Vietnamese food surprised me from day one. The fresh herbs, complex broths, and perfect balance of flavors made every meal memorable.
Street food in Hanoi and Saigon taught me what authentic Vietnamese food really tastes like. You’ll find French colonial influence in banh mi, while pho remains the national dish everyone loves.
Northern Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, and Central Vietnam each cook differently. Grab chopsticks, hit the street food stalls, and taste rice noodles and fish sauce done right.
Pho
I ate pho almost daily in Vietnam. The broth gets its deep flavor from star anise, cloves, cinnamon sticks, charred onions, and ginger simmered for hours.
Flat rice noodles arrive with thinly sliced beef or chicken. Northern style Pho at Pho Gia Truyen Bat Dan serves clear broth with just green onions.
Southern style Pho gives you bean sprouts, lime wedges, fresh herbs, and hoisin sauce to customize. Pho Hoa Pasteur’s beef brisket version blew me away. Eat it hot for breakfast.
Banh Mi
This Vietnamese sandwich changed how I think about lunch. The French baguette has a crispy exterior that crunches perfectly.
Inside, you get pate, grilled pork, pickled carrots, daikon radish, and fresh cilantro. Banh Mi Hong Hoa in Ho Chi Minh City bakes their own bread fresh.
Madam Khanh Banh Mi Queen in Hoi An makes the best mixed meat version with fried egg and delicious sauce. Street vendors sell these tiny sandwiches for pocket change. The marinated meat and crunchy vegetables together taste incredible.
Bun Cha
Bun cha became my favorite dish in Hanoi. Grilled pork patties and pork belly arrive smoky from charcoal grilled cooking.
You dip rice vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs, and meat into the fish sauce broth mixed with pickled vegetables. Bun Cha Huong Lien got famous when Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate there.
Bun Cha Dac Kim holds a Michelin rated status for good reason. The savory sweet umami broth balances everything perfectly. This Hanoi specialty beats many famous dishes I tried.
Banh Xeo
The sizzling sound when batter hits the pan gives this dish its name. This crispy rice pancake gets golden color from turmeric powder and arrives stuffed with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts.
Yes, they fry it in exorbitant amount of oil, but the crispy exterior makes it worth it. You tear off pieces, wrap them in lettuce with fresh herbs, then dip in meaty peanut sauce.
Southern Vietnam does this best. The hands-on eating and tangy dipping sauce create an interactive meal you won’t forget.
Mi Quang
Mi Quang from Central Vietnam uses minimal broth unlike typical soups. The wide flat noodles come with shrimp, chicken, and pork together.
Toasted sesame rice crackers add serious crunch. I tried this on a Da Nang street food tour and loved the emphasis on noodles over liquid.
The thick rice noodles soak up concentrated flavors from the thicker broth. Fresh herbs, peanuts, and quail eggs top it off. This Quang Nam province specialty delivers bold flavors in every bite.
Cao Lau
You can only get real cao lau in Hoi An. The thick rice noodles use ancient well water and lye from tree ashes from Cham Islands. This creates chewy noodles with unique texture.
Thinly sliced BBQ pork, crispy fried noodles, crispy pork skin, bean sprouts, and lettuce pile on top. At Nostalife restaurant, the server helped me mix everything together properly.
The smoky pork and crunchy fried noodles contrast perfectly with fresh vegetables. This Hoi An specialty tastes different anywhere else you try it.
Bun Thit Nuong
This Southern Vietnam specialty layers cold vermicelli noodles with grilled pork, cha gio (fried spring rolls), and pickled vegetables. Fresh herbs like basil and mint plus peanuts go on top.
I found Bun Thit Nuong Nguyen Trung Truc cooking on the sidewalk with tiny chairs and tiny tables right there. Their lemon tea is mandatory.
The different textures work perfectly: • Crispy spring roll • Crunchy vegetables • Tender noodles • Smoky pork
Fish sauce ties everything together. True street food spot experience at its best.
Bun Bo Hue
This spicy beef noodle soup from Hue city packs way more punch than pho. Lemongrass and annatto seeds give the robust broth its red hue and punched up flavor.
Beef brisket, oxtail, and pork knuckle simmer together. The cylindrical rice noodles have better chewy texture than regular pho noodles.
Chili oil makes it spicier than pho. This Central Vietnam specialty from the ancient capital uses both pork and beef. Ba Gai Hue Beef Noodle Soup serves it steaming hot and intensely flavorful.
Bo La Lot
Chunks of ground beef mixed with lemongrass, garlic, and shallots get wrapped in betel leaves then grilled. These grilled skewers from Southern Vietnam become juicy and flavorful with slightly peppery, herbal notes.
At Hoi An Night Market, vendors cook them on portable grills right in front of you. You eat them as standalone snacks or wrap in rice paper spring roll style.
This Vietnamese street food works perfect as bite size snacks. Push carts sell them everywhere. The betel leaves add something special you won’t find anywhere else.
Cha Ca
This Hanoi specialty dates back 130 years to French colonial rule when a local family invention became famous. Catfish marinates in turmeric, galangal, and fermented rice paste before grilling.
At Cha Ca Thang Long, they cook the turmeric yellow fish grilled right in front of you at your table. Fresh dill and herbs pile on top with vermicelli noodles.
The table-side grilling creates a unique experience and amazing smell. Cha Ca Street exists because this dish got so popular. The served sizzling catfish topped with dill tastes unlike anything else.
Nem Nuong Cuon
Vietnamese grilled pork sausage gets wrapped in rice paper with cucumber, mango, herbs, and crispy rice sticks. You build your own rolls and dip in peanut sauce that tastes incredible.
Nem Nuong Nha Trang Que Hoa in Old Quarter Hanoi made me return four times. Making these fresh spring rolls yourself becomes a fun activity and handheld snack together.
I attempt to make this at home but can’t nail their delicious sauce. Rolling everything up and getting that first bite makes this worth the effort.
Goi Cuon
These fresh spring rolls use translucent rice paper briefly soaked until soft. Inside goes shrimp, pork, rice vermicelli, mint, basil, and lettuce.
They arrive cold served as a refreshing start to meals. The hoisin sauce mixed with peanuts makes perfect dipping sauce.
On a Da Nang food tour, I tried making spring rolls myself. Takes practice and finesse required to not tear the rice paper.
This light and satisfying Vietnamese appetizer works great in hot weather. The fresh herbs and cold ingredients make these incredibly refreshing and healthy too.
