VIETNAM FOODS: 20 DISHES YOU MUST TRY WHEN YOU COME TO VIETNAM

You are about to have a tour in Vietnam but you do not know which Vietnam must try food. Find out now the 20 best Vietnam foods, that many tourists love. This list will help you have a more perfectly Vietnam 10 day itinerary. In addition, you can also check out our Vietnam travel guide to know more interesting information about Vietnam

20 Vietnam must try food

Pho

Pho is a traditional dish of Vietnam, originating from Nam Dinh, Hanoi and is considered one of the typical dishes for Vietnamese cuisine. Each region has its own way of making pho, but generally, this iconic Vietnam must try food consists of thinly-sliced rice noodles doused in piping-hot broth, topped with protein (beef, chicken, and more), and eaten with herbs.

Try it: Pho Thin, 13 Lo Duc, Hai Ba Trung District in Hanoi or Pho Le, 415 Nguyen Trai, Ward 7, District 5 in Ho Chi Minh City

Pho is one of the Vietnam must try food
Pho is one of the Vietnam must try food (Source: Internet) 

Banh Mi

The French colonization of Vietnam brought wheat into the country, from which came bread, and today Banh Mi, a hearty loaf stuffed with fillings, is healthy. Banh mi is one of the Vietnamese street foods chosen by many people here for their breakfast and beyond. 

The loaf is only the vessel for an array of filling choices: eggs, pâté, butter, pork floss, pickled vegetables, grilled meat, pork pies, cucumbers, and much more.

Vietnamese 's Banh Mi is ranked 2nd among the best street food in the world
Vietnamese ‘s Banh Mi is ranked 2nd among the best street food in the world (Source: Internet)

Mi Quang

Mi Quang (Quang noodle) is one of the delicious specialties of Central Vietnam that is both simple and rustic. Mi Quang (Quang noodle) combines a salad and noodle soup. Yellow noodles that have been colored with turmeric are served with a small amount of broth, generous amounts of your preferred proteins, coriander, basil, and banana blossom slices.

Mi Quang is one of best Vietnam food, loved by many tourists
Mi Quang is one of best Vietnam food, loved by many tourists (Source: Internet)

Banh Cuon

These rice crepes are made by spreading thin layers of steamed rice flour and wrapping them around savory fillings. They are then sprinkled with fried shallots and dunked into a sauce before being eaten. These crepes can also be eaten without fillings (Banh Cuon Chay) or swimming in a broth (Banh cuon Cao Bang). 

Each province in Vietnam will have its own taste of Banh Cuon
Each province in Vietnam will have its own taste of Banh Cuon (Source: Internet)

Banh Xeo

Banh Xeo is named after the sizzling sound that this savory, stuffed rice pancake makes as it forms in a hot skillet filled with oil. The batter’s golden color comes from turmeric powder combined with rice flour and water. Popular options for fillings include diced green onion, pork, mung bean, prawns, and bean sprouts. Various herbs and vegetables are served on the side.

Try it: Banh Xeo Ba Hai, 49 Nguyen Trong Tuyen, Ward 15, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City or Banh Xeo Long Huy, 21 Truong Dinh Street, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Banh Xeo is a rustic dish, bold in Vietnam but equally delicious and attractive
Banh Xeo is a rustic dish, bold in Vietnam but equally delicious and attractive (Source: Internet)

Bun Bo Hue

A steaming bowl of Bun Bo Hue (literally “Hue beef vermicelli”), a lemongrass flavored soup with beef shank and oxtail, will warm your body after you’ve visited the many interesting destinations that the old capital of Hue has to offer. 

The dish has the main ingredients of vermicelli, beef, and pork rolls, with a distinctive red broth and lemongrass and shrimp sauce. Sometimes the bowl of vermicelli is also added to rare beef, grilled shrimp, and other ingredients depending on the preferences of the cook.

Try it: Bun Bo Hue Ba Tuyet, 47 Nguyen Cong Tru, Hue or  Bun Bo O Phung – Chu Vong, 14 Nguyen Du, Phu Cat, Hue

Bun Bo is one of the specialties of Hue
Bun Bo is one of the specialties of Hue (Source: Internet)

Bun Dau Mam Tom

Hanoi is one of the best places to visit in Vietnam. There is a dish originating from this place that is loved by many people, it is Bun Dau Mam Tom. First-time diners might balk at the thought of eating fermented shrimp paste, but this noodle dish has become one of the best Vietnamese foods with good reason. This “cheap and cheerful” platter is one of the hallmarks of working-class food. Cooked rice vermicelli is served alongside crispy fried tofu, blood sausage, fried patties, and an array of herbs, surrounding a bowl of dipping sauce made by skilfully combining the paste with lime juice and chili.

Try it: Bun Dau Trung Huong, 49 Phat Loc Alley, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi or Bun Dau Mam Tom – Doan Tran Nghiep, 42 Doan Tran Nghiep, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi

Bun Dau Mam Tom is a dish loved by both young and old in Vietnam
Bun Dau Mam Tom is a dish loved by both young and old in Vietnam (Source: Internet) 

Com Tam

Due to their inability to purchase unbroken rice, the impoverished originally had com tam (broken rice) as a primary meal. It is now considered one of the most famous dishes of Ho Chi Minh City. Along with grilled pork ribs, cooked pig skin, and steamed egg-and-meat loaf, the cooked rice is served with a small dish of sauce for drizzling as flavor.

Try it: Com Tam Ba Cường, 263 Tran Quang Khai, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City or Com Tam Minh Long, 607 Nguyen Thi Thap, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City

You should try Com Tam when traveling in Saigon
You should try Com Tam when traveling in Saigon (Source: Internet)

Goi Cuon

Known as “summer rolls” abroad, this dish consists of pork, shrimp, rice vermicelli, vegetables, and other ingredients all wrapped up in Vietnamese rice paper. This dish can be served as plated ingredients for diners to make their own, or the cook can help by rolling the goi in advance. 

Goi Cuon originates from the South of Vietnam. This dish has ingredients including lettuce, basil, perilla, dried shrimp, herbs, boiled meat, and fresh shrimp.. all rolled in rice paper shell.

Try it: Quan An Ngon, 18 Phan Boi Chau, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi or Goi Cuon Hanh 420A Hoa Hao, Ward 5, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City

Goi Cuon, also known as “Vietnamese salad rolls” or “Vietnamese summer rolls”
Goi Cuon, also known as “Vietnamese salad rolls” or “Vietnamese summer rolls” (Source: Internet)

Ca Phe Sua Da

Today Vietnam is one of the world’s leading exporters of coffee, which has been brought into the country by the French as an industrial crop in 1857. Among coffee lovers of the world, Vietnamese coffee has earned a reputation for its strength due to the slow brewing method with metal filters. The drink served as “Vietnamese coffee” around the world is called Ca Phe Sua Da (iced milk coffee) at home; filtered coffee drips into a layer of condensed milk and ice at the bottom, which is stirred according to the drinker’s sweet tooth.

Try it: Ca Phe Co Ba Dong Khoi, 1st Floor, No. 2 – 4 – 6 Dong Khoi, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City or Thi Cafe 33/72 Nguyen Trung Truc, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Ca Phe Sua Da is a popular drink in Vietnam
Ca Phe Sua Da is a popular drink in Vietnam (Source: Internet)

Banh Mi Bo Kho

Bo Kho is actually a hearty beef stew that is slow-cooked. Originally, Braised Beef was used by Southern Vietnamese people with a variety of coriander, to enhance the flavor of the dish. Braised beef is cooked with many different steps, the broth is kept, and not all the water is cooked. This creates a rich soup that can be eaten with toasted banh mi or steaming hot rice.

Try it: Bo Kho Ganh, Ngo Gia Tu Apartment, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City or Bo Kho Vo Van Tan, 194 Vo Van Tan, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

You can eat bread, rice, or Pho with Bo Kho
You can eat bread, rice, or Pho with Bo Kho (Source: Internet)

Xoi

Xoi (sticky rice) is not a single dish or a monolith; the name stands for a group of dishes made with glutinous rice that can be savory, sweet, or something in between. Variations in Northern Vietnam alone include xoi lac (peanut rice), xoi xeo (rice topped with green bean paste and fried shallots), xoi gac (sticky rice dyed with red gac fruit). 

Try it: Xoi Xeo Thap Cam, 325 Truong Dinh, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi or Xoi Xeo Co May, 35 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hang Bai Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Sticky rice is a popular food made from the main ingredient of sticky rice
Xoi is a popular food made from the main ingredient of sticky rice (Source: Internet)

Che

Similarly, Che is a group of sweet-cooked desserts that are often eaten as snacks. Most Che is served with ice in the summer. Che Do Den (black bean Che) is a great treat to cool the body down on scorching days, with optional black grass jelly and coconut milk. There is also a hot variation of it, cooked thick and sweet, to warm cold winter nights. Amusingly, there is also Xoi Che – a sweet soup eaten with sticky rice coated in green bean powder on top.

Try it: Quan Diep Phuong, 9 Bui Thi Xuan, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi or Che Muoi Sau 16 Ngo Thi Nham, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi

Che Do Den is very suitable for hot days (Source: Internet)
Che Do Den is very suitable for hot days (Source: Internet)

Goi Ngo Sen Tom Thit

The lotus is Vietnam’s national flower partially because it represents the nation’s resilience, growing out of the mud to blossom beautifully and perfume the air. It also represents another facet of the Vietnamese spirit: ingenuity. Every bit of the lotus, from root to petal, has some use in food, medicine, or both. This lotus root salad is made with shrimp, pork, peanuts, and a shop’s worth of herbs and vegetables.

Try it: Ban Co Market, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Goi Ngo Sen Tom Thit has the chewy taste of meat mixed with the sweet and sour taste of vegetables
Goi Ngo Sen Tom Thit has the chewy taste of meat mixed with the sweet and sour taste of vegetables (Source: Internet)

Oc

The world may gape, shudder, and look down upon the French for eating escargot, but the Vietnamese have been enjoying snails in various forms for centuries before the first fork ever touched a French snail. This rustic dish can be found in bowls at roadside stalls, where diners carefully pick the savory, chewy creatures out of their shells with safety pins or special triangular metal tools.

Try it: Vua Cua 576 Vo Van Kiet Street, Co Giang Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City or Oc Xuyen 174/43 Nguyen Thien Thuat, Ward 3, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

One of the best Vietnam street food you must try is Oc
One of the best Vietnam street food you must try is Oc (Source: Internet)

Banh Can

Vietnam must try food another is Banh Can. These mini savory pancakes originated as a Cham dish that the Viet people made considerable additions to. The batter is made of a blend of rice flour and water (eggs are often added to make them larger and fluffier, but these also burn quicker). They are eaten with a variety of sauces and sides such as fish sauce, boiled eggs, fish patties, or siu mai.

Try it: Banh Can Le, 27/44 Yersin, Ward 10, Da Lat City, Lam Dong or Banh Can Nha Chung 1 Chung House, Ward 3, Da Lat City, Lam Dong

Banh Can is a famous food in Da Lat - Viet Nam
Banh Can is a famous food in Da Lat – Viet Nam (Source: Internet)

Bun Thit Nuong

Far from being a strictly local delicacy, Bun Thit Nuong (rice vermicelli with grilled meat) is a dish well-loved in all three regions of Vietnam. Variations may exist, but the grilled patty should be golden brown and fragrant with the aroma of lemongrass and sesame seeds, the sweet-sour dipping sauce should complement the dish, and the vegetables on the side should be diverse and crisp.

Try it: Bun Thit Nuong Tiem Ba Trai, 49 Pham Van Dong, Son Tra, Da Nang or Bun Thit Nuong Phu Hong, 19 Yen Bai, Hai Chau, Da Nang

Bun Thit Nuong is a popular dish but extremely delicious and loved by many people
Bun Thit Nuong is a popular dish but extremely delicious and loved by many people (Source: Internet)

Canh Chua

On hot days, the meal of a Vietnamese family would be incomplete without a bowl of Canh Chua (sour soup). This term refers to a group of dishes around the country that shares one commonality: sourness as a predominant flavor. They are made with local fish, ribs, and vegetables. The sourness does not come from citruses but from other plants and ingredients native to Vietnam, even the fermented byproducts of making wine.

Canh Chua is an indispensable dish in the daily meals of Vietnamese people
Canh Chua is an indispensable dish in the daily meals of Vietnamese people (Source: Internet)

Banh Canh

Even though this dish has “banh” in the name, it’s not a “cake” – the word refers to the thick sheet from which these noodles are cut. Originating from Southeast Vietnam, these noodles made from tapioca (or a mixture of tapioca and rice) are served in a savory broth with a variety of toppings to make different types: crab, fish cake, pork knuckle, shrimp, etc.

Try it: Quan Ba Ba, 84 Nguyen Bieu District 5, Ho Chi Minh City or Banh Canh Co Ha, 14 Phan Chu Trinh, Nha Trang

Canh Chua is an indispensable dish in the daily meals of Vietnamese people
Banh Canh originated in the Southeast, then popularized throughout Vietnam (Source: Internet)

FAQs about Vietnam must try food

Is Vietnamese food spicy?


In general, the cuisine of each region of Vietnam has different flavors. However, Vietnamese food is usually not too spicy. Especially the dishes originating from the south are barely spicy.

What is Bun in Vietnamese food?

Bun is a soft white food made from rice starch, created through a mold, and boiled in boiling water. Bún is the main ingredient in famous Vietnam foods such as Bun Bo, Bun Rieu, Bun Thit Nuong,..

If you have a Vietnam 10 days itinerary or another tour, these are Vietnam must try food. For more wonderful experiences in this beautiful S-shaped country, choose FTrip tours right now!

Source: Ttravel

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