Vietnamese Food Guide: 20 Dishes and Where to Eat Each One

A list of “best Vietnamese dishes” is easy to find. What is harder to find is where to eat each one. Phở in Sài Gòn is good; phở in Hà Nội is a different dish. Cao lầu is only really made in Hội An. So this guide is a food map: 20 dishes, grouped by the region that is proudest of them, so you know what to order where.

The north: subtle, savoury, balanced

1. Phở

Rice noodle soup with beef or chicken. In Hà Nội the broth is clear and delicate, with few toppings — locals add a squeeze of lime and chilli, not a pile of herbs.

2. Bún chả

Grilled pork patties and pork belly in a sweet-sour broth with cold rice noodles. A lunchtime dish in Hà Nội.

3. Bánh cuốn

Paper-thin steamed rice sheets rolled around minced pork and mushrooms, topped with crispy shallots. A breakfast favourite.

4. Chả cá

Turmeric-marinated fish fried at your table with dill and spring onions, eaten with noodles and peanuts.

5. Xôi

Sticky rice with toppings — the quick breakfast many Vietnamese people grab on the way to work.

The centre: bold, spicy, imperial

6. Bún bò Huế

A spicy, lemongrass-scented beef noodle soup from the old royal capital. Fuller-flavoured than phở, with a chilli kick.

7. Mì Quảng

Wide turmeric noodles with just a little rich broth, topped with pork, shrimp, peanuts and a crunchy rice cracker. From Quảng Nam, around Hội An.

8. Cao lầu

Chewy noodles with pork, greens and crispy croutons — a Hội An speciality you will rarely find done well anywhere else.

9. Bánh bèo

Tiny steamed rice cakes topped with dried shrimp and crispy pork skin, served in little dishes. A Huế snack.

10. Cơm gà

Turmeric-yellow chicken rice, with shredded chicken and herbs. Hội An’s version is famous.

The south: sweet, generous, full of herbs

11. Cơm tấm

“Broken rice” with a grilled pork chop, egg meatloaf and fish sauce. The classic Sài Gòn breakfast and lunch.

12. Hủ tiếu

A clear pork-based noodle soup with many variations, eaten from early morning to late night.

13. Bánh xèo

A large, crispy turmeric pancake filled with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts. Break off a piece, wrap it in lettuce and herbs, dip it in fish sauce.

14. Gỏi cuốn

Fresh rice-paper rolls with shrimp, pork, noodles and herbs, dipped in peanut sauce. Not fried — light and fresh.

15. Bánh mì

The baguette sandwich found everywhere, but Sài Gòn’s are famous for being stuffed with pâté, cold cuts, pickles and chilli.

16. Cá kho tộ

Fish caramelised in a clay pot with fish sauce and pepper. A Mekong Delta home-cooking classic, eaten with rice.

The Central Highlands: the one most guides miss

17. Bún đỏ

A Buôn Ma Thuột speciality: red-tinted noodles in a light broth with crab paste and quail eggs. Hard to find outside the region.

18. Gà nướng

Chargrilled chicken, often free-range, served with salt, pepper and lime and a wild herb salad.

19. Bánh tráng nướng

Rice paper grilled over charcoal with egg and toppings — sometimes called “Vietnamese pizza”. A night-market favourite in Đà Lạt.

20. Coffee

Not a dish, but the Highlands grow most of Vietnam’s coffee. Read our guide to Vietnamese coffee to order like a local.

How to eat like a local

• The herbs are for you. The plate of greens on the table is meant to be torn and added to your bowl or wrap.
• Taste before you season. Then adjust with lime, chilli, fish sauce or vinegar from the table.
• Follow the crowds. Busy stalls mean fresh food and fast turnover.
• Many places serve one dish. The sign tells you what it is; you just say how many.

Vegetarian?

Look for quán chay (vegetarian restaurants), often near pagodas, especially on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month. In normal restaurants, say “Tôi ăn chay” (I am vegetarian) — but be aware that fish sauce and meat broth are used in many dishes.

Wondering what to pay? Check our local prices page. And if you plan to eat your way around the country, see our 10-day itinerary.