Traditional foods in Vietnam

1. Pho - Rice noodle soup Pho is a typical dish that is served in Hanoi since the early 20th century. Pho is prepared in a sophisticated manner with a technique to make a sweet pure bouillon, a soft but not crushed noodle and soft, sweet smelling meat. When the weather is cold, having a hot, sweet smelling bowl of Pho will make you experiences the full flavor of this special Hanoian dish.

Pho Restaurants in Vietnam

In Ha Noi:

• Pho “Suong”, 24 Yen Trung Lane, Dinh Liet street, Hoan Kiem district
• Pho “Ly Quoc Su”, 10 Ly Quoc Su street, Hoan Kiem district
• Pho “Bat Dan”, 49 Bat Dan street, Hoan Kiem district
• Pho “Thin” Lo Duc, 13 Lo Duc street, Hai Ba Trung district
• Pho “Thin” Bo Ho, 61 Dinh Tien Hoang street, Hoan Kiem district
• Pho “Mai Anh”, 32 Le Van Huu street, Hai Ba Trung district

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Pho Dung, 262 Ni Su Huynh Lien, Tan Binh district
• Pho Ha Noi pho, 24B Bui Dinh Tuy, Binh Thach district

2. Banh cuon - Rolled rice pancake Among other members of the extended noodle family, Banh Cuon almost ranks first. It is a paper-thin steamed rice flour pancake, much like delicate sheets of fresh rice noodles. The pancakes are plucked off of the linen steamer base, and immediately rolled with minced pork and mushrooms, then piled on a plate, sprinkled with deep fried shallots, snipped with scissors into bite sized sections, and topped with fresh herbs such as cilantro or Vietnamese basil. A plate of bánh cuốn is a light dish traditionally eaten as breakfast in Hanoi but now can also be found as a late night snack. To eat, dip a section of rolled noodle goodness into the accompanying warm fish sauce broth, brightened with a squeeze of fresh lime. You can also pick the leaves off the herbs and add them to the dipping sauce, grabbing a leaf or two as you dip, or you can follow each bite with a chaser of herbs. Bánh cuốn are often eaten with different sides of pork sausages, including sheets of an orange hued, roasted cinnamon sausage called "Cha que".

“Banh Cuon” Restaurants in Vietnam

In Ha Noi:

• Banh Cuon Ba Hoanh, 66 To Hien Thanh street
• Banh Cuon Thanh Van, near Hang Da market, Hoan Kiem district
• Banh Cuon, 14 Hang Ga street “Quan An Ngon”, 18 Phan Boi Chau street

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Banh Cuon Tay Ho, 127 Dinh Tien Hoang street, District 1
• Banh Cuon Nam Hai, 11A Cao Thang street, District 3

3. “Bun cha” Bun cha is a Vietnamese dish of grilled pork & noodle, which is thought to have originated from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Bun cha is served with grilled fatty pork (cha) over a plate of white rice noodle (bun) and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce. The dish was described in 1959 by Vietnamese food writer Vu Bang (1913–1984) who described Hanoi as a town "transfixed by bun cha." Hanoi’s first bun cha restaurant was on Gia Ngư, Hoàn Kiếm District, in Hanoi's Old Quarter. "Bun cha" is popular in the Northern region of Vietnam. In the South, a similar dish of rice vermicelli and grilled meat is called "Bun thit nuong".

“Bun cha” Restaurants in Vietnam

In Ha Noi:

• Bun cha Hang Manh, 1 Hang Manh street
• Bun cha Duong Thanh, 67 Duong Thanh street
• Bun cha Quynh Nga, 1 Pho Hue street

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Bun cha Ha Noi, 177 Dien Bien Phu street, District 1
• Bun cha Ha Noi, 2 Pham Van Hai, Tan Binh, Tan Binh district
• Bun cha Van Anh, 36 Hong Ha, Tan Binh district

4. “Cha ca La Vong” - Grilled minced fish Hanoi now has several stores selling Cha ca La Vong, but none of them can be equal to the Cha Ca Road’s in terms of quality and flavor. As a popular dish, La Vong grilled fish pie is indeed a remarkable culinary invention. While you sit down at the table, the waiter starts laying there some seasonings includes a bowl of well - stirred shrimp paste sauce mixed up with lemon. After dropping the liquor, he will decorate the bowl with a few slices of red fresh pimento, a plate of grilled ground nuts of gold yellow color, various species of mint vegetables o­nions in small white slices.

“Cha ca” Restaurants in Vietnam

• Cha Ca street - Old Quarter in Hanoi 87 Nguyen Truong To street, Hanoi
• Cha Ca Thang Long Restaurant, 21 - 31 Duong Thanh street, Hanoi
• 3 Ho Xuan Huong street, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

5. Bun bo Nam bo (Southern beef vermicelli) Bun bo nam bo (Southern beef vermicelli) is a special dish which is popular in Hanoi. Despite the name, it’s not originally from the south. It’s a dry type noodles dish that includes dried beef, beansprouts, dried onion and other raw vegetables; served in sour and sweet sauce made from fish sauce.

Bun bo Nam bo Restaurants in Vietnam

In Ha Noi:

• Bun bo Nam bo, 67 Hang Dieu street, Hoan Kiem district
• Bun bo Nam bo, 37 Hang Buom street, Hoan Kiem district

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Bun bo Nam bo, 241C Cach Mang Thang 8 street, District 3

6. Bun thang "Bun thang" (vermicelli with egg, chicken, and pork) is a Hanoi delicacy. Making "Bun thang" involves a sophisticated consisting of no less than twenty ingredients. The ingredients include things like "rau ram" (Vietnamese coriander leaves), Eryngium, shredded fried chicken egg, shredded chicken, shredded pork, and white rice vermicelli served in a clear broth. Originally, Tinh dau ca cuong (Lethocerus indicus) was added to provide a unique aroma.

Bun thang Restaurants in Vietnam

In Ha Noi:

• Bun thang Ba Duc, 48 Cau Go street, Hoan Kiem district
• Bun thang, 29 Hang Hanh street, Hoan Kiem district
• Bun Van, 21 Hang Muoi, Hoan Kiem district
• Bun thang, 11 Hang Hom street, Hoan Kiem district

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Cat Tuong, 63 Thu Khoa Huan, District 1
• Chieu Ha Noi, 145 Pham Van Hai, Tan Binh district
• Ha Noi Xua, 90 Dien Bien Phu, District 1

7. Bun rieu cua Bun rieu cua (crab paste vermicelli) is Vietnamese vermicelli, served in a tomato broth and topped with crab or shrimp paste. In this dish, various freshwater paddy crabs are used, including the brown paddy crab found in rice fields throughout Vietnam. These freshwater crabs are pounded in the shell until they consist of a fine paste. This paste is strained and the crab-infused liquid is a base for the broth called “rieu cua” (along with tomato). Other ingredients include: fried tofu, me (ferment) or bong (fermented grains), Garcinia multiflora Champ., annatto seeds (hat dieu mau) to redden the broth, pig's blood, split water spinach stems, shredded banana flower, rau kinh gioi (Elsholtzia ciliata), spearmint, perilla, bean sprouts and cha chay (vegetarian sausage). It is one complex dish.

Bun rieu Restaurants in Vietnam

In Ha Noi:

• Quang Beo, 46 Cau Go street, Hoan Kiem district
• Bun rieu, 42F Ly Thuong Kiet district, Hoan Kiem district
• Bun rieu cua Ha Noi, 6B Thi Sach street, Hai Ba Trung district

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Bun rieu cua, 1284/2 – 1284/3 3 thang 2 street, District 11
• Bun rieu cua, 15 Tran Dang Ninh, Tan Binh district

8. Ga tan (Chicken simmered) Chicken simmered is a Hanoi speciality and a deeply-guarded traditional recipe incorporating a special mixture of secret herbs and spices handed down from parent to child over generations. The result is a quarter of chicken bobbing in a tasty broth, which is believed to be something akin to a health tonic by Vietnamese connoisseurs. A bowl of chicken simmered will impart energy and vitality; give strength to your tendons and bones; help you sleep better; and ease backache and asthma. Preparation centres on choosing the right chicken for the job. An old chicken will be too tough and a spring one may not impart the right flavour. But once the perfect chicken has been found, it is drawn, quartered and marinated in salt and spices for about 20 minutes before being simmered with medicinal herbs, nuts and seeds.

Ga tan Restaurants in Vietnam

In Ha Noi:

• Ga tan Dinh Liet, 1 Dinh Liet street, Hoan Kiem district
• Ba beo, 19 Tong Duy Tan street, Hoan Kiem district
• Cay si, 11 Tong Duy Tan street, Hoan Kiem district
• Ga tan Hang Bo, Hang Bo street, Hoan Kiem district
• Ga Ac tan Sam, 117 K1 Giang Vo street, Dong Da district

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Ga tan Ha Noi, 15/2A Hong Ha street, Tan Binh district

9. Banh tom Ho Tay - Fried shrimp cakes Ho Tay shrimp cakes are one of the famous food of Hanoi. Shrimp (freshwater) are caught from West Lake wrapped up the flour into bread pan of hot fat old submerged for up to nine. When the bread rising and reclining yellow flesh smell. Pick up two sticks bread hung horizontally arranged roller pan to drain fat. Ate hot sauce along with sour, sweet and spicy, add some pickles (papaya and diced carrots soaked in vinegar). cake eating shrimp with vegetables, salads, noodles can be added with the noodles and great with beer.

Banh tom Restaurants in Vietnam

In Ha Noi:

• Banh Tom Ho Tay, 1 Thanh Nien street, Tay Ho district

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Ho Tay, 20 Tran Cao Van street, District 1

10. Spring roll (Nem ran - Cha gio) “Nem ran” (or Cha gio in the South) is one of the most popular traditional Vietnamese food, literally meaning fried minced pork roll . The most common English translation of “Nem ran” is spring roll, though this is just a fancy name since the food has nothing to do with spring. The main ingredients of a roll of “Nem ran” are commonly seasonal ground meat, mushrooms, and diced vegetables such as carrots and jicama, rolled up in a sheet of moist rice paper. The roll is then deeply fried until the rice paper coat turns crispy and golden brown. The ingredients, however, are not fixed. The most commonly used meat is pork, but one can also use crab, shrimp, sometimes snails (in northern Vietnam), and tofu (for vegan "cha gio"). If diced carrots and jicama are used, the stuffs inside the rolls are a little bit crunchy, and match well with the crispy fried rice paper. Nevertheless, the juice from these vegetables can soon cause the rolls to soften after only a short time. To keep the rolls crispy for a long time, mashed sweet potato or mung beans may be used instead. One may also include bean sprouts and rice vermicelli in the stuffing mix, yet, this is a rare practice. Eggs and various spices can be added based on each one's preference.

“Nem ran” Restaurants in Vietnam

In Ha Noi:

• Bun cha Hang Manh, 1 Hang Manh street
• Bun cha Duong Thanh, 67 Duong Thanh street
• Bun cha Quynh Nga, 1 Pho Hue street Bun nem “Vuong”, 35 Đao Duy Tu street

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Bun cha Ha Noi, 177 Dien Bien Phu street, District 1
• Bun cha Ha Noi, 2 Pham Van Hai, Tan Binh, Tan Binh district
• Bun cha Van Anh, 36 Hong Ha, Tan Binh district

11. “Banh xeo” “Banh xeo” is Vietnamese style crepe with whole shrimp, thinly sliced pork and bean sprouts. Like the salad roll, the “banh xeo” is a do-it-yourself dish that involves the messy but delicious process of wrapping the crepe in lettuce with cilantro and basil. Though the filling might fall out on your table, you will be completely lost in the crispy, warm combination of lettuce and crepe, and the attentive staff will happily clean up after you.

“Banh xeo” Restaurants in Vietnam

In Hanoi:

• Restaurant at 22 Hang Bo street
• “Quan Ngon” Restaurant at 12 Phan Boi Chau street
• “Chin Tham” Restaurant, Thai Ha street

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• “Banh xeo”, 46A Dinh Cong Trang street, District 1
• “An la nghien” Restaurant, 54 A Nguyen Van Troi street, Phu Nhuan District
• “An Lac” Restaurant , 175/15 Pham Ngu Lao street, District 1

12. "Bun Bo Hue" - Hue beef noodle In Hue city, the former citadel of Vietnam, it doesn't take you a lot of money to dine like a King! Hue beef noodle takes its origin from the Royal Hue City of Central Vietnam. The broth is from cooking beef bones for a long period of time as well as a variety of different spices including lemongrass. Having a bowl of Hue beef noodle, you will easily recognize that it is completely different from Pho since the former’s beef broth is much more spicy.

"Bun Bo Hue" Restaurants in Vietnam

In Hue:

• “Bun Bo Hue”, 14 Ly Thuong Kiet street
• “Bun Bo Ba My”, 71 Nguyen Cong Tru street
• “Bun Bo Ba Tam”, 43 Nguyen Cong Tru street
• “Bun Bo O Thu”, 237 Chi Lang street

In Ha Noi:

• 96A, Tue Tinh street, Hai Ba Trung district
• 27D Quoc Tu Giam street
• 204B Hang Bong street, Hoan Kien district

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• 39A Ngo Duc Ke street, District 1136/15 D Le Thanh Ton, Dong Khoi Area

13. Hue Cakes Hue Cakes is one of best vietnamese food in the Middle of Vietnam. Thin rice flour cake with layers of crushed shrimp, when you eat one piece, you just want to eat more and more. Present days, this dish is really popular whole Vietnam. It is not only subtle but also simple, when you eat it once, you will remeber this flavor forever. From bloating fern disk, bloating fern tray, stearmed rice pancake with shrimp, tapioca starch with shrimp, glutinous rice cake ... all of dishes give an amazing feeling for everyone who have a chance to taste these cakes. Hue Cakes just uses simple and traditional flour to be created. But it still create a unique specific, very "Hue" that we can not confuse with any dishes.

Hue cakes Restauranst in Vietnam

In Hanoi:

• Banh Hue Quang Huy, 125 Dao Tan, Ba Dinh district
• Banh Hue, alley 72, Tran Hung Dao street, Hoan Kiem district

In Hue:

• Banh beo Ba Cu, 23 alley 177 Phan Dinh Phung street
• Banh loc Mu Do, 71 Nguyen Binh Khiem street
• Banh loc Mu Cai, Alley 475 Chi Lang street

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Mon Hue Restaurants - Nguyen Trai, 98 Nguyen Trai, District 1
• Mon Hue Restaurants - Cao Thang, 7 Cao Thang, District 3
• Bot Quan, 41/9 Nguyen Binh Khiem street, District 1

14. “Com hen” (Mussel cooked rice) Com hen Song Huong (or Com hen in short) is the very simple and low-pricedspecialty of Hue, the ancient citadel of Vietnam. Accordingly, the way of serving this special kind of food is of great ancience, simplicity and deliciousness. Com hen has a sweet-smelling flavor of rice, onion, and grease, as well as strange tastes of sweet, buttery, salty, sour, bitter, and peppery-hot. You have to arrive to Hen river-islet in the Perfume River to have the original Com hen. However, you can find out the dish on some streets in Hue City. It requires 15 different raw materials to prepare for the dish, including mussel, fried grease, watery grease, peanuts, white sesames, dry pancake, salted shredded meat, chilly sauce, banana flower, banana trunk, sour carambola, spice vegetables, peppermint, salad, etc. Com hen is always attractive to many customers since it is tasty and, at the same time, economical to anybody.

“Com hen” Restaurants in Vietnam

In Hue:

• Com hen Truong Dinh, 2 Truong Dinh street
• Com hen Hong Thuy, 88 Han Thuyen street

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Thon Vy, 127 Su Van Hanh street, District 10
• Com hen Le Van Sy, 284 Le Van Sy, District 3

15.“My Quang” - Quang noodle soups Quang noodles is very popular in Quang Nam and Da Nang. Quang noodle soups differ than most normal noodle soups in that the soups have just enough broth to barely cover the noodles. Unlike other Vietnamese noodle soup bowls whose broth will cover the noodles almost completely, Quang noodle broth is barely enough to slurp during the meal. If you do not eat a Quang noodle bowl fast enough, the broth will generally quickly be soaked up by the noodles. Quang noodle soups are generally pork and dried shrimp broth based, although some regional and family recipes will use chicken and even duck. What makes Quang noodle soups unique is the richness of the broth, the lack of it and the crushed peanut toppings on the noodles.

“My Quang” Restaurants in Vietnam

In Danang:

• Ngan Quang Noodle, 108 Dong Da street
• Lu Quang Noodle, Ham Nghi street
• Vi Quang Noodle, 155 Trung Nu Vuong street

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• My Xu Quang, 190 Nguyen Van Thu, District 1
• My Quang Pho Thi, 50A Dinh Tien Hoang, District 1

16. “Cao Lau” Hoi An - Hoi An vermicelli Visitors to Hoi An never forget Cao Lau (vermicelli), the special Hoi An and Quang Nam special symbol. Cao Lau is the foremost traditional Hoi An food. Visitors to Hoi An always remember Cao Lau, which was considered by Quang Nam people as a special symbol for Hoi An. Cao lau noodles are carefully made from local new sticky rice. Water used to soak rice must be taken from wells in the Ba Le Village; noodles thus will be soft, enduring and flavored with special sweet-smelling. On the Cao Lau noodles were some meat slices mixed with fat made from fried noodles served with vegetables and bean sprouts. Sharp-witted eaters would find out the specific flavor of the dish. Dry pancakes used as ingredient must be thick with much sesame on the surface. Greasy coconut quintessence and bitter green cabbage are also indispensable. The so-called genuine Cao lau Hoi An must satisfy all above requirements.

“Cao Lau” Restaurants in Vietnam

• Cao Lau Hoi An, Cua Dai beach, Hoi An, Quang Nam
• Van Loc, 1 Tran Phu street, Hoi An, Quang Nam
• Cao Lau Ba Be, 308/26 Hoang Van Thu, Thanh Binh district, Ho Chi Minh cit

17. "Com tam" Com tam, or broken rice, is a Vietnamese dish made from rice with fractured rice grains.

"Tam" refers to the broken rice grains, while "com" refers to cooked rice. Also known as "Com tam Sai Gon" (Saigon-style broken rice), particularly served in southern Vietnam, in Ho Chi Minh city. It is usually served with grilled pork (either ribs or shredded) plus the Vietnamese dish "bi" (thinly shredded pork mixed with cooked and thinly shredded pork skin) over broken rice. The rice and meat are served with various greens and pickled vegetables, along with a prawn paste cake, steamed egg, and grilled prawns. Typically, restaurants will serve this popular combination rice plate with a small bowl of sauce, as well as a small bowl of soup broth with garlic chives (to cleanse the throat). The dish "Com tam bi" comes with a egg meatloaf.

"Com tam" Restaurants in Vietnam

In Ha Noi:

• Com tam Moc, 22 Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem district
• Com tam Xua, 60 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem district

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Com tam Cali 1, 32 Nguyen Trai street, District 1
• Com tam Cali 2, 222 Hai Ba Trung street, District 1
• Com tam Moc, 18A Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan district

18. “Hu Tieu” - My Tho noodle soup Hu Tieu (My Tho noodle soup) is a traditional dish, so specific to Southern Vietnam. As a Chinese long-aged dish, this food was reciped to taste My Tho delta people to become well-known nationwide. Back in the 1960s, a shop in My Tho, 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City started serving this dish. Ever since then, its reputation has grown to become a very well known meal in Vietnam. It is said that the most delicious noodle soup is made with Co Cat rice, from the most famous rice growing area of My Phong village, a suburb of My Tho City. My Tho seafood noodle soup is different from Chinese noodle soup, Nam Vang soup, as well as Hue beef noodle soup. The intersting thing is its secret recipe. In stead of herbs and lettuce, you will be tried the flavour of soy bean, lemon, chili, and soy sauce.

“Hu Tieu” Restaurants in Vietnam

In Ha Noi:

• Co Tuan, 47 Tran Quoc Toan street, Hoan Kiem district
• Huy Hoang, 21 Hang Dieu street, Hoan Kiem district

In Ho Chi Minh city:

• Thanh Xuan, 62 Ton That Thiep street, District 1
• Van Ha, 123 Pham Hung street, District 8
• Tung Hung, 147 Tran Hung Dao street, District 1
• Hong Phat, 389 - 391 Vo Van Tan street, District 3

*These descriptions are taken from www.wikipedia.org