Street Foods in Vietnam: Top 10 Must-try Dishes

Street foods in Vietnam are more than just a list of typical Vietnamese meals sold on the streets; they also convey the beauty of the Vietnamese people's culture, lifestyle, feelings, and thoughts. Here are some of the best Vietnamese street foods that you should not miss on your trip to Vietnam.

Bun Cha - Grilled Pork Noodle Soup

Bun Cha originated in Hanoi, the birthplace of Vietnamese cuisine. The dish is a local favorite for a light and pleasant lunch. Bun Cha is a rice vermicelli dish topped with grilled pork belly, meatballs, fresh herbs, and a bowl of sweet-savory fish sauce with pickles. It sounds so simple, but when all of the ingredients come together, the meal may enchant anybody who tries it for the first time. That is the key to Hanoian cuisine's international popularity. Even President Barack Obama, who was visiting Vietnam, had to take a few minutes out of his hectic schedule to eat some Bun Cha. Why don't you?

Pho - Rice Noodle Soup

What list of street foods in Vietnam would be complete without Pho? Pho is one of the two most well-known traditional Vietnamese dishes, having been featured in the Oxford Dictionary due to its popularity not just in Vietnam but also in many other countries. This is a Vietnamese soup made with broth, rice noodles (bánh phở), herbs, and meat - generally beef, but occasionally chicken, duck, or goose, depending on the visitors. The rice noodles used in this dish are not the same as the ones used in Bun Cha; they're flatter and bigger.

Banh Mi Vietnam

Along with Pho, Vietnamese baguette sandwiches, known as Banh Mi, are gaining popularity across the world. The originality of Banh Mi resides not only in the light and crispy baguette but also in the range of Vietnamese Banh Mi tastes to bring out the most wonderful sensations.

This baguette sandwich with greens and a variety of toppings, including pâté and freshly prepared omelet, is so wonderful that it's been copied all over the world. Chefs in the north keep to the fundamentals of carbohydrates, fat, and protein—bread, margarine, and pate—but in the south, your banh mi may have a more colorful blend of cheese, cold cuts, sausage, fried eggs, pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro, and chili sauce.

Xoi - Sticky Rice

Xoi, a traditional Vietnamese dish, can be easily found at street vendors in the morning. In Vietnam, sticky rice is a common breakfast item that provides you with a boost of added energy. Originally, the dish only included steamed sticky rice that was colored by turmeric, fried shallots, and some mung bean paste. Nowadays, Xoi is offered with diverse types of meat, sausages, and eggs.  

Goi Cuon - Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

Goi Cuon, one of the must-try street foods in Vietnam, is very light and healthy. This dish is made with salad greens, a slither of meat or seafood, and a layer of coriander. All are neatly rolled in transparent rice paper and dipped in Vietnam's favorite condiment - fish sauce. Goi Cuon has a very fresh and nutritious taste, and you can eat as much as you want without gaining weight.

Che (Vietnamese sweet desert soup)

Vietnamese food is famous all over the world, from substantial bowls of Pho to flavorful Banh Mi, but the distinctive dessert recipes are kept a secret. And the most popular dessert in Vietnam is a sweet soup called Che, which is made with several types of beans, rice flour, coconut, and cornstarch. There are hundreds of different types of Che waiting for you to come to enjoy them. 

Ca Phe Trung - Egg Coffee

Egg Coffee was invented over a century ago by a Barrista working at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi. This coffee, made with egg yolk, coffee, condensed milk, and cinnamon powder, is more of a dessert than a drink. Egg Coffee is so creamy, sweet, and aromatic that it could be the greatest drink in Vietnam.

Banh Trang Nuong - Grilled Rice Paper

Banh Trang Nuong (also known as Vietnamese Pizza), is a new creation of street vendors by grilling a piece of rice paper and filling it with eggs, sausage, beef jerky, fried shallot, scallion oil, cheese, chili sauce, and mayonnaise. The dish is so crispy, full of flavor, and rich in all ingredients that make you addicted to it right after the first bite.

Banh Xeo - Crispy Vietnamese Crepe

Banh Xeo literally means sizzling cake in English due to the noise when cooking. This pancake is a  combination of crispy crepe bulging with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs. To taste Banh Xeo in an authentic way, wrap a piece in a lettuce leaf with some fresh herbs, dip it into a bowl of the sweet-savory fish sauce and take a big bite. This is the ideal snack for a hot summer afternoon.

Com ga Hoi An

Com Ga Hoi An, or Hoi An chicken rice is a distinctive cuisine of the residents of Hoi An, a  peaceful ancient town in the heart of Vietnam. The rice is seasoned with chicken broth, like with other chicken rice in Singapore or Malaysia, but at some places, Com Ga additionally includes a trace of turmeric in the rice, making it slightly brighter yellow than other chicken rice in the region. Of course, fresh greens and herbs are offered on the side. This gives the meal a fresh, healthy, and Vietnamese flavor. Don't forget to try it when you visit Vietnam.

These are just the 10 best-rated street foods in Vietnam that you should try when traveling here. If you wander around, you will see something even more fascinating. Let Viland Travel help you plan a wonderful vacation with the most unique culinary experiences in the S-shaped country!

Street foods in Vietnam are more than just a list of typical Vietnamese meals sold on the streets; they also convey the beauty of the Vietnamese people's culture, lifestyle, feelings, and thoughts. Here are some of the best dishes you should not miss on your trip to Vietnam.

Bun Cha - Grilled Pork Noodle Soup

Bun Cha originated in Hanoi, the birthplace of Vietnamese cuisine. The dish is a local favorite for a light and pleasant lunch. Bun Cha is a rice vermicelli dish topped with grilled pork belly, meatballs, fresh herbs, and a bowl of sweet-savory fish sauce with pickles. It sounds simple, but when all the ingredients come together, the meal may enchant anybody who tries it for the first time. That is the key to Hanoian cuisine's international popularity. Even President Barack Obama, who was visiting Vietnam, had to take a few minutes out of his hectic schedule to eat some Bun Cha. Why don't you?

Pho - Rice Noodle Soup

What list of street foods in Vietnam would be complete without Pho? Pho is one of the two most well-known traditional Vietnamese dishes, featured in the Oxford Dictionary as its popularity spreads widely throughout countries. It is a Vietnamese soup made with broth, rice noodles (bánh phở), herbs, and meat - generally beef, but occasionally chicken, duck, or goose, depending on the visitors. The rice noodles used in this dish are not the same as the ones used in Bun Cha; they're flatter and bigger.

Banh Mi Vietnam

Along with Pho, Vietnamese baguette sandwiches, known as Banh Mi, are becoming more and more prevalent. The originality of Banh Mi resides not only in the light and crispy baguette but also in the range of Vietnamese Banh Mi tastes to bring out the most extraordinary sensations. 

This baguette sandwich with greens and a variety of toppings, including pâté and freshly prepared omelet, is so pleasant that it is replicated all over the world. Chefs in the north keep to the fundamentals of carbohydrates, fat, and protein—bread, margarine, and pate—but in the south, your banh mi may have a more colorful blend of cheese, cold cuts, sausage, fried eggs, pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro, and chili sauce.

Xoi - Sticky Rice

Xoi, a traditional Vietnamese dish, can be easily found at street vendors in the morning. In Vietnam, sticky rice is a common breakfast item that provides you with a boost of added energy. The dish initially included only steamed sticky rice colored by turmeric, fried shallots, and some mung bean paste. Nowadays, Xoi consists of diverse types of meat, sausages, and eggs.

Goi Cuon - Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

Goi Cuon, one of the must-try street foods in Vietnam, is very light and healthy. This dish contains salad greens, a slither of meat or seafood, and a layer of coriander. All are neatly rolled in transparent rice paper and dipped in Vietnam's favorite condiment - fish sauce. Goi Cuon tastes fresh and nutritious, and you can eat as much as you want without gaining weight.

Che (Vietnamese sweet soup)

Vietnamese cuisine is astonishing by its far-famed taste, from substantial bowls of Pho to flavorful Banh Mi, and it's impossible to mention the distinctive dessert recipes. On top of that is a sweet soup called Che—a perfect combination of beans, rice flour, coconut, and cornstarch. There are hundreds of different types of Che waiting for you. Come and enjoy them!

Ca Phe Trung - Egg Coffee

Egg Coffee was invented over a century ago by a barista working at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi. This coffee, made with an egg yolk, coffee, condensed milk, and cinnamon powder, is more of a dessert than a drink. Egg Coffee is so creamy, sweet, and aromatic that it could be the best drink in Vietnam.

Banh Trang Nuong - Grilled Rice Paper

Banh Trang Nuong (also known as Vietnamese Pizza) is a new creation of street vendors by grilling a piece of rice paper and filling it with eggs, sausage, beef jerky, fried shallot, scallion oil, cheese, chili sauce, and mayonnaise. The dish is so crispy, full of flavor, and rich in all the ingredients that make you addicted to it right after the first bite.

Banh Xeo - Crispy Vietnamese Crepe

Banh Xeo means sizzling cake in English due to the noise it makes when cooking. This pancake consists of crispy crepes bulging with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs. To taste Banh Xeo authentically, wrap a piece in a lettuce leaf with some fresh herbs, dip it into a bowl of the sweet-savory fish sauce and take a big bite. It is an ideal snack for a hot summer afternoon.

Com ga Hoi An

Hoi An chicken rice is a distinctive cuisine of the residents of Hoi An, a peaceful ancient town in the heart of Vietnam. The rice is prepared with chicken broth, like other chicken rice in Singapore or Malaysia. However, in some places, Com Ga additionally includes a trace of turmeric in the rice, making it slightly brighter yellow than other chicken rice in the region. Of course, fresh greens and herbs are added on the side, giving the dish a healthy and uniquely Vietnamese flavor. Don't forget to try it when you visit Vietnam.

These are just the 10 best-rated street foods in Vietnam that you should try when traveling here. If you wander around, you will see something even more fascinating. Let Viland Travel help you plan a wonderful vacation with the most extraordinary culinary experiences in the S-shaped country!

Meeting and becoming acquainted with people of various ethnic groups, as well as discovering their own attractions in the culture and language of the ethnic groups, is one of the highlights that contribute to the allure of the majestic Northwest mountains. In Vietnam, settled ethnic groups have been around for thousands of years, while other ethnic groups have migrated in the last century. Despite their ethnicity, these people are quite friendly, open, and eager to give you handicrafts made by their skilled hands.

Ethnic community in Northwest of Vietnam

The Thai Group

With over 1 million people living, the Thai ethnic group settled down mainly in provinces such as Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Hoa Binh, Yen Bai and scattered in some northern mountainous provinces. The Thai people also have other names called Tay with many small groups of Tay Dam, Tay Khao, Tay Muoi, Tay Thanh, Hang Tong, Pu Thay, and Tho Da Bac. 

Thai people use a variety of languages and scripts. They have preserved many ancient Thai books that record the nation's history and love songs until the present day. Thai costumes, like those of other ethnic groups, frequently reveal their own cultural identity. Women's costumes typically include the following items: short tops, long dresses, skirts, scarves, hats, leggings, necklaces, and bracelets.

When it comes to cuisine, one of the more distinctive ingredients of the Thai people is sticky rice, which can be spotted in every meal of the Thai people. Besides, Com lam is also a specialty of the Thai ethnic group, often used on holidays, Tet holidays, or treating guests.

The Mong Group 

The Mong are a large ethnic group in northern Vietnam. The Mong people, along with 53 other ethnic groups, have always been a part of the great national unity bloc's unity and have contributed to enriching the culture of Vietnam's ethnic groups.

H'mong people include many branches: Hoa Mong, Black Hmong, and White Hmong living scattered throughout the Northwest mountains. 

The unique feature of the costumes of the Mong people is that they are quite eye-catching and colorful. If you have the opportunity to once set foot on the northwest land, it will not be difficult for visitors to see the image of girls in colorful scarves who are enthusiastically working.

The Muong Group

Along with 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, the Muong (also known as Mol, Mual, Moi) has a population of more than one million people. They have the same origin as the ancient Vietnamese, residing in many northern provinces, especially in Hoa Binh province. The cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group is associated with Hoa Binh culture, which was born more than ten thousand years ago.

The Muong ethnic people are well-known for their unique music, the songs and verses they tell are often strangely attractive to listeners.

The Dao Group

The Dao people are one of the most populous and unique ethnic groups, living mainly in the Northwest mountainous provinces like Sapa town. Red Dao women often wear very special costumes with red headscarves and many silver costumes.

The Dao people are famous for their diverse folk games including many different genres. There are ritual games such as exercises in the field, divination, and dancing; games for drinking such as finger pointing, and song answering, or games on Tet holiday such as catching rope with fingers, swinging, spinning, etc.

The Tay Group 

The Tay people were present in Vietnam very early, possibly from the second half of the first millennium BC. They have a tradition of water farming. In the past, they already knew how to do intensive farming and applied various irrigation methods in farming such as digging ditches, building troughs, and embankments, and making poles to collect water to irrigate the fields.

The Tay people have their own script as well as a long-preserved cultural tradition. They often live in lowland areas, fertile soil, and wear indigo-dyed clothing.

In short, ethnic groups in the Northwest are extremely rich and diverse. The features, customs, and habits of each group bring their own beauty that can attract many visitors to come here. If you are curious about ethnic communities in Northwest Vietnam, we do hope this blog can help you learn more.