Vietnam is renowned for its taste-bud-popping food. With a selection of main meals, snack food, and desserts to choose from, Vietnam is a foodie paradise. Whether you opt to pull up a tiny stool on the roadside to order from a mobile food cart, or whether you prefer a fine dining experience, you’re sure to fall in love with Vietnamese cuisine. Food from local restaurants, usually consisting of plastic tables and chairs, ranges from 25,000 vnd ($1.08) – 40,000 vnd ($1.73).
As you travel through Vietnam, you will notice that each region has their own specialities. Aside from Vietnam’s most popular national dishes, such as Pho and Banh Mi, here are a few of the best Vietnamese dishes that you cannot pass up the opportunity to wrap your tongue around from each region. For further reading, make sure to check out all our articles on food and drink in Vietnam.
Northern Vietnamese food
- Bun Cha (grilled pork & noodles)
- Lau (hotpot)
- Banh Cuon (Steamed rice rolls with pork)
- Cha Ca (Tumeric fish with dill)
- Banh Xeo (Stuffed rice pancake)
Central Vietnamese food
- Cao Lau (thick rice noodles and meat)
- Mi Quang (rice noodles, soup, & salad)
- White Rose (dumpling with pork/shrimp)
- Bun Bo Hue (Spicy beef noodle soup)
- Bun Thit Nuong (vermicelli & grilled pork)
Southern Vietnamese food
- Com Tam (broken rice with meat)
- Hu Tieu (Sweet noodle soup with pork)
- Bo Ne (Vietnamese steak & eggs)
- Oc (roasted sea snails)
- Goi Cuon (Vietnamese fresh spring rolls)
