Vietnam is a food-lover’s dream – packed full of incredible and unique cuisine, with both nationally-eaten dishes and regional specialties/favorites everywhere. You can find everything from fine dining to street food vendors; however the most common form of eatery are humble restaurants with small kitchens, plastic seating that extends into the sidewalk if necessary, and just a few dishes on the menu.
We actually took an amazing guided food tour (stay tuned!) during our time in Hanoi and got a taste of the city’s diversity of food; however today we want to talk about a few dishes you may know about: Pho and Banh Mi.
Pho
For the uninitiated, Pho is a dish of noodles, broth, herbs, and meat popular throughout Vietnam – it’s actually considered the country’s “national dish.” The term “Pho” actually refers to the type of noodle; with the varieties defined by what else is in the soup (Pho Ga for chicken, Pho Bo for beef, etc.). On top of the soup, you’ll usually be served some chilis and herbs to season to your taste and some Quáy – crispy fried dough for dipping in the broth.
Don’t be misled by the simple ingredient list – Pho is some of the most flavorful soup you can find. All you have to do is be on the lookout for signs in front of the right restaurant:
Close-up of the standing sign – this place is so famous there are many “imitators” throughout Ha Noi – the sign tells us we’re in the right place:
We were hooked on Pho throughout our time in Vietnam, and ordered some at most every opportunity. They even had some in the airport lounge.
One night, we even tried some Pho cocktails – not as good as the soup itself, but definitely captured the essence!
We’d have likely eaten Pho for almost every meal in Hanoi, if it wasn’t for the other food on this post.
Banh Mi
It’s probably insensitive to be flippant about this topic, but we’ve been told the Banh Mi is “the only positive to come from colonialism” and are hard pressed to disagree – you would be too if you’ve ever had one.
Banh Mi is actually literally translated to “sandwich,” and consists of traditional Vietnamese flavors/fillings inside a crispy French baguette. Sometimes the bun is just toasted, others a panini press is used to flatten everything together. Let me tell you, they are amazing.
We spent a full week in Hanoi, and probably had about 10 Banh Mi’s each. You can find them all over, from dedicated restaurants to street carts – there was even a place near our hotel (went there 3 times) that just set up along the walls of the alley every day!
Again, just look for either (a) signs advertising Banh Mi on the menu or (b) visible bags full of baguettes hanging somewhere:
If you’re ever in Vietnam, we’d actually advise you to try some of the country’s other dishes before sampling Banh Mi – or else you might quickly become as addicted as we did!
