VietnaMenu
A Food Lover's Travel Guide to the Best of Vietnamese Food
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Ultimate Guide to Translating Vietnamese Menus into English
Arm yourself with this mini Vietnamese to English Food Dictionary before stepping into any Vietnamese restaurant. Save the site or download the PDF.
Just How Cheap Can You Eat for in Vietnam?
Eating in Vietnam on a budget is as easy as going to a corner and pointing to some food. For less than a dollar you can eat a full meal. Have a look at this article to see just how much you get.
A Guide to Vietnam's Mystery Meat - Cha Gio
Cha, or gio in the north, can be found in many foods in Vietnam, including the extremely popular banh mi sandwiches. But what exactly is that strange meat?
Banh Mi Cha Bo
Vietnamese Beef Sandwich
Beef is steamed in a banana leaf then sliced and added to this sandwich with a plethora of delicious flavours including: pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, cucumber, chilli peppers, mayo, and more.
Banh Trang Tron
Rice Paper Salad
This quick and cheap hodge podge is a popular street food in Vietnam. Toppings include: dried shrimp, Vietnamese beef jerky, shredded green mango, peanuts, hard boiled quail eggs, Vietnamese coriander, and a nice kick of spice courtesy of chili paste. The flavour and texture combinations are fantastic.
Bo Kho
Vietnamese Beef Stew
Hunks of beef are slowly cooked in a rich flavourful broth with carrots, star anise, and lemongrass. It's usually served with banh mi, steamed rice, or noodles.
Bo Luc Lac
Vietnamese Shaking Beef
Stir-fried hunks of beef with onions and sometimes peppers. Can also be found with trung (egg). Often eaten with rice or banh mi (bread). Best served on a sizzling cow shaped plate.
Bo Nau Tieu Xanh
Green Pepper Cooked Beef
Green pepper seeds are heavily used to cook tender cuts of beef.
Bo Ne Trung
Steak and Eggs
Beef steak served on a sizzling platter alongside an egg and a fresh baguette.
Bun Bo Heo Gio
Beef and Pork Knuckle Noodle Soup
This soup is similar to the very popular bun bo Hue. Thick round noodles float in a tangy broth with tender slices of beef and pork knuckle. The broth has hints on lemongrass in it and a bit of a kick to it, specially if you add some chili paste, which I recommend trying. You may get some extras, like congealed pig's blood, in the bowl as well.
Bun Bo Hue
Hue Style Beef Noodle Soup
A beef soup that's spicier than pho, has a lemongrass infused broth, and uses thicker, round rice noodles. It usually contains slices of beef shank, and sometimes chunks of pig's feet, congealed pork blood, and cha lua (Vietnamese pork loaf).
Bun Bo Xao
Vietnamese Beef Stir-fry
With tastes of lemongrass, garlic, and chili, this noodle salad is very flavourful and addictive.
Com Chien
Fried Rice
You've probably had many versions of fried rice, but Vietnam's version has something that you just can't get in the western world -- freshness. Vietnam is one of the top five largest producers of rice in the world. The quality of rice here is top-notch.
Goi Co Hu Dua Thit Bo
Beef and Palm Heart Salad
Tender slices of beef are tossed with coconut palm heart, vegetables, lime, fish sauce, oil, salt, and chili. It's often served in a giant crispy piece of fried rice paper, or alongside a plate of smaller ones. The rice paper adds a nice crunch and makes eating it more convenient.
Goi Du Du
Green Papaya Salad
Shredded green papaya and a combination of herbs are dressed with a sweet and sour fish sauce and peanuts. It's often topped with beef jerky, shrimp, or strips of pig ear. The combination of flavours and textures make this salad a Vietnamese favorite.
Hu Tieu Nam Vang
Phnom Penh Noodle Soup
A hearty noodle soup filled with a variety of protein -- pork, beef, seafood, etc.
Pho
Vietnamese Noodle Soup
If you're new to Vietnamese food it's probably best to start here. This is Vietnam's most widely recognized dish. Noodles in an incredibly flavourful broth with chicken or beef.
Pho Cuon
Pho Rolls
An uncut sheet of rice noodle is used as a wrapper for this take on the popular soup. Pho rolls are simple, but tasty and they're growing in popularity, especially in Hanoi around Truc Bach lake where they are said to be invented.