Vietnam street food

In the evening of May 23^rd , the former President of the US - Barack Obama and his personal chef Anthony Bourdain for the first time had tried one of the most excellent foods in Vietnam, bun cha. It is just one of 10 wonderful street foods in Vietnam that tourists should try.

You can find the most delicious and cheapest Vietnamese foods in traditional markets. There are food stalls which have been existing from generation to generation in those markets.

Lets explore the following 10 great street foods in Vietnam.

1. Pho

Walking by the streets in Vietnam, you can easily bump into a crowd enjoying pho at a makeshift pho stand. Pho is simply a bowl of soup with rice noodles, herbs and chicken or beef, the important ingredients in Vietnamese food. Pho is tasty, cheap and always available everywhere you go, said CNN.

2. Xoi

Sticky rice is a famous food of Vietnamese people. It is the combination of sticky rice and chicken, pork or egg. Most people prefer eating xoi with dried onion.

3. Banh xeo

Banh xeo is a kind of crispy crepe which is filled with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts – typical features of Vietnamese food.

The right way to enjoy banh xeo is cutting it into smaller sclices, rolling these slices up in a peace of rice paper together with fresh vegetables and herbs and dunk it in a special kind of sauce that the chef mix.  

4. Goi cuon

This light and fresh spring rolls are perfect choice for you after having eaten too much deep fried dishes. These rolls include lettuce leaves, slivers of seafood, and coriander inside, and they are served with fish sauce – Vietnamese’s favorite condiment.

5. Bun bo Nam Bo

This is a very popular food in Hanoi. Like pho, the major component is broth, besides there are slices of beef, peanut, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs. An important condiment is fish sauce and pepper.  

6. Bun cha

Pho may be the most famous food in Vietnam, but bun cha is the top favorable choice when talking about lunch in the capital city of Vietnam. Just seeing the clouds of smoke after 11:00 am, you will surely know restaurants are grilling seasoned meat over charcoal fire and prepare to serve bun cha. People eat bun cha with bun (rice noodle), herbs and special sauce made from fish sauce.

7. Cao lau

One of the most well-known Vietnamese foods - cao lau – is the combination of many different cultures. This food originates from Hoi An, the old trading port. The noodle is as thick as Japanese noodle, the pork is similar to Chinese style while the broth and herbs are apparently Vietnamese.

8. Banh mi

The French may be the ones who brought bread to Vietnam, but the Vietnamese took it to a new level, banh mi.

There is a difference between the recipe of the chefs in the northern and southern region. In the northern part, they tend to add more protein-rich ingredients and fat such as butter and pâté while in the southern part, they add more cheese, sausage, cold cuts, fried egg, coriander and chilli sauce.

9. Bot chien

Bot chien is a favorite street food in HCMC. Egg and rice flour is first mixed, then the mixture is fried in a large wok until it turns crispy. Bot chien is served with slices of papaya, fried shallot, spring onion, chilli and rice vinegar. It is one of the street foods that teenagers usually eat after school and when they gather round.

10. Egg coffee

Vietnamese egg coffee is a drink but it can be considered as a dessert. The soft egg cream layer on the surface of Vietnamese dense coffee will make everyone, even those who do not normally drink coffee, love it immediately.

If you are in Hanoi, go along a small alley between souvenir shops on Hang Gai street and walk over a narrow staircase, you will reach a café with a scenic view of Hoan Kiem lake.