The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Vietnamese Foods. If you manage to be in an Vietnamese restaurant or you are visiting Vietnam, I recommend the following:
1. Bun Bo Nam Bo
It is one of the most international Vietnamese dishes. Originally from southern Vietnam, the basic ingredients of this refreshing and complete salad are rice noodles (bún in Vietnamese) and beef (bò). To these are added some green salad, grated carrots, julienned cucumber, peanuts, onion, aromatic herbs, a little nước mắm sauce and, optionally, crispy spring rolls.
2. Banh Xeo
Banh xeo is a food similar to French crepes or American pancakes. It is a thin dough, in this case made of rice flour, which is filled with various ingredients. In Vietnam, it is common to find banh xeo filled with vegetables or prawns. This dish is also common in Cambodian cuisine, so if you travel to Vietnam and Cambodia you will probably be able to try this recipe in both countries.
3. My Xao Bo
Bo means noodles in Vietnamese, xao means fried and Bo means beef. So basically beef chow mein. They are a food that many people enjoy, especially if they want to change their daily diet. And because it’s meat and vegetables, carrots, onions and tomatoes, it’s simple, fresh and never boring.
4. Cao Lau
The classic consists of pork, wide rice noodles (similar to Japanese soba noodles) and local vegetables. However, there are many variations, with and without pork, without or with vegetables, and more modern versions with prawns. Legend has it that Cao Lau can only be made in Hoi An because the noodles have to be boiled with special water from certain secret Cham wells in the city.
5. Pho
Pho has become one of the most international Vietnamese dishes. Today it can be eaten in European and American countries, although the real thing is found mainly in northern Vietnam. Pho is served for breakfast. It is a noodle soup dish made with pork broth, aniseed, ginger and, of course, rice noodles. If you’re wondering what to eat in Vietnam and you fancy trying one of the star dishes, don’t miss pho.
6. Goi Cuon
These are the variety of cold rolls where the rice paper is uncooked and filled with vegetables, prawns and noodles. Like waxes, Vietnamese rolls are a world of their own and you will find them everywhere you go. Of course, each in its own way.
7. Dau Phu Sot Ca Chua
It is a very simple fried tofu and tender tomatoes (dậu sốt cà chua) seasoned with fish sauce and simmered, topped with sliced spring onions and steamed rice. Tofu is a blank canvas, so it is not recommended to eat it straight. It is best fried and served with bold sauces such as spicy tomato or teriyaki.
8. Ga Nuong
Vietnamese food is the perfect meal in hot weather: it’s enough to fill you up, but the abundance of fresh vegetables and herbs added to the meal brightens up the food and the palate. For this ga nuong bread, chicken is marinated in fish sauce, garlic and lots of fresh lemongrass before grilling, then served over rice noodles with lettuce, carrots, cucumbers and fresh herbs. When serving, add peanuts, vegetables and herbs to the dish for seasoning and mix with a spoonful of nuoc cham.
9. Cha Ca
It is a dish with white fish, turmeric, dill, fermented shrimp paste, fish sauce and galangal. This combination makes the dish very Vietnamese (because of the Mam tom, the fermented shrimp paste) but at the same time it has a mix of aromatic herbs and roots such as dill and galangal that are not often used in Vietnamese cuisine. Along with Bun Cha, Cha Ca is Hanoi’s signature dish and is one of Vietnam’s many interactive dishes.
10. Bo Bit Tet
This is Vietnamese-style steak. Local bo bit tet is served in street restaurants lined with small plastic chairs and filled with local diners. The Vietnamese-inspired grills include thin steaks, crispy fries, omelettes, pork buns and pate, all on the cooker. The steak was served with traditional Vietnamese banh my instead of a Western baguette. Beef is not king here. Nor was it cooked or medium rare, but braised and dipped in sauce.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Asian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.