VIETNAMESE CUISINE TOP 10 RECIPES
PHỞ
Phở is just one of many, many, MANY noodle soups in Vietnam. From a strictly linguistic standpoint, phở refers to the rice noodles, not the soup itself. But it's become synonymous with the staple soup served with various meat parts (usually beef or chicken), bean sprouts, lime wedges, the essential greens (basil, mint, cilantro, and onions), and whatever chili sauce and fish sauce you need to doctor up the broth to your liking. It's cheap, tasty, and especially popular for breakfast in Hanoi. We visited a popular phở joint that usually sells out by noon. The northern-style phở in Hanoi is typically defined by a clear broth whereas the southern-style broth tends to be slightly sweeter, murkier from added sauces, and popping with more herbs and other garnishes.
BÚN CHẢ
Rice vermicelli ("bún") is a staple all over Vietnam. My first night in Hanoi, this one in particular was a must-order. Bún chả. You really can't go to Hanoi without trying bún chả. It comes with grilled pork sausage patties, a basket of herbs, bean sprouts, pickled veggies, and, once again, the ever-important nước chấm sauce (pour it over everything). A note on bún: Vermicelli is found in many noodle soups too like bún rieu, a tomato broth soup with crab and bún bò Huế (pronounced "boon ba hway") with beef (bò). There are many, many bún dishes that didn't make this list but are nonetheless popular and delicious.
CA KHO TO (CARAMELIZED FISH IN CLAY POT)
Clay pots are kind of like the Asian cousin of the Dutch oven. The thick clay walls retain heat and moisture, helping to soften and caramelize meats when braised. In this dish, the fish develops a sweet-savory gooeyness from the sugar and fish sauce over the course of the long braise. "This reminds me of my grandma," said my Vietnamese friend who grew up eating this classic
comfort food.
CHÁO
Vietnam's rice porridge is thick, creamy, hearty and should be able to cure whatever ails you—primarily a cold and hangovers. Top it with slices of chicken, beef, pork, fish, or in this case, pig parts (mostly liver and tubular innards). This is a bowl of Cháo Lòng from Saigon where street vendors can be easily spotted with their giant metal vats of porridge, piles of offal, and stacks of golden fried dough. Scallions and black pepper are scattered on top and at the table you'll get a platter of bean sprouts, lime wedges, ginger and fish sauce to season the porridge to taste.
CƠM TẤM ("BROKEN RICE")
When Vietnamese rice farmers couldn't sell their broken grains, which broke sometimes while being processed from the field, they had to eat the poor rejected grains themselves. This cheaper alternative to "unbroken" rice has actually become popular over the years as some people like its softer texture. You'll find it on menus with a variety of toppings; here it comes buried with pork skin, grilled pork chop, pork loaf, and an egg.
GOI (VIETNAMESE SALADS)
Goi is a generic term for "salad" in Vietnam but doesn't usually involve any lettuce. The base instead can be a pile of thinly sliced green papaya or mango, lotus root, cabbage or pomelo. Here's one we made in Hanoi with sliced banana flowers (thick, purple, crunchy) and pickled carrots, cilantro, crushed peanuts, and, once again, the very necessary nước chấm sauce.
BÁNH XÈO
Sorry to play favorites but bánh xèo (pronounced “boon say-oh"), you are my favorite. It means "sizzling pancake," and it's just that. The savory, crisp-edged, crepe-like pancake is best enjoyed straight from the pan. The batter is made with rice flour, coconut milk, and turmeric (hence the nice golden-yellow hue) and is pan-fried altogether with pork, shrimp, and a heap of bean sprouts. Wrap up the pancake with lettuce and herbs. I'll never forget stuffing my face with these on tiny plastic stools at Bale Well in Hoi An.
CANH (VIETNAMESE SOUPS)
The soup category is vast; too vast to cover thoroughly here. But one important subcategory is the sour soups, or "canh chua," of the south, usually made with starfruit, tamarind, pineapple, and/or tomatoes. They are full of contrasting flavors (sour, sweet, and savory) and contrasting textures (various veggies and seafood).
BANH CHUNG / BANH TET
These banana leaf-wrapped parcels are eaten during the lunar new year celebration of Tet, which is a very big deal in Vietnam (and coming up soon in February!). People buy new clothes, paint their homes, clean everything, and cook for days in preparation of the mega-feast. Many of these sticky rice cakes—known as Banh Tet during the holiday—are prepared ahead of time, both to be eaten and to be placed before ancestral altars. The glutinous rice bundle is tightly packed with fatty pork and mung bean.
PHỞ
Phở is just one of many, many, MANY noodle soups in Vietnam. From a strictly linguistic standpoint, phở refers to the rice noodles, not the soup itself. But it's become synonymous with the staple soup served with various meat parts (usually beef or chicken), bean sprouts, lime wedges, the essential greens (basil, mint, cilantro, and onions), and whatever chili sauce and fish sauce you need to doctor up the broth to your liking. It's cheap, tasty, and especially popular for breakfast in Hanoi. We visited a popular phở joint that usually sells out by noon. The northern-style phở in Hanoi is typically defined by a clear broth whereas the southern-style broth tends to be slightly sweeter, murkier from added sauces, and popping with more herbs and other garnishes.
BÚN CHẢ
Rice vermicelli ("bún") is a staple all over Vietnam. My first night in Hanoi, this one in particular was a must-order. Bún chả. You really can't go to Hanoi without trying bún chả. It comes with grilled pork sausage patties, a basket of herbs, bean sprouts, pickled veggies, and, once again, the ever-important nước chấm sauce (pour it over everything). A note on bún: Vermicelli is found in many noodle soups too like bún rieu, a tomato broth soup with crab and bún bò Huế (pronounced "boon ba hway") with beef (bò). There are many, many bún dishes that didn't make this list but are nonetheless popular and delicious.
CA KHO TO (CARAMELIZED FISH IN CLAY POT)
Clay pots are kind of like the Asian cousin of the Dutch oven. The thick clay walls retain heat and moisture, helping to soften and caramelize meats when braised. In this dish, the fish develops a sweet-savory gooeyness from the sugar and fish sauce over the course of the long braise. "This reminds me of my grandma," said my Vietnamese friend who grew up eating this classic
comfort food.
CHÁO
Vietnam's rice porridge is thick, creamy, hearty and should be able to cure whatever ails you—primarily a cold and hangovers. Top it with slices of chicken, beef, pork, fish, or in this case, pig parts (mostly liver and tubular innards). This is a bowl of Cháo Lòng from Saigon where street vendors can be easily spotted with their giant metal vats of porridge, piles of offal, and stacks of golden fried dough. Scallions and black pepper are scattered on top and at the table you'll get a platter of bean sprouts, lime wedges, ginger and fish sauce to season the porridge to taste.
CƠM TẤM ("BROKEN RICE")
When Vietnamese rice farmers couldn't sell their broken grains, which broke sometimes while being processed from the field, they had to eat the poor rejected grains themselves. This cheaper alternative to "unbroken" rice has actually become popular over the years as some people like its softer texture. You'll find it on menus with a variety of toppings; here it comes buried with pork skin, grilled pork chop, pork loaf, and an egg.
GOI (VIETNAMESE SALADS)
Goi is a generic term for "salad" in Vietnam but doesn't usually involve any lettuce. The base instead can be a pile of thinly sliced green papaya or mango, lotus root, cabbage or pomelo. Here's one we made in Hanoi with sliced banana flowers (thick, purple, crunchy) and pickled carrots, cilantro, crushed peanuts, and, once again, the very necessary nước chấm sauce.
BÁNH XÈO
Sorry to play favorites but bánh xèo (pronounced “boon say-oh"), you are my favorite. It means "sizzling pancake," and it's just that. The savory, crisp-edged, crepe-like pancake is best enjoyed straight from the pan. The batter is made with rice flour, coconut milk, and turmeric (hence the nice golden-yellow hue) and is pan-fried altogether with pork, shrimp, and a heap of bean sprouts. Wrap up the pancake with lettuce and herbs. I'll never forget stuffing my face with these on tiny plastic stools at Bale Well in Hoi An.
CANH (VIETNAMESE SOUPS)
The soup category is vast; too vast to cover thoroughly here. But one important subcategory is the sour soups, or "canh chua," of the south, usually made with starfruit, tamarind, pineapple, and/or tomatoes. They are full of contrasting flavors (sour, sweet, and savory) and contrasting textures (various veggies and seafood).
BANH CHUNG / BANH TET
These banana leaf-wrapped parcels are eaten during the lunar new year celebration of Tet, which is a very big deal in Vietnam (and coming up soon in February!). People buy new clothes, paint their homes, clean everything, and cook for days in preparation of the mega-feast. Many of these sticky rice cakes—known as Banh Tet during the holiday—are prepared ahead of time, both to be eaten and to be placed before ancestral altars. The glutinous rice bundle is tightly packed with fatty pork and mung bean.