You’re on holiday in Vietnam. Whether perched precariously undercover on a small plastic stool or on a bench in a large restaurant, food is integral to any Vietnamese experience. From breakfast, lunch, dinner and all those drinks in between, you’ll encounter a wide variety of exotic traditional Vietnamese dishes and beverages not to be encountered anywhere else. The mixes of spices and vegetables in each dish and in each location will simply bowl you over. You can find some of these dishes in our collection of classic Vietnamese recipes!
Before you jet off, you might want to know what to expect when walking through Saigon streets or into fancy Hanoi establishments. We’ve collected 10 of our favourite Vietnamese dishes for you to try.
Traditional Vietnamese dishes
- Banh mi (Saigon’s Sandwich)
- Phở (Pho)
- Bánh Khọt (Mini Crispy Pancakes)
- Goi Cuon (Translucent Spring Rolls)
- Ca Phe Trung (Vietnamese Egg Coffee)
- Cao Lau (Vietnamese Noodle Bowl)
- Bun cha (Hanoi Specialty)
- Banh Chung
- Rau Muong (Morning Glory)
- Bánh bao
1. Banh Mi (Saigon’s Sandwich)
Historically linked to Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll actually be able to find Banh Mi just about wherever you are in Vietnam. This baguette-style sandwich is filled with deliciously fresh ingredients, first made popular during the 19th century under French colonial rule. Pork, paté, tofu, fish and more are just some of the choices of filling to be found, typically from street food vendors.
Traditional Ingredients:
- Vietnamese baguettes
- Pork belly or grilled pork (or other protein)
- Pickled carrots and daikon (Đồ Chua)
- Cucumber slices
- Fresh coriander
- Jalapeños (optional)
- Liver pâté
- Mayonnaise
- Maggi seasoning or soy sauce
2. Phở (Pho)
Pho is one of the more iconic dishes in Vietnam, a brothy noodle soup with both meat and vegetable options. While it is enjoyed at all times of day, locals typically serve Pho as the first meal of the day – which may come as a surprise to those used to pastries or fry-ups! You’ll normally be able to customise your Pho, the most common flavours being beef or chicken, with different stocks and spice mixtures.
Traditional Ingredients:
- Beef bones (for broth)
- Star anise
- Cloves
- Cinnamon sticks
- Ginger
- Onion
- Fish sauce
- Beef (most common, or chicken, mushrooms, vegetables.. the choice is yours)
- Rice noodles
- Bean sprouts
- Fresh herbs (coriander, basil)
- Lime wedges
- Hoisin sauce and Sriracha (for serving)
3. Bánh Khọt (Mini Crispy Pancakes)
Bánh Khọt are simply bite-sized versions of Banh Xeo, sizzling pancakes stuffed with a variety of fillings. The turmeric and other spices give the pancakes a yellow colour, and the fillings can include mouth-watering pork bell, shrimp, or other stir-fried vegetables. These are often enjoyed on long journeys by bus or train, perfect and convenient for hungry travellers.
Traditional Ingredients:
- Rice flour
- Coconut milk
- Turmeric powder
- Prok, Shrimp or other stir-fried vegetables
- Green onions
- Bean sprouts
- Fish sauce (for dipping sauce)
4. Goi Cuon (Translucent Spring Rolls)
Ideal as a snack or as a side dish, these delightful crispy packages are totally unmissable. Goi Cuon is also great for pickier eaters, with a wide variety of fillings on offer. From vegetables to pork, fish to shrimp, these crunchy delicacies are not unlike spring roll imitations to be found back home. Dip in a rich peanut or fish sauce for the ultimate Vietnamese taste experience.
Traditional Ingredients:
- Rice paper wrappers
- Shrimp or pork (or vegetables or fish)
- Rice vermicelli noodles
- Fresh herbs (mint, basil, coriander)
- Lettuce
- Bean sprouts
- Peanut sauce or hoisin sauce (for dipping)
5. Ca Phe Trung (Vietnamese Egg Coffee)
Coffee lovers rejoice! We’ve thrown a drink in the mix because, well, you can’t visit Vietnam without stumbling across traditional egg coffee! More of a dessert than a drink, this is made with fluffy beaten egg yolk and sweet condensed milk, along with the coffee of your choice.
Traditional Ingredients:
- Egg yolks
- Sugar
- Condensed milk
- Strong Vietnamese coffee
Can’t wait to go? Experience some of the best places to eat in Vietnam in our suggested holidays
- The Hanoi Coffee Lovers Tour in our new Vietnam with a Culinary Twist holiday.
- The Hanoi Food Story experience in our Explore & Relax in Northern Vietnam holiday.
- The Hoi An Cuisine Cooking tour with Ms. Vy, and lunch at Streets, a social enterprise restaurant that contributes to life-changing opportunities for young people as part of our A Different Side of Vietnam holiday.
6. Cao Lau (Vietnamese Noodle Bowl)
Another brothy noodle bowl for you to seek out – this time from Hoi An! You might even learn that true Cao Lau must be made with water from the local well. Traditionally made with pork, the thick noodles are almost Japanese in style and crispy won-ton crackers hail from Chinese influences. The broth and herb mixes are definitely Vietnamese.
Traditional Ingredients:
- Thick rice noodles
- Pork loin
- Fresh herbs (mint, basil, coriander)
- Bean sprouts
- Lettuce
- Rice crackers
- Hoisin sauce and lime (for serving)
7. Bun cha (Hanoi Specialty)
Searching for a tasty lunchtime dish in Hanoi? That smokey smell in the air might just be Bun Cha. Bun Cha are chargrilled pork meatballs served with cold noodles, a broth, and various leafy veg. To eat like a local, use your chopsticks to dip the pork into the broth before enjoying the interesting mix of flavours within the meat.
Traditional Ingredients:
- Pork patties
- Vermicelli noodles
- Fresh herbs (mint, basil, coriander)
- Pickled vegetables (carrots and green papaya)
- Fish sauce (for dipping sauce)
8. Banh Chung
This dish is a staple of the Lunar New Year in Vietnam, celebrated in February. With simple agricultural ingredients and a distinct story behind it, this dish symbolises respect not only for Vietnam’s ancestry but also for the earth. With a pork and mung bean filling, this sticky rice cake is a must-try traditional dish if you’re taking part in the Lunar New Year celebrations anywhere in the country.
Traditional Ingredients:
This one’s a bit more specialist than the others.
- Glutinous rice
- Mung beans
- Pork belly
- Fish sauce
- Banana leaves (for wrapping)
9. Rau Muong (Morning Glory)
If you’ve visited Vietnam in the past, there’s no doubt you’ve encountered Morning Glory in some form or another. This vegetable is incredibly popular in Vietnam, typically stir-fried with garlic and other herbs or included in a noodle broth.
Traditional Ingredients:
- Water spinach (morning glory)
- Garlic
- Fish sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Chili (optional)
10. Bánh Bao
While they don’t originate here, steamed buns are popular street food items across Vietnam. Bánh Bao are steamed pork buns, the best including a boiled quail’s egg inside, sold from vendors and inside restaurants in many cities and towns. You might even find steamed buns sans filling for those seeking a plainer taste.
Traditional Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour, Yeast, and Sugar to make the buns
- Or store-bought bao buns
- Pork filling (or ground pork, mushrooms, or hard-boiled eggs)
- Soy sauce
So there you have it! 10 of our favourite traditional Vietnamese dishes to enjoy wherever you find yourself in this exciting and non-stop place. With influences from far and wide, there is sure to be a new flavour you fall in love with.
Curious about Vietnam?
Our holiday specialists are always available to answer any questions about the country or our Vietnam itineraries. All our holidays are entirely tailor-made, so we can truly create a holiday to suit your interests. Call today on 020 7924 7133 or email us for an inquiry.
Where Can I Learn More About Vietnamese Cooking Before My Holiday?
The internet is an amazing thing, you never know what you’ll find that will change your life. You found us, after all! Online cooking courses are brilliant. We’ve done a few ourselves at ETG and had so much fun, and our customers have found them a great way to immerse themselves in the culture of a destination before they go off on their adventures (and it’s especially good for families).
But you also can’t beat in-person classes, if you can get them in your area. Here are a few suggestions for learning how to cook traditional Vietnamese cuisine whether online on in-person.
(We’re not affiliated with any of these, but we’ve either experienced them for ourselves or heard good things from friends, family, or customers).
- Siobhan from the marketing team loves Van’s Kitchen on YouTube. She hasn’t posted a tutorial there in a while as she has her own website now, but there are so many recipes to learn for free.
- Oni from Rose Kitchen Hanoi (the number one cooking school in Hanoi) hosts an online course on Veecoco where you can learn to cook authentic vegan Vietnamese cuisine. It’s subscription-based and $39 per month for access to 20+ courses – not bad at all if you love learning to cook! There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee. Let us know what you think if you try it.
- If you’re based in London, try the in-person Vietnamese Cooking Masterclass from ClassBento. It’s £115 per person for three hours, and we’ve heard it’s SUCH a fun day. They have a lot of other Vietnamese food classes, so maybe have a browse and see what suits you best.