It is believed that Vietnamese cuisine is not only renowned as rich in high-end quality, but also refined in recipe processing as well as ingredient selecting. Today, let us learn 30 best Vietnamese foods rated on the top all over the world and recognized by international friends. All recipes, destinations and culture about Vietnamese foods are available in runcooking.com!
1. Pho is considered a traditional food among Vietnamese cuisines 
especially used for the breakfast. It is the refined food containing many different flavors made by different chefs. However, the main ingredients often conclude flat rice noodle; broth flavored by the fragrant ginger; grilled cinnamon, anise star and cardamom combined with the tasty pork bone broth that is simmered well and thinly sliced beef blanched into the noodle soup as well as the aromatic herbs. Notably, pho is usually served with hot fried breadsticks and spices concluding chili sauce, fresh lemon in order to create the tasty broth. Pho has the distinguished flavor attracting all eaters. In fact, it is amazing to enjoy Vietnamese pho in every morning before going to the work. Besides, it is undeniable that it is easy to consume pho for anyone without being afraid of being fat or greasy. Pho noodle soup is available in luxurious restaurants or the street-food stands. Moreover, we can enjoy chicken noodle soup or many others with the great and fragrant taste.
2. Nem ran (Vietnamese spring rolls) is considered the 
indispensible dish in Tet holiday. In fact, the special feature of the food is the crispy shell that covers vegetables and fragrant minced meat inside. Spring roll is served with dipping sauce, noodle, pickles and fresh vegetables. Notably, Vietnamese spring roll is rated on the list of ten best foods around the world, according to the report of the CNN (USA).
3. Goi cuon (fresh spring roll): This is actually the rice paper dish
concluding some red shrimps, some bacon slices, a little noodle, a few chives and fresh vegetables. Actually, it is so simple but certainly attracts the eaters from the high-class people until the poor, both Vietnamese people and foreigners. If you try it one time, never will you forget. And it is popular in every corner, street-food stall and the luxurious restaurant, or hotel.
4. Bun bo hue (Hue beef noodle soup): Once experiencing bun bo hue, you can not deny its amazing flavor the next time. The beef tenderloin piece contains standard brown red color and particularly clear tendon line. Especially, combining with white and smooth thick noodle creates the fantastic authentic hue food.
Tip: Beef noodle soup should be served with aromatic herbs, bean sprouts, mint, purple basil, sliced banana blossom that can balance enough natural vitamins and nutrients. Besides, to make the dish more tasty, add lemon and sliced fresh chili and hue style chili sauce, then mix them well. Wow, it is certainly spicy, but amazing! It must be so incredibly yummy that you cannot stopping complementing. So awesome, actually.
5. Cha ca La Vong (grilled fish) is the renowned destination for 
Hanoi people attracting not only the domestic customers but also foreign visitors. Actually, fish has very few bones with aromatic and sweet taste. Fish is sliced into pieces, marinate and grill into a charcoal stove, then fry again in the cooking oil pan. Grilled fish needs to be heating when we eat. When enjoying, take out each fish piece into the serving bowl, scoop boiling fat mixture on the top, serve with rice noodle, grilled girdle cake, fried peanuts, dill, spring onion, white part of spring onion soaked in vinegar, coriander, basil and shrimp paste. We can serve with wine, especially in the cool weather. In the hot weather, to reduce the fat taste, we can serve with beer.
6. Vietnamese pancake (banh xeo) is a kind of cake in circle 
shape and folded into semicircle shape with the standard golden color covered by the crispy flour and the ingredients inside are bean sprouts, peanut, meat and shrimp. Banh xeo is often sliced and served with dipping sauce and vegetables. Don’t worry about being hot and boring when eating this kind of cake thanks to serving with vegetables to balance all ingredients. In fact, not only do herbs make the dish more fragrant but also good for your health.
7. Vietnamese sandwich (banh mi kep thit) is a renowned 
street food, appearing so many times in the international tourism news, rated among the best street foods all over the world. Vietnamese banh mi featured by the crispy, chewy, gently fragrant flavor combined with the ingredients such as beef, shredded chicken, omelette, spring roll, or pork pie. Besides, the bread is tasty thanks to sour, spicy, greasy, or mixed flavor of pickled vegetables, chili, paté and sauce, respectively. There are many different types of banh mi, and personally I think banh mi with egg paté served with vegetables pickles is my favorite one. Notably, in March 2011, the word “banh mi” means Vietnamese sandwich, appeared in Oxford dictionary. And it is the fact that, Vietnamese banh mi is recognized one of the best street foods worldwide.
8. Cao lau (Hoi An noodle): This is one among famous 
Vietnamese noodle, concluding ingredients such as shrimp, pork meat, some fresh herbs and a little broth. Cao lau is not similar to normal noodle soup (bun or pho), but this is the mixture dish renowned in Hoi An, Da Nang and Hue. It is available in the second-floor restaurants where are decorated by hanging lanterns with green and red colors. Thanks to that, the costumers can experience the ancient travelling atmosphere while enjoying the tasty and refined dish at these destinations.
9. Bun cha (grilled pork ball noodle) is the popular food in 
Hanoi streets with the flying smoke mixed with fragrant flavor of round grilled balls. Bun cha made from the main ingredients such as grounded lean meat to make round meatballs (cha vien), bacon to make flat grilled meatballs (cha mieng), then grill on the charcoal stove to gain the fragrant and tasty flavor. Furthermore, the authentic bun cha also concludes lightly mixed dipping sauce, vegetables pickles, elsholtzia balm, perilla and fresh noodle. Grilled pork ball noodle is also the Vietnamese food that President Barak Obama has ever tried for dinner when he visited Vietnam on recent June 2016. His food portion concludes 1 bun cha noodle + 1 fried seafood roll + 1 Hanoi beer. It is amazing, isn’t it? So, do not miss out this very yummy dish if anyone comes to Vietnam.
10. Banh khot (Vietnamese mini-pancake) is 
the common dish in the South Central Coast made from shrimp, crispy rice flour, fragrant scallion oil, some sour-flavor ingredients as well as fish sauce combined with specific vegetables.
11. Banana blossom salad (nom hoa chuoi) is considered the 
common food in the countryside, pleasant and simple like its name. The specific flavor attracts all appetizers easily despite not refining in making thanks to the gently spicy taste of fresh chili, the aroma of basil, the greasy taste of fried peanut, the sweet and cool bean sprout as well as cucumber. Especially, the banana blossom is not only fragrant, tasty but also featured by its certain bitter taste.
12. Fruit buffet ( hoa qua dam ) In the hot weather, fruit is the best beverage for every one. With the gently sweet and cool flavor, fruit salad gradually becomes the snack food for Vietnamese people. In fact, the combination of many colors and tastes such as strawberry, avocado, jackfruit, mango, papaya, dragon fruit, watermelon, pear, apple, etc. based on the different recipe. All fruits are thinly sliced into tiny cubes, place in disorder in the same glass.
13. Pho cuon (fresh rice noodle roll) does not exist as long as
beef noodle but it plays a significant role among Hanoi best foods, one unique variation from beef pho noodle. Simple, and not too refined in making but the eaters can try ten rolls once thanks to the fresh and cool flavor. The recipe is that we just need banh pho (square fresh noodle), some grams of minced beef stir-fried with fresh ginger and garlic and served with fresh vegetables such as lettuce, coriander, basil. All ingredients rolled inside flat banh pho and pho cuon will be dipped into the authentic dipping sweet-sour sauce.
14. Pho xao (stir-fried flat noodle) is tasty but not time-consuming 
to make compared to noodle soup, suitable for the breakfast. Noodle is soft but slightly chewy mixed with the sauce of beef and vegetables, bringing the very scrumptious and amazing flavor. The biggest difference is the sauce that is slightly thickening-sour-salt-sweet, absorb to noodle and combine with vegetables and beef creating the tasty and standard Vietnamese stir-fried noodle.
15. Vietnamese egg coffee or cappuchino (café trưng) Beat egg yolk and boil the extracting coffee, then pour coffee onto the egg glass to make egg float on the top. The foam of yolk mixed with coffee creating the stunning golden brown.
The gently bitter flavor of coffee well mixed with the greasy and fragrant egg yolk brings the fantastic experience. Obviously, egg coffee is now the favorite beverage of many people especially the Vietnamese youth. It is undeniable that it is easy to drink and good for your health. Actually, enjoying a cup of egg coffee after a working day is extremely amazing!
16. Ice milk coffee (café sua da) is available in every corner in 
Sai Gon, both in the street stalls and luxurious restaurants, from the early morning until evening, becoming one specific cultural feature there. It is said that long time ago, the French brought coffee into Vietnam. However, Sai Gon people has changed this kind of beverage by adding a little condensed milk, creating a glass of tasty ice milk coffee with the combination of bitter and sweet flavor.
17. Bo la lot (grilled beef wrapped in betel leaf), very popular 
in Southern areas, is special thanks to the certainly aromatic flavor of betel leaf rolled within beef, the greasy peanuts mixed with bitter banana blossom, sour star fruit, gentle flavor of fresh vegetables with the spicy shrimp sauce that make the dish more yummy. However, in many Vietnamese families, the grilled beef wrapped in betel leaf is often altered beef by pork meat and fried with cooking oil.
18. Xôi called glutinous rice, sweet rice, or sticky rice is the 
common food for Vietnamese people made from sticky rice (gown in 6 months) or chewy regular rice. Steamed sticky rice is usually made for breakfast, 15th, 1st in every month (following the lunar calendar) and Tet holiday as well as the special occasions.
Each kind of sticky rice has different flavor served with distinct foods. For example, white sticky rice is fragrant and soft often served with pork floss (dam bong), caramelized pork and egg (thit kho tau), Vietnamese pork pie (gio cha) or Chinese sausage (lap xuong). Especially, red sticky rice (xoi gac) has the sweet taste and rated on the top best kind of “xoi”, really yummy! Furthermore, peanut sticky rice (xoi lac) and mung bean sticky rice (xoi do xanh) are usually served with grounded sesame or pork floss. In addition, “xoi xeo” certainly has thinly sliced mung bean, and is sprinkled the fragrantly fried spring onion on the top.
19. Banh cuon (Vietnamese steamed rice rolls/Crepes) made 
from steamed rice flour then brushed very thin layer in a large nonstick pan. Banh cuon is very thin because it is steamed over a fabric covered pot which can cook very quickly the rice flour. Especially, it is not torn in the process, good to taste and not too tough, actually. In fact, banh cuon can contain the stuff inside or not and we often dip into the blanching dipping sauce. Personally, I often eat it for breakfast and I love how to enjoy banh cuon crepe while heating onto the pot directly. It is so amazing!
20. Bot chien (Fried dough): the snack food common in Sai Gon 
and some other streets. The dish is fried in the large pot with the extremely high heat to make sure bot chien will be crispy outside and finely cooked inside. It is often served with sour ingredients and distinct dipping sauces from different recipes, that make the fantastic flavor. In Sai Gon, fried dough is available in various corners featured by different recipes of chefs.
21. Bun dau mam tom (tofu rice noodle with shrimp paste). 
It is obvious that among the local Vietnamese foods, bun dau mam tom cannot be indispensible. The ingredients are the combination of noodle, tofu, and shrimp paste. In addition, the food is served with aromatic herbs such as marjoram, mint, basil, etc. Actually, the foreigners will feel disgusting for the first time trying it, but after that you can realize the distinct taste of this kind of street food.
22. Com tam suon nuong (grilled pork ribs and broken rice).
Sai Gon cuisine has thousands dishes concluding com tam suon nuong, that is common in any street corner. Do not miss out this dish when approaching to Sai gon. In fact, it made from broken rice combined with grilled pork ribs and shredded pork skin or omelette egg, usually used for breakfast or dinner of Southern people, especially Saigon people. However, it is popular in the Central and the South nowadays.
23. Cháo (Vietnamese porridge) is cooked from rice and water 
mainly used in many nations in East Asia and Southeast Asia. In fact, for Vietnamese people, porridge and rice are the daily foods. In the rainy or cold weather, enjoying a bowl of aromatic porridge or seating beside the hotpot with rice porridge will be the amazing experience. Chao concludes five positive benefits of eliminating sickness or diseases such as hunger, thirsty, leprosy, and cleaning bladder or blood vessel. In addition, porridge can digest the remaining raw food that is also mentioned in a book of Buddha. Each food has its own flavor in each region of Vietnam and so does porridge.
24. Vietnamese “shaking” beef (Bo luc lac) is the yummy food
cooked following the very easy recipe. It is fantastic thanks to both its curious name and the flavorful taste. Shaking beef is distinct by sauce mixed well with fresh soft beef and fragrant onion as well as sweet bell pepper. You can be smart in creating more recipe for the dish more interesting, especially for kids.
25. Chestnut ( hạt dẻ nóng ) is the familiar food in every sidewalk
in the cold winter. Hot and fragrant chestnut is not only the preferred snack food, but also contains so many nutrients for health. The best chestnut is a big round seed, picked in the right crop. There are two types: big and small. In fact, it is believed that Trung Khanh chestnut (in Cao Bang province) is the best one, which has big seed, very thin testa removed easily, with the seed is finely brown golden, fleshy, fragrant and fat.
26. Vietnamese hotpot (Lẩu) made by many distinct recipes
that usually contains beef or seafood, especially, various fresh vegetables such as banana blossom, tomatoes, pineapple, aromatic herbs, taro, etc. Dip the fresh ingredients that you want to eat into the simmering broth – sweet and tasty by sour and slightly spicy flavor. Actually, hotpot is the first choice suitable for the occasions of gathering family members or friends. It is preferred in the winter because it is warm brings the feelings of cosy atmosphere of the whole family, friends, relatives enjoy the heating hotpot together. The meat and vegetables are instantly cooked, broth with enough flavors: sweet, tasty, sour, spicy, etc. Those do likely make lẩu more attracting to Vietnamese people, or introduce to the international friends the beauty and plenty of Vietnamese cuisine.
27. Banh bao (snowball cake) made from wheat flour with 
some ingredients inside containing grounded pork meat, wood ear mushroom (moc nhi), aromatic mushroom (nam huong), rice vermicelli, Chinese sausage, quail egg or chicken egg (steamed in special pot). Snowball cake is often consumed for breakfast or late afternoon after finishing at work to avoid being hungry. I usually drink one glass of tofu milk and enjoy banh bao for breakfast. That is enough for my energy to work in the morning.
28. Banh goi (Vietnamese Crispy Dumplings also called Pillow Dumplings): Street foods are available in almost corners in Hanoi and banh goi is the absolutely fragrant and impressive food in every season.
Especially, in the slightly cold weather, Hanoi is more charming when we has the feeling of wanting to enjoy the spicy and heating food. Pillow-shaped dumpling is made from grounded pork belly, ear wood mushroom, fried rice vermicelli, carrot or kohlrabi, thinly chopped. However, the cake shell and dipping sauce play the important factors creating the distinct flavor and recipe of each restaurant especially in the crowded destinations. And, important steps contain kneading, adding ingredients as well as rolling the dough, to make the cake fine, flat, soft and chewy.
29. Banh uot thit nuong (Steamed Rice Pancake with Grilled Pork) originated from Hue ancient capital and rated on the list of the best Vietnamese foods, 
should not miss out when you have chance approaching Vietnam! Actually, it contains enough tasty and distinguished flavors and makes visitors never forget. One full portion concludes steamed rice pancake, grilled pork skewer, dipping sauce and fresh vegetables. Besides, the pancake is often being grilled at the time you eat, so skewer is still heating and fragrant. We just wrap meat and fresh vegetable inside banh uot (rice pancake), then dip into the sauce to create the combining flavors of the very delish dish. Wish you a great meal with Vietnamese banh uot thit nuong.
30. Bun rieu cua known as Vietnamese crab noodle soup rated 
among a thousands of popular foods available from rural areas to the big cities, contains enough three factors: tasty – healthy – inexpensive with the fragrant flavor and stunning color. The dish concludes noodle and crab soup. In fact, crab noodle soup is the sour soup, made from crab toe (hepatopancreas), grounded crab body, then extract together with quả dọc (a kind of sour taste fruit), tomatoes, cooking oil, Vietnamese mẻ (often made from cool rice or noodle with sour flavor), fish sauce, salt and spring onion. Crab soup is gently sour and suitable in the summer thanks to its cool taste. Vietnamese people considered bun rieu cua the preferred food available in every street corner cross the whole country.