Vietnam
36 recipes to explore
Phở Bò — Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup
Vietnam's national dish: a crystal-clear beef broth perfumed with charred ginger, onion, star anise and cinnamon, poured over silky rice noodles and paper-thin slices of beef. Finished at the table with fresh herbs, lime and chili.
Bún Chả (Hanoi Grilled Pork with Noodles)
Hanoi's smoky lunchtime classic: caramel-marinated pork patties and pork belly grilled over high heat, served in a bowl of sweet-sour fish sauce dressing with cool rice vermicelli and a heap of fresh herbs.
Cá Kho Tộ (Caramelised Fish in a Clay Pot)
A southern Vietnamese home favourite: thick catfish steaks braised in a dark, bittersweet caramel with fish sauce, shallots, garlic, chilli and black pepper until sticky and intensely savoury. Serve with plenty of rice.
Thịt Kho Trứng (Caramelised Pork Belly and Eggs)
Vietnam's comforting Tết dish: chunks of pork belly and boiled eggs braised slowly in coconut water, fish sauce and caramel until the pork is meltingly tender and the eggs are stained a deep amber.
Bánh Mì with Lemongrass Pork
Saigon's legendary sandwich: a crackly light baguette filled with chargrilled lemongrass pork, pâté, mayonnaise, quick-pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, coriander and fresh chilli.
Gỏi Cuốn (Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls)
Translucent rice-paper rolls packed with pink prawns, thin slices of pork, rice vermicelli, crisp lettuce and handfuls of mint and coriander, served with a tangy nước chấm and a creamy hoisin-peanut dip. Fresh, light and never fried.
Chicken Noodle Soup (Phở Gà)
A Hanoi classic: a crystal-clear, ginger-and-star-anise-scented broth made from a whole chicken, poured over silky rice noodles and tender shredded chicken. Light, deeply savory, and endlessly comforting.
Vietnamese Savory Crepe (Bánh Xèo)
A turmeric-golden rice crepe with lacy, crackling edges, filled with juicy pork, shrimp and crunchy bean sprouts. Torn into pieces, wrapped in lettuce and herbs, and dipped into tangy nuoc cham.
Fried Spring Rolls (Chả Giò)
Golden, crackly-crisp rolls packed with ground pork, shrimp, wood ear mushrooms and vegetables, double-fried for the ultimate crunch and served with a sweet-tangy nước chấm dipping sauce.
Steamed Rice Rolls (Bánh Cuốn)
Silky, almost see-through sheets of steamed rice batter rolled around a savoury pork and wood ear mushroom filling, finished with crisp fried shallots and a sweet-sour-salty dipping sauce. The classic breakfast of Hanoi's street vendors, made foolproof for the home kitchen.
Three-Color Dessert (Chè Ba Màu)
A striking Vietnamese layered dessert of creamy mung bean paste, sweet red kidney beans, and springy pandan jelly, served over crushed ice and finished with a pour of coconut milk. Cold, colorful, and endlessly refreshing on a hot day.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá)
Strong, dark-roast coffee dripped slowly through a little metal filter straight onto sweetened condensed milk, then stirred and poured over plenty of ice. Bold, sweet and silky all at once.
Sweet and Sour Fish Soup (Canh Chua)
A bright, tangy fish soup from the Mekong Delta, built on tamarind, ripe pineapple and tomato, with okra, bean sprouts and a shower of fresh herbs. Sour, sweet, salty and a little spicy, all in one bowl.
Green Papaya Salad (Nộm Đu Đủ)
Crisp shredded green papaya and carrot tossed with juicy sliced pork, dried shrimp, roasted peanuts and herbs in a tangy, sweet-salty-spicy fish sauce dressing. Loud, fresh and endlessly moreish.
Mini Savory Pancakes (Bánh Khọt)
Bite-sized rice-flour pancakes, golden with turmeric, cooked in a special mini mold until the edges turn lacy and crisp, each one topped with a piece of shrimp. Eaten wrapped in lettuce and herbs, dipped in tangy nuoc cham.
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Chấm)
A bright, balanced mix of fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic and chili that hits sweet, sour, salty and spicy all at once. The one sauce every Vietnamese cook keeps on hand, for spring rolls, grilled meats, rice noodles and more.
Vietnamese Beef Stew (Bò Kho)
Tender beef and sweet carrots simmered in a fragrant broth of lemongrass, star anise and cinnamon until deeply flavourful. Classic Vietnamese comfort food, eaten with crusty bread for dipping or over rice noodles.
Southern Noodle Soup (Hủ Tiếu)
A clear, gently sweet pork and dried-squid broth over springy flat rice noodles, topped with poached pork, plump shrimp, bean sprouts and garlic chives. A beloved Southern Vietnamese breakfast, light yet deeply savoury.
Steamed Rice Cakes with Shrimp (Bánh Bèo)
Small, silky steamed rice flour disks from Huế, topped with fluffy dried shrimp floss, crispy shallots and a sweet-salty-sour fish sauce dressing poured on just before eating.
Tapioca Dumplings (Bánh Bột Lọc)
Chewy, glass-clear tapioca dumplings wrapped around a savory shrimp and pork belly filling, steamed in banana leaf. Served warm with fried shallots and a tangy-sweet nuoc cham for dipping.
Grilled Pork Skewers (Nem Nướng)
Smoky, charred pork meatballs with a springy bite, grilled on skewers and wrapped fresh in rice paper with herbs and crunchy pickles. The real star is the rich hoisin-peanut dipping sauce that ties every bite together.
Grilled Rice Paper (Bánh Tráng Nướng)
Crisp, smoky rice paper toasted over an open flame and layered with egg, dried shrimp, scallion oil and a sweet-spicy chili sauce. This is the beloved street-food snack Vietnamese call 'Vietnamese pizza' — ready in minutes, impossible to stop eating.
Pork Offal Rice Porridge (Cháo Lòng)
A silky, savory rice porridge simmered in pork bone broth and loaded with tender liver, intestines and blood sausage, finished with herbs, crispy shallots and a squeeze of lime. A beloved street-food breakfast across Vietnam.
Egg Coffee (Cà Phê Trứng)
Strong, dark Vietnamese coffee topped with a cloud of whipped egg yolk and sweetened condensed milk, like a warm, boozy-looking custard floating on espresso. Stir it together as you drink for the full silky, bittersweet effect.
Banana Coconut Sweet Soup (Chè Chuối)
A warm Vietnamese dessert soup of soft bananas and chewy tapioca pearls simmered in fragrant coconut milk, finished with a silky coconut cream drizzle and crushed roasted peanuts.
Mini Rice Pancakes (Bánh Căn)
Tiny, crisp-edged rice pancakes cooked in small clay molds, topped with a quail egg, shrimp or scallion, and eaten wrapped in lettuce with herbs and a tangy-sweet dipping sauce.
Steamed Rice Rolls (Bánh Ướt)
Thin, silky sheets of steamed rice batter, barely set and almost see-through, rolled around bean sprouts, herbs and sausage, then showered with crisp fried shallots and a bright fish sauce dressing. A gentle, fresh way to start the day in Vietnam.
Grilled Pork Vermicelli Salad (Bún Thịt Nướng)
Charcoal-grilled lemongrass pork piled over cool rice vermicelli with fresh herbs, crunchy pickled carrot and daikon, crushed peanuts and a tangy-sweet nuoc cham dressing. A classic Vietnamese noodle salad that is light, fragrant and deeply satisfying.
Vietnamese Wonton Noodle Soup (Mì Vằn Thắn)
A Chinese-Vietnamese classic from the noodle shops of Chợ Lớn: silky pork-and-shrimp wontons, sweet caramelized char siu and plump shrimp floating in a clear, deeply savory pork broth over springy egg noodles. Comforting, fragrant, and worth every step.
Hue Baby Clam Rice (Cơm Hến)
Cold rice piled with briny baby clams, crackling pork fat, fresh herbs and crushed peanuts, drizzled with chili oil and doused in hot clam broth. A loud, spicy, crunchy bowl from the old imperial capital.
Almond Jelly Dessert (Chè Khúc Bạch)
Silky, barely-set almond milk jelly cubes float in a light sugar syrup with juicy lychee, sweet jackfruit and a scatter of toasted crushed almonds. A chilled Vietnamese dessert that feels light, milky and refreshing all at once.
Black Sticky Rice Yogurt (Sữa Chua Nếp Cẩm)
Cool, tangy yogurt topped with sweet, nutty purple sticky rice simmered in its own syrup with coconut milk. A beloved Vietnamese street dessert that is as refreshing as it is comforting.
Communal Jar Rice Wine (Rượu Cần)
Glutinous rice fermented slowly in a clay jar with wild yeast cakes, then topped with water and sipped by everyone at once through long bamboo straws. A highland tradition of hospitality, patience and a gently sweet, tangy, lightly alcoholic brew.
Grilled Beef in Betel Leaves (Bò Lá Lốt)
Minced beef seasoned with lemongrass, garlic and fish sauce, rolled tightly in fragrant betel leaves and grilled until the leaves char and the beef inside stays juicy. Served with rice vermicelli, fresh herbs and a tangy dipping sauce.
Sour Chicken Hot Pot with Giang Leaf (Lẩu Gà Lá Giang)
A bright, tangy Vietnamese hot pot where chicken simmers in a broth soured naturally by wild giang leaf, finished with mushrooms and a tangle of fresh herbs. Ladled over rice vermicelli, it's the kind of pot everyone gathers around.
Savory Rice Cake (Bánh Đúc)
A soft, jiggly rice and tapioca cake, warm and glossy, crowned with savory minced pork and wood ear mushroom, a drizzle of scallion oil and a shower of crispy shallots. A beloved Hanoi street-food snack, best eaten fresh and warm with a splash of tangy dipping sauce.