In Vietnam, before eating we say “Chúc ngon miệng!“—meaning “enjoy your meal” (though, of course, you will). While Vietnamese cuisine abroad still flies under the banners of phở and bánh mì, the full spectrum of Vietnamese food is a symphony of delightfully textured, bright, and piquant flavors. Vietnamese cooks make the most of each region’s abundant produce and special ingredients: northern food is known for its simplicity, central Vietnamese dishes are generous in spice and quantity, and southern cooks like to add a touch of sugar. Wherever you travel across the country, you’re sure to eat well.
Northern Specialties
1. Phở
Phở is the quintessential Vietnamese dish, with the word phở referring to the type of flat rice noodle used in the recipe. These noodles dance around medium-rare slivers of beef or boiled chicken in a hearty beef stock. The more famous of the two widely known varieties is phở Hà Nội. Originally from the north, it’s distinguished by a clear broth dressed only with a squeeze of lemon and slices of bird’s eye chili. The southern iteration, phở Nam, has a murkier broth and is served with a bouquet of fresh herbs like bean sprouts, basil, and mint.
The secret to a good bowl of phở lies in its stock, usually infused with fragrant star anise, clove, and cinnamon for natural sweetness. This dish is found on nearly every street corner and, unbeknownst to outsiders, is often eaten for breakfast.
Try it: Pho Thin, 13 Lo Duc, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi, or Pho Hoa, 260C Pasteur Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
2. Bún Chả
Bún chả became an overnight sensation after President Obama was pictured sharing a bowl with Anthony Bourdain, but this specialty of Hanoi’s Old Quarter has always been beloved by locals. Around lunchtime, the scent of pork grilling over charcoal wafts down the sidewalks. The dish combines cold bún (rice vermicelli), slices of seasoned pork belly, a mountain of fresh herbs, and medallions of minced pork swimming in a fish sauce-based broth.
Try it: Bun Cha Huong Lien (also known as Bun Cha Obama), 24 Le Van Huu, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi.
3. Bún Riêu
The interplay between crab and tomato makes bún riêu a standout dish—a hearty, tangy soup with slippery bún, fresh crab meat, tofu, and stewed tomatoes. Making an authentic bowl is labor-intensive: after crab meat is separated from the shell, the shell is pulverized and strained to form the broth’s base, leaving pillowy clusters of minced crab, pork, and egg that melt in your mouth.
Try it: Bún Riêu Cua Thanh Hồng, 42 Hòa Mã, Hai Bà Trưng, Hanoi.
4. Chả Cá
Perfumed with fresh dill, chả cá is a distinctly northern delicacy from the capital. Chunks of flaky white fish are marinated in turmeric, then sautéed in butter over high heat, with dill and green onion generously scattered across the skillet.
Try it: Cha Ca Thang Long Restaurant, 19-21-31 Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
5. Bánh Cuốn
Made from large round sheets of steamed rice flour wrapped around minced pork and wood-ear mushroom, bánh cuốn is always made fresh to order, topped with dried shallots, and served with a side of fish sauce and pork sausage—a beloved breakfast staple.
Try it: Bánh Cuốn 101 Bà Triệu, 147 Triệu Việt Vương, Hai Bà Trưng District, Hanoi.
6. Xôi
Xôi, Vietnamese sticky rice, is denser than other regional interpretations and comes in savory or sweet varieties. Xôi mặn is a popular, inexpensive breakfast. Among the sweet versions, xôi ngũ sắc (five-colored sticky rice) is a psychedelic swirl of purple, green, red, yellow, and white, colored using natural plant extracts.
Try it: Xoi Yen, 35B Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
Central Vietnamese Delicacies
7. Bún Bò Huế
Representing the royal cuisine of Hue, bún bò huế is striking in both beauty and taste. The alarmingly red broth comes from hours spent simmering beef bones and lemongrass, producing a citrusy, spicy concoction. Bò means beef in Vietnamese, but don’t be surprised to find chả lụa, a ham-paste sausage, hiding in the bowl too.
Try it: Quan Bun Bo Hue, 19 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hue.
8. Cao Lầu
Unique to Hoi An, cao lầu reflects the town’s history as a trading port, fusing Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese influences. Slices of Chinese barbecued pork are fanned over thick, udon-like noodles doused in a spice-laden broth and topped with fresh herbs and crushed pork cracklings. Authentic cao lầu is said to require water from the thousand-year-old Ba Le well in Hoi An.
Try it: Thanh Cao Lau, 24 Thai Phien St, Hoi An.
9. Cơm Gà
Hội An’s take on chicken and rice elevates the classic combination with fresh countryside ingredients. Shredded chicken mixed with flavored fish sauce and onions accompanies turmeric rice, served alongside pickled shallots, radish, and herbs.
Try it: Com Ga Hien, 539 Hai Ba Trung St, Hoi An.
10. Mì Quảng
Part soup, part salad, mì quảng is a light, springy noodle dish from Quang Nam province. The vibrant yellow noodles get their color from turmeric-infused broth enriched with peanut oil, topped with anything from shrimp and chicken to pork belly or snakehead fish, plus banana flowers and toasted sesame rice crackers.
Try it: Quan Mi Quang Ba Mua, 95 Nguyen Tri Phuong, Da Nang.
11. Bánh Bèo
These bite-sized steamed rice cakes from Hue are like Vietnamese tapas. Each chewy disk is topped with creamy mung bean paste and toasted shrimp, then finished with crispy fried pork fat and paired with dipping sauce.
Try it: Quan Hanh, 11 Pho Duc Chinh (South Bank), Hue.
12. Bánh Căn
These bite-sized savory pancakes are a beloved south-central specialty, made from rice batter and a cracked quail egg, cooked over flame in an earthenware grill, and often topped with shrimp or pork.
Try it: Phan Rang, 106 Trương Định, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
13. Bún Chả Cá
This fish-cake noodle dish varies by region. The central coastal version, bún chả cá Nha Trang, adds bouncy squid cakes, dill, fried green onion, and tomato for a light, sour flavor.
Try it: Bún Cá Mịn, 170 Bạch Đằng, Nha Trang.
Southern Favorites
14. Bánh Mì
Baguettes may have been adopted from the French, but bánh mì is as Vietnamese as it comes. Pâté and margarine are spread across the soft, chewy interior of a baguette, then loaded with pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro, pork belly, pork floss, and cucumber.
Try it: Banh My Phuong, 2B Phan Chau Trinh, Hoi An.
15. Cơm Tấm
Once eaten by farmers who could not sell whole rice grains, “broken rice” is now a beloved staple. The most popular version, cơm tấm sườn nướng ốp la, pairs a fried egg with caramelized grilled pork chop atop broken rice, finished with nước chấm sauce, pickled vegetables, and crushed pork rinds.
Try it: A family-operated stall on 260 Vo Van Tan, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
16. Bánh Xèo
A Mekong Delta creation eaten widely across south and central Vietnam, this crispy crepe crackles loudly when the rice-flour-and-coconut-milk batter hits the hot pan—xèo means “sizzling.” Filled with pork, bean sprouts, and shrimp and folded like a crepe, it’s best enjoyed fresh off the skillet.
Try it: Banh Xeo 46A, 46A D Dinh Cong Trang, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
17. Gỏi Cuốn
These fresh salad rolls are wrapped in translucent rice paper around leafy greens, mint, coriander, protein, and garlic chive. The most common version combines pork tenderloin and shrimp, dunked in hoisin sauce or nước chấm.
Try it: Quan An Ngon, 18 Phan Boi Chau, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
18. Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang
The Vietnamese cousin of Cambodia’s kuy teav and Thailand’s guay tiew, this noodle dish features an opaque pork-bone broth with pork, boiled liver, quail egg, and shrimp, given sweetness from a touch of rock sugar.
Try it: Hu Tieu Co Huong, 152/7/2 Ly Chinh Thang, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
19. Nộm Hoa Chuối
This vibrant salad tosses shredded banana flowers with pickled carrots, coriander, lotus root, and cabbage, sometimes with pomelo, green mango, or protein, all bound with nước chấm and crushed peanuts.
Try it: Mountain Retreat, 36 Le Loi, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
20. Bò Lá Lốt
Minced beef, garlic, and shallots are rolled in betel leaves like a small cigar and grilled over charcoal, delivering peppery bursts of flavor best enjoyed with noodles or wrapped in rice paper with fresh herbs.
Try it: Cô Liêng, 321 Võ Văn Tần, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
21. Chè
This sweet dessert, served hot or cold, comes as a pudding or dessert soup filled with jellied ingredients and tropical fruits like banana, mango, and longan, often doused in coconut cream. The layered chè ba màu (“three-color dessert”) combines red beans, mashed mung beans, and pandan jelly under crushed ice and coconut milk.
Try it: Che 95, 95 Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
A Feast Worth Traveling For
From the fragrant broth of a northern bowl of phở to the fiery red soup of Hue and the sweet, herb-laden dishes of the south, Vietnamese cuisine tells the story of the country’s history, geography, and people through every bite. Each region brings its own character to the table, yet all share a devotion to fresh ingredients, balanced flavors, and communal enjoyment. Whether you’re slurping noodles at a sidewalk stall or savoring a delicate rice cake in Hue, Vietnamese food invites you to taste a culture as rich and varied as its landscape. So next time you find yourself in Vietnam, skip the familiar and dive into these 21 dishes—your taste buds will thank you.