What to Eat in Vietnam
Vietnamese food divides into three styles: the subtle, less sweet north, the spicy centre with its royal-court cooking, and the sweeter, coconut-rich south. Herbs, fish sauce and rice noodles tie them together.
Vietnam Tourism divides the cuisine into three styles: northern food is subtler and less sweet with quality broths, central Vietnam is the spiciest region with royal-court influences, and the south is sweeter, with coconut milk, palm sugar and more garlic and chilli.
It highlights phở, bánh mì, bún bò Huế and cơm tấm among 20 essential foods.
How a day of eating goes
Breakfast is often a bowl of noodle soup; phở costs 40,000 to 60,000 dong in 2026.
Bánh mì, at 20,000 to 35,000 dong, and street meals at 25,000 to 60,000 fill the day.
Breakfast and brunch
Breakfast is noodle soup: phở costs 40,000 to 60,000 dong in 2026.
Phở bò
A beef and rice-noodle soup with a long-simmered spiced broth.
Cơm tấm
Broken rice served with grilled pork.
Bún bò Huế
A spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup from the central region.
Bánh cuốn
Steamed rice rolls filled with pork and mushroom.
Xôi xéo
Sticky rice topped with mung bean and fried shallot.
Hủ tiếu Nam Vang
A pork and seafood noodle soup from the south.
Bò kho
A beef stew with lemongrass, eaten with bread or noodles.
Street food and snacks
Street meals cost 25,000 to 60,000 dong in 2026; street food is mostly cash.
Bánh mì
A baguette sandwich filled with pork, pâté or cold cuts, pickles and herbs, 20,000 to 35,000 dong in 2026.
Bánh tráng nướng
Rice paper grilled with egg, spring onion and dried shrimp.
Bún đậu mắm tôm
Rice noodles, fried tofu and herbs with fermented shrimp paste.
Nem rán
Crisp fried rolls of pork and vegetables.
Bánh bao
Steamed buns filled with pork and egg.
Starters and small plates
Starters are rolls, rice cakes and pancakes.
Gỏi cuốn
Fresh rice paper rolls with prawns, pork, herbs and noodles.
Bánh bèo
Small steamed rice cakes topped with dried shrimp, from Huế.
Bánh khọt
Small crisp pancakes with coconut and shrimp.
Nem chua
Small pieces of cured, soured pork.
Gỏi ngó sen
A salad of lotus stem with herbs and prawns.
Soups and stews
Soups range from the delicate north to the sour south.
Bún thang
A clear noodle soup with chicken, egg and pork, from Hanoi.
Canh chua
A sour soup of fish, pineapple and tomato, from the Mekong delta.
Bánh đa cua
A crab noodle soup from Hải Phòng.
Canh khổ qua
A soup of bitter melon stuffed with pork.
Bún riêu
A noodle soup of crab and tomato.
Main dishes
Mains differ north, centre and south: subtler in the north, spiciest in the centre, sweeter in the south.
Bún chả
Grilled pork patties and belly with rice vermicelli, herbs and a sweet-sour dipping sauce, from Hanoi.
Bánh xèo
A crisp turmeric pancake filled with pork, prawns and bean sprouts, wrapped in herbs.
Mì Quảng
Turmeric noodles with a little broth, from Quảng Nam.
Cao lầu
Thick noodles with pork and greens, from Hội An.
Chả cá Lã Vọng
Turmeric fish cooked with dill, from Hanoi.
Cơm gà Hội An
Chicken rice from Hội An.
Cá kho tộ
Fish braised in caramel sauce in a clay pot, from the south.
Bánh chưng
A square sticky rice cake with pork and mung bean, for Tết.
Desserts and sweets
Sweets are sweet soups, custards and fruit.
Chè
Sweet soups and puddings of beans, jelly and coconut.
Bánh flan
A caramel custard, often with coffee.
Kem dừa
Coconut ice cream served in a coconut shell.
Bánh da lợn
A steamed layer cake of rice flour and durian or mung bean.
Xôi xoài
Sticky rice with mango and coconut cream.
Drinks
Coffee is the national drink, from condensed-milk iced coffee to egg coffee.
Cà phê sữa đá
Strong phin-brewed coffee with condensed milk over ice.
Cà phê trứng
Hanoi coffee topped with a whisked egg-yolk foam.
Cà phê muối
Coffee with a salted cream top, from Huế.
Cà phê cốt dừa
Coffee with frozen coconut cream.
Trà chanh
Iced lemon tea drunk on pavement stools.
What is changing
A May 2026 guide says street food is still mostly cash but mid-range places and malls accept cards. An undated tour-operator guide says credit cards are not commonly accepted at restaurants and shops, so carry both.