Vietnamese Cuisine for Tourists

What Vietnamese Cuisine is Like

Vietnamese cuisine is a blend of Chinese, Indian, French, and other traditions, while remaining completely unique and distinctive.

The choice of dishes is quite diverse, and prices in restaurants and cafes are very reasonable and affordable. Vietnamese cuisine is considered the cheapest in the world, not because it's made from simple ingredients, but because the ingredients themselves are cheap. In addition to traditional Vietnamese dishes, Thai, Indian, Indonesian, Chinese, and other Asian cuisines are widely represented here.

Seafood dishes are common, but there is also a large selection of pork, beef, and chicken dishes. Vietnamese people eat everything, without any restrictions or taboos. In tourist resorts, some restaurant menus feature ostrich, crocodile, python, and frog meat. In some regions, based on our experience in the northern mountainous areas, dog and cat are prepared, but this is by no means a traditional or widespread dish, but a very rare exotic delicacy. Special delicacies include dishes made from snakes and turtles. Another extreme exotic we've encountered in border towns with Laos and Cambodia is rats. We even saw them on cafe menus in the tourist town of Chau Doc. But again, this is a very rare dish.

Many believe that insects are eaten in Vietnam. This is not the case. For insects, you need to go to neighboring Cambodia or to Thailand.

Eating in Vietnam is considered a collective activity, so separate dishes are served on a common plate, from which diners take pieces with chopsticks. But don't worry, this rule when serving in restaurants usually does not apply to Europeans.

Unlike the cuisines of neighboring Asian countries, Vietnamese dishes are not always very spicy and will likely appeal to anyone. However, for all its appeal, it's better to be cautious when consuming national Vietnamese food on an unaccustomed stomach during the first days of your stay in the country. Any restaurants and cafes offer European cuisine dishes. Russian cuisine is also increasingly common.

The foundation of Vietnamese cuisine is rice. There are dozens of varieties here, from ordinary (familiar to us) to sticky, or even exotic black or red rice. This is not surprising, as Vietnam is the world's second-largest grower and exporter of rice after Thailand. No Vietnamese meal is complete without a bowl of rice.

The second most popular dish is rice noodles, although egg noodles are also found, but much less frequently. Noodles come thick and thin. They are added to the most popular Vietnamese soup Pho, and also stir-fried with vegetables or meat.

As for dairy products, they can only be bought in stores. Vietnamese people themselves hardly consume them, preferring soy products instead, such as soy milk and tofu. The latter is added to dishes quite often.

No meal is complete without vegetables and herbs. They are added everywhere, both to already cooked dishes and as a side to the main course. The set of vegetables and greens is roughly the same as in Russia: potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, cabbage, peppers, onions, parsley, cilantro, basil, mint, etc. The specific aromas of Vietnamese cuisine come from plants: lemongrass, mint, and many others. Chinese seasonings of garlic and onion, fresh ginger root, and soy sauce are all also inherent to Vietnamese cuisine. A constant companion to dishes in Vietnamese cuisine is the fish sauce "nuoc mam" and "nuoc cham".

Popular Vietnamese Cuisine Dishes

In our opinion (the site authors), Vietnam will not particularly surprise you with interesting and tasty dishes if you have already been to other Asian countries. Moreover, Vietnamese cuisine may even seem a bit bland or too sweet; you'll often have to add salt. Fortunately, for this purpose, fish or soy sauce is always available on cafe and restaurant tables (pure salt is almost never found), and you can salt the dish yourself. Here are some popular traditional Vietnamese dishes worth trying:

• Rice with chicken (Com Ga), pork (Com Thit), egg (Com Op La), or vegetables – the cheapest and most widespread dish to satisfy hunger. It's simply rice mixed with the chosen filling (chicken, etc.) and vegetables, sometimes lightly fried in a wok. Such a dish costs from 30,000 dong and is served almost everywhere. If you just need to eat cheaply, choose this.
• Banh Mi Bun – this is, you could say, a whole "class" of Vietnamese snacks on the go, probably the most popular. Banh Mi buns are sold from stalls for 15,000 dong, served in cafes for 25,000. It's a crispy baguette, filled in the cut like a hot dog with minced meat, ground meat, egg, herbs, cabbage, etc. Depending on the filling, it may be called Ban Mi Op La (with egg), Ban Mi Ga (with chicken), and so on. 📹 Watch our video about Banh Mi on the channel.
• Banh Bao – Vietnamese "pie" made from rice dough with a filling of rice, meat, egg, legumes, sometimes even with a sweet filling. Banh Bao is steamed and sold almost everywhere, just like banh mi. It costs from 10 to 20 thousand dong. 📹 Watch our video about Banh Bao on the channel.
• Pho – the most popular dish among Vietnamese. It is a soup with beef, pork, or chicken, based on rice noodles with bean sprouts and herbs. The most classic version is Pho with beef (Pho Bo), with chicken is less common (Pho Ga), and with pork (Phi Thit) is very rare. Pho is most often eaten for breakfast, although many eat it for lunch or dinner. The method of its preparation can vary, but ultimately, when the dish is served, its aroma and taste are unique. Definitely worth trying at least once for tourists, although not everyone will be delighted with it.
• Spring Rolls (Spring Rolls) or Nem (Nem) – a very popular and tasty dish. Despite its Chinese origin, it has been an integral part of Vietnamese cuisine for many centuries. These are vegetables and glass (rice) vermicelli wrapped in a rice flour pancake and then fried in a deep fryer. Chopped meat or seafood can be added to the filling as desired. There is a vegetarian option – the so-called Fresh rolls – in which case the rolls are not fried. The rolls are usually served with a spicy, sweet, or sour fish sauce. However, keep in mind that in some restaurants, under the name spring rolls, they serve fried homemade sausages, and that is a completely different dish.
• Chao or Chao (chao) - thick rice porridge, most often served with finely chopped pieces of chicken or beef. White rice and water are mixed and then boiled until the rice becomes soft and mushy, turning into chao (porridge). Then nuoc mam (fish sauce) and lemongrass are added for flavor. Chao is served hot. It is also an excellent remedy for an upset stomach!
• Bun (bun) – vermicelli made from rice flour. The vermicelli is made from rice flour, creating small, round white threads that are then twisted into small rolls called con bun (rolls of rice vermicelli). There are many ways to prepare rice vermicelli, and each dish has its own unique taste. Buncha is made with fried pork, while bun'oc includes river snails. And finally, bunbo, which is made with beef.
• Banh com (banh com) – one of the favorite Vietnamese desserts that can be found everywhere. It's a kind of sweet cake made from sticky rice, peas, and coconut flakes, wrapped in banana leaves.

Many cafes in tourist areas do not have menus in English, and sometimes there is no menu at all, so it doesn't hurt to know a little about how dish names are written in Vietnamese. Here is a simplified spelling in Latin characters, but even this will help you figure it out:

• Com – rice
• Com Rang – fried rice
• Ga – chicken
• Mi – noodles
• Nuong - barbecue
• Bo – beef
• Thit – pork
• Banh – bun, bread, pastry, cake
• Banh Mi – bun with something, with filling
• Op – egg, hence derivatives Op La – fried egg, Op Let – omelet.
• Bun – noodles
• Canh – soup

Using this is simple and quite convenient, since the words are combined in names and by their combination it is easy to guess what the dish is, for example:

• Bun + Canh = noodle soup
• Ban Mi + Ga = bun with chicken.

You can, of course, use modern technology, but here's what you can get when translating a Vietnamese menu in an app:

Food Prices in Vietnam and How Much Money to Bring

Food and dining prices in Vietnam for tourists vary greatly depending on the location (city) and the level of establishment, and are usually higher than for locals, but overall not higher than in non-capital regions of the Russian Federation. Here are some prices for reference:

• Beer can 0.33l. – in a supermarket from 10,000 dong (0.38 USD), from 15,000 in a street store, from 20,000 in a cafe (0.76 USD).
• Soft drink (Coca-Cola, Sprite, etc.) 0.33l. – from 6000 (0.23 USD) in a supermarket, from 15,000 in a cafe (0.57 USD).
• Water 1.5l. – from 8,000 in supermarkets, from 10,000 in street stores.
• One dish in an inexpensive cafe for locals – from 35,000 (1.33 USD).
• One dish in a cafe for tourists – from 60,000 (2.28 USD).
• Dinner in an inexpensive cafe for locals with beer, soft drink, shake – from 100,000 (3.8 USD).
• Dinner in a cafe for tourists with beer, soft drink, shake – from 200,000 (7.6 USD).
• One seafood dish (fish) in an inexpensive non-tourist cafe – from 100,000 (3.8 USD).
• One seafood dish (shrimp, squid, etc.) – from 300,000 (11.4 USD).

In general, regarding the prices of seafood dishes, in tourist restaurants the price is usually indicated by weight per 100 grams or per kilogram, and for mussels and snails per piece. This cost includes the side dish when served, most often rice and vegetables, rice paper. For reference, here is the minimum price for seafood in an average tourist cafe in Mui Ne:

• Fish – from 390,000 dong/kilogram (from 14.82 USD)
• Shrimp – from 450,000 dong/kilogram (from 17.1 USD)
• Tiger shrimp – from 1,450,000 dong/kilogram (from 55.11 USD)
• Lobster – from 850,000 dong/kilogram (from 32.3 USD)
• Crab – from 2,500,000 dong/kilogram (from 95.01 USD)
• Oysters – from 49,000/each (from 1.86 USD)

Where to Eat in Vietnam: Types of Establishments

There will be no problems with finding food in Vietnam. There are many street food stalls, cafes, restaurants for every taste and budget. Here are the varieties of public catering establishments and ways to eat here (in order of increasing price):

• Instant products in supermarkets (noodles for brewing, heated dishes).
• Mobile carts with street fast food like Banh-mi baguettes, pastries, coffee, tea.
• Inexpensive street establishments where locals eat.
• Food courts in large shopping centers and supermarkets.
• Chain fast food restaurants Jollibee, BurgerKing, KFC, McDonald, Lotteria.
• Cafes in tourist areas, oriented towards foreigners.
• Restaurants on the embankments with seafood and atmosphere, with sea views.

The markup on drinks in cafes and restaurants is not very large. For example, beer in a store may cost 10,000 dong, and in a cafe from 12,000. I would also like to note that eateries aimed at locals (and they eat out quite often) offer quite tasty food for little money, however, the choice of dishes here is not great, but the portions are v-e-r-y large.

However, eating in cheap cafes for locals is far from suitable for every tourist. If you are even a little squeamish, you are unlikely to be able to eat from poorly washed greasy plates and food cooked in unknown conditions. You can even see such pictures in the backyards of local cafes:

There are "Snake Restaurants" where you will be offered a snake and a whole performance with its preparation will be played out before your eyes (from one snake - up to 10 dishes, a little bit of everything: fried snake, boiled snake, fresh snake blood, snake heart, etc.). They are located in separate blocks, not easy to find. This pleasure is not cheap, but interesting and exotic. You can try dishes with snake not only in "Snake Restaurants" but also in some simple establishments. The cost of such dishes is comparable to the cost of dishes with chicken, but there is only the skin from the snake there.

In some parts of Vietnam, rat is considered a delicacy and can be found on restaurant menus. Such dishes are known, for example, in the southern border town of Chau Doc, through which most excursions to Cambodia pass. But do not think that all Vietnamese only eat rats, frogs, and snakes. In fact, you will have to search for a restaurant or cafe whose menu includes such delicacies, and moreover, it costs a lot of money.

Eating by buying food in stores or supermarkets in Vietnam is quite problematic and not cheap, because there are few real supermarkets, especially in small towns and tourist resorts. Even if you find a store with products, you will see that price tags are missing, and prices for products familiar to Europeans, for example milk, cereals, are much higher than in Russia. On the other hand, if you manage to find large chain supermarkets, for example GO! (former "Big-C), Coop, A-mart, K-mart, WinMart, etc., then they have a huge selection of products and low prices. Also, in large supermarkets, you can find ready-to-eat meals on plastic trays that only need to be reheated.

Finally, do not forget that it is very convenient to have breakfast right in the hotels. Many hotels offer breakfasts included in the accommodation price, not only on a tour but also if you book independently through booking systems or even on the spot. Mostly breakfasts are offered as 2-3 dishes to choose from + tea or coffee, but sometimes there is a buffet. You can pay for breakfasts in cash as desired, but we usually try to pay everything online when booking so as not to spend cash on the spot.

Fruits in Vietnam

In Vietnam, there are many different exotic fruits: banana, coconut, durian, guava, jackfruit, sapodilla, lychee, rambutan, mangosteen, soursop, dragon fruit, longan, mango, pineapple, grapefruit, pomelo, pomegranate, and others. The prices for these fruits, by our standards, are very low. Fruits can be bought at the market, in street stalls, or in supermarkets. But at the market, you may overpay, since tourists are usually quoted inflated prices, sometimes several times higher, so it is best to buy fruits in stalls where prices are indicated or at local markets away from tourist areas.

Fruits are more often sold whole, and not peeled and cut, as is usually sold in Thailand.

For reference, minimum prices for some fruits in Vietnam (per kg.):

• Pineapple - 20 thousand dong
• Mango - 15 thousand dong
• Round mango (apple mango or red mango) - 38 thousand dong
• Lam Yai - 50 thousand dong
• Mangosteen - 100 thousand dong
• Noina - 80 thousand dong
• Pomelo - 20 thousand dong
• Pitahaya (dragon fruit) - 10 thousand dong
• Rambutan - 40 thousand dong
• Chinese apples - 20 thousand dong
• Soursop - 80 thousand dong
• Sapodilla - 30 thousand dong
• Watermelon - 24 thousand dong
• Coconut - 20 thousand dong (1 piece)
• Lychee - 50 thousand dong

Drinks in Vietnam

In restaurant menus and on store shelves, you will find everything, from local draft beer to expensive whiskey and liqueurs. There are also many non-alcoholic drinks, including exotic ones.

The country produces local wine, quite decent in quality. A special source of pride is wine produced in Da Lat. It is even produced for export. A bottle of an inexpensive variety with a volume of 0.75 l costs from 50,000 to 70,000 dong (approximately 1.9 USD), more expensive in tourist places.

Popular local beer brands are Tiger, 333, Saigon and Saigon Special, Hanoi, Singha. Beer prices are low, on average 10,000 – 12,000 dong (approximately 0.38 USD) per bottle (can) with a volume of 0.33 l. in a store. In cafe and small eatery menus, even in tourist places, the markup is usually small, about 1.5 times the store price. In remote tourist places, such as Sapa, the price of a bottle of beer reaches 30,000 dong. In local restaurants, they offer draft beer Bia Hoi from 5000 dong (approximately 0.3 USD) per mug. European brands are also sold everywhere, which cost a bit more.

Don't forget to buy a bottle of whiskey with a snake, scorpion, or other creatures as a souvenir to take home. They are sold everywhere, but don't rush and look at the price. Market prices are far from always cheaper than in souvenir shops or stores. For example, a half-liter bottle in a store on the territory of the Cu Chi Tunnels complex cost 35,000 dong, while the same bottle at the Ben Thanh market in Saigon was offered for 150,000! Of course, you can bargain at the market, but is it worth it if you can buy cheaper at a fixed price? There were no problems with exporting such bottles in reasonable quantities, but they cannot be taken in hand luggage, so you will have to carefully pack the glass bottle in your luggage. The contents of the bottle can be drunk (verified by personal experience), and then you can refill it with whiskey or cognac many more times.

Among non-alcoholic drinks – many freshly squeezed juices and shakes from exotic fruits, of which there are plenty in the country. From practically every type of fruit growing here or a mixture of them, they will prepare a juice or shake with ice for you. A glass of such a drink in a restaurant costs 30,000 – 35,000 dong. Be sure to try sugarcane juice on the street at least once (from 6,000 dong per glass). It will be squeezed from sugarcane right before your eyes, adding a little syrup, lime juice.

Local tea is very popular in Vietnam, it grows in larger quantities in the region adjacent to Da Lat. Vietnamese themselves prefer to drink green tea, although black tea is also produced in the country. Green tea under the brand OLONG (Oolong) is especially respected, it has beneficial properties and is aromatic. Compared to other types of tea, it is a bit expensive, for a 200 g package you will have to pay from 60,000 dong. There is also a special type of tea – artichoke tea. Artichoke tea comes in the form of a resin (dissolves in water) or dried leaves (brewed like regular tea).

Local coffee – is an amazing taste and aroma. It is not inferior in quality to coffee from other well-known countries. Vietnamese prepare it in their own way – not by brewing, but by pouring hot water over ground coffee. If desired, sugar or milk can be added to the coffee, but it is incredibly delicious with condensed milk. A cup in a cafe or restaurant costs from 30,000 dong, if you find it cheaper, then most likely you will be served instant coffee. It is best to buy real Vietnamese coffee beans at the market in Da Lat, for a package of 0.5 kg about 100,000 dong, but you can bargain. And, in general, in any supermarket, depending on the price, weight, brand – coffee is very inexpensive. You should not buy it in tourist places, especially in specialized stores with signs in Russian, it is 1.5 – 2 times more expensive here. See more details all about coffee in Vietnam.

In Vietnam, there is a huge number of familiar carbonated drinks at very low prices, they are called soft-drinks here. For example, a small bottle of Coca-Cola 0.33l. in a large supermarket costs from 6,000 dong, in a cafe 10,000 (approximately 0.38 USD). There are many interesting and tasty locally produced carbonated drinks made from exotic fruits, herbs, and even vegetables!

Bottled water is sold everywhere, even on the streets. The cost is almost the same everywhere - 10,000 (approximately 0.38 USD) per 1.5-liter bottle, cheaper can only be found in large supermarkets. But it is better to buy water in stores, preferably with a cellophane protective wrapper on the neck. We (the site authors) witnessed how a seller from a cafe near Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City collected empty water bottles, went into the house for a few minutes, and returned with the same bottles, but now filled with water for sale. One can only guess what kind of water he filled them with.