Wherever we travel, we make a point to learn as much as possible about the local food and try everything! Vietnam is extra special for us. We’ve spent years exploring the country and its culinary delights and consider Vietnamese food easily some of the best in the world.

Because we rarely had a decent kitchen in our rentals and the food was so cheap, we ate out for most of our meals. This allowed us to try many dishes from all over the country. We find more dishes to add to our favorites list with each visit. Trust us when we say–phở and bánh mì are just the beginning.

Anywhere that has tiny bowls of THIS chili jam is probably legit and worth eating at…

3 Tips for enjoying Vietnamese food:

Tip #1: Be brave and try foods you normally wouldn’t. Even dishes that may seem strange at first glance are probably fabulous. We’ve rarely been disappointed.

Tip #2: Vietnamese food is often served with a side of chili, limes, chopped garlic, pickled veg, herbs, and sauces–so by all means, add these to your liking. The vendors make the food; the customer makes it their own.

Tip #3: Take a street food tour or two. These tours can be found all over the country, are often quite cheap, and are the fastest way to learn about the best dishes from a local perspective.

Eat the street food …

or miss out on some of the country’s best food. Even after spending years in Vietnam, eating out all the time, we’ve never gotten food poisoning. Do follow our tips to help you choose a good vendor...

The best Vietnamese food and dishes to try

Street food tips:

Eat at the right times. Early mornings are great times for soups and com tam. Late afternoons and evenings are good for banh mi and seafood/BBQ/beer joints. Finding busy places will help you determine the right time for that dish.
Eat at busy spots. If it’s filled with women and children or packed with happy customers, it’s probably safe.
Choose the vendors who specialize in just one or two dishes. These people will not have a menu but a big front sign displaying the dish's name. Many of these people have been serving/perfecting their dishes for generations. If an older weathered-looking lady is serving the food, you’re golden.
Research the regional specialties–you should have Bun Cha or Cha Ca in Hanoi, Bun Thit Nuong or Bun Bo Nam in Ho Chi Minh, Bun Bo in Hue, and Cau Lao & Mi Quang in Hoi An. Trust us...
Use your eyes and nose; if the food looks and smells fresh, it probably is fresh.

Our list of the best Vietnamese foods, dishes, and specialties you must try...

Bun Thit Nuong

Grilled pork noodles

We both find ourselves returning to this classic found throughout the country again and again. Warm vermicelli rice noodles, smoky grilled pork, cucumbers, and shredded herbs doused in sweet & spicy fish sauce, was one of the first Vietnamese dishes to win me over. In the best bun thit nuong, they will throw in a couple chopped-up crispy spring rolls to have texture and crunch. The right combination of simple ingredients delivers a surprisingly complex flavor; sweet, spicy, crunchy, fresh, and smoky. When I’m not sure what else to eat, this classic never disappoints.

Pho Bo Tai

Tender beef noodle soup

Pho is perhaps the most widely recognized of Vietnamese foods. In Vietnamese “pho” is the type of rice noodle, “bo” is beef and tai is how the beef is cooked (added to the broth raw). This version of pho is very satisfying with the rare beef. The ultimate comfort food and hangover cure.

Bun Cha

Northern style grilled pork in broth with noodles

The is Ha Noi’s most famous dish. So famous this is the dish Anthony Bourdain chose to eat with Barack Obama when the two were in Hanoi. Bun Cha is served as a plate of grilled meat and pickled veg in a savory broth with a bowl of rice noodles and side of fresh herbs. The eater then chooses his or her preferred proportion of noodle to meat to herb adding broth to taste.

Banh Xeo & Banh Khot

Savory rice pancakes

Easily in my top 5 favorite Vietnamese food! Banh Xeo is a savory rice pancake with fresh herbs and sometimes rice paper. You then wrap the pancake in herbs and mustard leaves and dunk it in a delicious fish sauce concoction. Such a flavorful, fresh snack. This should be one of the first dishes you try when visiting Vietnam. It’s a crowd-pleaser.

Bo Kho

Beef stew

True Vietnamese comfort food. A hearty, rich Vietnamese-style beef stew; slow cooked beef, carrots and potatoes, and, of course, a side of fresh herbs. Served with fresh crispy french bread. This stew feels a bit different than other dishes and can be a nice change of pace. It tastes extra tasty on a rainy evening or in the North during the cooler winter season.

Banh cuon

Soft rice crepes

A northern-style rice paper dish. A sheet of soft, moist fermented rice paper envelopes a savory mixture of ground beef, mushrooms, and shallots. Served with a side of bean sprouts, cucumbers, homemade pork sausage, and dipping sauce. You should try to find this when in Hanoi.

Goi Cuon

Fresh spring rolls

Along with Pho and Banh Mi, you should recognize these. “Cuon” translates to roll, and “goi” to salad, i.e. salad roll. These will vary slightly depending on the region you buy them from. Still, they will always be some variation of shrimp, pork or tofu, crunchy cucumber, fresh herbs, and sometimes vermicelli noodles wrapped in fresh rice paper served with a dipping sauce. My favorite goi cuon are found in Ho Chi Minh city–with a peanut/Hoisin sauce.

Gỏi xoài

Green Mango Salad

You may know the Thai version of this. However, we’re partial to the Vietnamese style. In Vietnam, you’ll find something similar to the Thai counterpart, however a bit less spicy, tangier, and sweeter. Often served with shrimp. In our humble opinion, Vietnamese salads are fresh, flavorful, and amazing–the best in the world.

Goi Du Du- Gai Du Du

Green papaya salad

Similar to the green mango salad, however, made with green papaya instead. The best Vietnamese salads are served with small round rice crackers meant to serve as a tasty mode of transportation into your mouth.

Bo Tai Chanh

Beef Salad

Some variation of thinly sliced, tender beef with fresh herbs and a slaw of crunchy raw vegetables doused in a sweet and spicy sauce; a perfect melody of flavors and textures.

Goi Buoi Tom

Pomelo Salad

Fresh pomelo–similar to grapefruit–with fresh mint leaves, greens, chili, and prawns in a light dressing. This is the perfect refreshing starter to a meal on a hot night.

Bun Bo Nam Bo

Southern style beef noodles

This noodle dish is much like Bun Thit Nuong but with beef instead of pork, pickled mango, and crushed peanuts. It is another perfect noodle bowl with just the right combinations of flavors and textures. Try this in Saigon if you can. Otherwise, Hanoi’s old quarter has a great spot.

Com Tam

Broken rice with meat, egg, and veggies

This translates to “broken rice” and refers to the type of rice used in this dish. It is essentially the “rejected” rice, but if you ask, it tastes amazing–a bit like couscous. This dish is often served with smoky grilled pork, pickled veg, and a gooey fried egg. This is Jim’s favorite Vietnamese classic. Cheap, satisfying, and delicious, you shouldn’t miss trying this if you find yourself in Saigon. This is best enjoyed in the morning or as an early lunch. The best places have a visible grill, and the aroma will entice you from blocks away…

Bo Ne

Steak & eggs

The heartiest of Vietnamese breakfasts. For when noodle soups just won’t cut it, you should seek out a Bo Ne vender. This is essentially steak and eggs with a Vietnamese twist. Always satisfying and filling, served with a fresh baguette.

Banh Canh

Rich seafood soup with thick tapioca noodles

A rich and complex mirky broth–spicy, sweet, and perfectly fishy–with fish or crab and sometimes quail eggs and fish cakes. Often served with a bundle of fresh herbs. Combining the rich broth and the thick, chewy tapioca noodles makes for a super comforting and satisfying dish.

Mi Quang

Central-style “dry” noodles with shrimp and light broth sauce

A central Vietnam favorite. Thick flat rice noodles, doused lightly in a fragrant brothy sauce, served with a tiny quail egg, a small amount of pork and shrimp, and a hearty side serving of greens. It’s often garnished with crushed peanuts and a crispy rice cracker, perfect for sopping up extra broth. I like extra lime and chili on mine. Though it sounds a lot like several other dishes, like those other dishes, it is somehow indescribably different. Mi Quang goes down light and fresh.

Cha Ca

Fried fish with dill and green onions

I discovered this wonderful fish dish after 2 years of living in Vietnam on a trip to its birthplace–Hanoi. At that point, I felt like I had tried almost everything, which proved me quite wrong. Honestly, this dish blew me away a little. Cha Ca is light chunks of white fish marinated in turmeric and perfectly pan-fried with a generous serving of fresh dill and green onions.

The cool thing about Cha Ca is that it is made in front of you, and you do most of the cooking. Your server places a hot plate with a fry pan on the table, brings you the pre-cooked and well-marinated fish, fresh herbs, and oil, and pours it into the pan. Your mouth will water as the ingredients sizzle, and the herbs become fragrant. Bowls of vermicelli noodles, fresh mint, sesame rice crackers, peanuts, and a sweet fish sauce are brought so you can determine your perfect ratio of noodles to fish and accouterments. This became an instant favorite.

Banh Mi: honestly just thinking about it makes me want one…

The Banh Mi

Vietnamese sandwich

Banh mi translates literally to “bread” in Vietnamese. However, as a dish, the banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that may differ from vender to vender, region to region, but one thing remains–it is always cheap and always tasty. All good banh mi vendors use perfectly fresh bread–a baguette made from a mixture of rice flour that is crispy and flaky on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. The fillings differ, but our favorite use a mixture of fresh grilled or roasted meat, fresh herbs, pickled veggies, chili, and pate.

Amazing Vietnamese seafood dishes; the best food to try

Lemongrass Clams

As a American Midwesterner, I did not grow up eating shellfish. In my adult years, I’ve more than made up for this, taking advantage of the fresh, well prepared shellfish dishes of Vietnam. A favorite, lemongrass clams, is simply clams steamed in a broth of lemongrass, garlic and chili. It is a simple, fresh and healthy dish that always tastes great. Look for these at local BBQ & beer joints or traditional countryside restaurants near the coast.

Grilled Scallops or Oysters

You haven’t tried oysters until you’ve had them Vietnamese style. Served on the half shell, grilled with scallions and crushed peanuts–these are hands down my favorite way to eat oysters in the world. Scallops prepared similarly, is also highly satisfying.

Claypot

If you happen upon a menu at a reputable restaurant containing clay pot style ANYTHING, you’d be a fool not to order one or two. Our favorites are claypot pork belly, fish, or eggplant. Claypot dishes are slow-cooked and deliciously marinated in a sweet and savory mystery sauce concoction with strong hints of lemongrass, ginger, and garlic. We have yet to have a bad one, and the good ones are among some of the best food in all Vietnam.

Cau lao

Hoi An style noodles

Somehow I managed to visit Hoi An four times before first trying a bowl of the famous local noodle dish. Cau Lao is a special style of noodles only found in Hoi An. The noodles are very special chewy homemade noodles made from the water from a specific well in the city. Pork, crispy rice crackers, a rich broth, and leafy greens accompany the tasty noodles. It instantly became a favorite

Desserts:

Ginger sesame balls

I was obsessed with this street dessert the moment I saw it and have been looking for it ever since. It’s not easy to find outside of Ha Noi, but if you should be lucky enough to see it, you must try it. Warm mochi filled with black sesame in a sweet and spicy ginger broth. The definition of comfort food! So nice.

Sinh to

Smoothie or fruit shake

It should come as no surprise that, Vietnam, being a tropical country blessed with loads of fresh fruits, would have tasty smoothies and fresh fruit juices. Ubiquitous and cheap, drink up! Try whatever is in season when your visiting and you won’t be disappointed. My favorites include: dragon fruit, soursop or custard apple, and avocado shakes. Fruit is definitely considered a dessert in Vietnam.

Kem Dua

Coconut ice cream

Coconut cream made into fresh ice cream served in a coconut shell. Nuff said.

Coconut Coffee

Highly addictive and delicious! A thick coconut milkshake or coconut ice cream mixed with strong Vietnamese coffee. Perhaps one of the most delicious things ever…

Ca Phe Sua Da

Vietnamese coffee is so special you must try it at least once. Motor oil, thick and black and potent, mixed with sickly sweet condensed milk, make for the ultimate caffeinated dessert.

Durian treats

Hear us out on this one. We both have grown to LOVE the creamy, stinky, complex goodness of durian. Durian desserts are a great gateway into loving and understanding this controversial fruit. Durian ice cream or durian milkshakes are a great place to start.

Che

Dessert soup

Che is the most popular Vietnamese dessert. It’s essentially cold, sweet dessert soup. Which, I realize, may sound weird to you. And while initially, it was weird for me, I got over it and now will sit on tiny plastic stools in the street and point at a massive cauldron of jellies, sweet beans, and fruits, choosing which sweet bits I want in my cup. I’m particularly fond of anything jelly, coconut, or glutinous rice.

28 Best Vietnamese Foods You Need to Try