In today’s article I present to you our list of 10 Vietnamese dishes you must try. These are based on our personal favourites and our opinion on their popularity. We decided to leave out appetizers and beverages since we figure you get them regularly. Keep in mind that only few restaurants actually serve all these 10 items, so you might have to do some investigating!

our top 10 must try vietnamese dishes

Top 3 Dishes

The top 3 Vietnamese dishes that everyone has to have, and probably have had, are pho, rice combo, and vermicelli combo. These are not only the staples of most restaurants, they are also the representatives of Vietnamese cuisine outside of Vietnam. As discussed in previous articles (pho, rice, vermicelli), these 3 dishes can be customized based on your taste.

mouth watering pho

rice with pork chops

spring roll and grilled meat vermicelli

The 7 Musts

Here are the next 7, in no particular order.

Banh Xeo. Sizzling Crepes – “Bun say-oh” is a fun dish to try. Besides being prettily yellow, it is also fun to eat, as it is a crepe stuffed with different goodies.

sizzling crepes

Hu Tieu My Tho. My Tho Seafood Noodles is a glass noodle soup dish with lots of vegetables and seafood. Egg noodle can also be added.

My Tho seafood noodle

Bun Bo Hue. Spicy Hue Noodle – “Bun bo Hue is the most famous dish to come out of the centrally located, imperial city of Hue. Thicker, round rice noodles in a spicy beef broth flavoured principally with lemongrass and chili, bun bo Hue is extremely rich in flavour and aroma. Large pieces of pig knuckle and (fatty) slices of beef add body to the soup, while thinly sliced red onions, chopped scallion and a squirt of lime give bun bo Hue an element of freshness.”

spicy Hue noodle

Banh Cuon. Rice-flour Crepes with Minced Pork – “Banh cuon is a popular dish hailing from Northern Vietnam and is typically eaten in the day time. It is a thin rice flour crepe stuffed primarily with ground pork and minced wood-ear mushroom. Banh cuon is laid out flat on a dish, topped with fresh sprigs of coriander, accompanied by slices of pickled carrot and daikon, and doused with sweet nuoc mam. Cooked bean sprouts and Vietnamese pork sausage (cha lua) are optional, although commonly added to the dish as well.”

banh cuon

Canh Chua Ca Kho To. As traditional as it gets, this dish of Sweet and Sour Fish Soup with Braised Fish in Clay Pot is something the whole family can share and enjoy.

canh chua ca kho to

Bo Luc Lac. ” The famous dancing beef dish of Vietnam. This is Vietnamese stir-fry at its finest. Made from marinated beef cut into cubes and fried with shallots, served over watercress, and, or lettuce, it’s a simple but delicious dish for beef lovers. Just as its appearance suggests, its flavours are bold and mouth watering.”

shaking beef

Bun Rieu. “Crab meat noodle soup is an extremely rich noodle soup originating from northern Vietnam. Made with a tomato-based broth flavoured with fresh crab paste and shrimp paste, bun rieu is a fine meld of sweet, savoury and sour. Vermicelli noodles, crab cake, fried tofu, and vegetarian sausage are added to the soup base, then garnished with fresh cilantro, bean sprouts and fresh water spinach.”

bun rieu

That wraps up our top 10. Aside from the Top 3, what are your 7 must have dishes?

The batter used is a mixture of rice flour, water, chopped scallion, and tumeric powder, which gives it its yellow appearance. Depending on the cook, sometimes coconut milk is added.

shrimps and bean sprouts are visible

Xeo is the sizzling sound made when the batter is poured into the hot pan. The thin layer of batter quickly forms a crispy “tortilla.” Then a stir fried combination of pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and sometimes squid is added to its centre. The crepe is then folded in half to be served. It is best to eat banh xeo immediately out of the pan while it’s still crispy and warm. Allow it time to cool down and it becomes soggy.

crispy yellow, healthy greens

Banh xeo is served with a plate of fresh veggies including lettuce leafs, cucumber, herbs, and mints. Traditionally, one would tear a small piece of the crepe and place it inside a lettuce leaf and fold the leaf into a wrap to be dipped in the fish sauce based dip. Despite it being a messy method, this is the preferred way to enjoy this dish. If you’re not comfortable eating it as finger food, then a fork and knife would be just as effective.

there's only one way to find out..

If you plan on ordering this at a restaurant, check the beverage menu to see if they have soda sua hot ga, or egg yolk in soda water, mixed with sweet condensed milk. Despite its odd combination of ingredients, this beverage is refreshingly tasty, and very satisfying. Oh, and wear a yellow shirt, too. : )

Photo credit: Andrew Lam