Eating well in Vietnam is easy – that’s probably one of the best things to do in this S-shaped country. The diverse terrain stretching over 3000 kilometers north-south has nourished a playful mashup of fun, healthy, and tasty recipes.
The best Vietnamese food comes in a roll call. It will take me ages to give you a list of must-try dishes across all three regions.And I understand we may not havethetime to tick all the boxes.Soinstead, Iwannadig deeper intoa verycurated checklist of my seven favorite foods to eat in my country.
As a local girl born and raised in Vietnam, pardon me if I say this is an easy task.
From iconic Pho Beef Noodle Soup to Spring Rolls and Banh Mi Baguettes that have taken the world by storm for the past few years, I’ll give you a heads-up of someotherlesser-known Viet dishes by region that you may like to try – and the best places to get them.
Pho – Beef Noodle Soup
Always served steaming hot in a big bowl full of thinly rolled rice noodles, Phở is the best wake-up call and hangover food you shouldn’t miss.
The soup may be greasy, maybe not, but it’ssurelyfilled with a blanket of everything-beef. We have flanks, steaks, beef balls, briskets, and many more.
Reminder:Northern Viet Pho is different from the Southern style.If you like it fun, Southern Phodefinitelykicks it on the palate with ahugeassortment of toppings. However, Northern Pho sticks to the original with only steaks blanched in boiling soup and a ton of chopped green onion.
Good Pho is not downright cheap, as the simmering lasts up to 12 hours. They stir-fry shallots, star anise, cinnamon sticks, onions, and pepper in a hot pan before the broth goes in. When served, it comes with a side herb dish that includes basil, bean sprouts, and saw leaves.
Best Pho Spots In Vietnam: Pho Hoa on Pasteur Street Saigon, Pho Le on Nguyen Trai Street Saigon, Pho Thin in Hanoi.
Com Tam – Broken Rice
Simply put, it’s a plate of steamed broken rice with savory toppings before they splash it with green onion oil and cooked fish sauce. Mix and match whatever you like, from a grilled pork chop, pulled pork, steamed pork pie to roasted chicken, and a sunny-side egg. The best Com Tam can be expensivebutthat doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find a cheap and tasty one. When served, pour cooked fish sauce on top of the plate and mix it well with pickles before you get a full scoopof rice.
Best Com Tam in Vietnam: Com Tam Ba Ghien on Dang Van Ngu Street Saigon, Com Tam Phuc Loc Tho Saigon (this is a chain with various locations).
Banh Mi Baguette
Dubbed Vietnam’s best snack on the go, Banh Mi is everyone’s favorite to get their calories up and running on a late Monday morning.
Crispy on the outside with a shell-like exterior, Banh Mi is a form of wheat sandwich, split in half and stuffed with a hearty filling. First, a splash of hearty pork pate and mayo goes in, followed by BBQ pork, sometimes beef and chicken, cold cuts, pickles, and green onions. Drizzled with a dash of soy sauce or sweet fish sauceandnow it’s ready to go.
Best Banh Mi In Vietnam: Madam Khanh Hoian, Banh Mi Huynh Hoa Saigon.
Goi Cuon/Cha Gio – Spring Rolls
Spring rolls come in two forms: fresh and fried. It comes in a long round roll with soft rice paper wrapping an assortment of herbs, noodles, chopped mushrooms, shrimps, and meat. Each region has itsowntraditional versionwhicheither goes with cooked fish sauce or a thick soy paste.
Best Spring Rolls In Vietnam: An Cafe Hanoi
Bun Cha – Kebab Vermicelli Noodles With Fish Sauce
If there’s one Vietnamese dish I’d rather eat for the rest of my life, that would be Bun Cha. The secret that makes or breaks the recipe is the fish sauce. It shouldn’t be overly salty butratherslightly bland, and warm, with a hint of sweetness.
A servingcomes withvarious ingredients: fresh herbs such as lettuce and fish mint, BBQ minced pork steeped in hot fish sauce, and fresh vermicelli noodles. When served, take a full scoop of noodles and quickly dip them in the sauce before eating.
Best Bun Cha In Vietnam: Bun Cha Huong Lien Hanoi
Banh Xeo – Sizzling Pancake
“Banh” ispie or pastry in general, while “xeo” refers to a funny sizzling sound when the batteris poured overa hot pan.Easy to make and simple to serve, Vietnamese Banh Xeo is eithersmall(Central version, wrapped with rice paper),or wok-size large (Mekong Delta version, without rice paper wrap).
No matterwhich version you’re having, the batter is always yellow with turmeric and coconut milk mixed in.Add a full spoon of chopped green onion into the batter, mix it well, add it into the wok, and slowly circulate the wok in one swift direction until the batter fully covers the wok surface.
Cover the wok with a lid until the batteris fully cooked, sprinklepork belly, shrimp, coconut stem, bean sprouts, and baby clams all over the batter, flip one side over the other, and take it out.
When served, take one big slice of crunchy pancake using chopsticks, spread itouton a plate, andadd fillings, and herbs before neatly rolling it up.
Best Banh Xeo In Vietnam: Banh Xeo Ba Duong
Canh Chua – Sour And Savory Soup With Veggies
Thisis hands down my favorite home-cooked Vietnamese soupandI hope you feel the same. Striking a perfect balance of flavors, Canh Chua has a beautiful savorinessthat comesfrom raw fish sauce, thesweetness of sugar, and the subtle sourness of pineapple and tamarind juice.
The cooking is fast, but the secret lies in the ratio without one taste overpowering the other.
The toppings? Veggies are a must!We have water spinach,watermimosa, okra, tomatoes, chopped saw leaves, pineapples, bean sprouts,and so on.And then comes the highlight – fish is usually the top choice, but somewannahave fun and throw in some shrimp.
A traditional serving of Canh Chua cannot go without dip sauce. That’s why you usually find a small bowl of fish sauce sittingright next toit with some chopped chili.
I know this list isn’t long, but it shouldserve asa great start to introduce you to our cuisine.
