Phở bò
Pho bo
Phở bò
Hanoi's signature beef noodle soup: a clear, slow-simmered broth scented with star anise and charred ginger. Locals eat it for breakfast; the best stalls sell out before mid-morning.
Eat your way through Vietnam
Pho and banh mi are just the start. Almost every town has a dish of its own — here are the local specialties to look for in each destination.
Hanoi
North · Guide →Bún chả
Bun cha
Bún chả
Grilled pork patties and pork belly served in a sweet-sour fish sauce broth, with rice vermicelli and a pile of fresh herbs on the side. A classic Hanoi lunch.
Cà phê trứng
Egg coffee
Cà phê trứng
Strong Vietnamese coffee topped with egg yolk whipped with sugar and condensed milk into a thick, custardy foam. Invented in Hanoi in the 1940s when milk was scarce.
Bánh cuốn
Banh cuon
Bánh cuốn
Paper-thin steamed rice sheets rolled around minced pork and wood-ear mushrooms, topped with fried shallots and dipped in light fish sauce.
Da Nang
Central · Guide →Mi Quang
Mì Quảng
The region's defining dish: wide turmeric rice noodles in a small amount of rich broth, with shrimp, pork, quail eggs, herbs, peanuts and a sesame rice cracker.
Bun thit nuong
Bún thịt nướng
Rice vermicelli topped with chargrilled pork, fresh herbs, pickles and peanuts, dressed with sweet-sour fish sauce.
Bun cha ca
Bún chả cá
Da Nang's favourite breakfast: a light broth simmered with fish bones, pumpkin and pineapple, served with chunks of fried and steamed fish cake.
Pork rolled in rice paper
Bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo
Thin slices of boiled pork rolled at the table with rice paper and a mountain of herbs, dipped in pungent fermented anchovy sauce.
Nam O fish salad
Gỏi cá Nam Ô
Raw herring "cooked" in lime and mixed with herbs and toasted rice powder, from the fishing village of Nam O north of the city.
Seafood by the beach
Hải sản
Pick live clams, crab, squid and prawns from tanks at the beachfront restaurants along My Khe and have them grilled or steamed. Check prices by weight before ordering.
Vietnamese BBQ
Đồ nướng
Grill-your-own marinated meat and seafood over tabletop charcoal — the classic noisy night out with friends and cold beer.
Nem lui
Nem lụi
Minced pork grilled on lemongrass stalks, rolled in rice paper with herbs and dipped in a thick peanut-liver sauce. Originally from Hue.
Chao tom
Chạo tôm
Shrimp paste wrapped around sugarcane sticks and grilled; slide it off, wrap in lettuce, then chew the sweet cane.
Banh xeo
Bánh xèo
Crispy turmeric rice pancakes filled with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts. In central Vietnam they are small, crunchy and dipped in peanut sauce.
Chicken rice
Cơm gà
Rice cooked in chicken broth with turmeric, served with shredded chicken, herbs and pickled papaya. Hoi An's version is the most famous.
Broken rice
Cơm tấm
Fragrant broken rice grains with grilled pork chop, shredded pork skin and a steamed egg cake — cheap, filling and everywhere.
Durian sweet soup
Chè sầu riêng
A rich dessert of durian, coconut milk, jelly and sticky rice over crushed ice. Even durian sceptics sometimes convert.
Mui Ne & Phan Thiet
South · Guide →Banh can
Bánh căn
Little rice-flour pancakes cooked in clay moulds and eaten with fish sauce, fish meatballs or sardine sauce. Best in the evening from street stalls in Phan Thiet.
Banh canh
Bánh canh chả cá
Thick rice noodles in a fish broth with local fish cake. Phan Thiet's version is lighter and less sticky than elsewhere.
Fish salad
Gỏi cá mai
Raw anchovy-like mai fish cured in lime and tossed with toasted rice powder and herbs, wrapped in rice paper. Phan Thiet is also the home of fish sauce.
Quy Nhon
Central · Guide →Banh xeo with "jumping" shrimp
Bánh xèo tôm nhảy
Crispy pancakes made with shrimp so fresh they were still jumping minutes before. Quy Nhon's most famous street dish.
Fish noodle soup
Bún cá
Rice noodles in a clear fish broth with fish cake made from local catch — a morning staple.
Jellyfish noodle soup
Bún sứa
Rice noodles with crunchy jellyfish and fish cake in a light, slightly sour broth. Refreshing on hot days.
Small savoury pancakes
Bánh căn
Little rice-flour pancakes cooked in clay moulds with egg, shrimp or squid, dipped in fish sauce with green mango.
Banh hoi with pork offal
Bánh hỏi lòng heo
Fine woven rice vermicelli served with pork offal and a rich congee broth. A Binh Dinh breakfast tradition.
Nem nuong
Nem nướng
Grilled pork sausage rolled with rice paper, herbs and green banana, dipped in a thick sweet sauce.
Banh beo
Bánh bèo
Steamed rice cakes the shape of water-fern leaves, topped with shrimp, crispy pork skin and scallion oil.
Thorn leaf cake
Bánh ít lá gai
Black, chewy sticky-rice cakes coloured with ramie leaf and filled with mung bean and coconut. A popular gift to bring home.
Tre
Tré Bình Định
Fermented shredded pork ear and skin mixed with roasted rice powder, galangal and garlic, wrapped in guava leaves.
Grilled coconut rice paper
Bánh tráng nước dừa
Rice paper made with coconut milk and sesame, grilled over charcoal until crunchy. A Tam Quan specialty and perfect beer snack.
Banh mi with beef ragout
Bánh mì ragu
A French-influenced stew of beef or pork with carrots and potatoes, served with crusty baguette for dipping.
Fresh seafood
Hải sản
Quy Nhon is known for cheap, excellent seafood: scallops with scallion oil, grilled squid, snails and sea urchin.
Bau Da rice wine
Rượu Bàu Đá
A strong, smooth rice spirit from An Nhon, traditionally made with water from the Bau Da well.
Chau Doc & An Giang
South · Guide →Fermented fish hotpot
Lẩu mắm Châu Đốc
Chau Doc is famous for fermented fish (mam). This rich, pungent hotpot is loaded with fish, pork, shrimp and a basket of wild delta greens.
Palm sugar sponge cake
Bánh bò thốt nốt
A spongy, yellow cake made from rice flour, toddy palm sugar and yeast, sold along the roads near the Khmer villages.
Banh xeo
Bánh xèo
In the delta, banh xeo are huge and thin — tear off a piece, wrap it in mustard greens and herbs and dip in fish sauce.
Sau dau leaf salad
Gỏi sầu đâu
A Khmer-influenced salad of bitter neem leaves with dried snakehead fish and a sweet-sour dressing.
Vung Tau
South · Guide →Banh khot
Bánh khọt
Bite-sized crispy coconut-rice pancakes topped with shrimp, wrapped in mustard leaves with herbs and dipped in fish sauce. Vung Tau's signature dish.
Mai fish salad
Gỏi cá mai
Small translucent fish cured in lime and mixed with herbs and roasted rice powder, rolled in rice paper.
Stingray hotpot
Lẩu cá đuối
A sour hotpot flavoured with fermented bamboo shoots and tamarind, with tender stingray and fresh greens.
Ben Tre
South · Guide →Coconut candy
Kẹo dừa
Chewy candy of coconut cream and malt, cut and wrapped by hand in rice paper. Watch it being made and taste it warm.
Banh tam bi
Bánh tằm bì
Chewy "silkworm" noodles with shredded pork skin, herbs and a pour of thick coconut cream.
Snail pancake
Bánh xèo ốc gạo
Crispy banh xeo filled with tiny rice snails, a seasonal treat in Cho Lach.
Grilled pressed banana
Chuối đập
Bananas grilled over charcoal, flattened between boards and drenched in warm coconut sauce.
Coconut rice
Cơm dừa
Rice cooked inside a coconut with its water, fragrant and slightly sweet.
My Long rice paper
Bánh tráng Mỹ Lồng
Thick rice paper made with coconut milk and sesame, dried in the sun and grilled until it crackles.
Banh canh
Bánh canh Bến Tre
Hand-cut rice noodles in broth, often with duck and ginger fish sauce — usually sold from shoulder poles, so ask a local.
Cao Bang
North · Guide →Purple sticky rice
Xôi trám
Sticky rice mixed with the fruit of the Canarium (trám) tree, which turns it a deep purple and gives it a rich, nutty taste.
Ant egg rice cake
Bánh trứng kiến
A seasonal Tay delicacy: ant eggs gathered from the forest in spring, wrapped in glutinous rice dough and leaves, then steamed. Rich, slightly buttery and surprisingly delicate.
Seven-flavour roast duck
Vịt quay 7 vị
Duck stuffed with a mix of local herbs and mac mat leaves, then roasted over charcoal until the skin is glossy and crisp. Cao Bang's best-known dish.
Fried duck cakes
Bánh áp chao
Small rice-flour cakes filled with duck meat and deep-fried, eaten hot with a herby dipping sauce on cold afternoons.
Steamed rice rolls in broth
Bánh cuốn Cao Bằng
Unlike Hanoi's version, Cao Bang's rice rolls come with a hot bone broth instead of fish sauce — a warming local breakfast.
Khao cake
Bánh khảo
A crumbly pressed cake of roasted sticky-rice flour and sugar, traditionally made for Lunar New Year.
Trung Khanh chestnuts
Hạt dẻ Trùng Khánh
Sweet chestnuts from the hills around Ban Gioc, roasted on street-side braziers in autumn. A popular edible souvenir.
Ba Be Lake & Bac Kan
North · Guide →Grilled lake fish
Cá nướng hồ Ba Bể
Small fish from Ba Be Lake, skewered on bamboo and grilled over embers until crisp — a homestay dinner staple.
Smoked hanging meat
Thịt treo gác bếp
Pork or buffalo marinated with mac khen pepper and hung above the kitchen fire for weeks until smoky and dry. Delicious with rice wine.
Khau nhuc
Khâu nhục
A festive Tay dish of pork belly fried, then steamed for hours with taro and spices until it melts in the mouth.
Khau Thuy cakes
Bánh Khau Thuy
Small, rustic rice-flour cakes sold in baskets at local markets — a simple Tay snack.
Bac Ninh
North · Guide →Ho chicken
Gà Hồ
A large, heritage chicken breed from Ho village, prized for its firm meat. Traditionally offered at Tet and on the ancestral altar.
Fiancee cake
Bánh phu thê Đình Bảng
Square, translucent cakes of rice flour with sweet mung bean, wrapped in coconut leaf. Traditionally given at weddings as a symbol of fidelity.
Ash cake
Bánh tro Đình Tổ
Sticky rice soaked in water filtered through plant ash, giving it an amber colour and jelly-like texture. Eaten with molasses during the Double Fifth festival.
Diem village cake
Bánh làng Diềm
A traditional rice cake from the home village of Quan Ho singing, often served to guests with green tea.
Nem Bui
Nem Bùi Ninh Xá
A fermented pork and toasted-rice-powder mix from Ninh Xa village, wrapped in fig leaves with herbs.
Van village rice wine
Rượu làng Vân
A strong, clear rice spirit distilled in Van village on the Cau River for centuries.
Dong Nai & Cat Tien
South · Guide →Bien Hoa fish salad
Gỏi cá Biên Hòa
Fresh fish blanched in hot sauce, then rolled with a basket of garden herbs and dipped in a rich tamarind sauce.
Steamed chicken in pomelo
Gà hấp bưởi
Free-range chicken steamed inside a hollowed-out Tan Trieu pomelo, which perfumes the meat with citrus.
Salted-fish chicken fried rice
Cơm gà cá mặn
Clay-pot rice fried with shredded chicken and salted fish until crisp at the edges.
Sour soup with giang leaves
Canh chua lá giang
Chicken soup soured with leaves of the giang vine, which grows wild in the area.
Termite mushrooms with garlic
Nấm mối xào tỏi
Wild mushrooms that grow from termite mounds at the start of the rainy season, stir-fried simply with garlic.
Puffed fried sticky rice
Xôi chiên phồng
A ball of sticky rice fried until it puffs up like a golden balloon, cut with scissors at the table.
Giant river prawn hotpot
Lẩu tôm càng
A hearty hotpot with river prawns, noodles and greens.
Grilled pork rolls
Chả lụi
Skewers of grilled pork roll, wrapped with herbs, cucumber and green mango.
Fried rice-flour cakes
Bột chiên
Cubes of rice-flour cake fried with egg and served with green papaya and sweet soy-chili sauce. A favourite after-school snack.
Baked egg with cheese
Trứng nướng phô mai
Eggs baked in small cups with meat, cheese and chili sauce — modern Vietnamese street food.
Dak Nong Geopark
Central · Guide →Forest leaf hotpot
Lẩu lá rừng
A hotpot served with a huge platter of wild leaves and greens from the highland forests, each with its own bitter, sour or peppery note.
Bamboo-tube rice
Cơm lam
Sticky rice cooked inside bamboo tubes over an open fire, peeled and eaten with sesame salt or grilled meat.
Can rice wine
Rượu cần
Fermented rice wine drunk communally from a jar through long bamboo straws — a must at any highland gathering.
Dak Mil durian
Sầu riêng Đắk Mil
Rich, creamy durian from the basalt soils of Dak Mil, in season around August–September.
Dak Mil avocado
Bơ Đắk Mil
Large, buttery avocados — try them as a sweet avocado smoothie, the Vietnamese way.
Dak Gan mango
Xoài Đắk Gằn
Sweet, fragrant mangoes from the highland orchards of Dak Gan.
Highland pepper
Hồ tiêu Đắk Nông
The Central Highlands produce much of the world's black pepper. Buy a bag direct from a farm.
Bac Lieu
South · Guide →Bon bon pickles
Dưa bồn bồn
Pickled stems of a wild marsh plant, crunchy and sour — eaten as a side dish or in salads.
Radish cake
Bánh củ cải
A Teochew-influenced steamed cake of white radish and rice flour, pan-fried until crisp outside.
Coconut cake
Bánh dừa
A sweet local cake made with coconut, perfect with a strong iced coffee.
Binh Duong
South · Guide →Chicken & mangosteen salad
Gỏi gà măng cụt
A summer specialty of Lai Thieu: shredded chicken tossed with young mangosteen segments, onion and herbs.
Beef grilled on roof tiles
Bò nướng ngói
Thin slices of marinated beef grilled at the table on a heated clay roof tile.
Banh beo
Bánh bèo
Soft steamed rice cakes with shrimp floss, scallion oil and sweet fish sauce.
Banh khot
Bánh khọt
Crispy little pancakes topped with shrimp, eaten wrapped in greens.
Roast chicken with puffed sticky rice
Gà quay xôi phồng
Whole roast chicken served with a giant ball of deep-fried, puffed sticky rice.
Shrimp noodle soup
Bánh canh tôm
Thick tapioca-rice noodles in a rich shrimp broth.