Oi”, is a famous YouTuber with content exploring street food.
In his journey to explore the culinary culture of Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Max brings an interesting perspective by revealing 5 unique Vietnamese drinks that not everyone knows about.
Coconut jelly
The first "favorite" shop Max shared is a coconut water jelly shop opposite Saigon Centre.
Although suong sam is a familiar drink at the markets, the suong sam coconut water that Max McFarlin suggests has a special flavor.
Made from grass jelly combined with fresh coconut and rock sugar, this dish is not only refreshing but also helps dispel the sweltering heat of Ho Chi Minh City.
Max shared that the jelly here is not too sweet but has a refreshing taste, is easy to drink and brings a pleasant feeling to the body, especially when enjoyed on hot summer days. "The seller here is quite famous because the jelly has a mild sweet taste, not bitter like many other places," he said.
The full glass of suong sam with its smooth jelly and natural sweetness surprised him. “Drinking it makes my whole body feel cool!”, the American exclaimed.
Miss Thien's lime tea
An extremely popular tea in Vietnam, kumquat tea can be found in most street stalls. However, Max was particularly impressed with the kumquat tea at Ms. Thien's shop in District 10.
He described: "Not only are the drinks delicious, but the owner is also as cute as she is."
Ms. Thien calls the shop's iced tea COVID - a humorous name but full of creativity with traditional ingredients such as kumquat, grapefruit flower...
The sweet and sour taste combined with the rich flavor of tea has created an indispensable drink in the hot season. Max affirmed that Ms. Thien's kumquat tea is one of the best kumquat teas he has ever tried.
Uncle Nam's Coconut and Lime
Uncle Nam’s shop is where Max can experience the original flavor of coconut and lime. “Uncle splits the coconut on the spot, adds coconut water, lime and a little sugar. This is truly a pure flavor that I have never tried before,” he excitedly said.
Max shared that this drink is only available at typical small shops. He shared that the coconut and kumquat here has a very delicate flavor, without using jelly or other ingredients, just fresh coconut water and young coconut meat, creating a cool and nutritious drink.
Miss Nam Soy Milk
Max continued his journey at a small shop that he described as “famous on TikTok”. Although soy milk is a popular drink, the version at Ms. Nam’s shop has a special flavor.
Ms. Nam makes soy milk from mung beans, peanuts, and pennywort, creating a drink that is both rich and delicious.
Max said that for the first time he tried this dish and felt a clear difference when the milk was prepared very special, not only a glass of regular soy milk but also other natural ingredients blended.
In addition, the restaurant also has hot soy milk combined with eggs. Max confessed: "I wonder if this combination is strange?".
However, this was also a new experience for him: “She stirred the eggs well so they wouldn't get fishy, and I have to say the taste was really great.”
Nam Ky Khoi Nghia filter coffee
The final stop was a traditional filter coffee shop in District 3. Max was fascinated by the way coffee was brewed manually with a filter and charcoal stove, creating a strong cup of coffee with an unforgettable, distinctive flavor.
Max shared that this way of making filter coffee is very interesting and creates a cup of coffee that is both delicious and has “something very Saigon”.
“The taste of this roasted coffee is really special. This is why I love traditional and simple things,” he shared.
