Vietnam is the cradle of sophisticated dishes that exude healthy colors and flavorful innovations. A general formula for a Vietnamese dish includes a serving of rice-based wraps or noodles, a tart dipping sauce or hearty bone broth, and a hand-plucked selection of raw leaves and herbs for garnish. Prices are affordable, markets stimulate all five senses. In short, this cuisine is the love of my digestive system and this post is meant for only the most ambitious of stomachs.

 

 

When I first realized I needed to get to Southeast Asia, it was because of the food. Specifically, I was scrolling through Instagram in a hostel bed during the rainy hours of Panama. Sleeping was replaced with staring. Staring was then overtaken by drooling. No amount of sampling and draining my dollars in the West would satisfy my intense craving and curiosity for the real deals of Thai and Vietnamese cuisines.

Note: For my favorite moments over my two weeks in Vietnam, see this light-hearted photo journey.

 

 

Table of Contents

Transportation

Accomodation

Eat

Hanoi

Huế

Hoi An

Ho Chi Minh City

 

Transportation

Cheap international flights will take the hungry traveler to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC, Saigon) from any nearby country. I flew in from the Philippines and left with a flight to Thailand, with each one-way flight sitting at around $50-$60 found using Skyscanner.

I lack the motorbike abilities that every other person within the country has, locals and foreigners alike. Many backpackers buy a motorbike at the top or bottom of the country and drive it to the opposite end. I had no problems taking buses between my stops, ranging from a few hours to the 25-hour ride from Hoi An to Saigon, $22. The overnight buses are famed for having bunk beds for seats so that all passengers are extra reclined at all times.

 

 

Accommodation

I had amazing experiences Couchsurfing, a lodging option that works best in larger cities, Hanoi and Saigon. My hostesses went out of their way to help me try market specialties and homemade meals. I had a terrible experience with Google Hostel in Hue, and loved the central location of Hoi Pho Hostel in Hoi An, which sold for $8 using Booking.com.

 

 

Eat

I did little else in Vietnam. If you were hoping on how to book a tour to Ha Long Bay or motorbike to the Ban Gioc waterfalls, stop reading now.

Below are my top picks and tips for finding authentic Vietnamese flavors, ranked in order of cultural importance and tastiness. Of course, my ultimate guru is Jodi from Legal Nomads, and I particularly heralded this post on Saigon street eats.

 

 

Hanoi

Steaming vats of broth nailed into restaurants and carried via yoke. Baskets of yellow xoi sticky rice and bright fruits spilling over the motorbike that serves as a vending counter. Trucks of beer kegs constantly circulating Ba Dinh district in order to keep up with demand, thanks to the strong bia hoi culture.

Coffee, the signature drink of Vietnam, can be found anywhere in the country on the side of the road for cents (world’s top three exporters of coffee in order: Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia). Yet Hanoi stands out for its quirky cafes with finely drawn latte art and questionable manipulations of a classic cup of joe.

Bún chả—The quintessential brunch of the north: chargrilled pork meatballs served with thin rice vermicelli, fresh herbs,  pickled green papaya, and a sweet amber dipping sauce. Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain shared this dish, in this city, in 2016.

It is all in the magic of waving the pork over an open fire. The patties are smashed in between the claws of a device that almost appears to be square metal tennis rackets, that charred flavor gets every eater hooked. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Having bun cha Hanoi entails holding a pair of chopsticks in stupor. Eyes dart around the dining table and your digestive systems lose all sense of satiety cues.

Bún Chả 34 at 34 Hang Than was so popular that they needed walkie talkies to coordinate orders. A nearby walking street on maps.me, Gam Cau, was also full of locals happily squatting on mini stools and chopstick-shoveling from bowl to mouth.

Nem—I personally believe nem is what every spring roll in the West tries to pretend to be and fails miserably at doing so. Textured similarly to the Indian samosa, meat is enveloped in rice paper and lightly fried to airy, crunchy perfection. The rice-based wrapper gives it a translucent appearance. It is often served to complement bun cha, in which case the filling is usually pork and the roll may be cut into little slices with a pair of scissors.

Phở—In the United States, “let’s get Vietnamese” is synonymous with “let’s get a bowl of $10 phở.” While the cuisine goes so much beyond this hearty noodle soup, from the moment my plane landed onto Vietnamese soil I was on the hunt to understand genuine phở and how it varied across the regions of the country. In the north, noodles are wider, the broth is lighter, and green onions replaces sprouts and herbs of the south.

A note on the word phở: accents matter. While phở signifies a hot bowl of delicious rice noodles bathing in an exquisite broth that has been stewed for eight hours, phố means street or city district. Yes, that means every noodle stand and street sign sport the same three letters throughout Vietnam. Moreover, both p-h-o’s, along with the five other p-h-o’s that exist, are pronounced “fuh” and not “fo.” So now you can appropriately smirk the next time you walk by your neighborhood ‘Phở King.’

To enter this slurpy gateway of Vietnamese feasting, look for any crowded stall and join them. My first bowl was at a local joint with Anh, my Couchsurf hostess, in a packed diner. Faces dripped with sweat and orders were intimidatingly taken by megaphone. Try both chicken and beef phở. Oh yeah, and the best bowls sell for under $1.50.

 

 

Bánh mi—A jaw-popping baguette sandwich I will never stop craving. Like the Vietnamese alphabet and the cheap manicures on every city block, fresh $1 subs are a result of French colonialism. Sliced cucumbers, roasted slices of meat, deli, and cilantro marry into a possesive snack. While more prominent towards the south, when in Hanoi go to Bánh Mi 25 and get the combo.

Xoi—The typical breakfast on-the-go of the north. Every morning, throngs of motor bikers stop for scrumptious balls of yellow sticky rice on their way to school or work. The vendors sprinkle the warm rice with some oil, and your choice of meat, garlic, and/or egg crumbles. Then everything gets wrapped up in a sheet of newspaper and handed to you with a small plastic spoon. The whole process is of course done on top of the vendor’s own motorbike, $.50.

Bún oc—A savory snail vermicelli noodle soup served with green bananas and a basket overflowing with fresh herbs. The snails are tiny and barely noticeable. Sold in the building of food stalls next to the Dong Xuan Market for $1.50, it was a go-to favorite lunch for my Couchsurf hostess.

Bún cá—Along with snail noodle soup comes a savory fried fish vermicelli floating in a sour borth, in the same stalls of Dong Xuan, at $1.10.

Bánh cuon—Another genius breakfast of the champions. These beauties are thin rice rolls that are stuffed with pork and wood ear mushrooms before they get steamed to warm pockets of perfection. Occasionally shrimp is used in place of pork, a common theme in Viet gastronomy. Garnishes feature sliced sausages, as well as diced herbs to give it that bright green pop. The rolls are finally cut into bite-sized circles to be swooped up by chopsticks and dipped in a typical chili-fish-sauce.

Egg coffee—As the most famous of the Hanoi specialty drinks, you can’t leave the city without having one. The classic spot to cool off with a glass of coffee sweetened and creamed with foamed egg whites is located in the Old Quarter at Cafe Giảng, $1.20.

Bia hoi—While coffee gets one through the daylight hours, once the sun goes down the beverage of choice is notoriously cheap and accesible. In Hanoi, Vietnamese draft beer that should probably just be called “street beer” is all concentrated around one junction in the Old Quarter: Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen. If those words are too complicated for you, just look for a swarm of drunk folk sitting at child-sized tables. Impossible to miss, $.25 a glass.

Frozen coconut coffee—Another renowned beverage of Hanoi, this slushy drink tastes like coffee and coconut without tasting like sunscreen. Try it for $2 at Cộng Cà Phê, a communist themed chain coffeeshop (brilliant terrace view of Hoan Kiem Lake and mega-scaled motorcycle traffic at the Old Quarter location) that’s popular among students and families alike, or for $1.85 at the hidden Tranquil Books & Coffee.

Yogurt coffee with sticky rice—A tarter, slightly more adventurous, and equally yummy boost of energy from the diverse menu of Cộng Cà Phê.

Soy milk—Nearly all casual eateries offer iced soy milk, sweetened with a spoonful of sugar, to wash the palate. Sip on the creamy goodness for a few cents, or go for the its cousins: peanut milk, lotus milk, and corn milk.

Silken tofu pudding—This street eat melts right off the little iconic Asian spoon and into your mouth. Chewy chrysanthemum beans add some extra tones of fragrance and sweetness. I got mine at some cart being pushed around the busy streets. And took it into a bun cha diner to eat with all my other food. While chocolate, caramel, and dairy dominate the desserts of the West, the bean and plant-based desserts of Asia will always have my heart.

Chè—With this concoction of glutinous rice, bean pastes, sweetened marmalade-looking toppings, no two cups will ever be the same. Some have the same list of ingredients and are named after large Vietnamese cities, but the quantity of each type of goop depends on the mood of the scooper. Sorry to my Filipino friends, but this is like halo halo majorly upgraded. Not to be confused with Ernesto from the Cuban Revolution, this snack is found from the sides of highways to the rowdiest food markets. Oh, and a little bowl of ice comes with it to mix in a little at a time, to cool you down as you eat.

Soft serve ice cream—I found a very (very) impressive cone of matcha and chocolate swirl near the shores of Hoàn Kiếm lake. In the same area, at a 711 or some equivalent air conditioned stop and go snack shop, I found a small cone of charcoal ice cream, $.25.

Bo bia—A sticky confectionary blobbed onto a lollipop stick, sandwiched between two thin rice crackers. Sold around Hoan Kiem lake at night.

Kem—Ice cream on a stick, extremely budget-friendly, marketed as being a treat from ancient times.

 

Best cafe for digital nomadism: Tranquil Books & Coffee filled their walls with shelves of books and every next nook had a power outlet, or a cushion to egg on our most creative selves. The air conditioning and use of real mugs calmed my nerves and shot me into work mode.

Fruit stand shopping list:

• Dragonfruit (I always buy the pink fleshed ones if I can!)
• Mangosteen
• Longyan
• Jackfruit
• Passionfruit
• Mango
• Guava

Couchsurfing note: I stayed for five nights with the lovely Anh and her cousin and sister in their one-room apartment. Avocado is always eaten with sugar and milk and ice in Southeast Asia, so I introduced my hosts to their first bowl of guacamole—Vietnamese markets had the perfect selection of ingredients for it. Hanoi was so hot that I thought I would ruin my healing indigenous tattoo because we had no AC and my skin was constantly damp from sweat.

 

 

Huế

In the old capital of Vietnam one can taste the most authentic creations of Central Vietnamese cuisine. Bún bò Huế literally translates to “vermicelli beef Hue.” Aside from this classic meal, I found myself feasting far more than I had expected. And trust me, my expectations were generous.

 

 

Bún bò Huế—A fragrant, noodle soup was born in this ancient city and soon came to supply the breakfast needs of central Vietnam. The marriage of lemongrass and beef broth exude from a steaming bowl of thick rice noodles, meats, pork hocks, and blood cubes. All the bbH glory is then garnished in fresh banana blossoms and gobs of sprouts and herbs.

I first went to Jodi‘s pick at 38 Tran Cao Van, and watched with awe (and drool) as a team of experienced ladies dropped balls of pork or fish paste into boiling water and others assembled the final product. They are so good they sell out by mid-morning and close shop for the rest of the day, so definitely get there before 9:00am. The second morning I found another authentic spot, a tad further away from the backpacker area, on Lý Thường Kiệt near the junction with Kiệt 11, simply marked “bún bò huế” on maps.me, around $1.50 a bowl. Try their steamed mung bean cakes as well.

Nem lui—I had the most fun eating this one. Grilled batons of minced pork shaped onto lemongrass stalks are served with a platter of crispy leaves, cucumber slices, green figs, and shredded carrots and radishes. These components are placed onto half-moon sheets of dry rice paper (no soaking needed), the lemongrass is slid out, and the mini burrito gets dipped into a warmed meat-peanut sauce. Insanely delicious at Quan Hanh restaurant in the tourist neighborhood recommended by Jodi, $2.

Bánh khoái—A crispy rice flour pancake fried up, folded in half, stuffed with pork, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts, and carrots. With limited time, I only had a chance to try it at Quan Hanh, $1.

Bánh ép—Others are fun to make, but this one is fun to watch. Tapioca dough is balled up, topped with egg and scallion (at this particular stall), and flattened inside some ancient coal-fired apparatus. The lady cut it up and gave it to me with a plate of shredded papaya and carrot, along with sauce. Thanks Jodi for recommending her street-side stand at 14 Le Thanh Ton. Dried versions of bánh ép are also sold throughout the city, and can be stored to be eaten later.

Bánh bột lọc—Tapioca dumplings stuffed with shrimp and/or pork and fresh scallions. These delightfully snacks are steamed in banana leaves until the outside turns clear. I encountered mine in the evening on the streets of Hue and kneeled on cement with pleasure to enjoy my bite.

Bánh beo—Savory rice cakes with toppings that include dried shrimp, crispy pork skin pieces, and fragrant oil. Accompanied with clear dipping sauce. These central Viet specialty is named after the water-fern shape they resemble when served in little ceramic disc. Have it fresh in the Dong Ba market(iced soy milk alert).

Bánh tráng trứng—While at your tiny little 14 Le Thanh Ton table, go ahead and take Jodi’s advice to also order what is commonly considered “Vietnamese pizza.”

Pink-flesh dragonfruits—The Dong Ba market had endless stalls of these gems, along with all other local produce and street foods.

 

Best cafe for digital nomadism: I appreciated the plentiful seating, colorful juices, and strong coffee at the centrally located The One Coffee & Bakery. Try the matcha-coffee latte.

 

Hoi An

This dainty UNESCO World Heritage town attracts tourists from all over to participate in its lantern culture and industry of tailor-made formal wear. Aside from the candle I set afloat in the river during the full moon festival and a new pair of traveler pants, I made sure to make every bite of food count.

 

 

Bánh mi—Anthony Bourdain (rest in peace monsieur!) decided he prefers the sandwiches of Bánh Mi Phuong, so business has been booming every since and the attention and atmosphere at the rival shop, Madam Khanh “The Bánh Mi Queen,” was definitively more personable. I preferred the food at the latter, paired with a cold glass of raw carrot juice. Also complements with with plant milks, see “soy milk ” under “Hanoi.” Both delicious spots are worth experiencing and will cost about $1 to fill you up.

Bánh đập—A stack of thin steamed rice crackers are meant to be smacked with the palm to break them into smaller pieces and dipped into anchovy or chili sauce. If bánh tráng trứng is Vietnamese pizza, then bánh đập is surely Vietnamese nachos. One evening found the kindest lady along Cam Nam street, a block or two beyond the bridge.

Hến trộn bánh tráng—A lightly crispy sesame cracker to be smothered with lightly sweet, garlicky, fried baby clams from the Thu Bon River. Typical of the area, I couldn’t help but order this from the aforementioned lady when I was done with my bánh đập. This authentic seafood dish cost me $1.76.

Cau lầu— I found this pork noodle dish to be overhyped and mediocre relative to what Vietnam has to offer. After all, I do like my noodles in tons of soup. Cau lầu Thanh at 26 Thai Phien will give you a local taste of this Hoi An specialty.

Lemongrass lotus tea—I picked up on this hype by noticing the steady stream of people dropping in and out of Mót Hội An. Again, in a tourist trap, this experience is lovely but not more special than other sweetened drinks with pretty garnishes. Less than a dollar. Very sweetened, might I add.

Rolled Ice Cream—This Thai invention that shook the world of dessert is sold at the night market with all the pretty lanterns.

Fried food—Endless stalls of this also found at the night market.

Smoothies, green juices—Night market.

Ho Chi Minh City

Even before my first conformational steps lost among the dirty streets of HCMC, also known as Saigon, I knew I would like it. A modern city with construction happening around every other corner, it had no quaint appeal of the other towns, but I knew I could live here.

 

Bún riêu cua—Vietnam’s most iconic famous tomato-based noodle soup consists of thin vermicelli, crab meatballs, herbs and shredded banana blossoms, and an essential blood cube. The broth is stronger and more sour than most of the others. Don’t miss out on this essential and try it from Jodi’s favorite bun rieu lady, reported in her blog post to be at either Pasteur and Ly Tu Tong or at Pasteur and Nguyen Du in District 1 every day during lunch hours, $1.32.

Phở đặc biệt—Before I realized how I could eat for two straight weeks in Vietnam, I almost flew to Vietnam for a day just to have an authentic bowl of phở đặc biệt before I left this continent. This pho is the ultimate combo of beef cuts, including the occasional tripe. In the south of the country, pho comes with more herbs, mung bean sprouts, and chili and hoisin (a sweet, thick, and dark brown concoction) sauces. Anywhere you see lots of locals dining, join in, and remember the broth you are downing in five minutes took up to 12 hours to simmer to perfection. $2.40.

Bún thịt nướng—The most addictive salad in the world goes to what Jodi abbreviates as BTN. More thin vermicelli as the base, topped with shredded cucumbers and carrots, and char grilled pork (always a great show at the entrance to draw you in).

But wait, it doesn’t stop there. Instead of croutons, the beauteous bowl is topped with scissor-cut cha gio spring rolls (texture of samosas). Lots of diced herbs for garnish, and a healthy serving of sweet sauce is the perfect dressing. Oh, and this is a salad you can have first thing in the morning, paired with a cute little cup of da ua. I went to Jodi’s pick located in District 1, Chi Thong, located on Co Giang street.

 

 

Da ua—Homemade Vietnamese yogurt. Affordable. Adorable. You don’t need an excuse to treat yourself to some. Thank the French occupation for this legacy and search for it in display fridges of any cafe or diner.

Bánh xèo—Another DIY dish, this takes one’s understanding of how wraps and omelettes work, slaps them together, and flips it all inside out. Quite literally. A delicious turmeric-rice-crepe is dotted with onion slivers, small pork slices, and whole shrimp while pan-fried to a divine crispiness. Topped with ample bean sprouts and folded in half, the eater must then cut up this omelette-doppelgänger to be used as filling, along with typical herbs, all wrapped up and dunked into a typical clear, slightly sweet ‘n’ fishy sauce. Yes, correct, meat and veggies fill a meat-crepe which is all actually filling to stuff into veggie leaves.

I told you. Culinary genius.

You can’t go wrong by joining the families chowing down at Bánh Xèo 46A Đinh Công Tráng, recommended by my Couchsurf hostess. With business so booming that tables spill into the alley and durian motorbikes regularly swing by yelling to sell their giant stinky fruits, please don’t hesitate to shamelessly dine alone. After all, I’ll be with you in spirit.

Bánh mi—Tons of cult-ish spots pump out these sandwiches all over the city. I went to Lesbian Banh Mi (Hyun Hoa). Why lesbian? It’s unclear. The line goes fast, tons of things are forcefully fitted into the baguette. I of course showed up not hungry and left in my second food-trimester.

A minor confession. Somehow, I just like the banh mis of the USA more. It’s unexplainable but I’ll try: the meat is more like deli, and it’s just perfect when it comes from a good jail-cell-outside-looking shop.

There. I said it.

Bún dậu mam tom—A dish for the chemistry lover, distinguished by its unique dipping sauce (mam tom). Fresh lime juice is squeezed into a oily fermented shrimp paste–yes, just eat it–and a reaction makes the purple-brown goop come alive with frothy fizziness.

If you’re hoping the description gets more palatable, it doesn’t. Clumps of thin vermicelli are cut into cubes and arranged on a platter lined with banana leaves. Along with fried tofu, meat and cucumber slices, and sometimes intestines. Bring friends and dip away! It’s spicily sour, it’s a bit sweet, it’s pungent, and somehow you can’t stop picking at it until the table is barren. That’s Vietnam.

A local friend took us to lunch at Bún Đậu Tôn Đào in District 1, at 12 Cô Giang, and a split bill in such restaurants comes out to a couple dollars per person. On the streets, bún dậu is $1.

Bánh khọt—These rice-flour pancakes are topped with shrimps or mince meat, and herbs. They are thick and miniature, resembling a display-case-worthy tart. While time didn’t allow to find an authentic dive on the streets for this, I went to the restaurant by Turtle Pond (street food/ Vietnamese pizza alert) recommended by Jodi at 40B Trần Cao Vân.

Gỏi cuốn—A chewy rice-based roll filled with the layered textures of three prawns, sliced pork, and thin vermicelli. Not to be confused with the deep fried Western image of an Asian roll, this light dish has cooked components but is served cold with a thick peanut sauce. Look for the telltale mark of authenticity: a cute spring onion sprig jutting out of the roll like a little green tail.

Bánh ướt—Extremely similar to brunch item bahn cuon (see “Hanoi” section), these crepes are slightly thicker, filled with grilled meats, and served with a clear sauce with a brown tinge. I found mine at a random maps.me spot in the Mekong Delta. They came topped with shredded papaya, carrots, greens, and fried tiny shrimps.

Coffee shops—Don’t Google “Saigon cafes” or you’ll put your head down and start crying. Impossible to cover all the ground, I went running up warehouse buildings and weaving through small streets, each one has something quirkily iconic or historical to suck you in.

Street cart drinks—On every corner, these pit stops cool you off with ample ice for a fraction of a dollar. Ca phe sua da, or condensed milk iced coffee, along with fresh passionfruit juice, are daily must haves.

Artisanal beer—Have a flight and people watch the liveliest tourist drag, Bui Vien, from the terrace of Ông Cao. This local microbrewery serves a fun selection of craft beers with oriental inspiration such as Jasmine IPA, Passionfruit Wheat Ale, Saigon Cider, Tete White Ale, and One Eye Imperial IPA, or Phat Shiv IPA. One can also order occidental varieties including a Dark Belgian, Primeval Forest Pilsner, or perhaps the Summer Hefeweizen. $3-4 pints, $6.60 flights.

Bánh tam bi—Meatballs and not-spaghetti. Instead, the pasta is shorter and tapioca-based, the sauce is coconut based. A Jodi favorite, I went to her recommendation, Quan Sadec.

Bún mam—Yet another soup with a bit thicker rice noods, jumbo shrimp, pork, fish, a seafood broth, and green onions to garnish. Jodi recommended the stalls behind the Ben Thanh market (tourist prices, not recommended for buying anything) so that’s where I had it, $3.

Bánh canh cua—Thick tapioca noods, crab-based soup, also found in by Ben Thanh, but had time allowed I would have searched dirtier the dirtier allies for a better and cheaper bowl.

 

Fruit market shopping list:

• Dragonfruit
• Mangosteens
• Crunchy baby pineapples
• Mangos
• Limes

 

Salsa dancing and mojitos: Free salsa classes and socials happen regularly at La Habana, District 1. My Couchsurfing hostess Kim brought me with her for a night of unexpected resurfacing of Latino nostalgia in my heart.

Best cafe for digital nomadism: Hard to find, quiet, and well set up, my pick goes to Mockingbird. For maximum refreshing, I recommend of course the iced ca phe sua da, as well as their signature herbal green tea.

Best book to be reading: Last Night I Dreamt of Peace is the diary of a young physician who gave everything she could to heal the communist soldiers during the Vietnam war. She listened to their emotions, and wrote down her own. Dang Thuy Tram was shot by an American soldier at age 27, the book was found on her body, and returned to her family years later.

Couchsurfing note: HCMC is sprawling with 24 districts of urban madness and therefore perfect for couch surfing. I stayed half a week at Royal Saigon restaurant, one of the top hits on Google for dining in Saigon, using my fluent English and Mandarin to serve and socialize with customers during dinner hours in exchange for my own private room. The food is catered to tourists and is not included in this post, which is meant for traditional flavors from the streets that are not for the faint of heart. The next half of a week I stayed with Kim, her sister, and their loving mother in District 2.

 

 

Mini Glossary

bánh—bread, cake

bò—beef

bún—thin, white rice noodles (vermicelli)

cá—fish

cà phê/ den/ sữa đá—coffee/ black / with ice and condensed milk

cơm—rice

cua—crab

da—milk

dậu—tofu

gà—chicken

oc—snail

phở—flattened, long rice noodles

nem—roll

nước chấm—traditional clear dipping sauce with fish sauce base

sua—milk

trà—tea

 

Now go. Go motorbike, island hop, and sweat off your food comas as I leave you with these words of wisdom:

“There is a fallacy in North America and parts of Europe that cheaper food is not quality cuisine, something reinforced by an abundance of processed food choices. In much of the world a roadside meal is not only the freshest and tastiest option but also an ideal way to discover the building blocks of what a society eats, and why. Moreover, it serves as an entry point to a rabbit hole of conversations, one topic leading to the next, all ignited by a common desire to enjoy food.”

–Jodi Ettenberg, The Food Traveler’s Handbook

 

Ready to eat more? Check out my Chasing Calories guide to Chiang Mai, Thailand!