Asia's Food Guide: Vietnam

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Exploring the Art of Vietnamese Cuisine

Vietnam is home to some of the best street food in Asia, offering a delightful mix of textures and Asian flavors that excite the taste buds. Its cuisine balances sweet, sour, salty, and spicy elements with fresh ingredients, enriched by regional traditions and French influences.

Start with pho, a fragrant rice noodle soup simmered with star anise, ginger, and cinnamon, served with beef or chicken and fresh herbs, lime, and chili. Fresh spring rolls, wrapped in rice paper with herbs, vermicelli, shrimp or pork, and peanut sauce, highlight their freshness. Banh mi, a crisp French baguette filled with pâté, pickled vegetables, cilantro, and grilled meats or eggs, is a popular street-food staple.

Try bun cha from Hanoi—smoky grilled pork with vermicelli noodles and tangy dipping sauce. Bun bo Hue offers spicy lemongrass broth with beef, while the Mekong Delta’s ca kho to features clay pot caramelized fish with coconut and fish sauce.

Vietnamese tables feature abundant fresh herbs like mint, coriander, Thai basil, and crunchy salads. Dipping sauces such as fish sauce (nuoc mam), chili blends, and fish paste unify flavors, making Vietnamese cuisine renowned for its popular dishes and famous dishes that offer a delightful mix of flavors and textures.

Vietnam’s Culture in a Glass

Drinks in Vietnam are as unique and refreshing as its food. The star is ca phe sua da, robust Vietnamese coffee brewed slowly with a metal filter and poured over ice with sweetened condensed milk. The result is intensely flavored, rich, and just the right amount of sweet—a true signature of Vietnamese café culture, perfect for cooling off in the tropical heat.

Another staple is tra da, the everyday iced tea that accompanies almost every meal. Light and subtly fragrant, tra da (sometimes perfumed with jasmine) cleanses the palate and refreshes in the country’s warmth—street-side shops and vendors keep pitchers chilled for all-day sipping.

Vietnamese herbal drinks like sam bo luong bring together dried longan, grass jelly, lotus seeds, and barley in an ice-cold blend believed to boost health and vitality, especially during hot weather. Fresh coconut water, served straight from the shell, is also a favorite for instant refreshment on bustling city streets and beachside retreats.

From aromatic coffees to cooling teas and healing herbal blends, Vietnam’s drinks culture is an inseparable part of everyday life—friendly, communal, and always with a touch of adventure. Discovering Vietnam’s drinks is as much about savoring the moment as it is about flavor, making every sip an essential part of the Asia dining guide experience.

Discover Authentic Flavours Across Asia's Culinary Landscape

This comprehensive Asia dining guide to Vietnam reveals a culinary culture that celebrates diversity, tradition, and the healing power of food and drinks. Through this vibrant world of food and drinks, Vietnam provides an endless adventure—one best savored with curiosity and an open heart.

Latest Articles About Vietnam

Traditional Vietnamese coffee brewing in progress: a metal phin filter slowly drips rich, dark coffee into a glass, while a separate iced mug awaits for mixing. Set against a blurred street scene, the image captures the ritualistic calm and urban vibrancy of Ca Phe Sua Da culture—where patience, contrast, and sensory anticipation define the experience.

Ca Phe Sua Da: The Cultural Phenomenon of Authentic Vietnamese Coffee

By Eat Drink Asia Team | October 14, 2025

The dawn breaks over Hanoi, and the city awakens not to alarm clocks but to the clatter of tiny spoons and the metallic click of filters. The air fills with the dark, roasted aroma of authentic Vietnamese coffee drifting from bustling corners and sidewalk stalls. They are not rushing. Instead, they are waiting-waiting for the…

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Overhead view of a bowl of Cao Lầu noodles, a Hoi An specialty with Japanese roots, featuring thick rice noodles, crispy fried tofu, fresh lettuce, and bean sprouts, served in a blue-and-white ceramic bowl with wooden chopsticks resting on top, set against a bamboo mat backdrop evoking traditional Vietnamese dining aesthetics.

Cao Lầu Noodles: Hoi An’s Legendary Noodle Dish with Japanese Origins

By Dio Asahi | October 11, 2025

Imagine sitting on a low stool in a bustling alleyway of Hoi An’s ancient town. The warm, fragrant air is thick with the scent of sizzling marinated pork, fresh herbs, and the unmistakable aroma of fish sauce and fried rice crackers. In front of you, a bowl of Cao Lau noodles gleams, their golden brown…

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