TOP 20 Best Vietnamese Street Food (Part 1)

Referring to Vietnam, international friends not only think of an S-shaped coastal country with many beautiful natural scenes and other natural resources bestowed by nature but also imagine the humidity of the sea. Vietnamese cuisine, especially Vietnamese street food.

Vietnamese street food is praised by tourists and mentioned by prestigious newspapers in the world as one of the best street foods in the world.

Vietnam is a foodie paradise, with restaurants and street vendors serving up fresh, locally sourced dishes. With each region of Vietnam so distinct in culture and climate, this list will guide you to the best local specialties in each region of the country.

That cuisine itself has made it so famous that it is considered a typical symbol of Vietnam by tourists. Now we will find out why Vietnamese street food is so popular with international friends.

Here are some of the best Vietnamese street food if you intend to try Vietnamese street food during your trip or excursion in Vietnam.

20 most popular Vietnamese street foods

The best Vietnamese street food in Hanoi and Northern ietnam

There are many reasons for tourists to explore and become addicted to street food in Vietnam. However, the majority agree that there are 4 main reasons to keep them, including street food taste, cheap price, authenticity and freshness of ingredients and people's way of enjoying street food. local.

1. Bun Cha

Bun Cha originated and existed in Hanoi so much that for tourists or even overseas Vietnamese when visiting Hanoi, the guide will recommend you to try this dish.

It's basically a warm broth with minced pork and traditional Vietnamese vermicelli. You will be served by a plate of rice noodles, fresh herbs and a bowl of warm broth with grilled minced pork. Broth and pork are the factors that make this dish unique. When eating, you will dip the vermicelli in the broth, even roast pork if you like and eat it like Western soups. The broth has a natural sweetness from the grilled pork bones, the grilled pork is very fragrant while the herbs bring freshness to this dish.

2. Pho

Pho is one of the two most famous Vietnamese traditional dishes that has been included in the Oxford Dictionary by its popularity not only in Vietnam but also in many other countries. This is a Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat - usually beef, sometimes chicken, duck, or goose depending on the customer. The type of pho used in this dish is not the same as that used in bun cha. It is flatter and larger while Bun Cha in Bun Cha has a very small white rope shape.

Pho originated in the early 20th century in Northern Vietnam and was popularized around the world by refugees after the Vietnam War. Pho Hanoi (North) and Saigon (South) have some differences in the sweetness of the broth and the taste of pork, beef, chicken, duck, swan, and something to go with it

3. Banh Mi (Meat, pate, rolls, eggs,...)

Banh mi is not simply a dish, it is a feature, a characteristic image that reminds visitors of Vietnam. Just like Pho, Vietnamese Banh Mi has become so popular with so many people in many countries that the name of this dish has been added to the city of Oxford and even many designers have taken inspiration from banh mi. to design national costumes for beauties in international beauty contests.

Initially, Banh Mi did not originate from Vietnam but was a daily dish of the French brought into Vietnam in the 19th century. However, Saigon people have modified this dish by sandwiching other ingredients such as eggs, pork, cucumber, herbs into a loaf of bread for breakfast and it gradually became a popular street food. in Saigon (HCMC) and then became popular. in North and Central Vietnam.

Usually, the main ingredients to make a sandwich are bread, eggs, pate, pork, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, herbs and whatever else you want to sandwich. The delicious taste of Banh Mi needs no further description because its popularity proves it all. The aroma from warm loaves of bread, grilled pork or sometimes roast beef, the freshness of herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers and accompanying vegetables create an unforgettable attractive taste of Banh Mi. .

Probably, banh mi is the most popular Vietnamese street food in any province. You can find Banh Mi served in restaurants, small food stalls and food carts anywhere.

4. Hot Roll Cake

Another very delicious street food in Vietnam is Banh cuon, a main dish that locals can eat three meals a day. Banh cuon is a dish made from rice flour into paper-thin sheets before stuffing chopped pork and chopped wood ear into stir-fry, sprinkled with golden brown dried onions that have been covered, and served with sauce. characteristic (Fish sauce). Banh cuon dough is made by washing rice until smooth, then mixing with water. The most important part of this dish is the sauce which is both spicy and sweet. In addition, people often eat it with spring rolls (Vietnamese pork rolls) to enhance the flavor of the dish.

Banh cuon is one of the long-standing traditional dishes in Vietnamese cuisine. Therefore, there are many heirloom brands in Hanoi and they even expand their stores to open stores in other provinces.

5. Pillow Cake (Fried Pillow Cake)

An ideal choice for chilly days in Vietnam, Banh Goi attracts customers at first sight with its lovely pillow shape and delicious colorful sauce.

Just like most other cakes in Vietnam, we do not use an oven to bake the cake, Banh Go is deep fried in oil to create a golden, crispy and fragrant skin. The shell of Banh Goi is made by mixing water and rice flour in perfect proportions. The inside is a mixture of chopped ingredients including noodles, wood ear, minced pork and shiitake mushrooms.

Equally important is the dipping sauce with the ratio of garlic, chili, sugar, lemon juice, fish sauce, and stock. Pillow cake is also served with some fresh herbs such as lettuce, coriander to reduce the greasy taste.

6. Da Nem - Spring rolls

A very popular dish in Vietnam that is loved by most Vietnamese people in both regions is Da Nem or Cha Gio. The dish is so famous that it has appeared in many restaurants in many countries around the world.

Nem Ran has three important parts including packaging, filling and dipping sauce. Da Nem (Banh Trang) is made of rice flour, rolled flat into a circle or square. The stuffing is usually a mixture of minced pork, eggs, carrots, vermicelli (a traditional Vietnamese noodle), wood ear, and herbs.

Sometimes, one can replace minced pork with seafood such as shrimp, sea snail or beef, the difference in ingredients depends on the habits of the local people in each region.

However, any dish is fine, all ingredients are thoroughly mixed before rolling rice paper into small rolls. These rolls are then deep fried in hot oil. The dipping sauce for this dish must meet the requirements of the harmony of the combination of flavors including lemon juice, sugar, chili, pepper and fish sauce.

The attraction of the dish is the aroma and crispy skin after deep frying and the sweet taste of pork, herbs and stuffed vegetables. Vietnamese people often eat with rice or vermicelli and salad in our normal meals. It is not difficult to make your own at home but to try the best taste of this dish.

7. Banh Pho Cuon (Pho roll)

Pho cuon has only appeared for the first 20 years in Hanoi. Although it has just appeared, it has quickly become a specialty in Hanoi and other regions. About the origin of this dish, it is an interesting story.

The story goes that, there is a small shop on the corner of Ngu Xa Street, Hanoi, that has pho (a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup) served late into the night for people watching football in the evening. One day, the broth ran out and only some uncut noodles remained; Therefore, to satisfy the guest's hunger, the chef invented a new dish. He uses uncut noodles in the shape of paper made from rice flour as a wrap and stuffed with beef, salad and herbs before rolling. When served, spring rolls are dipped in a dipping sauce mixed with sugar, vinegar or lemon juice, stock, garlic, and fish sauce. To my surprise, guests were interested in this new dish. After that, the shop changed to a new style called Banh Pho.

Today, in addition to beef, people also give eggs, carrots, cucumbers, even pineapple, tofu or shrimp depending on each person's preferences. Gradually, the noodle roll is becoming more and more known for its fresh taste with lots of salad and herbs in each roll. It is not only famous in the North but also included in the menus of restaurants in both regions in Vietnam.

8. Bun Dau Mam Tom

Bun tofu, shrimp is a popular dish in Vietnam that you can find anywhere from markets to street corners or luxury restaurants. This dish is loved by people of all ages because of its delicious taste and low price. The normal price for a full dish is from about 30,000 VND - 60,000 VND. All ingredients including vermicelli, fried tofu, broth, sausages and herbs are presented on banana leaves before serving to guests.

You can ask the chef to add or not add any ingredients if you want more or it is not edible. A special feature of this dish is that shrimp paste has an unpleasant smell that not everyone, including locals, can smell. If you can't stand it, you can use fish sauce, soy sauce instead because the taste will not change much.

When eating, you will dip noodles in shrimp paste and serve with ingredients and herbs. The rich flavor has impressed many diners at first sight when trying the dish and gradually becomes a feature in Hanoi cuisine.

9. Egg Coffee

Egg coffee is considered by many to be the most typical Vietnamese coffee style and it originated in Hanoi. Just by hearing the name of this dish, you can tell that the main ingredients are eggplant and egg. It is the name of this dish that makes visitors curious, so many people think that when visiting Hanoi, they must try this dish.

The dish has the greasy taste of eggs and the aroma of coffee, especially when eaten while it is still warm. Hanoi is said to be the first place to appear this dish and today there are still a number of long-standing heirloom cafes serving this type of coffee, which are always crowded with tourists and Hanoi backpackers.

10. Bun Bo Hue

Bun bo Hue is considered as one of the most popular Vietnamese street food originating from Hue (the ancient capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen Dynasty). Currently, this noodle dish is not only available in Hue but also in all provinces and cities in Vietnam, especially Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; So you don't have to come to Hue to try the most authentic taste of this dish.

The main ingredients of Hue beef vermicelli are beef, broth, blood clot, minced pork with pepper (Moc), and some herbs such as bean sprouts, lemon, coriander, ... The broth is the deciding factor. , making an important contribution to the perfection of the dish. The broth of the dish is sweeter than any other noodles, the natural sweetness comes from roasting pork bones for hours. Besides, the noodles used in Hue-style vermicelli have some differences, the noodles here are bigger than anywhere else, so guests will feel a full bowl of noodles and can try the dish themselves. all three meals a day.