Bánh cuốn (steamed rice rolls with pork)
Delicate steamed rice rolls filled with seasoned pork and wood ear mushrooms. Northern Vietnamese breakfast classic — eaten with nuoc cham and chives.
Bánh xèo (Vietnamese crispy turmeric crepe)
A crispy turmeric rice crepe filled with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts — torn up and wrapped in lettuce with herbs. The sizzling Vietnamese street food pancake.
Bò lá lốt (grilled beef in betel leaves)
Beef mince spiced with lemongrass and chilli, wrapped in wild betel leaves and grilled. The southern Vietnamese BBQ classic.
Bún bò Huế (Hue spicy beef noodle soup)
Hue's famous spicy beef and pork noodle soup with lemongrass and shrimp paste. Bolder, spicier, deeper than phở — the south-central Vietnamese classic.
Bún chả (Hanoi grilled pork with rice noodles)
Hanoi's signature dish — grilled pork burgers and rice noodles in a sweet-sour fish sauce dipping broth with fresh herbs. Barack Obama's favourite Vietnamese meal.
Cá kho tộ (caramelised fish in clay pot)
Vietnamese catfish braised in a clay pot with caramel sauce, fish sauce and chillies. The ultimate Mekong comfort food — sweet, salty, deeply savoury.
Chả giò (Vietnamese crispy spring rolls)
Crispy deep-fried spring rolls filled with pork, shrimp and glass noodles. Vietnam's take on the spring roll — lighter and more fragrant than its Chinese cousin.
Cơm tấm (broken rice with grilled pork chop)
Saigon's signature — broken rice with grilled pork chop, fried egg and pickled vegetables. Cheap, cheerful, deeply satisfying.
Pho bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup)
A deeply aromatic beef broth built on charred ginger and onion, star anise, cinnamon and bone marrow — ladled over rice noodles and paper-thin beef, with the whole herb plate alongside.