Top 10: Best Foods in Vietnam – Venture with a Ginger

Vietnamese food is full of flavorful broths, crunchy vegetables, and refreshing herbs. It’s filling, fresh, and inexpensive. Here is a list of the best foods to try in Vietnam.

1. Pho

The ultimate comfort food. One day when I was feeling a little anxious, I went to a nearby pho stand and it instantly made me feel better. It was like a big hug, but for the taste buds. Steaming, flavorful bone broth that is filled with rice noodles and thinly sliced meat served beside fresh garnishes such as red chilies, lime, and green herbs.

2. Banh Mi

At one time Vietnam was colonized by the French. Due to this, the baguette was introduced and incorporated into traditional cuisine. Banh Mi are made in many different ways, but the most prominent feature is the bread. The baguette has a crusty outside and a fluffy inside. A variety of meat, such as pork are placed inside along with a wide range of fresh vegetables and herbs, such as carrots, cucumbers, and cilantro. Then pate is spread on the loaf.

3. Summer Rolls

Smoky, savory pork skewer that you wrap in rice paper along with thin vermicelli noodles and plenty of veggies. Dip the rolls in orange dipping sauce for an extra zing.

4. Mung Bean Dessert

Soft mung beans mixed with chewy tapioca, sugar, and a vanilla tube. This dessert comes topped with crunchy peanuts and rich coconut milk.

5. Spring Rolls

Simple, but full of flavor. Made with minced pork and stuffed with thinly chopped carrots, shallots, garlic, and onion rolled into a sticky rice paper.

Hoi An Specialties

If you will be visiting this region, make sure to try the next three.

6. Cao Lau

Made with thick, chewy noodles, juicy strips of BBQ pork, and crunchy garnishes such as bean sprouts and lettuce. This dish is sure to give you a flavor explosion and fill your stomach right up.

7. Hoi An Rice Pancake

Common street food. Made with crispy rice paper on the outside and tucked in with either slices of juicy pork or shrimp cooked to perfection. For more added flavor, small quail eggs and bean sprouts are added as well. Take your chopsticks and try the sweet and sour fish sauce with it.

8. Banana Pancakes

These are seriously addicting. I would get excited for the night market to open up in town just to fight the crowds and get one of these. Perfect for those who have a sweet tooth. It is made with a banana batter spread thin on a hot plate and slathered with creamy, smooth Nutella.

Hanoi Specialties

9. Bun Cha

Caramelized, grilled pork prepared with vermicelli noodles and a ton of refreshing greens. Comes with a nice broth and chili peppers to add in for more spice.

10. Egg Coffee

Not a food, but a must have. Creamy, thick, and sweet. This drink is more like a decadent dessert than a coffee. It is made with egg yolks, condensed milk, sugar, and Robusta coffee. This drink came to be because of the French war and milk shortage during that time, so families started using condensed milk instead.