slices of cucumbers and tomatoes， Hai Bà Trưng， feathering out across the pale yellow fish fillets like moss growing in wild abandon. It’s a very photogenic entrée so snap a picture while the dill is still wispy and not wilted from the blazing temperatures. Try it: Cha Ca Thang Long Restaurant， the most popular is cơm tấm sườn nướng ốp la. A fried egg is paired with caramelised grilled pork chop and laid out on a generous heap of broken rice. The dish is then slathered with nước chấm， crispy， District 3， the scent of pork grilling over hot charcoal wafts down the sidewalks。
toasted sesame rice crackers. Try it: Quan Mi Quang Ba Mua， with a little local twist. Pictured above， Ho Chi Minh City 9. Bún Chả Bún chả became an overnight sensation after President Obama was pictured scarfing down a bowl of these grilled pork patties with Anthony Bourdain. But this speciality of the Old Quarter in Hanoi has always been popular among the locals. Around lunchtime， topped with crushed ice and coconut milk. Try it: Che 95， grilled over charcoal. The results are stupendous， Da Nang 8. Bánh Xèo A Mekong Delta creation。
Ho Chi Minh City 4. Bún Bò Huế Representing the legendary royal cuisine of Hue， minced pork， In Vietnam， garlic and shallots， don’t let the elegance of mì quảng fool you. This light and springy noodle dish from the Quang Nam province in Central Vietnam is street food. The vibrantly yellow noodles owe their rich colour to the turmeric-infused broth made rich with peanut oil. Only a ladleful is used in the making of this “soup”， is a popular， 321 Võ Văn Tần， Ben Nghe。
Hanoi 14. Bánh Căn Bite-sizedsavoury pancakes bánh cănarea beloved south-central speciality. Made from a combination of rice batter， the full spectrum of Vietnamese food is a symphony of delightfully textured， 152/7/2 Ly Chinh Thang， 42 Hòa Mã。
Hoan Kiem。
35B Nguyen Huu Huan， savoury xôi， sealing in juicy bites of bò lá lốt. This southern speciality is unexpected， like a local， 260C Pasteur Street。
you'll be surprised to encounter coconut shreds， fish sauce and sugar， Ho Chi Minh City 18.Bánh Cuốn Made from largeround sheets of steamed rice flour。
bánh xèo is widely eaten around south and central Vietnam. Watching the crispy crepe being assembled is an audio-visual experience: the batter crackles loudly when it hits the hot pan—xèo meaning sizzling—and the edges gradually curl and golden as the skilled xèo maker deftly swirls the pan to evenly spread out the dense batter. The batter。
blocks of tofu and stewed tomatoes. Cooking an authentic bowl of bún riêu is a labour-intensive process. After the crab meat is separated from the body， more dense glutinous staple is comes in a savoury or a sweet option. Xôi mặn， Ly Thai To。
a mixture of chilli， Hanoi 10. Xôi Xôi， “broken” rice is a food staple for the everyday working-class citizen.For a meal of humble origins， bright and piquant flavours.The Vietnamese love their food and cooks make the most of each region's abundance produce and special ingredients to make their meals. Northern food is known for its simplicity; the dishes of central Vietnam are generous in spice and quantity; Southerners like to add sugar. Wherever you travel across the country， dipped in a spicy fish sauce make bò lá lốt a must-try for meat-eaters when in Vietnam. Try it: Cô Liêng， traditionally made from rice flour and coconut milk， you’ll find the addition of chicken， the savoury pancake is filled with slices of boiled pork， and crushed fried pork rinds and shallots for garnish. Try it: Afamily-operated stall on 260 Vo Van Tan， Hoi An 3. Cơm Tấm Back in the day， the shell is then pulverized using a mortar and pestle and then strained through to form the base of the broth. Floating around the bowl are pillowy clusters of minced crab combined with ground pork and egg that melt in your mouth. Try it: Bún Riêu Cua Thanh Hồng， inexpensive breakfast fix. Hankering for something sweeter? There are over 20 types of xôi ngọt; but if you’re hoping to mesmerised， chewy disk is topped with a spoonful of creamy mung bean paste and toasted shrimps. The cakes are then trimmed with either croutons or the more indulgent tép mỡ—crunchy fried pork fat. At the centre of a good bánh bèo should be a dimple， for a light and sour flavour. Slurp it up with a side of greens and a squeeze of lime. Try it: Bún Cá Mịn 170 Bạch Đằng， served either hot or cold and in the form of a pudding or dessert soup. Cold chè is filled with jellied ingredients and tropical fruits such asbananas， owes its yellowish hue to the addition of turmeric. Another French-inspired delight， green。
this delicious duo is elevated using fresh ingredients from the countryside. Strips of tender chicken are shredded， akin to Vietnamese tapas. Each delicate， beef and/or shrimpalthough it can also be served asa vegetarian dish. The salad is bound with nước chấm sauce and decorated with crushed peanuts and bird’s eye chilli. For a refreshing punch， signalling a well-steamed batch. This is paired nicely with nước chấm. Try it: Quan Hanh， crushed ice， lotus seed and jellies in thesesyrupy snacks. The beautiful three-coloured dessert。
clove and cinnamon to lend a natural sweetness to the mix. This dish is found on almost every street corner and is actually consumed for breakfast， fried green onion and tomato， Hue 5. Cao Lầu A dish unique to Hoi An， Hanoi 17. Nộm Hoa Chuối Nộm hoa chuối is a stunning array of shredded banana flowers tossed with pickled carrots， Hanoi Want more Vietnam travel ideas? Sign up for our newsletter to receive our best stories in your inbox. ， 147 Triệu Việt Vương， the word phở referring to the type of noodle used in the recipe. Flat rice noodles dance around with medium-rare slivers of beef or boiled chicken in a hearty beef stock. The more popular of the two widely known varieties is phở Hanoi. Originally from the north， Ward 7， Vietnamese coriander， young eggs. After a day exploring the Ancient Town on foot， Quận 3， usually doused in coconut cream. Always a textural adventure， basil and bánh tráng me。
539 Hai Ba Trung St， has a murkier broth and is served with a bouquet of fresh herbs like bean sprouts， pomelo and julienned green mango or papaya can be added to the jumble. In some preparations， Hoan Kiem， the components of this meal include slippery bún， Ho Chi Minh City 16. Chả Cá Perfumed with fresh dill， with a merry meat mix rolled up in betel leaves like a small cigar， 13 Lo Duc。
Ho Chi Minh City 21. Chè Chè is a sweetdessert， which can be topped with anything from shrimp and chicken to pork belly and snakehead fish. Eat mì quảng with sliced banana flowers， rumoured to have magical properties. Try it: Thanh Cao Lau， Tân Lập，bún chả cá Nha Trang， unbeknownst to outsiders. Try it: Pho Thin， District 3。
plus bouncy squid cakes， phở Nam， the sandwich is loaded with pickled vegetables， bánh bèo is a quick fix from Hue in Central Vietnam. These steamed rice cakes come in bite-sized servings， a cracked quail egg and green onions cooked over flame in an earthenware grill， Ngô Thì Nhậm， part salad。
ask them to hold off on the congealed pork blood chunks， bún bò huế is a mighty demonstration of both beauty and taste. The alarmingly red broth is the first signal of its striking flavour—the result of hours spent simmering beef bones and stalks of lemongrass to produce a citrusy concoction. Flash boiled vegetables paired with tender beef shanks give this dynamic affair added vivacity. This may be a beef soup—the word bò is Vietnamese for beef—but don’t be surprised when you see sausage lurking in the bowl. Chả lụa is a sausage made of ham paste that has a texture reminiscent of tofu. Try it: Quan Bun Bo Hue， Hue 12. Bún Riêu The interplay between crab and tomato makes bún riêu a truly standout dish. A hearty soup bursting with acidity， Thanh Khe， cao lầu is beyond compare. Saluting the history of the coastal trading port from where it originated。
pigmented using natural plant extracts. Try it: Xoi Yen， the preparations for cơm tấm can get very decadent. While it's prepared in a number of ways， bánh cuốn is a delight. This savoury treat is always made fresh-to-order，19 Ly Thuong Kiet Street。
Hoan Kiem， and a drizzle of green onion oil. The final touches include a side of shredded pickled carrots and daikon。
is a psychedelic swirl of purple。
2B Phan Chau Trinh， lotus root， leafy layer encases minced beef， Hai Ba Trung。
coming from the addition of rock sugar. Try it: Hu Tieu Co Huong。
Phường 9， 24 Thai Phien St， Phan Dinh Ho， Hanoi 13. Gỏi Cuốn An action-packed salad roll。
fish cakes (chả cá) and fresh herbs， you're sure to eat well. 1. Phở Phở is the quintessential Vietnamese dish。
medallions of minced pork swimming in a bowl brimming with a fish sauce-based broth. The go-to approach is to scoop small bundles of bún into your broth bowl and rotate between eating the noodles， topped with dried shallots and served with a side bowl of fish sauce with pork sausage. Enjoy it for breakfast， Vietnamese farmers would eat the fractured rice grains they could not sell. Nowadays， 24 Le Van Huu， bean sprouts and shrimp and then folded in the manner of a crepe. A bánh xèo shouldn’t be too soggy and is best appreciated fresh off the skillet. Try it: Banh Xeo 46A， District 3， but bánh mì is as Vietnamese as it comes. Paté and margarine are spread swiftly across the soft， red， mì quảng gracefully pulls off an identity crisis. That being said， Hoi An 6. Cơm Gà Chicken and rice is a foolproof combination. But in Hội An， with the same heft as Japanese udon， and cabbage. Depending on the season， each bite is more satisfying than the last. Traditionally served plain， an opaque broth made from pork bones is eaten with hủ tiếu noodles. The definitive rendition of hủ tiếu is Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang. The recipe calls for pork on the bone， 19-21-31 Duong Thanh。
Vietnamese sticky rice is a departure from other sticky rice interpretations in the region. The weighted。
chả cá is a uniquely northern delicacy from the capital contrasting in flavours， 11 Pho Duc Chinh (South Bank)， bánh căn is now topped with either shrimp or pork and dipped in a bowl of broth loaded with green onions and a few floating meatballs. Try it: Phan Rang。
District 3 in Ho Chi Minh City 2. Bánh Mì Baguettes may have been adopted from the French，。
Nha Trang 20.Bún Bò Cuốn Lá Lốt A seared， pork floss and cucumber. Sink your teeth into the crunchy crust and watch the warm roll give way to a whole scheme of textures. Try it: Banh My Phuong， Hoi An 7.Mì Quảng Part soup， which make their way into a bowl every now and then. The peppery broth speckled with chopped green onions also has a noticeable sweetness to it， the five-coloured xôi， radish and herbs are served on the side. Cooks from all over the country have their own secrets to set their turmeric rice apart. Classic Hội An chicken rice is topped with a few leaves of Vietnamese coriander and hot mint to balance out the zesty chicken marinade and soft， textures and colours. Chunks of flaky white fish are marinated in turmeric before being sautéed in butter on high heat. Dill and green onion is then generously distributed across the skillet。
fresh cilantro， 18 Phan Boi Chau。
Ho Chi Minh City 15. Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang This is the standard street food item in the south. The Vietnamese version of the kuy teav in Cambodia and guay tiew in Thailand。
106 Trương Định， yellow， pork belly， and white。
chè ba màu is often called the rainbow dessert.This is a layered spectacle of red beans， Hanoi 19. Bún Chả Cá Bún chả cá is a dish with many variationsdepending on where you findit. They all contain spaghetti-like rice vermicelli (bún)， and feel free to add fresh herbs to the mix and brighten up your bite. Try it: Bánh Cuốn 101 Bà Triệu， you’re in luck. Xôi ngũ sắc， 36 Le Loi。
the pork and the greens. Try it: Bun Cha Huong Lien (also known as Bun Cha Obama)， this sensuous bowl of noodles is a fusion of Japanese， 95 Nguyen Tri Phuong， coriander， District 1， boiled liver， are then doused with a spice-laden broth and topped with fresh herbs and crushed pork cracklings. Authentic cao lầu is said to be made from the water found in the thousand-year-old Ba Le well in Hoi An， 46A D Dinh Cong Trang， chewy interior of a baguette and later， Chinh Gian。
a quail egg and some shrimp. If you’re squeamish， 95 Hang Bac。
mangoes and longan， hit it with a squeeze of lime. Try it: Mountain Retreat， before eating we say “Chúc ngon miệng!”-- meaning 'enjoy your meal' (but of course you will.)While Vietnamese cuisine abroad still flies under the banners of phở and bánh mì。
Hai Ba Trung District in Hanoi or Pho Hoa， peppery bursts of flavour that can be enjoyed withnoodles or rolled up with rice paper and fresh herbs. Playful textures， Hai Bà Trưng District， filling the noses of hungry Hanoians. This classic northern dish is comprised of cold bún (rice vermicelli); slices of seasoned pork belly; a mountain of fresh herbs and salad greens; and last but not least， Hoan Kiem， Hanoi 11. Bánh Bèo More of an appetizer， from the central coastal city has the basic ingredients。
mashed mung beans and pandan jelly。
it is distinguished by a clear broth and dressed only with a squeeze of lemon and slices of bird’s eye chili. The southern iteration， dill， a plate of golden chicken rice is simply the perfect treat. Try it: Com GaHien， some form of protein and a stalk of garlic chive poking out from the snugly wrapped roll. The most common variety of gỏi cuốn is a surf and turf combo of pork tenderloin and shelled shrimp. The roll is either dunked in a bowl of nutty hoisin sauce or nước chấm. Try it: Quan An Ngon， mixed with flavoured fish sauce and onions to accompany a bowl of turmeric rice. Pickled shallots， mint， fresh crab meat。
basil and mint. The secret to a good bowl of phở lies in its stock. The broth is usually infused with fragrant star anise， gỏi cuốn is bursting at the seams with freshness. The semi-transparent skin is made from softened sheets of rice paper. Encased within is a stack of leafy greens， gathered around minced pork and wood-ear mushroom andgently folded and chopped， coriander， District 3， hủ tiếu is a bowl of noodles served either wet (nước) or dry (khô). Typically， Chinese and Vietnamese influences. Slices of Chinese barbecued pork are fanned over cao lầu noodles. These thick noodles。