10 Foods You HAVE To Try When Travelling To Vietnam

The first thing that comes to your mind when you think about Vietnam is Ha Long Bay, the ancient town of Hoi An and breathtaking landscapes. Quite often the food in Vietnam gets overlooked by it's popular neighbour Thailand. Even back in the UK there is very limited Vietnamese restaurants and even fewer take out places. But I have to say Vietnam was one of my favourite spots in all the countries I visited. I think the use of fresh herbs in all the dishes was certainly something that made it so enjoyable. They also know exactly how to hit all the flavour profiles with each dish. Now I am back home in the UK I often crave the uniqueness of Vietnamese food and find that I can't quite find the same level of tastiness that I got in Vietnam. Sure you can get your banh mi's and your pho's but the rest of the amazing cuisine in Vietnam is quite hard to find. So make sure to make the most of it whilst you are in Vietnam! 

Another great thing is that each region of Vietnam has their own unique dishes that you can only really find in that region, like Bun Bo Hue from Hue. On top of that, each region will have their unique takes on the classic dishes like banh mi and pho. In this blog, we will dive into a few selection of dishes that you can find in Vietnam, that you should definitely try. 

Dishes To Try In Vietnam

In this blog I will discuss some dishes that I fell in love with whilst visiting Vietnam and what you should definitely try during your travels. 

Banh Mi  

If you have heard of any Vietnamese dishes, it's likely going to be this one. This is now my favorite kind of sandwich, and I could eat it any time, any day. This dish emerged during the French colonial period in the late 1800s, with the French introducing the baguette and Vietnamese bakers adapting it to make this unique dish. First, a meat pate and a type of mayonnaise are spread onto a crunchy French baguette. It is then layered typically with luncheon-style meats, but more modern additions include grilled chicken, meatballs, and pork belly. On top of that are pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, coriander, and chili sauce. You need to unlock your jaw to take a bite of this sandwich, but it is honestly heavenly and will have you drooling. You have all the textures from crunchy to creamy to meaty. And then you hit all the flavor profiles of sour, spicy, meaty, and fresh. You need to make sure you try multiple different kinds of banh mi's whilst you are in Vietnam because honestly, it will not disappoint. If you are up for a challenge, then you need to eat the biggest banh mi I have ever seen, in a place called Banh Mi Huynh Hoa in Saigon. The sandwich is loaded to the brim and will probably fill you up for the entire day. You are even given a plastic glove to eat it, and it definitely requires two hands!

Pho  

This is a staple dish in Vietnam and it is honestly comfort in a bowl. This is typically eaten for breakfast in Vietnam and it is easy to see why, it is hearty and a good way to set you up for the day. It is essentially a noodle soup, which sounds boring but it is honestly ten times better than any noodle soup in the UK. The broth is a clear bone broth flavoured with a variety of spices but it is packed with so much flavour and seriously serves a punch. It comes with rice noodles and depending which area in Vietnam you are will depend the thickness of the rice noodles. Typically there is either a beef pho with different cuts of beef or there is a chicken pho served with chicken. Be warned though, if you order the 'special edition pho' it might have some unusual cuts of the meat that you are not used to. For example, 'chicken ovary eggs' are quite a delicacy in Vietnam and are often served in the special chicken pho's. If you are feeling adventurous though, then go for it! Served alongside the pho will typically be some fresh herbs, lime and beansprouts. You'll also find chilli, soy, vinegar and pepper on the table, so you can flavour the pho to your taste. However, do be polite and taste the broth first before adding any additions. My favourite is all the fresh herbs, lime and chilli for the added hit! 

Bun Bo Hue 

This is a staple dish in the middle of Vietnam and originated in Hue but can also be found in the South of Vietnam. Again this is a noodle soup but this noodle soup has a very unique flavour profile. It is flavoured with shrimp paste so has a really pungent umami taste that you'll no doubt find addictive. It is typically served with thick rice noodle, beef and different cuts of luncheon meat. On the side you will also have fresh herbs and banana blossom to add into the soup. Definitely worth a try, as it's a unique dish that you probably won't be able to find in the UK. 

Banh Xeo  

This is a popular street food in Vietnam and is often described as a savoury pancake. It is made with rice flour, tumeric and water. It is often cooked in a wok so that the edges go really thin and crispy. The inside is then stuffed with different toppings but typically it is pork, prawns and beansprouts. It is served with a variety of greens, herbs, and other seasonal vegetables. On top of that, you will also get a sweet and spicy Vietnamese dipping sauce. You will see a lot of people cutting bits of the pancake stuffing into a lettuce leaf with herbs and vegetables, and eating it similar to a roll. This is typically the way that Vietnamese people eat a lot of dishes. They love rolling something in lettuce or rice paper. It is a great way to eat, as you can experiment with different flavours and makes it much easier for dipping into the sauce. But honestly enjoy this dish however you want to eat! 

Banh Cuon 

This is a less well known Vietnamese dish and you'll only see a handful of places serving this dish. So if you see a place serving this then you have to try it! It is basically a steamed rice paper dumpling that is not sealed. Inside is usually pork mince and black fungus mushroom. On top will be some crispy onions and served with a sweet spicy dipping sauce. Such a simple dish but absolutely delicious. I remember trying it for the first time, it was down a little alley with a handful of stools. Auntie was cooking these alongside some squid cakes and it was so simple but I absolutely loved it! 

Bun Cha 

I think if I had to decide on a favourite dish in Vietnam then this would be the dish. This is typically found in the North of Vietnam, so if you are heading to Hanoi make sure you give this dish a try. The dish is barbecued pork belly and pork patties, but when I say barbecued I mean really barbecued on an open fire to get this delicious smoky flavour. It is served in a hot and sour soup filled with garlic, chilli and picked carrot and daikon. It is then served with thin rice noodles, herbs and crispy spring roll to dip in the broth. You will also get extra garlic and chilli to add into it. Again it just hits all the flavour notes. You've got the smokiness from the meat, you’ve got the heat from the chilli, you’ve got the sourness from the pickled vegetables and freshness from the herbs. It just has so much flavour and makes you want to keep coming back for more. This is another dish that is totally unique and you definitely won't be able to get again in the UK. I actually learnt about this restaurant Bun Cha Hang Quat from a Mark Wiens video and I made it my mission to find this restaurant. Now they don't make it easy, it is hidden down an alley and looks like you are going into someone's house and down the alley you see the aunties cooking the pork. BUT it was honestly the best bun cha I had in the whole trip and I never got a dish that quite matched that level. So if you are going to Hanoi and want to try this dish, make sure you go to that restaurant to get the best! 

Bo La Lot  

If my partner had to decide on a favourite dish in Vietnam, then this would be the dish! It is beef kebabs flavoured with lemongrass and different herbs, wrapped in a betel leaf. It is then barbecued to give it a delicious smoky flavour. It is served with rice paper wraps, greens, herbs and pineapple. You then also get a dipping sauce that is quite similar to satay sauce. Similar to the banh xeo you wrap it in a roll and dip it in the sauce, you'll find a lot of dishes in Vietnam where you do this. I definitely recommend going to a restaurant that only serves bo la lot, as it is usually a family that has perfected the recipe and has been cooking it for many years. I also recommend going to a sit down place to try this dish over grabbing it to go, as the whole experience is wrapping it in the roll with all the fresh herbs, rather than eating it on it's own. A beautiful dish bursting with flavour. 

Banana Sticky Rice  

Me and my partner became obsessed with this dish and it may be controversial but we think it is WAY better than mango sticky rice that you find in Thailand. Mashed banana is stuffed inside sticky rice which is then wrapped in banana leaf and grilled on a barbecue. It is then served with sweetened coconut cream and crushed peanuts on top. Oh my word, this dish was SO good and I could of easily eaten it every day. The banana inside is sweet and gooey, the rice is crunchy and slightly smoky. You will find in Asia you do struggle to find many desserts or sweet dishes, so if you have a sweet tooth then this definitely hits the mark. The best part is, it costs less than 50p, which is definitely what you want when you are travelling. The best way to get this dish is from a street vendor on the side of the street! 

Goat Hotpot  

You will find this dish in Ninh Binh, which I highly recommend visiting if you are going to Vietnam. It was my ultimate favourite place of all the destinations we visited, the scenery is just breath-taking. Due to the mountains and hills in Ninh Binh, there is a lot of goat. And the classic Vietnamese way is making sure they are being sustainable, so they eat a lot of goat meat in Ninh Binh. If you have had goat meat in UK or anywhere else it is quite fatty but because these goats are up in the mountains they are a lot leaner. Now hotpot has a very special place in my heart, I just love it, it brings me so much comfort. SO I jumped at the chance to try goat hotpot in Vietnam and it did not disappoint. Hotpot is basically a vat of soup served on a gas cooker. You then get raw ingredients like noodles, vegetables, tofu and thin cut slices of meat. You then dip the ingredients in the broth to cook and then eat. It is a great dish to have with a big group of friends and to have a few beers with. It is a very communal dish. If you've not tried hotpot before this is a great way to try it, along with trying a very popular meat in the area. 

Egg Coffee  

Coffee is extremely popular in Vietnam, you'll find plenty of coffee shops and you'll see Vietnamese people in coffee shops as late as 11pm. They absolutely LOVE coffee. But I must warn you, Vietnamese coffee is on a completely different level to coffee in the UK. Vietnamese coffee beans are twice the strength than regular coffee beans. Trust me when I say that you can feel it. It will leave you feeling slightly jittery and having a few heart palpitations if you are not used to strong coffee. A really famous style of coffee in Vietnam is egg coffee, which is not as weird as it sounds. Egg yolk and condensed milk is whipped together to form a custardy fluffy meringue which is served on top of an espresso. This drink was made due to shortages of milk from the French war in Vietnam, so this was created to fuel their coffee needs. Since then there has been many different variations of the egg coffee or different ways to have coffee, my personal favourite was the salted egg coffee. It is the perfect balance of sweet and salty, so if that is your favourite popcorn, definitely try this! 

Conclusion

There are so many other amazing dishes in Vietnam, be adventurous, try new dishes and you will definitely find something that you love! The main advice that I have for you when travelling in Vietnam, is go to the small independent restaurants where the aunties are cooking and all the locals are queueing up because it is definitely going to be delicious. You want the restaurants where you are seated on the side of the road with small plastic stools and tables - that is how you get the true experience. You also want the restaurant that is serving only one dish because you know they have been cooking it for years and perfected the recipe. 

After writing this blog, I already want to go back to Vietnam and experience the food all over again. I hope this blog has tempted you to book that flight to Vietnam and try all the amazing food. If you did like this blog make sure to send to your friends and family, so it can help them with their foodie adventures as well!