Vietnam’s culinary landscape stretches far beyond the steaming bowls of pho that have captured international attention. The country’s diverse regional cooking styles offer a treasure trove of flavors, textures, and aromas that many food enthusiasts have yet to discover. From the mountainous north to the fertile Mekong Delta, Vietnamese cuisine reflects centuries of cultural influences and local ingenuity.
Here is a list of 20 underrated Vietnamese dishes that deserve just as much recognition as the beloved pho.
Bun Bo Hue
This spicy beef noodle soup hails from the imperial city of Hue and packs a flavor punch that many consider superior to pho. The broth combines lemongrass, fermented shrimp paste, and chili oil, creating a complex flavor profile that dances between spicy, sour, and umami notes.
Thick rice noodles provide the perfect vehicle for the rich broth, making each spoonful a balanced experience.
Banh Xeo
These crispy Vietnamese pancakes are like edible gold – crackling on the outside and filled with savory goodness. Made from rice flour and turmeric, then stuffed with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, they’re meant to be wrapped in lettuce and herbs before dipping.
The contrast between the crunchy exterior and fresh herbs creates a textural symphony that’s impossible to forget.
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Cao Lau
Found almost exclusively in Hoi An, this noodle dish embodies the town’s multicultural history. The chewy rice noodles, traditionally made with water from specific local wells, are topped with slices of pork, crispy crackling, fresh herbs, and a small amount of intensely flavored broth.
Each component plays a crucial role in the dish’s unique character, much like instruments in an orchestra.
Com Tam
Broken rice was once considered inferior until innovative cooks transformed it into this beloved dish. The fractured grains absorb flavors more readily and offer a different texture than whole rice.
It is typically served with grilled pork, a fried egg, and pickled vegetables. This humble meal represents Vietnamese culinary ingenuity at its finest.
Bun Cha
Made famous internationally when Anthony Bourdain shared it with President Obama in Hanoi, this dish deserves attention on its own merits. Chargrilled pork patties and slices swim in a dipping sauce that balances fish sauce, sugar, lime, and chili.
Served with vermicelli noodles and a basket of herbs, it’s a DIY eating experience that engages all senses.
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Banh Cuon
These delicately steamed rice rolls require impressive skill to create. The paper-thin rice batter is steamed and then filled with seasoned ground pork and wood ear mushrooms.
Topped with crispy fried shallots and served with a fish sauce dipping sauce, they offer a textural contrast between the soft wrapper and savory filling that’s utterly addictive.
Mi Quang
This central Vietnamese specialty uses turmeric-infused noodles as its foundation. Served with just a touch of broth, the dish is topped with shrimp, pork, peanuts, and sesame rice crackers.
The minimal broth allows the ingredients to shine independently while still coming together as a harmonious whole.
Cha Ca La Vong
Named after the Hanoi restaurant that created it, this dish features fish marinated in turmeric and galangal, then grilled tableside over charcoal. Served with vermicelli, dill, peanuts, and shrimp paste, it’s an interactive dining experience where diners control the final preparation.
The aromatic dill provides a surprising counterpoint to the rich fish.
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Bo La Lot
Seasoned beef wrapped in betel leaves and then grilled creates juicy, fragrant morsels that burst with flavor. The betel leaves impart a peppery, earthy quality that transforms the meat inside, similar to how grape leaves enhance Mediterranean dolmas.
These bite-sized packages are perfect for sharing around the table.
Goi Cuon
Fresh spring rolls encapsulate Vietnamese cooking philosophy – fresh, light, and balanced. Rice paper wraps around shrimp, pork, vermicelli, and herbs, creating translucent parcels that showcase their beautiful contents.
Unlike their fried counterparts, these rolls celebrate the pure flavors of their ingredients, much like a perfectly composed salad.
Canh Chua
This sweet and sour soup captures the essence of southern Vietnamese cooking. Tamarind provides tang, pineapple offers sweetness, and fish contributes savory depth.
Loaded with vegetables like okra, bean sprouts, and elephant ear stems, it’s both refreshing and satisfying. Each spoonful offers a different combination of ingredients, making every bite unique.
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Banh Khot
These miniature savory pancakes are like flavor coins that fit in the palm of your hand. Crispy on the outside with a soft, custardy interior, they’re topped with shrimp and eaten wrapped in lettuce and herbs.
Their small size concentrates their flavor, delivering maximum impact in a single bite.
Hu Tieu
This noodle soup reflects the Chinese influence in southern Vietnam. It’s incredibly versatile and available in numerous variations with different broths and toppings. The clear pork-based broth is subtle yet complex, allowing the chewy rice noodles and toppings like seafood or offal to take center stage.
Bot Chien
Crispy rice flour cakes stir-fried with egg create a street food that’s greater than the sum of its parts. The exterior develops a golden crust while the interior remains chewy, creating an irresistible textural contrast.
Served with a tangy papaya salad, this humble dish demonstrates how simple ingredients can be transformed through proper technique.
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Banh Mi Op La
While banh mi sandwiches have gained international fame, this breakfast variation deserves its spotlight. Fried eggs with gloriously runny yolks are served alongside a French baguette for dipping into the golden goodness.
This dish bridges Vietnamese and French influences in a way that’s accessible and deeply satisfying.
Chao
This rice porridge serves as comfort food throughout Vietnam. The slow-cooked rice breaks down completely, creating a silky base for toppings like century eggs, fish, chicken, or pork.
Each region has its variation, demonstrating how Vietnamese cooks can elevate even the most basic ingredients into something special.
Nem Chua
These fermented pork rolls provide a tangy, funky flavor that’s utterly addictive. Traditionally wrapped in banana leaves and fermented for days, they offer a completely different side of Vietnamese cuisine.
The controlled fermentation creates complex flavors that can’t be replicated any other way, similar to a fine cheese.
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Banh Canh
These thick, chewy tapioca and rice flour noodles have a distinctively satisfying texture. Served in a porky broth with seafood or pork knuckles, the substantial noodles fill the belly while the clean broth nourishes the soul.
The springy resistance of each noodle strand provides an almost playful eating experience.
Bo Kho
This Vietnamese beef stew marries French techniques with Vietnamese flavors. Chunks of beef become fork-tender after simmering with lemongrass, star anise, and tomato.
Served with a crusty baguette for sopping up the fragrant sauce, it’s the kind of meal that creates lasting memories of comfort and satisfaction.
Banh Beo
These tiny steamed rice cakes, topped with dried shrimp, crispy pork skin, and scallion oil, originate from imperial Hue cuisine. Served in small dishes, each offers just a few perfect bites of contrasting textures and flavors.
The dish demonstrates the attention to detail and presentation that characterizes the best Vietnamese cooking.
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The Endless Vietnamese Table
Vietnamese cuisine, like its landscape, contains multitudes – from mountainous northern specialties to seafood-rich coastal fare and the abundant tropical ingredients of the south.
These 20 dishes merely scratch the surface of a culinary tradition that values balance, freshness, and the skillful layering of flavors. The next time a bowl of pho tempts you, consider venturing further into Vietnam’s diverse menu. Your taste buds will thank you for the delicious detour.
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