A Foodie’s Guide to Vietnam

If you have been following our journey on Instagram or through this blog you may have noticed love food. Food is a huge part of travel for us and when we visit new countries we love to try everything on offer. For us one of the best ways to experience a new culture is through the food. We fell in love with Vietnam and Vietnamese food back in 2017 on a three week backpacking trip. In fact it was on that trip we decided over a bowl of pho that we wanted to travel full time. We knew that when we became full time travellers we wanted to go back to Vietnam to enjoy all the countries culinary delights.

Pho

(Pronounced “fuh”) Pho is the national dish of Vietnam. What list of Vietnamese cuisine would be complete without pho! This staple food consists of a light chicken or beef broth, rice noodles, a sprinkle of herbs, slivers of chicken, pork or beef and spring onions. Along with your bowl of pho you will be served a plate of optional garnishes including red chillies, sliced limes, bean sprouts, herbs and lettuce. Its cheap, delicious and widely available at all hours, however it is a common breakfast meal for the Vietnamese.

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Goi Cuon

Goi Cuon (fresh spring rolls) translucent spring rolls are tightly wrapped in a thin rice paper and filled with salad, herbs, vermicelli noodles and meat such as pork or prawn. These light and healthy snack are usually served with fish sauce for dipping.

Cao Lau

Cao lau is a pork noodle dish from Hoi An. Cao lao is a delicious bowl of thick noodles, bean sprouts, crispy pork-rind croutons in a light broth flavoured with mint and star anise and topped wth thin slices of pork.

Banh Xeo

Banh xeo (aka. Vietnamese pancake) consists of prawns, pork, bean sprouts and egg all fried and wrapped in rice paper served with a side of fish sauce for dipping. Banh geo is crispy is texture but a delicious street snack.

Banh Mi

Banh Mi is a baguette sandwich typically filled with pate, meat, pickled veg and greens, served with mayonnaise and chilli sauce. Fillings can vary, some vendors may have egg banh mi and others may add Vietnamese sausage. The French introduced the baguette to Vietnam, however the Vietnamese take it to a whole other level!! The Banh Mi is a Vietnamese staple street food and can be found on street side stalls or in restaurants.

Com Tam

Com tam translates to “broken rice” and is a street food favourite for the Vietnamese. Com tam is a Vietnamese dish made from rice with fractured rice grains. Once considered the poor peoples meal as farmers would collect the fractured rice that broke during the milling process and sell for cheap. Nowadays it is a popular Vietnamese dish with locals and tourists alike. The dish is typically served with pork, pickled vegetables and a fried egg.

Bun Bo Hue

A Hue speciality bun bo hue is a pork and beef based noodle soup with lemongrass. It is the lemongrass that differentiates this dish from pho. Annatto, shrimp paste, herbs and a squeeze of lime juice are also added to provide a flavourful kick.

Cha Ca

Cha ca is a seafood dish that originated in Hanoi. This northern Vietnamese dish is made using white fish that has been sautéed in butter, dill and spring onions then served with rice noodles and a sprinkling of peanuts.

Bun Cha

Bun Cha is a Hanoi speciality that consists of barbecued pork served with cold rice noodles with a side of greens and a fish sauce broth.

The main cities in Vietnam such as Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and Hoi An have some excellent food tours. These food tours are guided by an expert local who will be able explain in detail each dish. Food tours are also a great way to sample many local dishes.

Have you checked out our Instagram page yet? We post regularly about all things travel and food related.