Vietnamese Street Food: Must Try Dishes

Vietnamese street food is a sensory experience unlike any other. The streets of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and countless smaller towns are filled with vendors cooking over open flames, the aroma of fresh herbs and grilled meat filling the air. Vietnamese cuisine is celebrated for its balance of fresh ingredients, bold flavors, and textural contrasts. This guide covers the must try street food dishes you need to experience.

Pho is Vietnam's most iconic dish and one of the world's great soups. This fragrant noodle soup consists of a clear, deeply flavored broth, flat rice noodles, and thin slices of beef or chicken. The broth, which can take up to 24 hours to prepare, is made from simmered bones, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and other aromatics. A bowl of pho is served with a plate of fresh herbs including Thai basil, cilantro, and bean sprouts, along with lime wedges and chili for customizing to your taste. Pho is eaten throughout the day in Vietnam, including breakfast, and each region has its own variation.

Banh mi is the world's greatest sandwich, and that is not an exaggeration. This crusty baguette, a legacy of French colonialism, is filled with a combination of ingredients that perfectly represents Vietnam's culinary fusion. The classic banh mi includes pate, cold cuts, pickled daikon and carrot, fresh cilantro, sliced chili, and cucumber. The contrast between the crunchy bread, savory meats, tangy pickles, and fresh herbs creates a symphony of flavors and textures. Banh mi vendors are found on virtually every street corner, and a sandwich typically costs less than a dollar.

Bun cha is a Hanoi specialty that gained international fame when a former US president enjoyed it at a local restaurant. The dish consists of grilled pork patties and sliced pork belly served with rice vermicelli, fresh herbs, and a dipping sauce of fish sauce, lime, sugar, and garlic. You assemble each bite yourself, picking up noodles, wrapping them with herbs, dipping the pork, and eating the combination together. The smoky, sweet grilled meat paired with the fresh herbs is extraordinary.

Banh xeo are crispy Vietnamese crepes made from rice flour, turmeric, and coconut milk. The batter is poured into a hot, oiled pan and filled with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, and mung beans. The crepe is folded in half and served golden and sizzling. To eat banh xeo, you tear off a piece, wrap it in lettuce and herbs, and dip it in a nuoc cham sauce. The combination of crispy crepe, fresh greens, and tangy sauce is addictive.

Com tam, or broken rice, is the quintessential working class lunch in Ho Chi Minh City. The dish uses fractured rice grains, a byproduct of the milling process, which have a slightly different texture than whole grains. It is served with grilled pork chop, a fried egg, shredded pork skin, pickled vegetables, and nuoc cham. Simple, filling, and incredibly flavorful, com tam is served at dedicated restaurants throughout southern Vietnam.

Goi cuon, or fresh spring rolls, are the light, healthy counterpart to fried spring rolls. Rice paper wrappers are filled with shrimp, pork, rice vermicelli, lettuce, and herbs, then rolled tightly. They are served with a peanut dipping sauce or fish sauce. The rolls are cool, refreshing, and perfect for hot weather. Watching street vendors roll them with practiced speed is mesmerizing.

Cao lau is a dish found only in the ancient town of Hoi An. Thick rice noodles with a unique chewy texture are topped with sliced pork, fresh herbs, crispy croutons, and a small amount of rich broth. Legend holds that the authentic noodles must be made with water from a specific well in Hoi An, giving them their distinctive character. Whether or not this is true, cao lau is a dish that cannot be authentically replicated anywhere else.

Bun bo Hue is a spicy beef noodle soup from the central city of Hue. Unlike the subtle flavors of pho, this soup is bold and fiery, with a broth infused with lemongrass, shrimp paste, and chili oil. Thick round noodles, sliced beef, pork knuckle, and cubes of congealed blood are served in the intensely flavored broth. It is a dish that showcases the more assertive flavors of central Vietnamese cuisine.

Vietnamese street food is best experienced by pulling up a tiny plastic stool at a sidewalk vendor, pointing at what looks good, and diving in. The best food is often found at the most humble stalls, where families have been perfecting a single dish for generations.