Vietnamese Food Guide: Every Dish Worth Traveling For

Vietnamese cuisine is built on contrasts: the fire of fresh chilies against the cool crunch of bean sprouts and herbs, the deep complexity of slow-braised broths against the brightness of lime, the stickiness of rice noodles against the crisp of fried shallots. Every dish is a conversation between opposites.

The Pho Question

Pho (pronounced closer to "fuh" than "fo") is the dish most Westerners associate with Vietnam, and it is extraordinary — but it is just one entry point. Northern pho (from Hanoi, where it originated) is a clean, delicate beef broth with flat noodles and minimal garnish. Southern pho (in Ho Chi Minh City) is richer, sweeter, and served with a plate of herbs, bean sprouts, lime, and hoisin sauce for customization.

Where to eat pho in Hanoi: Pho Gia Truyen Bat Dan (49 Bat Dan Street) — open 6 AM-10 AM and 6 PM-8:30 PM only, daily queue, cash only, extraordinary.

Where to eat pho in HCMC: Pho Le (413-415 Nguyen Trai, District 5) and Pho Hoa Pasteur (260 Pasteur, District 3).

The proper approach: add nothing to the bowl initially. Taste the broth. Then adjust with the garnishes available. The broth is the art form.

Hanoi Must-Eats

Bun cha: Grilled pork patties and belly over cold vermicelli noodles with a fish sauce-based dipping broth, served with fresh herbs and nem cuon (fresh spring rolls). Lunch only. Bun Cha Huong Lien on Le Van Huu Street (where Obama ate with Bourdain) costs $3 and represents one of Vietnam's great dishes.

Cha ca: Tumeric-marinated catfish pan-fried at the table over a coal brazier, served with dill (unusual in Southeast Asian cooking), scallions, shrimp paste, and rice vermicelli. The dish originated at Cha Ca La Vong restaurant (Hang Son Street), which has been serving only this dish since the 1870s. One of Hanoi's most singular culinary experiences.

Banh cuon: Rice flour steamed rolls filled with minced pork and wood ear mushrooms, served with Vietnamese pork sausage and nuoc cham dipping sauce. Banh Cuon Ba Hoanh on To Hien Thanh Street is the famous address (open 7 AM-noon only).

Hoi An and Central Vietnam

Cao lau: Thick rice noodles with sliced pork, herbs, bean sprouts, and crispy rice crackers — a dish found nowhere else in the world. The traditional recipe requires water from Hoi An's ancient wells. White Rose Restaurants has been making it for three generations.

Mi Quang: Yellow turmeric noodles with various proteins (shrimp, pork, or chicken), topped with toasted sesame rice crackers, peanuts, and herbs in a minimal broth. Central Vietnamese and unique.

Banh xeo: "Sizzling pancake" — a crispy crepe of rice flour, coconut milk, and turmeric filled with shrimp, pork belly, and bean sprouts. Served with lettuce and herbs for wrapping and nuoc cham for dipping. Banh Xeo Ba Duong in Hoi An is the famous street stall.

Ho Chi Minh City

Banh mi: The French baguette adopted and transformed by Vietnamese cuisine. A crusty baguette filled with pâté, cold cuts, pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber, jalapeños, cilantro, and chili sauce. Banh Mi Huynh Hoa (26 Le Thi Rieng, District 1) makes the most loaded version in HCMC.

Com tam: "Broken rice" — an accident of rice processing elevated into a culinary tradition. Steamed broken rice served with grilled pork chop, steamed egg meatloaf, and shredded pork skin. The perfect HCMC breakfast or lunch. Available at every com tam stall in the city for under €2.

Hu tieu: A HCMC-specific noodle soup with clear pork and seafood broth, thin rice noodles, pork, shrimp, and quail eggs. Available "kho" (dry, without broth) or "nuoc" (with broth). The dry version has an extraordinary depth of flavor from the concentrated toppings.

🌍 Vietnam's food is extraordinary. [Find cheap flights →](https://www.aviasales.com/?marker=4132) and [book hotels in Vietnam →](https://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?ss=Hanoi&aid=YOUR_BOOKING_AFFILIATE_ID).

Street Food Rules

Plastic stool restaurants: The best Vietnamese food is served from tiny restaurants with 8 plastic stools and a single dish. Sit, order, eat.

Nuoc cham: The dipping sauce that accompanies nearly everything — fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic, chilies, and water. Learn to love it. You already will.

Order by pointing: Most street food vendors speak limited English. Point at what others are eating. This works in every city in Vietnam.

Food safety: Eat where the locals eat. High turnover means fresh ingredients. Avoid anything that has been sitting out for hours.

[Book tours and experiences in Vietnam](https://www.getyourguide.com/s/?q=Vietnam&partner_id=PARTNER_ID) — the Vietnamese cooking classes and street food tours are among the best in Asia.

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