Top 10 Most Delicious Vietnamese Dishes

This popular street food has received praise from international sources such as The Guardian, National Geographic, BBC, and Tripadvisor. Fodor’s Travel listed Vietnamese Banh mi as the top street food in the world in 2016. The dish comes in various preparations, but the most common is a sandwich filled with grilled pork, cucumber, fresh herbs, pickles, pate, and sauce. Ho Chi Minh City is renowned for having the best Banh mi.

Vietnamese Banh mi originated from the French baguette introduced to Southern Vietnam centuries ago. Some believe it has been present in Vietnam for 150 years. Over time, the influence of Banh mi spread throughout the Central and Southern regions, especially flourishing in Saigon. During the evolution, Saigon locals modified the baguette into smaller and shorter loaves, approximately 30 – 40 cm, with a hollower core to hold the filling between two layers, similar to a sandwich. Depending on the filling, Banh mi may have different names. Additionally, it can be accompanied by various side dishes like beef stew, sardines, or meatballs.

Acclaimed by CNN as a top 10 summer dish and recognized by National Geographic in their list of the world's best street foods, Vietnamese bún chả gained even more prominence after Former President Obama savored it with chef Anthony Bourdain at Lê Văn Hưu, Hanoi. Praised by tourists for its harmonious blend of spicy, sour, salty, and sweet flavors, it perfectly balances the warmth of grilled pork and the freshness of vermicelli and raw vegetables.

Each delicate strand of white vermicelli nestled in a bowl of amber-colored dipping sauce, accompanied by fragrant grilled pork, creates an unforgettable taste of Hanoi. Despite its simple ingredients, crafting a delightful bowl of bún chả requires exquisite precision to capture the unique essence of this culturally rich culinary gem.

Phở is a dish with a long-standing history, its exact origins lost to time. However, in the present day, Phở is ubiquitous, found in small roadside eateries to large, luxurious restaurants and hotels. CNN, BBC, Business Insider, and others have consistently voted Phở as one of the best dishes in Asia. In 2016, the World Record Union - Worldkings, listed Phở as one of the top 100 tastiest dishes globally. For an authentic Phở experience, visitors are encouraged to explore Hanoi, renowned for its famous brands such as Phở Bát Đàn, Phở Thìn, and Phở Lý Quốc Sư...

However, to savor the true essence of Phở, one must journey to Nam Dinh province and especially Hanoi. In the ancient streets, at the Phở stalls where the secret recipes have been passed down, preserved, and perfected through generations. Mentioning Phở inevitably brings forth thoughts of Hanoi Phở, with its elegant broth and exquisite flavor. Enjoying Hanoi Phở during the winter is an unparalleled delight. Saigon Phở offers more fresh herbs and reflects regional characteristics.

In an episode of the program 'Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown' aired on CNN, the renowned American chef remarked: 'Bún bò Huế is the best soup in the world.' The Asian Record Organization also included Bún bò Huế in the top 100 delicious dishes in Asia in 2016. This is a popular dish from the city of Hue. Ingredients include pork leg meat, a piece of boiled pork hock, a crab sausage or beef sausage, especially known for its distinctive spiciness.

In the broth for the bún, people from Hue often add a little shrimp paste, contributing to the unique flavor of the pot of Bún bò Huế. After the beef bones are thoroughly simmered, a little pork sausage or crab sausage, finely ground, is usually added. The beef can be thinly sliced, dipped in the boiling broth before being placed in the bowl of bún (known as rare beef). A bit of chili powder and spices are also often added to the bowl of bún, eaten with fresh vegetables including bean sprouts, herbs, lettuce, baby mustard greens, and finely chopped banana flowers.

Cơm tấm is a dish that's easy to eat and readily available in Saigon, suitable for any time of the day. The soul of this dish lies in the flavorful, sweet, and delicious fish sauce, especially when paired with broken rice, grilled pork, and shredded pork skin. While not as attention-grabbing as pho, bun cha, or cha ca... com tam has been actively shared by travel bloggers as an exciting culinary experience when exploring Saigon's food scene.

Originally, com tam was a common dish among poor farmers and workers in the Mekong Delta region. During times of poor harvests, when good-quality rice was scarce, people would use broken rice to cook because it was readily available in many households and served the purpose of keeping them full for a longer time. In March 2012, in a CNN article, com tam was noted as an attractive street food for the summer. Also, on August 1, 2012, the Asian Record Organization recognized the Asian record for the culinary value of Com tam Saigon along with nine other Vietnamese dishes.

Hu Tieu is a dish created by the Vietnamese, originating in Nam Vang (the phonetic name for Phnom Penh). The main ingredients include chewy rice noodles and a broth made from finely minced meat and pork heart. The noodles are briefly blanched in the broth, and additional ingredients such as bean sprouts, chives, and minced pork heart are added.

This dish is considered delicious and later became popular as an alternative to traditional Hu Tieu with only pork bones. Depending on individual preferences, pork heart can be replaced with shrimp, crab, squid, etc., but minced meat is essential.

Hu Tieu might be an unfamiliar name to people in the northern regions because Hu Tieu is a specialty of the South, known for its spicy and aromatic flavor that delights the taste buds. There are various types of Hu Tieu, such as beef Hu Tieu, mixed Hu Tieu... Many famous Hu Tieu brands include Nam Vang Hu Tieu, My Tho Hu Tieu...

Savory Rice Pancake is one of the Vietnamese dishes that participated in the 2016 World Street Food Congress (WSFC) held in Manila, Philippines. According to CNN, it ranked among the top street foods in 2016 and continued to be a delightful dish in 2017. While it is a specialty of the Mekong Delta, it incorporates some distinctive features of Southern culinary culture. In addition to seafood, meat, and fresh herbs, the crispy outer layer must be fried in clay molds over a new red coal stove for the best flavor.

Savory Rice Pancake is a familiar dish to the Vietnamese people. Almost every region has its version, but each area has its unique way of preparation. Among them, the Mekong Delta's savory rice pancake is considered a special dish that reflects the soul of the homeland. From ingredients to preparation methods, it exudes the familiar and simple aroma of the countryside. While the central region's rice pancake is small and cute, suitable for a single serving, the Mekong Delta's version is... oversized. Unlike the small molds in the central region, people in the Mekong Delta pour the batter into large pans. The finished pancake is almost the size of a plate, so it is often folded in half when taken out of the pan. Just one or two pieces are enough to feel satisfied.

Quang-style Noodles is one of the 12 Vietnamese dishes recognized for its culinary value in Asia. When Roughguides suggested 10 must-try dishes in Vietnam, they introduced this as an unmissable dish in the Central region. The ingredients that make up a bowl of Quang-style noodles include rice noodles, chicken, pork, fish, shrimp, eggs, and various fresh vegetables.

Quang-style noodles are usually made from finely ground rice flour with water from the dành dành seeds and eggs to give them a yellow color. The dough is spread into thin layers, then cut horizontally to create thin noodles about 5-10mm wide. Underneath the noodles are various raw vegetables; Quang-style Noodles must be accompanied by 9 flavors of raw vegetables to create a rich flavor: basil, fresh lettuce, young mustard greens, white radish, water spinach, coriander, mint, finely chopped scallions, and sliced banana flowers.

On top of the noodles are pork, shrimp, chicken, frog meat, snakehead fish (sometimes with boiled eggs) along with broth simmered from pork bones. People also add crushed and roasted peanuts, finely chopped green onions, aromatic herbs, red chili... The broth is usually called water, but it is also a kind of broth that is very concentrated and low in water.

9. Fresh Spring Rolls

Fresh Spring Rolls, also known as nem cuon, is one of the two Vietnamese dishes featured in CNN's list of the 50 best foods in the world in 2011. Later, many travel guides such as Roughguides also introduced it to tourists. Considered the most famous dish in Vietnam, fresh spring rolls resemble fried spring rolls, consisting of various green vegetables, minced pork, shrimp, or crab. Some places also serve them with a side of water spinach or basil.

Dishes using rice paper for rolling are generally a popular form of preparation across the three regions of North, Central, and South Vietnam. There is almost no fixed recipe for dishes using rice paper rolls, as localities, regions, and ingredients used for rolling vary widely. Fresh Spring Rolls can be enjoyed as a light snack, and they are both satisfying and refreshing. The skillfully rolled spring rolls beautifully showcase the colorful ingredients inside, such as the red color of shrimp, the light pink of the meat, the green of the vegetables, and the white of the vermicelli.

10. Cao Lau

The name Cao Lau always raises questions for tourists when experiencing the ancient atmosphere of Hoi An. People still debate its origin, but what cannot be denied is the creativity and talent of the people of Hoi An that have made Cao Lau a renowned dish, and the most delicious and authentic Cao Lau can only be found in Hoi An. Because of its sophistication and uniqueness, in 2014, the American magazine Huffington Post once praised Cao Lau Hoi An as one of the 'culinary treasures of Vietnam.'

Cao Lau Hoi An was voted the best street food in Asia by Traveller (Australia) magazine. This dish has also been mentioned several times by CNN as one of the best foods in Vietnam. It is sold in sidewalk stalls, in small alleys. Cao Lau is a dish consisting of yellow noodles served with shrimp, pork, and various fresh herbs. This Cao Lau dish is similar to Quang noodles and is consumed with very little broth.