Vietnamese Food Guide 2026 – 12 Must-Try Dishes for Indians
Vietnamese food is light, fresh, and packed with herbs – a refreshing contrast to heavy Indian cuisine. Here are the 12 dishes you must try and where to find them.
1. Pho (Northern Vietnam)
Vietnam’s national dish. Rice noodle soup with beef (pho bo) or chicken (pho ga). Hanoi style is purer, Saigon style sweeter. Pho Thin (Hanoi) for the classic 50-year-old recipe. Veg version (pho chay) widely available.
2. Banh Mi (Throughout)
French baguette + Vietnamese ingredients. Crispy outside, soft inside, filled with pate, pork, pickled vegetables, cilantro, chili. Banh Mi Phuong in Hoi An (Anthony Bourdain-famous), Banh Mi 25 in Hanoi.
3. Bun Cha (Hanoi)
Grilled pork patties + rice noodles + herbs + dipping sauce. Obama and Bourdain ate this at Bun Cha Huong Lien in 2016. Best for non-vegetarian travelers.
4. Goi Cuon (Spring Rolls)
Fresh (not fried) rice paper rolls with prawns, pork, noodles, herbs. Healthy, light. Vegetarian versions everywhere. Dip in peanut sauce. Try at any pho restaurant.
5. Cao Lau (Hoi An Exclusive)
Only made in Hoi An using water from a specific 1000-year-old well. Thick rice noodles, pork, crispy croutons, herbs. Try at Trung Bac restaurant.
6. Mi Quang (Central Vietnam)
Turmeric-yellow noodles, shrimp, pork, ground peanuts, rice cracker on top. Different from pho – drier, more textural. Da Nang and Hoi An specialty.
7. Bun Bo Hue
Spicy beef noodle soup from Hue. The spiciest mainstream Vietnamese dish – actually somewhat spicy by Indian standards. Includes pork knuckle, beef, blood pudding (optional skip).
8. Banh Xeo
Crispy turmeric pancake stuffed with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts. Wrap a piece in lettuce + herbs and dip in nuoc cham. Crispy outside, soft inside.
9. Vietnamese Coffee (Ca Phe Sua Da)
Strong dark roast dripped slowly over condensed milk + ice. Ridiculously sweet, gives you wings. Also try Egg Coffee (Hanoi specialty, egg yolk + condensed milk + coffee whisked together) at Cafe Giang.
10. Pho Cuon
Pho noodle rolls – thin rice sheets wrapped around beef and herbs, dipped in nuoc cham. Hanoi specialty. Lighter than spring rolls.
11. Com Tam (Broken Rice – Saigon)
Broken rice grains with grilled pork chop, fried egg, pickled vegetables. Saigon’s everyday lunch. Cheap (Rs.150-250) and filling.
12. Che (Sweet Soup)
Vietnamese dessert – mung bean, coconut milk, tapioca, ice. Refreshing. Che Ba Mau (3-color), Che Bap (sweet corn) are starter versions.
For Vegetarian Indians
Vietnam has a strong Buddhist vegetarian tradition. Look for “Com Chay” (vegetarian restaurant) signs – they serve mock meat dishes made of tofu/wheat gluten. Vietnamese pho chay, banh mi chay, goi cuon chay are all common. Indians will find more vegetarian options than expected.
