Pho-nomenal eats: Best street food in Vietnam

Vietnamese street food is a flavour journey through the country’s culture. Some would argue it’s the best way to experience this Southeast Asian nation. But with a flurry of foods to try, having a local guide proves handy in helping pick the best spots for certain dishes, the alleyway hidden gems, and sustainable cooking classes.

Whether you’re after a steaming bowl of noodle soup or a fresh banh mi, pull up a tiny plastic stool and try the nine best street foods in Vietnam.

Pho

No trip to Vietnam is complete without a heaping bowl of pho. The comforting combo of rice noodles, broth, meat, and herbs makes it one of the most popular Vietnamese street foods.

With so many country-wide variations on the dish, it’s best to try a bowl wherever you go and ask your local guide where to find the best. In Saigon, pho tends to be on the sweeter side, a commonality with southern Vietnamese food, while in Hanoi, it leans more savoury.

Taste it for yourself on: Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City

Banh mi

Banh mi is the perfect pick-me-up when you need a snack on the go. Eaten all day long, banh mi is the best and most popular street food in Vietnam for many. Everyone has a go-to banh mi cart; just ask your guide where to go and how to order. You can grab it to go and chomp away watching a pretty sunset on one of the many stunning beaches in Vietnam.

Although pork is the most popular meat choice, the larger shopfronts and street food carts in Vietnam offer different fillings like chicken, avocado, and egg. From there, you can pick and choose whether you want pâté spread (you do), mayo, Laughing Cow cheese, pickled veggies, herbs, and chilli. When in doubt, just say you’ll have everything.

Taste it for yourself on: Essential Vietnam & Cambodia

Bún riêu

A rice noodle dish with origins in the northern part of Vietnam, bún riêu is a vermicelli noodle soup with crab. Pork bones and tomatoes make a delightfully light broth that balances out the rich meatballs made from crab and cubes of blood pudding.

Depending on which part of the country you’re in, you’ll see slight variations on the dish. Southern versions often have a more tomato-based broth with dried shrimp added, while northern bowls have a clearer broth and include snails.

Taste it for yourself on: Journeys: Explore Vietnam

Ốc

In markets throughout Vietnam, it’s common to see silver bowls overflowing with tiny snails, called ốc. Among the most common foods in Vietnam, snails can be prepared in endless ways, but try them at their simplest: boiled with lemongrass. Use a toothpick to free them from their shell and dip them into an addictive mix of fish sauce, chilli, garlic, and sugar.

Other ốc dishes include stir-fried with garlic and chili and steamed in a coconut milk broth with chili and ginger. Whichever you choose, you’re in for a delicious and nutritious streetside snack.

Taste it for yourself on: Vietnam Hike, Bike & Kayak

Bún chả

The first sign of bún chả is the fragrant smoke coming off the charcoal-grilled pork. A Hanoi specialty, this popular food in Vietnam was the chosen meal for Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama during his 2016 visit.

Grilled pork patties and pork slices accompany an uber-umami bowl of fish sauce and pickled vegetables. The thin rice noodles and fresh vegetables are served on the side for dipping into the meaty, smoky, salty mixture. As always, chili and garlic are also close at hand to suit your tastes.

Taste it for yourself on: Solo-ish Vietnam

Bánh xèo

Referred to as a Vietnamese crêpe or pancake, this crispy fried street food popular in central and southern Vietnam is a standout. The base is rice flour, turmeric, and water splayed on a hot skillet where it sizzles, giving it the nickname “sizzling cake.”

It’s filled with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and mushrooms or mung bean paste and then folded over like an omelette. Served with lettuce (which is used for wrapping up pieces of the bánh xèo) and herbs with a dipping sauce called nước chấm, it’s a fantastically filling dish.

Taste it for yourself on: Vietnam Family Adventure

Cơm tấm

Cơm tấm means “broken rice” and refers to the fractured grains of rice used in the dish. Originally the broken leftovers from the rice milling process, it was a cheap alternative to whole grain rice. Now, it’s a beloved southern street food in Vietnam.

Combined with mouthwatering marinated grilled pork, a sunnyside egg on top, fresh tomatoes, and cucumbers, cơm tấm is a Saigon staple.

Taste it for yourself on: Vietnam: Hanoi, Halong Bay & Trekking Pu Luong

Bún bò Huế

The signature dish of Vietnam’s ancient capital, Huế, bún bò Huế, is a soup showstopper. This spicy beef noodle soup with subtle layers of rich flavours makes it one of Vietnam’s most underrated dishes for travellers.

Chow down on this combination of beef, pork, banana blossom, congealed blood, lemongrass, and shrimp paste served with noodles and spicy beef bone broth. One slurp and you’re hooked.

Taste it for yourself on: Southeast Asia Family Journey: Vietnam to Cambodia

Cao lầu

A lot of mysticism surrounds the Hoi An dish of cao lầu. Its chewy, thick rice noodles are said to be made with magic water from the famous Ba Le well, which many say has never gone dry.

Found almost everywhere in this ancient riverside town, cao lầu is a bowl of noodles, pork slices, fresh herbs, croutons made from rice noodles, and a ladle of meaty, five-spice broth. It’s simple, flavourful, and affordable – a perfect Vietnamese street food. Tummy still rumbling? We've got plenty more ways to fuel your adventures starting with breakfast in Vietnam. Yum yum!

Taste it for yourself on: Vietnam, Laos & Thailand: Riversides & Railways