11 Vietnamese Street Foods That Will Make International Foodies Swoon

Vietnamese cuisine is a vibrant tapestry that captivates the taste buds of the international community. Join Klook Vietnam as we explore which Vietnamese street foods are causing a stir in culinary forums worldwide!

From fresh spring rolls to crispy pancakes and mixed rice paper salad, street food is the ultimate way to savor the cultural beauty of a region. While local tastes may vary, Vietnamese cuisine from north to south boasts rich flavors that are incredibly addictive from the first taste. International travelers are buzzing about which Vietnamese street foods? Let's find out below!

Pho is the quintessential choice when it comes to Vietnamese specialties. The soft, chewy pho noodles - often made from rice flour - paired with rich bone broth, beef, chicken, coriander, and soybean paste. This seemingly simple combination turns into a explosion of true taste, making pho a beloved dish popular in many famous tourist destinations; such as Hanoi, Danang, Nha Trang, Vung Tau. Vietnamese pho has also been transformed into many dry versions such as crispy fried pho, stir-fried pho, rolled pho... extremely attractive.

Inspired by the French baguette, but quickly making its mark on the international culinary map with its unique flavors. Vietnamese baguette has a crispy, fragrant crust, soft chewy interior - often eaten with coriander, onions, Vietnamese sausage, pate, eggs, pork, chicken... The filling is relatively spontaneous, depending on the taste of the buyer and the seller, hence the emergence of legendary names like 'folk baguette', 'milk dip baguette', 'sugar dip baguette', 'ice cream sandwich baguette'...

It's hard to say when mixed rice paper became an indispensable name when discussing famous Vietnamese street foods. Mixed rice paper salad is simply rice paper cut into small bite-sized pieces, mixed with beef sauce, coriander, shredded mango, roasted peanuts, dried beef or chicken. You can find mixed rice paper salad in most provinces and cities in Vietnam, concentrated in office areas, schools, and schools. The price of a portion of mixed rice paper salad is quite soft - only from 10,000 VND to 50,000 VND.

'When did grilled rice paper appear in Vietnam?' - this is still a mystery without an answer. Only known that in the last 10 years, grilled rice paper has become a 'familiar face' street food in Saigon, Da Lat, Da Nang and many more. Over the years, the grilled rice paper versions of each region have also changed. If the Saigon grilled rice paper is simple with quail egg filling, fried onions and shredded pork, then the Da Lat grilled rice paper is 'fuller' with sausage, meatballs... On rainy days, biting into a hot, crispy grilled rice paper and sipping a glass of iced tea, what could be more delightful?!

Many foreign tourists mistakenly associate Vietnamese dried beef salad with Thai Som Tam. Although they share similar ingredients such as shredded green papaya, roasted peanuts, coriander, black beef jerky... the flavors of these two specialties are completely different. Dried beef salad is a harmonious combination of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors, eaten with crispy shrimp crackers, it's even more perfect. This is a snack that women love because it's delicious and... not afraid of gaining weight.

If you're looking for a 'healthy & balance' street food option, fresh spring rolls are a great suggestion for you. Fresh spring rolls are made from rice paper, fresh vermicelli, shrimp, meat, vegetables - dipped in black sauce or sweet and salty fish sauce according to taste. Besides shrimp and meat fresh spring rolls, those with pork skin or squid are also popular with the international foodie community.

Fun fact: if 'chả giò' in Vietnamese is 'spring roll', then 'gỏi cuốn' is called 'summer roll'.

Mini pancakes are a favorite specialty in many coastal cities, such as Da Nang, Phan Thiet, Vung Tau, and Nha Trang. The crispy crust wraps around hot fillings of eggs, squid, or shrimp and meat - with a bit of scallion oil and eaten with spicy vinegar fish sauce or squid sauce, both are 'excellent'. Mini pancakes provide a lasting feeling of fullness, so they are a common choice for lunch or dinner in Vietnam.

Famous as the 'Vietnamese version of pancakes', but bánh xèo is a culinary experience completely different from the pancakes of European and American countries. Bánh xèo is a savory dish, with a crispy golden crust; the filling includes bean sprouts, shrimp, meat, or squid. When eating, people wrap a portion of the pancake with raw vegetables and dip it in spicy fish sauce. Central Vietnam's bánh xèo is smaller in size with a fuller filling than Southern bánh xèo, but overall, this street food always 'scores points' for its delicious taste and 'affordable' price.

To be fair, offal stew is a quite 'challenging' street food for Western tourists. The reason is that this specialty is made from animal offal - a part considered 'unclean' in some cultures. The offal - after being cleaned, marinated - is fried golden and then stewed soft with coconut milk. Offal stew, served with bread or instant noodles, is a favorite of Vietnamese students, students, and office workers.

Vietnam is known as the land of smiles and... coffee. Vietnamese coffee is not only delicious but also rich - enough to 'overwhelm' even the heaviest #teamKlook members. So when it comes to egg coffee, many international friends are charmed by its cute appearance and deliciously rich flavor. To taste authentic egg coffee, you must visit the capital Hanoi - where the Café Giảng brand has been around for nearly 50 years. Just a cup of egg coffee for 30,000 VND is enough to energize you for a long and dynamic day.

Just the word 'chè' encapsulates hundreds of delicious, super sweet Vietnamese dessert recipes. The list of chè in Vietnam is endless - rich in variety from colors, sizes to flavors. The main ingredients often found in chè include coconut milk, glutinous rice, beans, diameter sugar, fruit jelly... Those who love refreshing flavors can choose from sâm bổ lượng, chè khúc bạch, chè hạt sen; while sweet enthusiasts will surely adore chè đậu xanh, chè ba màu...

Does the list of Vietnamese street foods above make your stomach... rumble? Plan to 'clean eat' specialties from all regions in your upcoming solo trip. #teamKlook can visit the Klook Vietnam Blog to refer to the highlights in the map of Hanoi specialties, delicious dishes in Nha Trang, Phu Quoc delicacies, Da Nang dishes and many other interesting information.

Don't forget that you can join Klook's food discovery tours in Huế, Hà Nội, Sài Gòn and more to satisfy your passion for eating. There are super saving prices right now!

Which street food will you try first?