Vietnamese Food

Vietnamese food is regional to its core: Hanoi's clean northern broths, Hue's imperial spice, Hoi An's merchant-port noodles, Saigon's street abundance. One country, four cuisines, and the herbs are non-negotiable.

Dining out in Vietnam

The street stall is the unit of Vietnamese dining: low plastic stools, one dish done perfectly, eaten in minutes. The bia hoi corner (fresh draft beer, brewed daily) is the evening institution in Hanoi and spreading south. Restaurants proper handle the imperial banquets of Hue and the white-tablecloth seafood of the coast.

Etiquette: tipping is not traditional but small tips are welcome in tourist areas. Bargain in markets, never in restaurants. Chopsticks stay out of the rice bowl upright; use the serving spoons.

Dishes and drinks

Eight dishes that define Vietnamese cooking, from north to south.

PhoNorthern Vietnam; the national dish

A banh mi dac biet (special combo): pork belly, pork roll and pate in a crackling baguette, Saigon

Banh MiSaigon; the French-Vietnamese baguette

Bun cha: grilled pork in broth with vermicelli and herbs

Bun ChaHanoi; the capital's lunch

Cao LauHoi An; made nowhere else

Com tam: broken rice with grilled pork, Saigon's working lunch

Com TamSaigon; broken rice

Banh xeo, the sizzling turmeric crepe, with herbs

Banh XeoCentral and southern Vietnam; the sizzling crepe

Bun bo Hue: thick round noodles in the deep-red lemongrass-and-chili broth

Bun Bo HueHue; the imperial beef soup

Ca phe trung (egg coffee) on a Hanoi side street

Ca Phe TrungHanoi; egg coffee

Regional food guides

Each region has its own kitchen.

Tu San Canyon and the Nho Que River, seen from Ma Pi Leng Pass, Ha Giang

Northeast · Cha muc (grilled squid patties, the Ha Long speciality); Banh cuon with cha muc at the morning markets

Rice terraces in the mountains of northern Vietnam

Northwest · Thang co (Hmong horse-meat hotpot, the Sapa market speciality); Com lam (bamboo-tube sticky rice) and grilled pork from the highland markets; Sapa salmon and sturgeon, farmed in the cold mountain streams

A night market street in Hanoi's Old Quarter

Red River Delta · Pho (born in the delta, perfected in Hanoi); Bun cha (Hanoi's grilled-pork lunch, eaten with vermicelli and herbs); Ca phe trung (egg coffee, invented in Hanoi in the 1940s); Cha ca La Vong (turmeric fish with dill, the Hanoi classic)

The Meridian Gate (Ngo Mon), entrance to the Imperial City of Hue

North Central Coast · Bun bo Hue (the spicy beef noodle soup, Hue's signature); Banh khoai (Hue's crisp shrimp pancake) and banh beo (steamed rice cakes); Com hen (clam rice, the Hue working-class classic)

Lantern boats on the Thu Bon River, Hoi An, at night

South Central Coast · Cao lau (Hoi An's thick noodle dish, made only here); White rose dumplings (banh bao banh vac, the Hoi An speciality); Mi Quang (turmeric noodles with shrimp and pork, the Quang Nam classic); Bun cha ca (fish cake noodle soup, the Nha Trang bowl)

Central Highlands · Banh can (small rice pancakes with quail egg, the Da Lat street snack); Avocado ice cream (kem bo, the Da Lat dessert); Highland coffee: robusta, strong and sweet with condensed milk

The Ho Chi Minh City skyline at sunrise, with the Bitexco Financial Tower

Southeast · Com tam (broken rice with grilled pork, Saigon's working lunch); Banh mi (the Saigon cart is the national icon); Hu tieu (pork and seafood noodle soup, the Cholon bowl)

Boats trading at the Cai Rang floating market, Can Tho

Mekong River Delta · Hu tieu My Tho (the delta's pork and seafood noodle soup); Banh xeo (the delta makes the biggest, crispiest crepes); Ca loc nuong trui (grilled snakehead fish, wrapped in rice paper); Tropical fruit: mangosteen, rambutan, durian from the orchards

Drinks

Ca phe sua daIced robusta coffee with condensed milk

Ca phe trungHanoi's egg coffee, invented 1946

A bia hoi corner in Hanoi's Old Quarter: fresh draft beer on plastic stools

Bia hoiFresh draft beer, brewed daily, on plastic stools

Tra da: iced green tea, served with meals across the south

Tra daIced green tea, served with meals in the south