Vietnamese cuisine is one of the freshest, most herbaceous, and most diverse food cultures in the world. Built on a foundation of fragrant broths, rice, rice noodles, fresh herbs, and a brilliant balance of sweet, sour, salty, and umami, Vietnamese food offers an extraordinary range of flavors and textures that reward exploration at every level from street stall to fine dining restaurant.
This complete Vietnamese food guide covers 25 essential dishes you must try when visiting Vietnam, along with context about pho Vietnam, the banh mi guide every traveler needs, and where to find the best Vietnamese dishes in their home regions.
Understanding Vietnam Cuisine
One of the most important things to understand about Vietnam cuisine before using this Vietnamese food guide is that it varies significantly by region. Northern Vietnamese food (Hanoi) tends to be lighter and more subtle in flavor, with clear broths and minimal use of herbs. Central Vietnamese food (Hue, Hoi An) is known for being the spiciest and most complex, reflecting the imperial culinary tradition of the former capital. Southern Vietnamese food (Ho Chi Minh City) is sweeter, richer, and more influenced by Chinese and Cambodian culinary traditions.
25 Must-Try Dishes: What to Eat in Vietnam
1. Pho
No Vietnamese food guide can begin anywhere else. Pho is Vietnam’s most internationally famous dish: a clear, deeply aromatic beef or chicken broth served over rice noodles, garnished with thinly sliced meat, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime, and chili.
The pho Vietnam experience is most authentic in Hanoi, where Pho Thin and Pho Bat Dan are legendary breakfast institutions, and in Ho Chi Minh City, where the southern version tends to be sweeter and served with a wider range of garnishes.
2. Banh Mi
The banh mi guide to Vietnam could fill an entire book, such is the diversity of this extraordinary sandwich. A crispy French baguette adapted by Vietnamese cooks and filled with a combination of pork, pate, pickled vegetables, fresh coriander, cucumber, and chili sauce, banh mi represents the most delicious legacy of French colonial influence on Vietnam cuisine.
Hoi An’s Banh Mi Phuong, made famous by Anthony Bourdain, is widely considered the finest banh mi in the country.
3. Bun Bo Hue
Bun Bo Hue is the spiciest of the best Vietnamese dishes in this guide, a fiery lemongrass-infused beef and pork noodle soup from the former imperial capital of Hue. Significantly bolder and more complex than pho Vietnam, it features thick round noodles, sliced beef shank, pork knuckle, and a deep red broth enriched with shrimp paste.
4. Com Tam (Broken Rice)
Com Tam is the quintessential Ho Chi Minh City street food dish: broken rice (a by-product of the milling process that became its own specialty) served with grilled pork ribs, a fried egg, steamed pork meatloaf, pickled vegetables, and fish sauce dressing. It is one of the most satisfying and thoroughly Vietnamese dishes in this entire food guide.
5. Goi Cuon (Fresh Spring Rolls)
Translucent rice paper rolls filled with shrimp, pork, rice vermicelli, and fresh herbs, served with a peanut dipping sauce. Goi cuon are light, fresh, and healthy, a perfect contrast to the richer noodle soups covered elsewhere in this Vietnamese food guide.
6. Cha Gio (Fried Spring Rolls)
The southern Vietnamese version of fried spring rolls, made with minced pork, shrimp, and vegetables in a crispy rice paper shell. Cha gio are typically served wrapped in fresh lettuce with mint leaves and dipped in nuoc cham (sweet fish sauce dipping sauce).
7. Cao Lau
Cao Lau is unique to Hoi An and one of the most distinctive Vietnam cuisine dishes in the country. The thick, slightly chewy noodles (made with water from specific ancient wells in Hoi An and lye ash from Ba Cu island) are served with slices of pork, rice crackers, and fresh herbs in a minimal broth, producing a flavor combination that exists nowhere else in Vietnam.
8. White Rose Dumplings (Banh Bao Vac)
Another Hoi An specialty, White Rose dumplings are delicate shrimp-filled rice paper dumplings folded to resemble white rose blossoms, topped with crispy shallots and served with a light dipping sauce. These are among the most elegant best Vietnamese dishes available in central Vietnam.
9. Banh Xeo (Sizzling Crepe)
Banh Xeo is a large, crispy turmeric-yellow rice flour crepe filled with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts, eaten by wrapping pieces in lettuce or mustard leaves with herbs and dipping in nuoc cham. The sizzling sound it makes when poured into the pan gives it its name.
10. Bun Cha
Bun Cha is the quintessential Hanoi lunch dish, made famous internationally when US President Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate it together in 2016. Grilled pork patties and sliced pork belly are served in a bowl of light sweet-sour broth alongside a plate of cold rice vermicelli and fresh herbs.
11. Mi Quang
Mi Quang is a central Vietnamese noodle dish from the Quang Nam province surrounding Hoi An, featuring wide turmeric-tinged noodles served with a minimal amount of rich, concentrated broth, topped with pork, shrimp, peanuts, and sesame rice crackers.
12. Banh Cuon (Steamed Rice Rolls)
Thin sheets of steamed rice flour batter filled with minced pork and mushrooms, served with fried shallots, fresh coriander, and nuoc cham. Banh Cuon is a popular breakfast dish in Hanoi and one of the most elegant Vietnam cuisine preparations in the north.
13. Pho Cuon
A Hanoi speciality, Pho Cuon repurposes the flat rice noodles of pho into fresh rolls filled with beef and herbs, served with a dipping sauce rather than in broth.
14. Chao (Vietnamese Rice Porridge)
Chao is Vietnamese congee, typically served as a comfort food when unwell or as a light breakfast, often topped with minced pork, ginger, and fresh herbs.
15. Banh Canh
A thick, chewy noodle soup made from tapioca or rice flour noodles in various broth styles including pork, crab, or shrimp, particularly popular in central and southern Vietnam.
16. Bo Luc Lac (Shaking Beef)
Cubes of marinated beef stir-fried at high heat with onion and watercress, served over white rice or on a bed of sliced tomatoes and cucumber. Bo Luc Lac is one of the most popular restaurant dishes in southern Vietnam cuisine.
17. Hu Tieu
A southern Vietnamese noodle soup with Chinese roots, featuring thin translucent noodles in a clear pork bone broth with various toppings including minced pork, shrimp, and quail eggs, particularly popular for breakfast in Ho Chi Minh City.
18. Che (Vietnamese Dessert Drinks)
Che refers to a broad category of Vietnamese sweet soups, dessert drinks, and puddings made with beans, jelly, coconut milk, and various fruits and grains. Served hot or cold, Che is one of the most distinctive and diverse areas of Vietnamese food culture.
19. Nuoc Mia (Sugarcane Juice)
Freshly pressed sugarcane juice served over ice, sometimes with a squeeze of kumquat, is one of the most refreshing street drinks in Vietnam and an essential part of the street food experience in any Vietnamese food guide.
20. Banh Khot
Small, crispy coconut rice cakes topped with shrimp and fresh herbs, originating from Vung Tau south of Ho Chi Minh City. Banh Khot are served hot from a specialized pan with a peanut and shrimp sauce.
21. Thit Nuong (Grilled Meat)
Marinated pork or chicken grilled over charcoal and served over rice or noodles, a staple of Vietnamese street food stalls throughout the country and one of the most universally enjoyed best Vietnamese dishes in this guide.
22. Banh Tet and Banh Chung
Sticky rice cakes filled with pork and mung beans, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled, traditionally prepared for Tet (Vietnamese New Year) celebrations but available year-round at traditional bakeries and markets.
23. Mut (Candied Fruit)
Traditional Vietnamese candied fruits including ginger, coconut, and kumquat, sold at markets and shops throughout Vietnam and particularly prominent during Tet celebrations.
24. Pho Ga (Chicken Pho)
The chicken version of pho Vietnam, lighter and more subtle than beef pho, with delicate clear broth and shredded poached chicken, particularly popular for breakfast in Hanoi.
25. Egg Coffee (Ca Phe Trung)
A Hanoi invention and now one of Vietnam’s most beloved cafe specialties, egg coffee combines strong Vietnamese drip coffee with a thick, creamy egg yolk and sweetened condensed milk topping that sits like a cloud over the dark espresso below. Cafe Giang in Hanoi’s Old Quarter is the original and most celebrated destination for this unique drink.
Vietnamese Food Guide: Quick Regional Reference
| Region | Signature Dishes |
|---|---|
| Hanoi (North) | Pho, Bun Cha, Banh Cuon, Egg Coffee |
| Hue (Central) | Bun Bo Hue, Banh Khoai, Imperial cuisine |
| Hoi An (Central) | Cao Lau, White Rose, Mi Quang, Banh Mi Phuong |
| Ho Chi Minh City (South) | Com Tam, Hu Tieu, Cha Gio, Banh Xeo |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the most famous Vietnamese dish?
Pho Vietnam is the most internationally recognized Vietnamese dish, though banh mi runs a close second for global recognition and arguably surpasses it for popularity within Vietnam itself.
Q: Is Vietnamese food spicy?
Vietnam cuisine generally ranges from mild to moderate in spice, significantly less hot than Thai food. Central Vietnamese food (particularly Hue) tends to be the spiciest, while northern Vietnamese food is typically quite subtle.
Q: Is Vietnamese food safe to eat from street stalls?
Yes, generally. Choosing busy, high-turnover stalls with freshly cooked food follows the standard food safety advice that applies throughout any Vietnamese food guide.
Q: Where is the best pho in Vietnam?
Hanoi is considered the spiritual home of pho Vietnam, with Pho Thin and Pho Bat Dan being the most famous establishments. The best pho in Ho Chi Minh City reflects the slightly sweeter southern style.
Q: What is the best banh mi in Vietnam?
Banh Mi Phuong in Hoi An, endorsed by Anthony Bourdain, is widely considered the finest in the country according to most banh mi guide rankings, though excellent versions are found throughout Vietnam.
