Dinning in Vietnam
Diverse. Refined. Stunning
1. Beef or chicken noodle soup (Pho bo-Pho ga)
Best place to get: Hanoi
The irresistible aroma of herbs and a sweet and bold taste of the soup after being simmered for hours with meat (beef or chicken), bones and specific recipes. Traditionally served for breakfast, its popularly has led to street-side cafes serving Hanoi’s speciality at all hours of the day.
2. Fish dish with vermicelli noodles (Cha ca)
Best place to get: Hanoi
The fragrant dish starts with fish fried in a pan at the table. Throw in vermicelli noodles, peanuts, chilli, spring onions and dill. Add a dash of shrimp paste and fish sauce.
3. Paper thin rice pancake (Banh cuon)
A paper thin rice pancake rolled with ground pork and wood ear mushrooms and accompanied by a fragrant dipping sauce.
4. Ground pork patties with vermicelli noodles (Bun cha)
Best place to get: Hanoi
Hanoi’s favourite lunch food. This noodle dish is made of vermicelli noodles topped with ground pork patties and in a sweet-sour broth, made with picked vegetables, vinegar, minced garlic and fish sauce. Some will even throw in a fried spring roll.
5. Hue beef vermicelli soup (Bun bo Hue)
Best place to get: Hue
A harmony of spicy, sour, salty and umami flavor. Main ingredient of soup is vermicelli, beef, oxtail, pork, cubes of congealed pig blood, fatty pork leg, a pinch off basil, shrimp paste, bean sprouts, limes, lemongrass tubers and raw onion. This dish may sound unusual but most find the broth exquisite.
6. Pancake with mung bean and shrimp inside (Banh khoai)
These small pancakes pack a flavourful punch and are beautifully crisp, offsetting the juicy goodness inside. They come filled with green beans, whole shrimp and pork.
7. Steamed rice cake (Banh beo and Banh nam)
This small streamed rice cake (Banh beo) has a dimple in the center that is filled with savoury ingredients including shrimp, scallions, shallots, green bean paste, and fish sauce. Often served in a banana leaf, Banh nam is soft and rectangular shaped. Inside is ground pork, shrimp and wood
ear mushroom.
8. Vietnamese sandwich (Banh my)
Best place to get: Hanoi, Hoi An, Saigon
Quick, tasty and efficient. A crunchy sandwich filled with meat, Vietnamese pate, butter, mayo, chilli and cilantro.
9. Spring rolls (Goi cuon)
Best place to get: Hanoi, Saigon
Boiled pork, shrimp, vermicelli and a rice paper wrapping around. Simple yet memorable. Dip the rolls in special fish sauce or soy sauce.
10. Savoury pancake (Banh xeo)
These savoury pancakes are made of flour, egg, and salt then fried. They come stuffed with pork, prawns with a side of herbs, fresh vegetables and fish sauce.
2. Fish dish with vermicelli noodles (Cha ca)
Best place to get: Hanoi
The fragrant dish starts with fish fried in a pan at the table. Throw in vermicelli noodles, peanuts, chilli, spring onions and dill. Add a dash of shrimp paste and fish sauce.
3. Paper thin rice pancake (Banh cuon)
A paper thin rice pancake rolled with ground pork and wood ear mushrooms and accompanied by a fragrant dipping sauce.
4. Ground pork patties with vermicelli noodles (Bun cha)
Best place to get: Hanoi
Hanoi’s favourite lunch food. This noodle dish is made of vermicelli noodles topped with ground pork patties and in a sweet-sour broth, made with picked vegetables, vinegar, minced garlic and fish sauce. Some will even throw in a fried spring roll.
5. Hue beef vermicelli soup (Bun bo Hue)
Best place to get: Hue
A harmony of spicy, sour, salty and umami flavor. Main ingredient of soup is vermicelli, beef, oxtail, pork, cubes of congealed pig blood, fatty pork leg, a pinch off basil, shrimp paste, bean sprouts, limes, lemongrass tubers and raw onion. This dish may sound unusual but most find the broth exquisite.
6. Pancake with mung bean and shrimp inside (Banh khoai)
These small pancakes pack a flavourful punch and are beautifully crisp, offsetting the juicy goodness inside. They come filled with green beans, whole shrimp and pork.
7. Steamed rice cake (Banh beo and Banh nam)
This small streamed rice cake (Banh beo) has a dimple in the center that is filled with savoury ingredients including shrimp, scallions, shallots, green bean paste, and fish sauce. Often served in a banana leaf, Banh nam is soft and rectangular shaped. Inside is ground pork, shrimp and wood
ear mushroom.
8. Vietnamese sandwich (Banh my)
Best place to get: Hanoi, Hoi An, Saigon
Quick, tasty and efficient. A crunchy sandwich filled with meat, Vietnamese pate, butter, mayo, chilli and cilantro.
9. Spring rolls (Goi cuon)
Best place to get: Hanoi, Saigon
Boiled pork, shrimp, vermicelli and a rice paper wrapping around. Simple yet memorable. Dip the rolls in special fish sauce or soy sauce.
10. Savoury pancake (Banh xeo)
These savoury pancakes are made of flour, egg, and salt then fried. They come stuffed with pork, prawns with a side of herbs, fresh vegetables and fish sauce.
11. Long rice noodle with sauteed garlic (Hu tieu) Hu Tieu with distinctive taste consists of long, thin rice noodles served with ground pork, shrimp and fish, celery and sauteed garlic.
12. Sweet and sour fish soup (Canh chua ca loc) This sweet and sour fish soup is a visual feast with red, green and white vegetables mixed in a dark broth. Made with river fish, the broth has a tamarind tinge.
13. Mekong Delta typical soup (Bun mam) It is a rather pungent vermicelli noodles soup with everything including shrimp paste, aubergine squid and more.
14. Vietnamese black coffee (Café)
The bold, bitter, and sweet taste is distinctive to the coffee in Vietnam. It is popularity of image to street-side or alley café with a cup of coffee.
