Top 8 best food you must try in Vietnam
Vietnamese cuisine – The best taste of balance in ingredients.
Popular dishes must be recalled such as Banh Mi, Bun Bo Hue, Cha gio, Goi Cuon & more… Finding Vietnamese best food is not compicated since big cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city offer hundreds of foreign restaurants or luxury-view dining with extravagant cost. Traditional Vietnam cuisine still makes itself an unmissable impression with visitors. You may see it as a big surprise as almost authentic and best food of Vietnam can only be found in roadside eateries, vibrant street markets, and humble-looking restaurants.
FOOD
Bun bo Hue
When it comes to Vietnamese signature food, lots of people will mention Pho. Howerver, there are more best of the best to tell about. Bun bo Nam bo is a different version noodles with beef and other attractive toppings and be the best food that you must try once in your journey to Vietnam.
Originated from the Hue Citadel, nowadays Bun bo Hue is famous around Vietnam and in other places of the world for its special taste and flavor. The technique of a good bowl of Bun bo lies in its unique broth and satay. Hardly can you find a place other than Vietnam can offer you an authentic taste of a bowl of Bun bo Hue.
You can find this best food at:
- Bún bò Huế Đông Ba – 110A Nguyễn Du, P. Bến Thành, Quận 1, TP. HCM; open hour: 6:00 – 23:00; Price: range from VND 38 000.
- Nam Giao restaurant– in a small aisle of Le Thanh Ton st, District 1; open hour: 6:00 – 22:00;
- Bún bò Út Hưng – 113 Bà Huyện Thanh Quan, District 3, HCMC; Price from VND 50 000
Vietnamese Sandwich – Banh Mi
Mentioning quick meals in Vietnam, maybe there are nothing else better than Banh Mi – such a famous Vietnamese food in the world that the word “Banh mi” was put into the English – American dictionary. Banh mi is one kind of French – Vietnamese sandwich with harmony flavor comes from different ingredients such as steamed fork, roast pork belly, egg, fried fish-ball, pickled vegetables & sauces,…. Banh mi is comparatively cheaper than other food with ranged about VND 10,000 – 20,000 (under $1)/pcs. You can choose your favorite and enjoy banh mi easily anywhere you want – standing in a road or even in a rush!
You can find the best Banh Mi at:
- Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa – 26 Lê Thị Riêng, Bến Thành Ward, District 1, HCM City; Price: range from VND 38 000.
- Bánh Mì Như Lan – 50 Hàm Nghi st, Dist 1, HCM city; Price: VND 25 000 – 35 000 (My favorite Bánh Mì store)
- Bánh Mì Phượng – 2B Phan Chu Trinh, Hội An City, Quang Nam province; Price: VND 30 000
- Bánh Mì Phương Thảo – 173 Huỳnh Văn Bánh, Ward 12, Phú Nhuận district, HCMC; Price: VND 5 000 – 50 000.
If you’re looking for a vegan Bánh Mì, the best one is “Banh Mi Chay” at Santorino Coffee & Veggies – Add: 74 Nguyen Ngoc Phuong, ward 19, Binh Thanh district.
Goi cuon – Vietnamese Fresh Spring roll
One kind of snack food originated from Vietnamese cuisine, consists of vermicelli noodles, pork slices, shrimp, basil, and lettuce. The whole ingredients then wrapped in a thin rice paper and use along with a special sauce. The sauce is made from fish sauce, chilli, crushed peanuts. When eating people usually dip spring rolls into the special sauce. This familiar snack food also has an alternative, Cha gio, which is the fried version and a little customization, usually is deep-fried egg roll made with a combination of mung bean noodles, minced pork, and various spices.
You can find best Goi Cuon at:
- Gỏi cuốn tôm nhảy – 424 Lạc Long Quân street, Ward 5, District 11, TP. HCM; open hour: 11:00 – 21:00
- Gỏi cuốn Hạnh – 420A Hoà Hảo street, Ward 5, District 10, HCM City; open hour: 10:00 – 18:00; Price: VND 6 000 – 10 000/pcs
- Gỏi cuốn Lê Văn Sỹ – 359/1/9A Lê Văn Sỹ street, District 3, HCM City; open hour: 14:00 – 18:00; Price: VND 5 000 – 10 000/pcs.
Com tam (broken rice with grilled pork)
Com tam is so-called because it is made of the special broken rice which is almost only available in Vietnam. Usually the Com tam is served with grilled pork, fried egg, pickled carrots, pork skin (which is called as “bi”), steamed egg (called as “cha trung”) and dipping sauce “nuoc mam”. Com tam is considered inexpensive and suitable for breakfast. Sai Gon Com tam is the most famous among all destinations.
Finding the best Com tam at:
- Cơm tấm Ba Ghiền – 84 Đặng Văn Ngữ street, Ward 10, Phu Nhuan district; open hour: 8:00 – 21:00; price ranged from VND 40 000 – 60 000
- Cơm tấm Bãi Rác – 77 Lê Văn Linh street, District 4; open hour: 18:00 – 3:00; Price: VND 50 000 – 70 000
- Cơm tấm Thanh – 563 Lạc Long Quân street, Ward 6, Tân Bình District; open hour: 7:00 – 23:50; price: VND 20 000 – 55 000.
Bun thit nuong
If Vietnam is so-called the kingdom of noodle then another dried noodles that you must try is Bun thit nuong. It is among all the best food you can find in the world. Comprising vermicelli rice noodles, chopped lettuce, sliced cucumber, bean sprouts, pickled daikon, basil, chopped peanuts and topped with grilled pork and fried spring rolls, Bun thit nuong may become your best food in town. Unlike other dried noodles which usually come with an bowl of broth soup, Bun thit nuong is served alone without soup but a small side of “nuoc cham” sauce.
You can find best Bun Thit Nuong at:
- Bún thịt nướng chị Tuyền – 175C Cô Giang, Cô Giang Ward, District 1, HCM City; open hour: 7:00 – 19:45. Price: VND 45 000.
- Bún thịt nướng Hải Đăng – 145 – 157 Chấn Hưng street, Ward 6, Tân Bình District, HCM City; Open hour: 11:00 – 22:00; price: VND 25 000.
DRINKS AND SWEET DESSERTS
Besides dishes that can attract you from the first glance, Vietnamese cuisine has a big part of desserts and drinks that you will not want to miss. Some of them are so unique that you may not able to find anywhere else in the earth except from Vietnam.
Draft beer
Draft beer of draught beer so long becomes a symbol of Hanoi as one of best food you must try when in Vietnam. Although draft beer does not only appear in Vietnam or Hanoi, but Hanoi’s culture makes it much more special and becomes one of the unmissable place for travellers to experience once during their trips in Vietnam. The “authentic atmosphere” of drinking draft beer is in Ta Hien corner, at a breezy night sitting in small seats of street vendors alonging roadside, holding a glass of draft beer and talking with friends.
You can find best draft beer at most of the beer gardens:
- C Craft Beer Restaurant – 45A Luong Ngoc Quyen, Hang Buom Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
- Green Pepper Beer Corner – 27 Ta Hien street, Hanoi.
- Bui Vien street – Phạm Ngũ Lão, District 1, HCMC.
- Hoa Vien Brauhaus – 18 Bis Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, District 1, HCMC.
Chè (Vietnamese sweet beverage)
For the first try of Che, you may be attracted by its sweet and dedicated flavor. Che consist of a huge varieties, which can be mentioned like mung beans, lotus seed, longan, fruit, coconut cream. Other types may include dumplings (as “che troi nuoc”) or aloe vera, taro, corn… They’re traditionally made at home. Nowadays differrent “che” styles are sold at convenient stores and luxury restaurants. If you have a chance to Vietnam, especially the Southern, do not miss to try one best food of Che.
You can find Che at local markets with the price of VND 5 000 – 10 000 ($0.3 – $0.5), or:
- Chè mâm Khánh Vy – 242B Sư Vạn Hạnh street, District 10, HCM City; price from VND 5 000 – 30 000
- Chè Kỳ Đồng – 16C Kỳ Đồng street, Ward 9, District 3, HCM City; VND 15 000/cup.
- Chè Hòa Ký – 138 Châu Văn Liêm street, Ward 11, Distict 5, HCM City; Price from VND 15 000 – 33 000.
Coffee
Photo by Quỳnh Như
Vietnam is the world’s the second biggest exporter of coffee. Needless to reevaluate, Vietnamese coffee is one of the best food and best coffee in the world (besides the Brasil’s). The Vietnamese love coffee so much that drinking coffee becomes a unmissable habit of them every morning. Vietnamese iced coffee (Cà phê đá), Vietnamese milk coffee (Cà phê sữa), coconut coffee (Cà phê cốt dừa), egg coffee (Cà phê trứng) are among special Vietnamese coffee recipes that can bring you a brand-new experience that you cannot find anywhere else.
The coffee chain of Trung Nguyen Legend can offer your best experience of Vietnamese coffee with luxury coffee view. You can visit the Coffee Museum in Buon Me Thuot city to experience the best Trung Nguyen cup of coffee. It has branches around the country and very easy to get a cup of coffee for VND 50 000. Other street vendors sell coffee rather cheaper, for about VND 10 000 – 15 000 ($0.5 – $0.75) and you can find a coffee shop anywhere in a random street.
You can discover more about egg coffee – a speciality of Vietnam here
