Vietnamese Dishes to Try: Three Regional Tables, One Journey

Ask ten people for the one dish to eat in Vietnam and you will get pho from nine of them. I understand why, but I think it sends visitors home with a thin idea of the country. Vietnam stretches roughly 1,650 km from the Chinese border to the Mekong Delta, and the food changes as you travel: the climate, the history and the ingredients are different, and so is the seasoning.

So here is my list, ordered the way I would eat it: north to south, with the things you can eat anywhere at the end. For the full picture of the cuisine, my Vietnamese food guide goes deeper.

Three tables, not one menu

The shorthand I use: the north is subtle and clear, the centre is bold and spicy, the south is sweet and generous with herbs and sugar. It is a simplification, and every cook will argue with it, but it is a good compass. It also means the best list is one you build as you move, not one you tick off in a single city.

The north: Hanoi and around

Hanoi is where I would start, because the food is the least showy and the most precise.

Pho. Beef or chicken noodle soup in a clear, long-simmered broth, with herbs and lime. In the north it is plainer than the southern versions: less sweetness, fewer garnishes. Look for a shop that does little else. Where to start: the lanes of the Old Quarter.

Bun cha. Grilled pork patties and slices of pork belly served in a bowl of sweet-sour broth, with rice noodles and a mountain of herbs on the side. You dip and eat. It is a lunch dish, and you smell the charcoal long before you find the shop.

Cha ca. Fish marinated in turmeric, grilled and cooked with plenty of dill, served with rice noodles, peanuts and shrimp paste. It is a Hanoi speciality and one of the few dishes that can be a sit-down occasion.

If you want a walk through all of this with someone who knows the lanes, a private street food tour of Hanoi is how I would do the first evening. I cover more options in the Hanoi street food tours guide and the Hanoi destination page. Egg coffee, the sweet whipped drink the city is known for, has its own article.

The centre: Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An

The centre is where the food gets louder. Hue’s imperial kitchen left a taste for small, elaborate dishes and a lot of chilli.

Bun bo Hue. Thick round noodles in a beef broth flavoured with lemongrass and chilli. It is richer and spicier than pho, and it is the dish I would most want someone to try after pho, for the contrast. I compare the two properly in pho vs bun bo Hue.

Banh beo. Tiny steamed rice cakes served in little saucers, topped with dried shrimp and crispy pork skin, with fish sauce spooned over. You eat a dozen. Look for it in Hue, where it is a snack, not a meal.

Cao lau. Chewy noodles with slices of pork, greens and crisp pieces on top, with very little broth. It is tied to Hoi An, and people there will tell you it cannot be made properly anywhere else.

Mi quang. Turmeric-yellow noodles in a small amount of rich broth, with peanuts and a rice cracker on top. It comes from the Da Nang and Quang Nam area, and is a good bowl to meet if you are staying around Hoi An.

Hue has a guide of its own, Hue street food tours. If you would rather learn to cook it, a cooking tour from Hoi An takes you through the market and into the kitchen, and I list more in the Hoi An cooking classes guide.

The south: Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta

The south is generous: more sugar, more herbs, more coconut, a fruit basket on every table.

Com tam. Broken rice, usually with a grilled pork chop, a slice of egg meatloaf and pickles. Saigon eats it for breakfast and for lunch, and it is the cheapest comforting plate in the city.

Hu tieu. A pork-based noodle soup that can come with the broth in the bowl or on the side. It is the southern answer to the north’s pho and turns up on every second corner.

Banh xeo. A large crisp pancake coloured with turmeric, folded over prawns, pork and bean sprouts. You wrap pieces in lettuce and herbs and dip them in sauce. Eat it with your hands, and do not be tidy.

Goi cuon. Fresh rolls of prawn, herbs and rice vermicelli in rice paper, served with a peanut or hoisin dip. The lightest thing on this list, and a good starter.

In Ho Chi Minh City I would book a guided food tour by scooter on the first night, because the distances between good stalls are bigger than they look. More ideas are in the Ho Chi Minh City street food guide.

What you can eat everywhere

Two things cross every border.

Banh mi. The baguette sandwich is the national street snack, with a different filling in each region. It has an article of its own.

Bia hoi. Fresh draught beer, light and cheap, drunk on plastic stools at the roadside. It is more a habit than a drink.

Eating well without getting ill

Choose busy stalls, eat food that has just been cooked and carry hand gel. Tap water is not drinkable anywhere in Vietnam. I wrote down the rules I follow in street food safety.

If you like planning around meals, the food lovers itinerary is built that way. The coffee side is in the Vietnamese coffee guide.

Frequently asked questions about Vietnamese dishes

What is the one dish I must try in Vietnam?

There is no single answer, and that is the point. Pho is the best-known, but it is a northern dish that travelled south. Eat the signature dish of each region you visit instead.

Is pho eaten for breakfast?

Yes, traditionally. Many pho shops are busiest in the morning, though you can find a bowl at most hours in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Which Vietnamese dishes are spicy?

Central Vietnam is the spiciest region, and bun bo Hue is the classic example. Most dishes arrive with chilli and sauces on the side, so you control the heat.

Are there good vegetarian options?

Yes, though you have to ask. Look for vegetarian restaurants (quan chay) near pagodas, and say that you do not eat fish sauce, since it is in many dishes.

Is street food safe to eat?

Generally yes if you choose busy stalls with high turnover and food cooked in front of you. Tap water is not drinkable, so stick to bottled or filtered water and skip ice of unknown origin.

Should I do a food tour or eat on my own?

Both work. A guided tour is a good first night in a new city, because someone explains what you are eating, and you can then repeat what you liked on your own.