Wherever
you go in Vietnam, one thing is assured.
Good
food.
Great
food, actually.
Vietnamese
cuisine has been widely complimented for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of
dairy and oil, and its heavy reliance on herbs and vegetables.
While
the entire nation subsists on rice and rice-based noodles, there is such
diversity and variety across different regions and localities that it is worth
going on a purely culinary tour of the length and breadth of Vietnam.
Here’s
a sampling of what such a tour would do to tickle your taste buds.
Sa Pa’s salmon
The
trip starts in northern Vietnam. Thanks to cool and chilly weather throughout
the year, the northern mountainous town of Sa Pa is an ideal place for breeding
salmon. A variety of salmon dishes are served in almost every restaurant in Sa
Pa – soups, hotpots, raw salads and other dishes.
Rich,
mild and tasty are probably the best words to describe a sauté salmon fillet in
Sa Pa. Try a salmon hotpot for two for VND300,000 ($13). It will warm your
heart and soul in this cold mountain weather.
Hanoi’s bun cha
This
dish in Hanoi has been a frequent selection in the list of best dishes in the
world. It is a simple combination of fresh rice vermicelli, and barbequed pork
with fish sauce, chili and garlic. It’s the fish sauce that decides the fate of
a bun cha dish. If the sauce is great, the dish will shine.
It’s
not hard to find a decent bun cha spot in Hanoi. Shops in Hang Quat and Le Van
Huu streets or near the Dong Xuan Market sell a serving for around VND25,000
($1.07)
Hue’s banh canh Nam
Pho
The
signature taste of this dish can only be found in the central town of Hue, once
the nation’s imperial capital. The dish is a favorite of many visitors who love
the harmonized flavors of annatto, shrimp, crab and dense broth. This cake soup
has its origins in Nam Pho Village. Try this dish at stalls on Pham Hong Thai
or Nguyen Cong Tru streets for VND15,000 ($0.64).
Hoi An’s cao lau
This
Hoi An specialty is made with noodles, pork and local greens. Cao lau has a
unique taste and texture, throughout its many variations. The traditional cao
lau used pork and dry shrimps, but in some versions they replace the pork with
chicken and additional herbs. What makes cao lau stand out from typical
Vietnamese noodle dishes is that it has no broth. It’s a mixture of vegetables,
pork or chicken, peanuts, scallions, lime and chili jam.
A
bowl of cao lau, found everywhere in Hoi An, costs VND30,000 ($1.28) a bowl.
Buon Me Thuot’s bun
do
Buon
Me Thuot in the Central Highlands is mostly known for its coffee, but gourmets
in Vietnam will tell you to try its bun do, which literally means "red
noodles." A daily staple, the dish has big strands of noodles, meatballs,
quail eggs and spinach put together in the bowl and added a broth made of
annatto which gives the dish a particular red color. On Le Hong Phong or Phan
Boi Chau street, a bowl is served for VND20,000 ($0.86).
Da Lat’s banh can
In
the misty, chilly weather of Da Lat, going out to eat a serving or two of banh
can is a sensible choice. Made of rice flour and eggs, these steamed cakes come
with a lot of toppings to choose from. Along with the sweet and sour dip that
it is served with, this crunchy-soft cake adds charm to a cold Da Lat night.
A
serving of 10 banh can pieces will cost just VND40,000 ($1.71). It’s best to
try this dish at Tang Bat Ho or Nguyen Van Troi Street.
Nha Trang’s bun ca
dam
Bun
ca dam gets its name from its fish-based broth. Locals will tell you this is
the ocean’s noodles dish, because the broth can be made with a variety of fish,
including jelly fish and served with even more seafood. At the Phan Boi Chau
collective zone or on Bach Dang Street, a bowl costs VND25,000 ($1.07) a bowl.
Binh Dinh’s banh hoi
with pork tripe
Banh
hoi is a delicate gift from southern cuisine. This vermicelli cake is made by
weaving rice vermicelli into bundles, mixing them with water and steaming or
cooking them in pen until they coagulate.
The
vegan version will have just chopped scallions and fried garlic chives as
toppings, but in the south central province of Binh Dinh, they serve banh hoi
with pig’s tripes, fresh vegetables and spicy chili sauce. Enjoy your evening
with this delectable dish at sidewalk diners for just VND25,000 ($1.07)
Saigon’s banh mi
They
say that in Saigon, you can find a banh mi stall every few steps. And they come
in endless variety, too. Gourmets will go for a banh mi in a pan, while busy
people will just buy a normal one and blend back into the city’s bustle. Either
way is fine, because the banh mi is an essential part of the Vietnamese
lifestyle, slow or fast.
Biting
into this exquisite creation, filled with pate, barbeque meat, cucumber,
cilantro, jicama and carrot pickle and chili sauce will make you understand why
it has been called “the best sandwich in the world” by foreigners. And the city
is rife with places where you can munch this gourmet sandwich for just
VND15,000 ($0.64).
Can Tho’s bun rieu
The
special thing about bun rieu in Can Tho is you can enjoy it right on water,
cooked and served from a boat. Served in the Mekong Delta city’s famous Cai
Rang floating market, this combination of noodles, tomatoes, scallions, crab,
beef and shrimp paste is a floating experience you will want to repeat. At VND30,000
($1.28) a bowl, you can easily do so.
Mekong Delta’s
grilled banana with sticky rice
The
people of Mekong Delta have a sweet tooth, so they have come up with many sweet
dishes. One that stands out is the grilled banana sticky rice. The banana is
wrapped inside a layer of sticky rice and then put on a charcoal grill. The
dish is served with coconut milk, peanuts and coconut flakes.
The
sticky rice steamed with coconut juice and an additional extra layer of banana
leaves enhances the dish’s taste and quality. For VND10,000 (half a dollar)
this is a dish you can have as dessert or a meal, on its own.
Phu Quoc’s bun quay
Another
seafood noodle dish to finish the trip, this time, is on Phu Quoc Island. This
dish is so fresh even the noodles are made on order. Customers can select their
own toppings, poach their own noodles and make their own dipping sauce from
chili and kumquat to suit their taste buds. The freshness makes this noodle
soup different from others, not to mention delicious, all for just VND30,000
($1.28).
By VNE