Vietnam is a coastal country located in Southeast Asia. In terms of tourism, Vietnam has so much to offer. They’ve got stunning beaches, a rich cultural history, lush natural resources, and great value for the money. Plus, the various dishes Vietnam offers are made with the freshest of ingredients and are often prepared on the day! In Vietnam, you will never get tired of their many dishes.
So, in honor of Vietnam and its amazing dishes, we’ve compiled a list of its five best dishes. We hope that if you ever make your way to Vietnam that you try them out!
1. Pho
Pho is one of the more well-known dishes from Vietnam. It is also Vietnam’s national dish!
This simple yet elegant noodle dish consists of beef broth, rice noodles, slices of beef, and various herbs like coriander and green onion. It is a household staple and is also sold on all corners of the country in street stalls.
In fact, one of the best ways to find the best pho is to find a street stall with lots of customers! Customers love to have a big bowl of pho before making their way to work in the mornings.
To serve pho, the seller adds the noodles, toppings, and slices of raw beef into a bowl and pours the piping-hot broth over it, cooking the meat.
2. Banh Xeo
Another popular street food in Vietnam is banh xeo or Vietnamese crepes. The name xeo is derived from the sound the batter makes as it sizzles in the hot pan. The batter is made of rice flour, water, coconut milk, and ground turmeric that’s great for the immune system. The filling, on the other hand, is more versatile and can feature ingredients like shallots, garlic, pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, lettuce, coriander, Asian basil, mint, and so much more!
If that wasn’t enough for you already, banh xeo is typically served with a refreshing dipping sauce called nuoc cham. This is a lime-infused garlic sauce that really brings everything together. Trust us, you’ll be reaching for second and third helpings in no time!
3. Goi Cuon
Goi cuon or Vietnamese spring rolls are a sight to behold. Here, the wrappers are made with rice paper that’s thin and translucent, making you see all the fresh ingredients underneath. They’re also a nice change from spring rolls you usually get from Chinese restaurants—instead of being fried, goi cuon is boiled. It’s a refreshing appetizer that’ll have your palate ready for the next course!
Like the banh xeo, goi cuon is meant to be eaten with a dipping sauce. For this, you can use salty fish sauce or a rich peanut sauce with hoisin!
4. Banh Mi
Looking for a sandwich that’s uniquely Vietnamese? Then banh mi is the choice for you! In this sandwich, you’ve got a thin and crunchy baguette that’s been halved in the middle like a submarine sandwich. Then, it’s packed with a ton of fillings including sausages, coriander, cucumber, carrots, daikon, mayonnaise, and so much more.
Baguettes might seem strange in Vietnamese cuisine, but the bread was actually introduced in the mid-19th century by French colonizers. Eventually, the popularity gave rise to banh mi in Saigon in the 1950s.
5. Bun Cha
Last but not least is the specialty of Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi. This is bun cha, a noodle dish with meatballs, pork belly slices, an assortment of fresh vegetables and herbs, and of course, some very chewy rice noodles!
What’s interesting about bun cha is the way it’s traditionally eaten. Rather than having combined with a broth, you dunk all the ingredients in the broth so nothing ever gets soggy. It’s quite a challenge to drink some broth, slurp noodles, and shove in meats and vegetables all at the same time, but the result is so worth it!
Bun cha is typically served during lunchtime. However, some restaurants in Hanoi have already started offering bun cha all day.
