The Best Vietnamese Food
Date: 06/10/2024
Vietnam is an agricultural country located in a hot, tropical monsoon region. Moreover, North, Central, and South, along with 54 ethnic groups, divide Vietnam’s territory into three distinct regions. It is the geographical, cultural, ethnic, and climatic characteristics that determine the unique characteristics of each region’s cuisine.
Every region has a typical taste. That contributes to making Vietnamese cuisine rich and diverse. Northern cuisine is harmony in decoration, the flavor is very moderate, not too sour, too spicy, too salty or too strong. Central food is known for its spicy taste, with all its unique properties expressed through distinct flavors. Many dishes are spicier and saltier than Northern and Southern food, and the colors are richly mixed.
The food is rich and brilliant, with a leaning towards red and dark brown. Southern cuisine, which tends to favor sweet and sour flavors, often adds sugar and uses coconut milk. This cuisine also makes numerous types of dried fish from the Mekong River, uses saltwater and brackish water seafood, including fish, shrimp, crabs, and sea snails, and is unique due to its use of rustic dishes from the delta, such as mice, snakes, snails, and crabs, copper, eel.
Vietnamese people always create more for their culinary heritage, and chefs take advantage of the unique ingredients found in each region to create the best Vietnamese food. In this article, we will to explore the most beautiful dishes in Vietnamese cuisine.
1. Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwiches)
Banh Mi is listed as one of the best Vietnamese foods; it was brought by the French in the 19th century. Over time, the shape and taste of bread have changed a lot. Bread is an easy dish to eat; people can find it everywhere. In the bread, there must be slices of cucumber, pickles, green onions, coriander, and a few rounds of hot chili, all of which are naturally present.
For a loaf of bread to truly be Saigon bread, it must have the crispy aroma of the crust, the fatty taste of butter, the aroma of meat, patties, and pate, as well as the coolness of raw vegetables. There are also many different types of Banh Mi, such as fish cake sandwiches, grilled meat sandwiches, shumai sandwiches, omelet sandwiches, and roasted pork sandwiches.
There are some excellent Banh Mi in district 1
- Bánh Mì Như Lan/ Adress: 50 Hàm Nghi Street
- Bánh Mì Hông Hoa/ Adress: 54 Nguyễn Văn Tráng Street.
2. Pho (beef noddle soup)
Pho is very popular and the people often eat it for breakfast. It is not only delicious and attractive, but also a typical Vietnamese traditional dish. A delicious pho dish must have a very rich broth, so the broth must be stewed from beef bones along with herbal spices such as stair anise, cinnamon bark, cumin, chan pei, clove seed, and black cardamom for 12 hours. When eating, pho is eaten with bean sprouts, culantro, Thai basil, thinly sliced onion, mint, and green onions and deep to sauce.
Dilicious Pho restaurant in Saigon
– Phở Cao Vân/ Adress: 25 Mạc Đĩnh Chi Street
– Phở Vương/ Adress: 120 Nguyễn TháI Bình Street
3. Cơm Tấm (Vietnamese broken rice with grilled pork chop)
Broken rice is a typical Saigon dish that is both rustic and simple, as well as very easy to eat. This dish was very popular among students, workers, and schoolchildren because it was easy to find on sidewalks and was considered a delicious street food. However, you can find this dish in popular eateries and luxury restaurants; as well as very popular on the TV as one of the best vietnamese food in the South.
In particular, it has become a typical Saigon dish that you should try. A traditional serving of “Cơm Sườn” includes grilled ribs, shredded pork skin, steamed egg, fresh cucumber, tomato, an assortment of pickled vegetables, and sweet fish sauce.
Dilicious Cơm Tấm address in Ho Chi Minh City
- Cơm Tấm Bụi/ Address: 100 Thạch Thị Thanh Street.
- Cơm Tấm Ba Cường/ 263 Trần Quang KhảI Street
4. Gỏi cuốn ( Fresh spring rolls)
Gỏi cuốn, a beloved Southern delicacy, offers a delightful and easily enjoyed taste, making it the best Vietnamese food choice for a light snack. In Vietnamese cuisine, fresh spring rolls are known as “summer rolls” to differentiate them from the deep-fried spring rolls commonly known as “spring rolls” in Western culture.
The ingredients used to prepare spring rolls are as follows: rice paper, sliced pork, cucumber, raw vegetables, sliced shrimp, and noodles. We boil the pork and shrimp before slicing them into pieces. Next, we wrap all the ingredients in rice paper. When eating, Goi Cuon can dip into sweet or sour fish sauce or crushed roasted peanut sauce.
Delicious Spring rolls in Ho Chi Minh City
– Gỏi cuốn (Spring Rolls) Liên/ Address: 78 Nguyễn Công Trứ Street
– Gỏi cuốn 6 years/ 30 Nguyễn Hữu Cầu Street
5. Bún Bò Huế (Vietnamese spicy beef noodle soup in Hue style)
Bún bò Huế is a Vietnamese noodle soup dish that originates from the city of Huế in central Vietnam. It is known for its rich and spicy broth. The spicy broth is stewed with beef, as well as a variety of ingredients, including lemongrass, ginger, purple onion, garlic, chili powder, Hue fish sauce, seasoning powder, sugar, and cashew oil, which gives it a distinctive and bold flavor. This soup is eaten with thick rice noodles, slices of beef and pork, raw herbs, and lime. Bún bò Huế is appreciated for its tasty broth, making it a popular dish in Vietnam and a beloved dish in Vietnamese cuisine.
Some Bún Bò Huế eatery in Saigon
– Bún Bò Huế 31/ Adress: 31 Mạc Đĩnh Chi Street
– Bún Bò Huế Đông Ba/ Adress: 207 Nguyen Van Thu Street
6. Ốc ( Vietnamese seafood)
As a city resident or a stranger to Saigon, you cannot miss this delicious snail dish. This is a very popular dish in Saigon, so after stressful working hours, people often hang out at restaurants, especially street restaurants, and snail dishes are among the choices. Snail dishes range from popular to high-end menus, serving as snacks, party dishes, or specialty drinks.
Many types of snails, including clams, mussels, snails, oysters, and crabs, can be prepared in a variety of ways, including boiling, steaming, grilling, and stir-frying, giving each dish a unique and delicious flavor. Popular grilled dishes include those made with onion grease, chili salt, satay, garlic butter, pepper, cheese, quail eggs, rare grilling, and fish sauce. Stir-fried dishes include tamarind, satay, garlic, butter, water spinach, cinnamon leaves, laksa leaves, ginger, coconut, and spicy.
Each cooking method brings a different flavor, but the common point is that it’s delicious, and you can’t stop eating it once you eat it. It looks so delicious; why don’t you give it a try? It’s the best Vietnamese food.
Tasty Seafood eatery in Saigon
– Ốc Xuyên/ Address: 174/43 Nguyen Thien Thuat Street, District 3
– Ốc Loan / Address: 012, Block C Nguyen Thien Thuat Apartment, District 3
7. Cao Lầu (Cao Lau noodle soup)
CNN has recognized Cao Lầu noodle soup as one of the most enticing rice noodle dishes in Asia, with its origins in Hoi An, the historic town nestled in Quang Nam Province. This delightful dish is celebrated for its delectable broth and is accompanied by crispy, thinly sliced pork, appealing to a diverse crowd of both local residents and international visitors.
Many people are curious by the origin of the dish’s name. One explanation suggests that Cao Lầu is the local rendition of “delicious dish” in Chinese. Another theory traces its roots back to the days when traders frequented Hoi An and desired to savor their noodles on the upper levels of eateries for better surveillance of their merchandise. This is believed to be the reason behind the dish’s name, “Cao Lầu,” which translates to “high house” in Vietnamese.
The Cao Lầu noodles are typically short in length. Cajuput firewood ash and water soak the rice, giving the noodles a subtle, pale yellow hue. Moreover, this noddle is mixed with the ground rice and water from the renowned Ba Le well in Hoi An, a traditional way believed to contribute to the unique flavor of the noodles. Cao Lầu comprises noodles, grilled pork slices, crunchy rice paper, herbs sourced from the Tra Que vegetable village, and Hoi An-style chili paste. If you ever visit Hoi An, try the best Vietnamese food there.
Delicious Cao Lau Noddle eatery in Hoi An
– Cao Lau Liên/ Address: 120 Trần Cao Vân Street, Hôi An city
– Cao Lầu Thanh/ 69 Phan Chu Trinh Street, Hôi An city.
8. Mì Quảng ( Quang Noodles)
Quang noodles is made from a delightful flour mixture, coat them in cake, and then slice them into slender strips. The broth is a harmonious blend of chicken, shrimp, crab, pork ribs, and beef. A satisfying bowl of Quang noodles consists of these tender strips, succulent shrimp, flavorful pork, rice paper, and roasted peanuts, all immersed in a delightfully sweet and aromatic broth crafted from simmered bones. It becomes even more delicious when served with grilled rice paper, roasted peanuts, and a squeeze of lemon. This is an attractive dish in Da Nang that every tourist should try when coming here for a few days.
Quang noodles shop in Da Nang
– Mi quảng Cô Sáu/ Address: 397 Trân Hưng Đạo Street
– Mì quảng Hông Vân/ Address: 59 Lê Hồng Phong Street
9. Bò Lá Lớp (piper lolot beef)
Grilled beef with Piper lolot leaf is one of the world’s most famous best vietnamese food, and you can hardly miss this best Vietnamese food when visiting Saigon. This dish also has very simple ingredients, including ground beef and piper lolot leaf. First, we marinate the ground beef with simple spices such as salt, pepper, sugar, lemongrass, garlic, and ginger.
The next step is to roll the mixture with a Piper Lolot leaf. Then, a charcoal stove grills it, enhancing the flavor of the grilled beef with betel leaves. To make it more tasty, we can dip it in sweet or sour fish sauce, or roll it with rice paper or raw vegetables and dip it in sweet or sour fish sauce too.
Delicious betel leaf beef shop in Saigon
Bò lá lốt Hoàng Yến/Address: 143 Cô Giang Street, District 1
Bò lá lốt Cô Liên/ Address 321 Võ Văn Tần Street, District 3
10. Nem Nướng Nha Trang (Nha Trang grill sping roll )
Nha Trang grilled spring rolls are a very rich, rustic dish, ranked as one of the best Vietnamese foods, originating from Ninh Hoa, a northern district of Khanh Hoa province, about 30 km from the coastal city. This dish is highly popular and can be easily found and enjoyed at street vendors in Ninh Hoa, Nha Trang, and Saigon.
The ingredients of the dish are simple, including meat, rice paper, raw vegetables, and dipping sauce. According to indigenous people, the recipe for making spring rolls is not difficult: choose thigh meat, mix it with clean, shaved pork skin, chop it, then pound both, add sugar, seasoning, and pepper. Let it soak, then roll it into long balls, skewer it on prepared bamboo sticks, and grill until golden brown on a charcoal stove.
The deliciousness of grilled spring rolls depends on the accompanying bowl of dipping sauce; this is also considered the secret of each restaurant, determining this dish’s quality and deliciousness. A very attractive bowl of sauce, with a variety of sour, spicy, sweet, and salty flavors, according to each chef’s own family secret recipe. The main ingredients of the sauce include sticky rice, soybeans, tomatoes, shrimp, lean meat, pureed pork liver mixed with sugar, garlic, chili, etc.
You can eat it by rolling it with rice paper, lettuce, fish salad, chives, basil, cucumbers, sliced bananas, and carrots, and dipping it in the sauce.
Delicious Nha Trang grill sping roll in Saigon
– Nem Nướng Cô Điệp/ Address: 27 Tôn Thất Tùng Street, District 1
– Nem Nướng Bé Thảo/ Address: 1237 Hoàng Sa Street, Tân Bình District
