The top 10+ Vietnamese foods you MUST try in Vietnam (& where to get them!)

Last updated on March 15th, 2024

From Banh Mi to Pho to bò lá lốt, Vietnam is loaded with delicious foods. And we’re sharing the top 10+ Vietnamese foods that you must try while exploring Vietnam. 

There are many things we miss about our time in Vietnam, but one of the top things is definitely the FOOD! For almost six weeks we ate our way through the country, from South to North, both on our own and with a food tour. And it was a dream! 

While there are a couple famous Vietnamese dishes worldwide (we’re looking at you Pho!), there are also many lesser known regional dishes and street food items that we fell in love with. So much so that we recreate them at home on a weekly basis!

If you’re heading to Vietnam soon and are wondering what famous Vietnamese dishes to try, we’ve gotcha covered! In this post we’re sharing the top 10+ Vietnamese foods that you MUST try while in Vietnam. Plus, where to get them in a variety of different cities!

Top 10+ Vietnamese foods you MUST try in Vietnam

Before we dive into our list of the top 10+ Vietnamese foods to try in Vietnam, a few disclaimers:

• This isn’t a full list of every Vietnamese dish to try in Vietnam. We unfortunately couldn’t try it all, so we are basing this list on our personal experience!
• These items are listed in a random order, not by preference.
• Many of these dishes will be slightly different depending on the region you’re in. They say you can never try every dish in Vietnam because there are so many variations across the country.
• There are tons and tons of restaurant and food stall options for each dish. We’re sharing the places we personally visited, as well as some other options that were highly recommended to us.
• If you’re nervous to try street food on your own, we highly suggest going on a food tour. We are listing some options here!

1. Bun Cha

Easily one of the top Vietnamese dishes that we tried in Vietnam was Bun Cha. And it’s one that we hadn’t even heard of before our visit!

This Hanoi specialty consists of grilled pork patties, with sometimes pork belly as well, plus pickled veggies, all in a fish sauce based broth. On the side, you’ll have vermicelli noodles, herbs, and fresh veggies.

You put together the perfect bite of meat, herbs, veggies, and noodles, and then dip it into the broth. Or you can just put the ingredients all into the broth and chopstick up the perfect bite. 

The combination of the nice smoky, grilled flavor from the meat, crunchy freshness from the veggies, and the savory, sweet, umami broth, is to die for!

2. Banh Mi

Possibly in a tie with Pho for the most famous Vietnamese dishes is the Banh Miì. And it is a MUST eat while in Vietnam!

The phrase Banh Mi means “bread” in Vietnamese, but it is actually a sandwich. And it has become one of the top Vietnamese foods in the world!

The Banh Mi originated in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in the late 1950s. Back in the 1850s, the French invaded Vietnam and didn’t leave until the 1950s. And over those 100 years they had a heavy influence on the area, both positive and negative. One of which was the baguette, which has become the vessel for the Banh Mi sandwich. 

A typical Banh Mi consists of pork, cucumber, pickled carrots, cilantro, pate, daikon, and a buttery mayonnaise. But there are many variations! It’s especially popular for breakfast, but can be eaten any time of day.

3. Pho

Pho is one of the national dishes of Vietnam. You will find it everywhere across the country! And it’s for good reason…it’s super delicious! Similar to the Banh Mi, you can eat it during any part of the day, but it’s an especially popular dish for breakfast. 

Many believe Pho originated in Northern Vietnam during the French colonial times. When the French colonial period ended in 1954, many North Vietnamese migrated south and Pho began to take on new variations. It adapted to the different tastes, culture, and produce of different regions.

Because of this, there are two main styles of Pho. Many people will ask which is the best or what’s our favorite style and the answer is: we don’t have one! Why pick a favorite, when you can enjoy both!

Northern style Pho

Pho is believed to have originated in Northern Vietnam, so this is the most classic and refined version. Northern style Pho is much simpler and focused on the flavor of the broth. It has wider rice noodles, a clear and simple broth, chicken meat or minced beef, and is topped with green onion and cilantro. 

For a bit of added seasoning, you’ll find a sauce made of rice vinegar and fish sauce, plus chili sauce on the table.

Southern style Pho

Southern Pho has rounder noodles, primarily uses beef, and the broth is said to be sweeter, fattier, and richer. In this style there is much more flexibility when it comes to meats.

For toppings, southern style Pho is served with a plate of cilantro, lime, bean sprouts, basil, and jalapeño. Along with those toppings you’ll find hoisin sauce, sliced chilis, and a chili sauce on the table.

Southern style Pho is mostly what you’ll find in the US, in terms of toppings and meat options. Another common side item you can add for both Northern and Southern styles are long fried breadsticks. These cost extra, but they are another vessel to sop up the delicious broth.

4. Bun Thit Nuong

Easily one of the top Vietnamese foods, especially in the south, is Bun Thit Nuong. This popular Vietnamese dish consists of a layer of cold rice vermicelli, topped with grilled pork, fresh herbs like basil and mint, veggies, and chả giò, which are fried spring rolls. It then has fish sauce to add on top! 

This was one of our favorite dishes that we tried in Vietnam! The different textures of the grilled meats, crispy fried spring roll, crunchy vegetables, and tender noodles, topped with the delicious sauce was an amazing bite!

5. Banh Xeo

Banh Xeo are Vietnamese rice pancakes made out of rice flour, water, and turmeric powder and filled with veggies and meat. The word “xeo” loosely translates to sizzle and the dish is named after the sizzling sound it makes when the batter hits the pan. 

It looks like it is an egg omelet, but there is actually no egg in this dish! It gets its yellow color from the turmeric powder.

The way you eat Banh Xeo is to break a piece off the pancake, wrap it in a lettuce leaf or rice paper, add some herbs, and then top with the fish sauce! 

6. Bun Bo Nam Bo

For one of our final meals in Vietnam we tried Bun Bo Nam Bo. And little did we know, this would become one of our absolute favorite dishes in Vietnam! We were SO mad we didn’t try it sooner and it has now become a weekly staple meal back home for us.

What is Bun Bo Nam Bo? It is a warm noodle salad made with vermicelli noodles, beef, fresh veggies, and peanuts, served with a fish sauce. It is the perfect mix of hearty and refreshing!

7. Banh Ran

One of the top Vietnamese foods for a quick little snack is Banh Ran (also called Banh Cam). These are deep fried rice balls, with mung beans inside, which are slightly crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. They reminded us of donut holes, but in our opinion, even better!

8. Nem Nuong Cuon

Nem Nuong Cuon is a dish that we ate MANY times while in Vietnam. These are fresh spring rolls made with nem nuong, a Vietnamese grilled pork sausage. 

You fill rice paper with this sausage, plus cucumber, mango, herbs, crispy rice sticks, and any other toppings you desire, roll it up, and then dip it into the most delicious sauce. Which tasted like a peanut sauce to us. Not only is it a delicious handheld snack or meal, but also a fun activity! 

9. Bo la lot

One of the top Vietnamese street foods to try is bo la lot. These are chunks of ground beef, mixed with spices like lemongrass, wrapped in lolot leaves, and then grilled. They are the perfect juicy and flavorful bite size snack! 

10. Cao Lau 

Cao Lau is THE dish of Hoi An! It’s made with thinly sliced bbq pork, bean sprouts, lettuce, crispy fried Cao Lau noodles, crispy pork skin, and fresh thick rice noodles. These noodles are made from water from an ancient well nearby, along with lye, which is made from the ashes of trees from the nearby Cham Islands. Because of the water and lye used, you can only truly try it in Hoi An.

The mix of thick, chewy noodles, plus smoky pork, crunchy fried noodles, and fresh veggies is the perfect texture and flavor combination. We loved this dish!

11. Cha Ca

Cha Ca is catfish marinated in turmeric, galangal, fermented rice paste, and then topped with dill and other herbs.

It originated in Hanoi and dates back more than 130 years! It was first invented by a local family, who served the special dish to troops during French colonial rule. People loved it, so they opened the first Cha Ca restaurant. Many others followed suit and there is now a Cha Ca Street in town.

12. Mi Quang

Mi Quang is another one of the top Vietnamese foods to try when visiting Hoi An! This central Vietnam noodle dish consists of steamed noodles with shrimp and pork, white rice crackers, and quail eggs. 

It’s not considered a noodle soup because there is just enough broth to cover the noodles, but it isn’t as dry as some other Vietnamese dishes either. 

13. Bun Bo Hue

One of the most popular Vietnamese dishes is bun bo hue, which originated in the old capital city of Hue. And it is said to be many travelers favorite Vietnamese dish!

Bun Bo Hue is similar to Pho, but the broth and ingredients are punched up a few levels. And while not nearly as popular or well known as Pho, those who have had both tend to prefer it!

One big difference between bun bo hue and Pho is the broth. The broth has a few additions like lemongrass and a hot chili oil, giving it a spicy flavor. It is also made with beef and pork, instead of just beef or chicken. And the noodles are a bit thicker than what you’ll find in Pho. 

14. White Rose Dumplings

Another Hoi An speciality are White Rose Dumplings. These are rice flour dumplings filled with minced shrimp and pork. They are then wrapped up to look almost like a rose and topped with deep fried shallots. Similar to cao lau, we hear that water used to make the skin on the dumpling must also be drawn from Ba Le well. 

Try these top Vietnamese foods on a food tour!

Want to easily try some of these foods? Go on a food tour! In our opinion, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are the two best cities for food tours, as they have tons of tour options. Here are a handful of options for each!

A few final tips for eating in Vietnam

Don’t be afraid of street food

The #1 question we were asked by viewers while in Vietnam was “did you get sick from the food?” Street food can have a bad reputation, but it was our favorite way to eat in Vietnam! Don’t be afraid of trying street food, but make sure to read reviews and use your best judgment.

Every street food spot we visited was researched beforehand or recommended by a local guide. We rarely ever go to places on a whim.

Getting sick from food can happen anywhere in the world and even at the fanciest restaurants. Part of the food culture in Vietnam is sitting on the sidewalk in a tiny chair and at a tiny table, watching a local cook up your food right in front of you. The food is delicious and so affordable!

But to answer the #1 question, we did not get sick from the food. At least we don’t think so. We both did get sick our first week in Vietnam with a stomach bug, but we got sick days apart, so we think it may have been a virus from traveling. Besides that, we felt great!

Only drink purified water

While we highly suggest street food, tap water is a big no no in Vietnam. It’s not safe for both locals or tourists to drink, but thankfully purified water is super easy to find.

Our only complaint is that we had to buy tons of plastic bottles and we aren’t fans of that. We traveled with a Hydro Flask bottle, but there weren’t really any places to fill it up.

Should you tip in Vietnam?

It is not customary to tip in Vietnam. This was a weird concept for us, coming from the US, where you tip for most services. But in Vietnam it’s not expected.

However, we did tip as much as we could! We would often give a slightly larger bill for our meal and leave the change. Sometimes the owners would come after us to give us the change, since I guess they are not used to it. But once we said it was for them, they seemed to really appreciate this! 

Ready to eat your way through Vietnam?

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