• TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
  • Friday, 10 February 2023
  • Lucas Luong

Top 10 Must-try Street Foods in Vietnam

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!

 

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