famous dishes of Vietnam

Top 10 foods of Vietnam: Famous dishes in Vietnam

3 years ago

Thinking of visiting Vietnam for the first time? Then we can help you with a glance at Vietnam food and some tips about what to avoid. For the first-timers in Vietnam, selecting food from a variety of dishes can be hectic along with the fact that you have to decode the language first. In Vietnam, before eating, locals say “chucngonmieng” which means “enjoy your meal”, which you will surely do.

Vietnam people love their food and they abundantly used the options available to them and use their special ingredients to make the meal memorable. In every area of Vietnam, we are sure that you will find good food and unique taste. In northern Vietnam, you will find food a little bit simple, in southern Vietnam, you will taste sugar in food.

When thinking about Vietnamese cuisine, the first word/comes in the mind is Pho, but the natural habitats of Vietnam provide much more than this one single dish. Vietnam is full of vibrant colors and flavors. If you are in love with noodles or soups then congratulations! You have found your dream place in Vietnam. Wherever your eyes go, you will find an option for soup irrespective of place. You can’t have enough Vietnamese dishes in one visit, so try to eat everything from local markets to street vendors and famous restaurants. One tip for food lovers, if the dish you had ordered looks delicious to you then go for it, in most cases, it is actually tasty.

So, Let’s start our article of 10 food of Vietnam: Famous dishes of Vietnam

Pho (Noodle Soup)

 foods of Vietnam | Famous Dishes of Vietnam
Top 10 foods of Vietnam, photo: google

When I visited the capital city of Vietnam my first impression was the abundant food options available there and almost all of them have a word written Pho. You can find this delicious dish in Vietnam everywhere, and you can enjoy it in your whole tour from the movement you land to the movement you fly back to your nest. You can find locals sitting on the small plastic chairs in the day or night, slurping through their bowls on small plastic tables. If you want to have a real experience of Pho you should also try to sit with locals and share a bowl or two. Locals here are very friendly and maybe you will make some good friends here. Two major varieties of Pho are Pho Bo (noodles with beef) and Pho Ga (noodles with chicken). This Vietnamese dish is basically a broth with flat noodles and herbs as flavors and garnished with lime, sprouts, basil, cilantro, and red chilies. Trying a pho can be a real challenge sometimes and I am not talking about the challenge to fit yourself in tiny chairs of local outlets, I am talking about the small red chilies which are very spicy and if you are not in habit of spicy food, it can upset your stomach.

Banh Mi (sandwich)

 foods of Vietnam | Famous Dishes of Vietnam
Top 10 foods of Vietnam, photo: google

Banh mi is originated from southern Vietnam but is commonly available in the whole country and in my opinion, the best Banh mi is available in the Southern and in some central parts of Vietnam. This Vietnamese dish is commonly found on the food carts on the roadside. Margarine is spread on the inside of the bread and is filled with vegetables, pork belly, cucumber, and pork floss. Sink into its softness and watch it melt into your mouth.

Bun Cha

Top 10 foods of Vietnam, photo: google

Bun Cha is the most liked dish of Vietnam by locals and is one of the favorite foods for lunch. This local dish becomes an international sensation when president Barack Obama was pictured with Anthony Bourdain, rolling up their sleeves to dip noodles in ground pork in Nuoc Cham. Nuoc Cham is a sauce made with fish, sugar, and vinegar.

Make sure that when you eat Bun Cha, add green vegetables like lettuce, cilantro, sprouts, and banana blossoms in your dipping bowl. This Vietnamese dish is made up of rice with seasoned pork belly and salad. They all swim in the bowl with fish sauce in it.

Ca PheTrung (Egg Coffee)

 foods of Vietnam | Famous Dishes of Vietnam
Top 10 foods of Vietnam, photo: google

The one thing which makes you happy in the morning in Vietnam is coffee. The reason behind this is, the coffee in Vietnam is different. Coffee in Vietnam is very common because of French influence and you can find roadside stalls. Authentic coffee of Vietnam is egg coffee in which you can find extra condensed milk, extra sugar with whipped egg on top of hot coffee. This invention is treated as a dessert by many tourists and it is surely the best drink in Vietnam which you can eat. Many of the restaurants in Hanoi provide variations of egg coffee, you can order it hot or cold based on your taste. Variations of Ca PheTrung are available like chocolate, rum, or beer. 

Bun Bo (Beef Noodles Soup)

 foods of Vietnam | Famous Dishes of Vietnam
Top 10 foods of Vietnam, photo: google

In Vietnam, dishes made with beef are very limited, so if you are a beef lover, go for the Bun Bo, it will surely be a once in a lifetime experience. Sliced beef grilled with fresh noodles topped with fresh herbs makes it very delicious. In some places, Bun Bo is made with pork. Other ingredients used are lemongrass, shrimp, and lime to enhance the flavor. Bun Bo dish of Vietnam is easily available in the country.

Hai San (Seafood)

 foods of Vietnam | Famous Dishes of Vietnam
Top 10 foods of Vietnam, photo: google

Vietnam is a hub for seafood. Hai san is a famous dish of Vietnam for parties and dinner. When you roam in Vietnam you can easily see locals cheering while eating Hai san and drinking local beers or wines. Based on your interest you can get shrimp, crabs, snails, oysters, and ducks. The difficult part in having seafood is to select what actually you want, the easy part is to decide whether you want it grilled or with gravy. Now comes the part where you can enjoy your meal with a bottle of local beer, in case you are not interested in the beer you can have fruit drinks or local mocktails.

Mi Quang (Rice noodles)

 foods of Vietnam | Famous Dishes of Vietnam
Top 10 foods of Vietnam, photo: google

Mi Quang is a popular dish in Vietnam because it is available commonly and is very cheap. This dish is made with rice, noodles, the meat of your choice like chicken, pork, shrimp, eel, eggs served with beef broth in a bowl. Generally, your bowl of Mi Quang comes with vegetables, fish sauce, and chilis. Locals eat this dish with chopsticks but end with a spoon to get every drop of broth.  

Banh Xeo (Crepe Wrap)

 foods of Vietnam | Famous Dishes of Vietnam
Top 10 foods of Vietnam, photo: google

These yellow pancakes dish of Vietnam is much better than regular pancakes. They generally come with sprouts, beans, and cooked meat (pork). It is quite common and liked the food of Vietnam in the south and central part of Vietnam. The batter is made up of rice flour and coconut oil. It is cooked till its corners become golden and curly. For the best experience, have it with the peanut sauce made with pork liver. Enjoy the treat at any local eatery with locals.

Banh Cuon (Stuffed rice rolls)

 foods of Vietnam | Famous Dishes of Vietnam
Top 10 foods of Vietnam, photo: google

Banh Cuon is not easily seen outside the country, so if you are in Vietnam make some time in the morning and get these traditional breakfast dishes. Originated in North Vietnam, it is now easily available in the whole country. This Vietnamese dish is liked by locals because it’s cheap and used as a filler. Banh Cuon is steamed rice rolls, stuffed with mushroom and pork, is usually served with sauce. If you want to have the real taste of Banh Cuon, look for a roadside stand instead of some famous restaurants.

Xoi Ga (chicken with sticky rice)

 foods of Vietnam | Famous Dishes of Vietnam
Top 10 foods of Vietnam, photo: google

Rice is a common food in whole Asia. Vietnam is also famous for rice dishes. Sticky rice here can be served as the main course food with chicken known as Xoi Ga. Tender strips of chicken are served on a plate of sticky rice with vegetables. Some sauces like sesame or soy are added to enhance the flavor. 

Short brief on drinks available in Vietnam to go with above mentioned delicious dishes. The beer in the Vietnam is cheapest in the whole world where you can get it in just 5000 dongs. Local beer here is known as the Bia Hoi, its taste is not good but it is a nice experience. Get this beer on a roadside restaurant and share some glasses with locals and tourists. If you want to savor the taste of some premium beers, you can go for the Beer Hanoi or Beer Saigon and many more.

Some Tips on things to avoid in Vietnam

Now some useful tips on what should be avoided in your trip to Vietnam. The first point is never to drink the tap water, always use bottled water and make sure that seal is intact. Another main thing is that always touch what you are eating, as the meat in Vietnam is very cheap and sometimes you can end up eating something strange. Coffee is very famous in Vietnam and is much liked by tourists but some of the local vendors used cheap chemicals in the place of condensed milk, so try to have coffee from a decent stall or where locals are getting their coffee from.

From the health point of view, please avoid any dish made from raw blood of duck or pig as it is not safe to consume raw blood and this scenario can be life-threatening. Avoid drinking cold soups in Vietnam, you can find rarely any cold soup in the whole country because they drink hot soups to avoid any chances of unwanted bacteria or other dangerous microorganisms in their food, so if your soup is not hot enough to burn your inside, then think again before drinking it. And last avoid having dog meat if you can, not because it is not safe, just because dogs are being kidnapped and sold as meat to dog meat restaurants. Last warning for tourists to avoid unwashed fruits because of the use of pesticides, if you are going to eat fruits which are eaten with their skin on like apples, then please wash them first properly.

The dishes of Vietnam that are included in this article of top 10 foods of Vietnam are based on my opinion and you can get much more food options in Vietnam and can create your own list of top foods in Vietnam. Best of luck with your adventure and stay safe.

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