Taste Vietnam

Việt Nam

Northern cooking is clearer and more restrained; the centre is spicy and complex; the south is sweeter and more herbal. Phở, bánh mì and rice papers travelled the world, but weekday Vietnamese food is still fish sauce, greens, and a pot of something on the stove.

33 recipes · 1 cuisine

Essential dishes

Phở bò

Vietnamese beef noodle soup: a long, clear-ish broth, rice noodles, herbs, and a table full of finishing flavours.

4 hrA bit of work🌶️

Bánh mì

A Vietnamese baguette — crackly crust, pâté or mayo, pickles, herbs, chilli, and a filling that is not 'an Asian sub'.

35 minEasy🌶️

Gỏi cuốn

Fresh rice-paper rolls — prawn or pork, herbs, noodles — dipped in peanut or nước chấm. Not fried.

40 minMediumNo chilli

Bún chả

Hanoi grilled pork, rice noodles, a sweet-sour dipping broth, and a pile of herbs.

1 hr 45 minMediumNo chilli

Bún bò Huế

A central Vietnamese beef-and-lemongrass noodle soup — thicker noodles, a redder broth, and more chilli than phở.

3 hr 30 minA bit of work🌶️🌶️🌶️

Cơm tấm

Broken-rice plate — grilled pork, a chilled egg meatloaf, pickles and fish sauce. Saigon lunch architecture.

1 hr 50 minMediumNo chilli

Beef Banh Mi Bowls with Sriracha Mayo, Carrot & Pickled Cucumber

Beef Banh Mi Bowls with Sriracha Mayo, Carrot & Pickled Cucumber from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

55 minMediumNo chilli

Barbecue pork buns

Barbecue pork buns from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

24 hr 40 minMediumNo chilli

Noodle bowl salad

Noodle bowl salad from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

14 minA bit of workNo chilli

Prawn & noodle salad with crispy shallots

Prawn & noodle salad with crispy shallots from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

13 minA bit of work🌶️

Rice paper dumplings

Rice paper dumplings from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

36 minA bit of workNo chilli

Salmon noodle soup

Salmon noodle soup from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

23 minMediumNo chilli

Salmon noodle wraps

Salmon noodle wraps from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

32 minMedium🌶️

Salt & pepper squid

Salt & pepper squid from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

12 minA bit of work🌶️

Sea bass with sizzled ginger, chilli & spring onions

Sea bass with sizzled ginger, chilli & spring onions from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

23 minMedium🌶️

Turkish lahmacun

Turkish lahmacun from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

1 hr 35 minA bit of work🌶️

Vietnamese caramel trout

Vietnamese caramel trout from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

15 minMedium🌶️

Vietnamese Grilled Pork (bun-thit-nuong)

Grilled Pork

Vietnamese Grilled Pork (bun-thit-nuong) from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

9 hr 35 minA bit of workNo chilli

Vietnamese pork salad

Vietnamese pork salad from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

22 minA bit of work🌶️

Vietnamese veg parcels

Vietnamese veg parcels from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

24 hr 10 minA bit of work🌶️

Vietnamese-style caramel pork

Vietnamese-style caramel pork from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

20 minMedium🌶️

Vietnamese-style veggie hotpot

Vietnamese-style veggie hotpot from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

28 minMediumNo chilli

Beef pho

Beef pho from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

1 hr 3 minA bit of work🌶️

Vietnamese chicken salad

Vietnamese chicken salad from Vietnam. Times are typical for this kind of dish.

40 minA bit of work🌶️

Vietnamese prawn spiralized rolls

Vietnamese prawn spiralized rolls from Vietnam. Times are typical for this kind of dish.

20 minMedium🌶️

Purple sprouting broccoli tempura with nuoc cham

Purple sprouting broccoli tempura with nuoc cham from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

13 minMedium🌶️

Turkey Bánh mì

Turkey Bánh mì from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

25 minMedium🌶️

Steak & Vietnamese noodle salad

Steak & Vietnamese noodle salad from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

18 minA bit of work🌶️

Tangy carrot, cabbage & onion salad

Tangy carrot, cabbage & onion salad from Vietnam. Times are typical for this kind of dish.

10 minMedium🌶️

Tofu, greens & cashew stir-fry

Tofu, greens & cashew stir-fry from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

19 minMedium🌶️

Vegan banh mi

Vegan banh mi from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

15 minMediumNo chilli

Vietnamese lamb shanks with sweet potatoes

Vietnamese lamb shanks with sweet potatoes from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.

1 hr 11 minA bit of work🌶️

Bang bang prawn salad

Bang bang prawn salad from Vietnam. Times are typical for this kind of dish.

40 minMedium🌶️

Regional cuisines

Vietnamese

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Food history

Chinese, Cham, Khmer and French presence all left techniques without flattening the cuisine. Phở likely took shape in the early 20th century in the north, combining Chinese noodle-soup ideas with Vietnamese herbs and French-influenced beef butchery. Bánh mì is a colonial baguette that Vietnam completely remade.

Common ingredients

Techniques

long broth
charring aromatics
herb finishing
pickling do chua
grilling