Top 10 of the Best Popular Vietnamese Dishes

Vietnamese dishes always leave a lasting impression on travelers. Recognized for its refinement and diversity, as well as its exotic flavors and fragrances, Vietnamese cuisine promises a delightful journey for the palate. It is also attributed balanced nutritional qualities that explain the slender build of Vietnamese people! We invite you on a culinary journey to discover the finest typical meals of Vietnam. In this article, we present you with a list of the 10 best Vietnamese dishes, ranked in order of increasing popularity. Would you already be able to determine the most well-known Vietnamese dish?

We explain the specificities of each local specialty such as Bun Cha from Hanoi or the delicious Bun Bo Hué. We have also created recipe videos so that you can prepare these delicious Vietnamese dishes at home!

To taste the best local cuisine, contact us to create your custom trip to Vietnam!

The 10 Best Popular Vietnamese Dishes

Cao Lau – Yellow Noodles from Hoi An

This Vietnamese dish from the center originates from the small town of Hoi An. It is less well-known but is a highly appreciated local specialty. What characterizes this dish are its yellow-colored noodles. They are accompanied by smoked pork, crispy pork skin, salad and bean sprouts. Mint aromatizes the whole. Finally, everything is incorporated into a broth called Cao Lau. In most cases, lemon is also added.

According to legend, the first Cao Lau noodles were prepared with water from the ancient well “Ba Le” located in the center of Hanoi. This would have given it its inimitable taste.

This combination of special noodles, pork, herbs and spices makes Cao Lau a must-try dish during your culinary stay in Vietnam.

In Hoi An, you will find this typical dish at every street corner. If you are in Hanoi, the most famous restaurant serving this meal is Bale well. It is located on Tran Hung Dao street in the center of the capital and next to the well of the same name. Indeed, the restaurant itself cultivates a legend that is at least controversial—the water for Cao Lau supposedly comes from the Bale well!

To find out the end of the story, the best way will be to go there in person!

The Cao Lau Lien restaurant is another typical address in Hanoi. The chef’s recipe is secret and uses only ingredients from his garden, guaranteed pesticide-free! Address: No 9 Thai Phien Street

Banh Khot – Shrimp Crepes

These small Vietnamese crepes originate from Vung Tau, a coastal region in southern Vietnam. You finish each crepe in one bite; but that single bite contains an entire world: the crepe made of rice flour, seasoned with turmeric powder; some bean sprouts; a freshwater shrimp; coconut milk… The sweet version of nuoc-mam elevates all these ingredients and offers us a unique culinary experience.

Where to Taste the Shrimp Crepes?

This dish is a snack found in street restaurants or small food carts in Vung Tau.

Bun Bo Hué – Beef Noodle Broth

It is a typical dish from the Hué region in central Vietnam. Recipes with bun are very numerous in Vietnamese cuisine. However, the most well-known bun dish is bun bo Hué. What particularly marks the success of bun bo Hué is its red-colored broth, which contains mam ruoc. Mam ruoc is a kind of special shrimp paste specific to the central regions of Vietnam. The vermicelli of bun bo Hué are much thicker than those of the northern bun, resulting in a soft and fluffy texture, which perfectly accompanies the spicy taste of the broth.

Cha Ca – Marinated Fish Stir-Fried with Herbs

The recipe for Cha Ca dates back more than 130 years. It was invented by the Doan family in Hanoi who served this special dish to troops during French colonial rule.

Cha Ca is a river fish dish marinated with a mixture of turmeric, garlic, shallot, galangal (similar to ginger root), salt, sugar and fish sauce. After marinating the fish for at least an hour, it is generally grilled in advance, then fried in oil when ready to be consumed.

It should be remembered that fish holds an important place in traditional Vietnamese meals with many seductive recipes passed down from our grandmothers. This popular ingredient is, this time, highlighted on the table thanks to the unsuspected culinary refinement of Hanoians.

With its complex preparation and its “rituals” for enjoying it, the dish is considered capable of expressing the elegance and culinary creativity of the capital’s inhabitants. This dish is served all day and in all neighborhoods at a modest price of 30,000 to 40,000 dong.

Where to Eat Cha Ca?

The restaurant Cha Ca La Vong, which dates back to the French colonization period, serves only one famous dish: cha ca! It is a landmark place to taste this dish.

The restaurant Cha Ca Thang Long is another quality address located in downtown Hanoi to enjoy a good Cha Ca. Address: 19-21-31 Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Bún Bò Nam Bộ – Beef Rice Vermicelli

Here is another delicious dish composed of Bun (rice vermicelli). In Vietnam, Vietnamese people love rice vermicelli and Bun Bo Nam Bo is one of the most famous Bun dishes. It stands out for its delicious flavor and its nutritional capacity. Indeed, the components of vegetables, pasta and beef ensure you have plenty of energy for the whole day!

This recipe originates from northern Vietnam, the “beef rice vermicelli” are more easily found in Hanoi restaurants. Quite light and very refreshing with its numerous herbs, Bun Bo Nam Bo is undoubtedly one of the Vietnamese dishes preferred by travelers. It is very balanced in its flavors and textures, with tender beef and roasted peanuts and crispy shallots.

Cooking Bun Bo Nam Bo is not so complicated and all ingredients are available in France. You can follow our typical recipe explained by My and Nhan to prepare it!

A favorite address for travelers and locals in Hanoi: the restaurant of the same name Bun Bo Nam Bo located at number 9 Thai Phien Street.

Bun Cha – Rice Noodles and Grilled Pork

Another Vietnamese dish that counts is undoubtedly Bun Cha, whose inviting aroma is recognized on all the streets of Hanoi at lunch time. Its composition is made of fresh rice vermicelli accompanied by grilled pork. The meat is immersed in a special sauce whose main ingredient is nuoc-mam. The Vietnamese raw vegetables which are carrot and papaya add a touch of soul to the dish.

Originally, the pork was grilled over charcoal on bamboo stalks that infused their unique aroma into the meat. Nowadays, due to lack of convenience, you find this bun-cha cooking only in some corners of Hanoi.

Where to Eat Bun Cha in Hanoi?

It is very easy to find this dish in Hanoi and throughout Vietnam. However the quality can vary greatly depending on the establishments. Here is an authentic restaurant where you are sure to enjoy yourself:

Bun Cha Huong Lien – 26 Lê Văn Hưu Street, Hanoi. Run by the Huong Lien family for more than 23 years. Certainly the best restaurant to taste a bun cha in Hanoi. The price is 50,000 vnd per person. This local became world-famous following a visit by President Obama!

Want to taste it? Prepare this “Bun Cha” dish by following our video in our dedicated article

Banh Mi – The Vietnamese Sandwich

The “Vietnamese sandwich” is one of the 10 best sandwiches in the world. It is a must-have of Vietnamese street cuisine. It is recognized as one of the 11 best “street-foods” by the prestigious National Geographic. Its secret is not at all confidential: its bread is a Vietnamese baguette, filled with slices of grilled pork or Vietnamese pâté, carrot and green papaya julienned and marinated. Finally and above all, Vietnamese coriander is added.

The filling is actually customizable: everyone can have their own version of banh-mi. You find them at every street corner in Vietnam, and they are often of excellent quality. But the paradise of banh-mi is found in Ho Chi Minh City, and in Hoi An!

Among Vietnamese takeout dishes this is the most suitable for delivery, no problem with sauces dripping!

Also read Street-food restaurants on the street in Vietnam

Goi Cuôn – Spring Rolls

As its English name suggests, the spring roll is a Vietnamese dish that brings with it an unforgettable spring freshness every time you savor it.

Presented in the form of rolls, green salad is used to fill them, a pinch of fresh vermicelli, a slice of pork, a cooked shrimp, finely sliced omelet, a little pineapple and julienned carrots (naturally you don’t put all the ingredients together!). A rice cracker is used to wrap the ingredients, the thickness of which varies according to the region of origin.

Finally, the indispensable accompaniment to these rolls is their sauce. This also varies depending on the region where you eat the spring rolls: in the North, you eat them with the traditional nuoc-mam sauce. In the Center, they can be eaten with mam-nem and in the South, with a less salty and sweeter version of nuoc-mam.

This Vietnamese dish can be served already rolled. But it is often more convivial to present the ingredients on trays and everyone rolls their own spring roll. Each roll can be different. Spring rolls are proof of the creativity of Vietnamese cuisine; with simple preparation and foods a masterful dish is created! This dish is among one of the 10 dishes not to miss for foreigners during their stays in Vietnam.

If you want to know everything about this dish, discover how to prepare it: recipe for spring rolls

Our video recipe!

Address to Taste the Rolls in Vietnam

In Hanoi, a street is famous for tasting spring rolls on small improvised terraces: 25 or 33 Ngu Xa Street, Truc Bach, Ba Dinh

In Ho Chi Minh, here are two locations in the center and easy to find. Wap and Roll Restaurant Address: 62 Hai Ba Trung Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Price: 62,000 dong. Pho Ong Hung Restaurant Address: 207 Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City Price: 41,000 dong.

Nem

Contrary to what some think, Nem is of Vietnamese origin and not Chinese! The “nem” is a traditional dish of Vietnam that is well known to Westerners but also very loved by locals. It is an ideal dish to share with family or friends. You can eat it every time you enter a Vietnamese restaurant.

Also presented in the form of a roll, the difference with the spring roll is that nems are eaten fried and naturally with the nuoc-mam sauce.

Its filling contains several ingredients mixed together such as meat, soy, herbs, onions, salt and pepper. Everything is then wrapped in a very thin rice cracker. Nem is actually the most popular dish in Asian restaurants in France and also in Europe. If you want to know everything about Vietnamese nem, we dedicate a complete article to it, click on the link below.

Discover the complete recipe of Vietnamese nem and in video.

Pho – Rice Noodle Soup

In Vietnamese gastronomy, pho is considered the symbol of the country, it is the national dish. This dish originates from Hanoi, the capital of the country, and represents the traditional values of the city.

In Vietnam, you can find it everywhere in street restaurants at very affordable prices. After ordering, you sit on one of the typical small plastic stools and all that’s left to do is enjoy.

Today, pho has spread throughout the world. You therefore have the opportunity to discover this dish while staying in your own country. However, to truly understand the subtleties of this dish and the variants of its recipes, you must take the time to taste different phos. It is during a trip to Vietnam that you will have the best opportunity to appreciate this dish and to observe how Vietnamese people enjoy it.

The recipe seems simple: it is a soup composed of beef broth and fresh rice noodles. However, what is exceptional and refined is the sublime combination of spices such as ginger, roasted onion, anise and cinnamon. Finally, don’t forget the aromatic herbs of the country such as coriander, basil and chives.

To enjoy the pho, enthusiasts can adjust their bowl according to their taste by adding chili pepper, lemon or vinegar.

The average price to taste pho in Hanoi is about 40 dong, which is 1.5 euros!

There are numerous ways to cook it, so if you want to try to prepare this dish, discover our Pho recipe. We show you a simple way to prepare it.

Where to Taste it in Vietnam?

The list of restaurants offering this dish in Vietnam is endless. Pho Bat Dan is however an unmissable restaurant in Hanoi since the 1960s, the family-run shop has only sold Pho Bo (beef noodles) from day one and has never changed its menu.

Address: 49 Bat Dan Street, Hoan Kiem; Hanoi – price between 50 and 70,000 dong (2 or 3 euros)

And the Bonus Dessert! Chuoi Nep Nuong

The last of the Vietnamese dishes on the list is a Saigon dessert. This strange combination is appreciated by everyone. It even won the “Most Appreciated Street-Food” award during the World Street-Food Congress, organized in Singapore at the end of May 2013. The banana covered with a mixture of glutinous rice and coconut milk, then wrapped in banana leaves, is placed on a charcoal barbecue. It is eaten with coconut milk and a little crushed peanuts.

Learn More About Vietnamese Cuisine

Perhaps you know it, Vietnamese people love to meet outside, on the streets or in parks to take advantage of the ambient freshness. Consequently, Vietnam is a specialist in numerous dishes that are consumed on the go, outside and yet delicious! Discover the culture of street cuisine in Vietnam by consulting our dedicated article.

On the other hand, you are not unaware that Vietnamese cuisine is mainly based on rice. You will find in our article on Vietnamese rice all the applications of this product. There are some that you might not have even imagined!

Finally, with its coastline of over 3000 kilometers, it is clear that maritime resources do not lack and make the happiness of Vietnamese people and travelers! So if you want to learn more about Vietnamese seafood and fish dishes consult this article!

We wish you to enjoy these popular Vietnamese dishes during your next trip to Vietnam! If you also want to know the 10 popular dishes of China, click on the link.

Conclusion on Vietnamese Dishes

You now know the 10 most representative Vietnamese dishes of the country. Needless to say that the best way to stimulate your taste buds with these recipes is to go there in person. The best advice we can give you is to taste the local specialties of each city.

To know everything about building an itinerary in Vietnam as a whole and tasting local specialties, consult our guide to building the trip from north to south.

We wish you a great culinary journey with Horizon Vietnam Travel, bon appétit!