Vietnamese cuisine has long been regarded as a premium cuisine that embodies the best of Vietnamese flavours and is consistently ranked among the world’s top gastronomic havens. When discussing Vietnam, popular meals like Pho, Banh Mi, Bun Bo Hue, etc. are frequently mentioned. Everyone is all in love with Phở at this point. Although those foods are well-liked for a reason, there are many more intriguing traditional Vietnamese cuisines that the majority of tourists there are either unaware of or have never tried.
This is the guide you need if you’re looking for more delicious Vietnamese cuisine! In addition to pho, here are most underrated food should taste in Vietnam.
Steamed rice paper rolls
Bánh cuốn are a popular treat in Vietnam, yet few foreigners are aware of them. The filling for bánh cuốn is a combination of cooked, spiced ground pork, finely minced wood ear mushroom, and finely minced shallots. In addition to the dipping sauce, which is fish sauce (nước mắm), the sides for this dish typically include chả lụa (Vietnamese pork sausage), cucumber slices, and bean sprouts.
Nothing compares to the warmth and exquisite crunch of freshly steamed rice wrappers, which you want to devour as soon as possible. Pork and vegetables provide a flavorful stuffing. A fresh pile of bean sprouts, herbs, and various sides is constantly there; they are all intended to be dipped or drizzled in prepared fish sauce. I’m sure to be more excited than ever for bánh cuốn, the appealing dish of Vietnam.
Rice noodle and crab soup
You might have barely heard of this dish. But this is one of the well-known and traditional dishes in the cuisine of Hai Phong, Vietnam, bánh đa cua. In true Hai Phong fashion, a bowl of bánh đa cua prepared with both traditional and modern ingredients is really a very striking, multi-colored composite picture of ingredients.
The primary components of multi-crab cake are: copper crab (cua đồng), red banyan cake (bánh đa đỏ), pork tube bone (xương ống lợn), shrimp, spinach, served with shrimp paste, chili peppers, raw vegetables of all kinds (lettuce, vegetables made from thinly chopped banana stems, marjoram, bean sprouts, etc.), and lemons.
You will experience the sweetness of the crab, the perfume of the leaf rolls, the chewy crunch of the fish cakes, and the fat of the crab bricks when you eat this meal, and all of these flavors will please your taste buds.
Grilled pork cakes and rice noodle
Vietnamese cuisine has long featured the popular component vermicelli (bún). You should give bún chả a try, among other dishes. Bún chả is made up of vermicelli (bún), charcoal-grilled pig patties (chả thịt lợn nướng), and a bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce. The meal, which hails from the North of Vietnam, is considered to be Hanoi’s most enduring gift and one of the city’s signature dishes.
The soupy sauce will thicken when vinegar is added, fresh herbs are added, rice noodles are dipped in the sauce with chopsticks. Then add the pork cakes, the rice noodles, and voilà! Here it is, one of Vietnam’s most delicious dishes.
Chicken noodle soup
The beef-based beef noodle soup (phở bò), made famous by the dish pho, can rightfully be referred to as Vietnam’s national food. Without a doubt, this is the Vietnamese cuisine that is most known outside.
But did you know that there is a chicken-based variation of this well-known phở? Popular flat rice noodles called bánh phở, herbs, and chicken flesh are all used in traditional Vietnamese chicken noodle soup (phở gà). When served, the dish is topped with bean sprouts and fresh herbs, giving the customer full appealing aroma.
Rice noodle with fried tofu and shrimp dipping sauce
If you visit Vietnam and try the “Bun Dau Mam Tom” food, you will undoubtedly have a more enjoyable trip. Your appetite will soar to the heavens thanks to the filling dish of “bun,” tofu, and shrimp sauce, which has a distinct rustic Vietnamese flavor. “Bun Dau Mam Tom,” which was produced in Northern Vietnam, is credited for skillfully capturing the spirit of the historic capital across many centuries.
Rice noodles with grilled pork
In Vietnam, a dish called bún thịt nướng is well-known. Bún and thịt nướng (grilled meat) are the two key ingredients in this cuisine. Literally, “thịt nướng” means baked or barbecued meat. In this context, the meat is customarily barbecued and is always pork. Fresh salad, bean sprouts, spring rolls, and herbs like mint and basil are a few side dishes that go well with this dish.
Your taste buds will go straight to the sky when having bún thịt nướng. In a single, vibrant arrangement, you have your sweet pieces, sour bits, caramelization, some crunch, and aromatic herbs. Back in the day, this was one of the more well-liked dishes in any Vietnamese restaurant!
Tapioca noodle soup
Compared to the widely renowned phở, the Vietnamese soup Bánh canh may not be as well known, but it still has a robust flavor, springy tapioca noodles, and plenty of pork and shrimp. The origins of bánh canh can be traced to central Vietnam. Bánh canh has a chewy texture and, depending on the proportion of flour to water, can have a translucent look. Pork, shrimp, crab fish with fresh green onions, bean sprouts, fried shallots, and cilantro are frequently served as accompaniments.
Sizzling rice pancakes
The crispy, packed rice pancake known as bánh xèo, or Vietnamese crêpe, is very well-liked in Vietnam. The name alludes to the sound the sizzling rice batter makes when it is thrown onto the hot skillet (from the word xèo). Using rice flour, water, and turmeric powder, it makes a savory fried pancake. Pork, prawns, sliced green onion, mung beans, and bean sprouts are a few typical stuffing ingredients. Along with lettuce, mint, Asian basil, and fish mint, banh xèo is served to customers by the most appealing appearance.
Although these yellow crêpes resemble omelets, they actually don’t contain any eggs. They are only made yellow with turmeric powder! The perfect cuisine for cozy family gatherings, this crowd-pleaser is a hot-off-the-pan, hands-on food meant to be wrapped in vegetables and dipped in a rich sauce.
Vietnamese Noodle Soup with Chicken, Pork, & Egg
Vietnamese people in Hanoi are famed for their intricate and delicate cuisine called bún thang, the name you might have heard for the first time. It is made up of a variety of different flavorings, giving it a distinct hue and flavor from other local noodles. More specifically, Bn Thang is a Hanoian chicken-based noodle soup that is topped with diced chicken (the chicken genre called gà mái dầu), scrambled eggs, sausages from Vietnam, and copious amounts of fresh herbs.
Vietnamese Crab, Pork & Tomato Noodle Soup
Another well-known and flavorful Vietnamese rice noodle soup is called bún riêu. Its flavorings include tomatoes, shrimp paste, fish sauce, and a pork broth. The “riêu,” or meatballs, in this soup—which typically includes tofu—are made of pork, shrimp, crab, and prawns. Usually this dish is accompanied by no herbs and vegetables, but sometimes people still eat bún riêu with water spinach.
This dish is incredibly nutrient-dense because of the calcium in the ground crab shells, the iron in the congealed pig blood, and the vitamins and fiber in the veggies. It may satisfy both your taste buds and your health at the same time.
In conclusion, the list above has given you a selection of mouthwatering dishes to try in Vietnam besides ph and bánh mà. Visit and try the foods on the list above if you’re in Vietnam and want to sample a variety of ethnic cuisines. Your taste will immediately soar to the heavens thanks to their food in particular and Vietnamese cuisine in general.
