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?

Hu Tieu My Tho

I was so delighted to see this arrive at my table. Colourful ingredients piled high upon a soft mound of noodles in a clear flavourful broth. On this occasion I was feeling adventurous and decided to veer from the usual suspect. Seafood is always a good alternative when the palette desires a change from the ordinary. This meal definitely satisfied my expectations…

Different view of my lovely My Tho Seafood Noodles

This bowl of goodness is a mouthful to describe. While admiring what was in front of me I realized how simple all the ingredients were that conspired to build such complimentary flavours. The butterflied shrimp was the first thing that caught my attention but what I wanted to taste immediately as I swirled my chopsticks into my bowl were the deep fried curls soaking up the broth. It was crunchy and sweet fish cake. The next thing I did was disassemble the artful pile to examine what tastes would come next.

Mmm : )

What I discovered was a meld of herbs that complimented nicely the subtlety of seafood. Atop bean sprouts and lettuce were shrimp and squid next to coriander, garlic, chives, and green onions. Because seafood with noodle soup is mild and fresh, the dish was paired with deep fried fish cake and sprinkled with sweet fried shallot to create a more dynamic taste. Next time you are feeling adventurous try this!!!