What to Eat in Vietnam (and Where to Try Them)

This Vietnamese food guide is the result of two weeks of traveleating in Vietnam. Reading this guide may give you the impression that I love Vietnamese food. I do, but that wasn’t always the case.

To be honest, Vietnamese food was never one of my favorites. I had limited experience with the cuisine so my knowledge was limited to the ubiquitous phở and bánh mì. I’ve always preferred rice over noodles and I had never tried bánh mì made with an authentic Vietnamese baguette. Up until recently, Vietnamese food was something I could appreciate only when it was there, but it wasn’t something I would ever look for. All that changed after the two weeks we spent in Vietnam.

Exploring over 50 local dishes from north to south, I went to Vietnam with minimal expectations but I left a changed man. From regional specialties like chả cá lã vọng to nationwide favorites like ốc and bún thịt nướng, Vietnamese food has made a fan out of me.