Hey connoisseurs! Have you tried all of the Vietnamese food? This will be your chance. The following content will give you the most specific details about over 30 famous street food in Vietnam.
To make it easy to keep track, the food is divided into 3 main regions in Vietnam. Every dish has its own way to make and enjoy. So take your time and bonappetite! Here are the best Vietnamese food in the South of Vietnam.

1. Fish paste hotpot (Lẩu mắm)

Fish paste hotpot is a Vietnamese street food; nonetheless, it has is origin from the ancient Khmer (Cambodian today). Various changes were made after 300 years due to combination of Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines. Also, with the diversity of food in Mekong Delta, fish paste hotpot was an excellent new invention of Ca Mau citizens.
The dish is said plain to cook. But to have true flavor from Southern Vietnam, the cook needs a long time practicing. Fish sauce used in the dish has to be red in color and made from Linh or Sat fishes in Ca Mau province. Ingredients for the hotpot are variety in number, most of which are freshwater fishes and shell-fishes. In some area, they even have shrimps, crabs, cuttlefishes, and so on.
A fish paste hotpot cannot be complete without vegetables. Buying them from markets is fine but it would be better if you can precisely choose vegetables in the fields – the ones that can only be found in Southern Vietnam. Water mimosa, yellow burrhead, water orchid, spinach, hummingbird tree, bitter melon, and straw mushroom are some examples.
One tip to have the best fish paste hotpot is to put some citronella in it before adding other ingredients. The broth will have a natural smell and sweetness. And while enjoying the dish, you can have Linh fishes to come with it. That will provide everything for one of the best meals in your life.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 24 Hung Vuong Street, Ca Mau City, Ca Mau Province – 150,000 VND/pot (about $6.6)
– 46 Trung Nu Vuong Street, Chau Phu B Ward, Chau Doc City, An Giang Province – 120,000 VND/pot (about $5.3)
– 5D Le Lai Street, My Binh Ward, Long Xuyen City, An Giang Province – 199,000 VND/pot (about $8.8)
– 95/4 Tran Hung Dao Street, Long Xuyen City, An Gianh Province – 55,000 VND/pot (about $2.4)

2. Fried rice cake with egg (Bột chiên)

Unlike fish paste hotpot which had three origins, fried rice cake with egg was original from China. After many years introduced to Vietnam, the dish has become one of the most exclusive food to eat between meals of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) people. Whoever visits the land and looks for a strange type of food with low price, they are introduced to fried rice cake with egg.
Ingredients to make the dish are very plain, including wheat flour mixed with tapioca starch and cooking oil. Then, they are fried on a pan until all sides turn ivory-white. Next, the cakes are steamed inside square patterns and finally fried once again on the pan until they turn golden. Depending on each cook, the cakes are covered with small spring onion and eggs.
Trying fried rice cake with egg is a whole new experience, which you will remember it for the rest of your life. When you put the first piece into your mouth, it will melt immediately. It feels just like marshmallow without sweet taste.
Instead, it carries a buttery taste from wheat flour and greasy flavor from eggs. Having sauce to come with the dish will make it the most delicious food that you ever have a chance to try. When you visit Ho Chi Minh City, spend some time eating fried rice cake with egg. It will not let you down.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 757 Hoang Sa Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City – 30,000 VND/dish (about $1.3)
– 210 Nguyen Khac Nhu Street, Co Giang Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City – 20,000 VND/dish (about 88 cent)
– 428 Ten Lua Street, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City – 22,000 VND/dish (about 97 cent)
– 448/9C Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City – 40,000 VND/dish (about $1.7)

3. Vietnamese octopus (Bạch tuộc)

Octopus in Vietnam is also an incredibly delicious Vietnamese street food. It is also a common dish of fishers and citizens in sea town. You can turn octopus into various excellent dishes, such as grilled octopus, steamed octopus, or cheese octopus.
Grilled octopus is inevitable in friends meeting or reunion. Especially in a snail restaurant, most people will order grilled octopus with satay. The crunchiness of octopus and spiciness of satay make an outstanding combination that you will fall in love.
Octopus hotpot is another dish that you will have to try. If it is made with fresh octopus, the flavor can be even more wonderful. The best part about it is its low price. You will not need much money but can afford a large meal.
And for those who are addicted to cheese, cheese octopus will satisfy them. The octopus is marinated with spicy sauce, bringing a mature flavor for the dish. The greasiness of cheese is the main factor making the dish so special.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 84 Ngoc Khanh Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi – 425,000 VND/dish (about $18.7)
– 67 Hoang Cau Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi – 394,000 VND/dish (about $17.4)
– 93 Vu Ngoc Phan Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi – 300,000/dish (about $13.2)
– 265 Tran Dai Nghia Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi – 40,000/dish (about $1.8)

4. Pha lau (Phá lấu)

It is a simple dish but has an enormous attraction to the people in Ho Chi Minh City. There are a great number of restaurants having this Vietnamese street food near schools and universities. And those who love the food also vary from the young to the old.
According to memories of some old people, Pha Lau appeared in Sai Gon in the last 70s. There were many types of ingredients, such as puddings, internal organs of a chicken or duck. After time, the dish has had various changes; however, it is still one of the most preferred treat of Sai Gon citizens.
If you come across elementary or middle school gates in Ho Chi Minh City, street restaurants selling Pha Lau are widely available. The cooks often pierce toothpicks through each piece on the dish to make their customers, usually students, easier to eat. Otherwise, they will leave all the pieces intact and sell them to families to eat at home.
Nevertheless, Pha Lau can only have the best taste when a stick is used to penetrate through pieces. It is just the style of people in Ho Chi Minh City and never gets old-fashioned. The pieces when put into our mouth have a particular flavor, which is the harmony of sweetness from organ broth, coconut milk, and toughness of organs.
Some spices in addition, such as cinnamon, sweet fennel, and five-spice powder, make the food even more appetizing.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 306 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Ward 5, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City – 22,500 VND/dish (about 99 cent)
– 95 Bui Thi Xuan Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City – 25,000 VND/dish (about $1.1)
– 24 Vo Thi Sau Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City – 25,000 VND/dish (about $1.1)
– 243/34a Ton Dan Street, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City – 20,000 VND/dish (about 88 cent

5. Mixture vermicelli with shrimp, bean sprout, hoisin sauce and roasted peanuts (Miến trộn tôm thịt)

Summer in Vietnam, particularly in Hanoi, is very hot. Sometimes, the temperature can get to over 40 and reach to 50. As a result, people often feel tired and lose their appetite. Mixture vermicelli with shrimp, bean sprout, hoisin sauce and roasted peanuts is a created to help your appetite return.
The recipe is very plain and simple. The ingredients of the dish are easy to find as well. Before starting mixing everything, you need to cut the ingredients into small pieces. Besides shrimps and bean sprouts, there are onions, carrots, cucumbers, and lemonade.
The sauce is very crucial as well. It is considered the spirit of the whole dish, which comprises fish sauce, lemonade, honey, and soy sauce. If you like it sweet, adding sugar will be a fantastic idea. Chili is the last ingredient if you like a little spicy.
When you mix all the elements, make sure that they are stirred well. And roasted peanuts should be added after everything is mixed well. Otherwise, they will become soggy and you may not feel the tasty flavor anymore.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– Trung Yen Lane, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi – 40,000 VND/dish (about $1.7)
– Number 5, Lane 21, Pham Ngoc Thach Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi – 40,000 VND/dish (about $1.7)
– 28 Tran Vu Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi – 40,000 VND/dish (about $1.7)

6. Rice vermicelli with pork legs and pepper (Bún chân giò)

Sharing the recipe of this rice vermicelli with pork legs and pepper not only helps housewives discover a totally new dish from the Central Vietnam but also make their meals more attractive. The dish has the best flavor when it is still hot.
You are going to feel the warm taste from the broth and appealing odor that the pork legs bring. It is not too hard to make it. You should spend time choosing necessary ingredients and follow the recipe. You will have the best rice vermicelli with pork legs and pepper ever.
Besides, you will probably be surprised at Vietnamese pork legs. If you never try it, it is recommended. They are greasy but does not make you feel fed up with it. When you take the first bite, it will crumble in your mouth and tongue. Don’t startle if you cannot taste any meat. There is very little of meat and most of the parts of pork legs are skin and fat.
The dish is appropriate for all four seasons. Nevertheless, you will love it more when having it in winter.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 22 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, Hue City – 30,000 VND/dish (about $1.3)
– Hoai Thanh Street, Hue City – 25,000 VND/dish (about $1.1)

7. Tube cake (Bánh ống lá dứa)

Tube cake was invented decades ago. Until now, it has become an essential Vietnamese street food of not only the local in Soc Trang Province but also thousands of tourists every year. Despite popularity of other Southern treats, such as banana cakes, potato cakes, or tet cakes, tube cakes still have their own attractiveness.
You can have a tube cake for breakfast or brunch on a cold day. Its name comes from its cylinder shape of the tubes, which are made of aluminum or stainless steel. There is a stick inside each tube and one flat round piece of tin in the bottom to help cooks get the cake out.
After mixing rice flour with coconut milk, dried coconut, roasted peanuts, pandan powder, and sugar to the shapes, the cook will start steaming the cakes. Only 2 minutes are needed for the cakes to be cooked through. It is very easy to notice when they are full steamed due to their coconut smell and light green color of pandan.
You should enjoy the cakes while they are still hot. If the cakes are cool, they cannot keep their mature aroma of pandan, sweetness and greasiness of coconut, and some scent of sesame and salt. To those who try tube cakes the first time, they will definitely want a second one.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 45 Nguyen Trai Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City – 5,000 VND/cake (about 88 cent)
– Some street restaurants in Soc Trang market

8. Pia pastry (Bánh Pía)

Another special Vietnamese street food that you have to try when visiting Southern Vietnam is Pia pastry, which is also original from Soc Trang Province. Unlike tube cake, Pia pastry is the result of cultural interference. Its former birth was Suzhou Moon cake. Then, a Han Chinese man brought it along to the South, which is Vietnam today, and it was altered to match cuisines of the local.
Pia pastry has two parts: the cover and the center. The cover is made from wheat flour mixed with sugar. Then, bakers will keep flattening and scrolling it to create layers for the cake. The center is the combination of green beans, durian, and purple taro. After they are fully steamed, bakers will grind it, mix it with sugar, and add some broth to blend.
When the cakes are shaped, they are baked in an oven until the cover turns golden and smells good. Pia pastry should be eaten slowly and piece by piece. You will be able to feel all the ingredients in harmony on your tongue. Pia pastry is most appropriate with ginger tea because the sweet taste can be eased by rather acrid flavor and the heat of the tea.
Vietnamese, especially people in the South, often give each other Pia pastry on Mid-Autumn Festival instead of Moon cake. It is considered a meaningful present to celebrate that day.
• Some stores selling the cake:
– 139 Ngo Thi Thu Minh Street, Ward 2, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City – 10,000 VND/cake (about 44 cent)
– 169 Phan Dang Luu, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City – 10,000 VND/cake (about 44 cent)
– Q28 Nguyen Huu Hao Street, Ward 6, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City – 10,000 VND/cake (about 44 cent)
– 1350 Kha Van Can Street, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City – 10,000 VND/cake (about 44 cent)

9. Snakehead fish porridge with knotgrass (Cháo cá lóc)

Heading to Southern Vietnam on Highway 1A to Tien Giang Province, you will come across quite many restaurants serving Southern special treats. Snakehead fish porridge with knotgrass is one of them. The dish has a unique flavor of Southern cuisine and is a remedy for flus or fevers. Knotgrass is also an useful herb that can cures various diseases.
Making the dish is more complicated than the other ones appearing in this list, which requires the cook to have professional skills. The initial stage is to choose a sweet smell type of rice and fry it before cooking. Then, the cook needs to prepare a snakehead fish large in size or raised in a lake because they have fewer bones than ones under the sea.
If you want to maintain the traditional flavor, you need to keep the fish organs. It is assumed the best part of the fish and an exclusive trait of the porridge. Also, to create the sweet odor for the dish, it is necessary not to use tap-water having chlorine smell. Some meticulous cooks even make use of rainwater or boiled water to cook.
After all ingredients are put in a pot and cooked through, you will have a proper snakehead fish porridge with knotgrass. The rice is sweet and snakehead fish is greasy but not to cloy your appetite. It is perfect for a nutritional meal.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 23/5/26 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Ward 3, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City – 40,000 VND/dish (about $1.7)

10. Vietnamese Cong cake with soya bean (Bánh Cống bột đậu nành)

Besides Pia pastry and tube cake, Soc Trang has another special food that draw hundreds of tourists every year. It is Cong cake with soya bean. Starting from Soc Trang, recipe for the cake has been spread to entire Southern Vietnam. Therefore, you can find it almost in any province, such as Can Tho, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, and so on.
The name “Cong” of the cake may make many people feel curious. But in fact, it is the name of the mold that shapes the cake. It looks like a coffee filter with a long handle to keep the baker’s hands from burning. After mixing soya bean powder, rice powder, and eggs together, the baker will lay it out, flatten it like pizza, and put it on the “Cong.”
Then, he places green beans on it to make the center of the cake and wrap the powder outside up. Frying is the last phrase and the cake will come out soft and sweet. Its color turns golden when being cooked through. Having the first bite, you can feel its crispy cover and viscid center in combined. It has the best flavor when it’s still hot and come with some vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and basil.
And whenever you enter a Cong cake restaurant, remember to ask for Phu Quoc fish sauce. You will love the taste that it brings.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 134/11A Tran Phu Street, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho Province – 11,000 VND/dish (about 48 cent)
– 86/38 Ly Tu Trong Street, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho Province – 30,000 VND/dish (about $1.3)
– 28 Dai Chi Hamlet, Dai Tam Commune, Soc Trang Province – 40,000 VND/dish (about $1.7)
– 158 Tan Tho Hamlet, Soc Trang City, Soc Trang Province – 10,000 VND/dish (about 44 cent)

11. Grilled snakehead fish (Cá lóc nướng)

Besides familiar dishes, such as soup or fried fish, snakehead fish can be made into different ones. Grilled snakehead fish is one of them. The dish is original in Ben Tre Province. Hence, you should come to Ben Tre to experience it.
It would taste even better if you buy snakehead fish from some fishers in the market early morning. Remember to choose ones with small head and tapering body. They have more meat than fat.
The best part when making snakehead fish is the sauce and spices. You can roast some peanuts and fry small spring onion to spread on the fish. For the sauce, fish sauce, sugar, salt, seasoning powder, ground pepper, and garlic are the ingredients you need. Mix them with proper amount and you will have the most delicious sauce.
Spray it on the body and inside of the fish. Make sure that everything is absorbed into the fish while you are grilling. When it is done, put the fish to the grill. After it is cooked through, its skin will become crispy and its meat will be soft. If you marinate it with enough fish sauce, you will not need anything to come with it.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 48/5 Vo Thi Sau Street, Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province – 200,000 VND/fish (about $8.8)
– 117 Be Van Dan Street, Ha Dong District, Hanoi – 135,000 VND (about $6)
– 68 Hoang Cau Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi – 200,000 VND/fish (about $8.8)
– 98 Chua Ha Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi – 200,000 VND/fish (about $8.8)

12. Salted turtle (Rùa rang muối)

At the end of Vietnam, there are still dishes that can blow your mind. Salted turtle is a food like that. Original from Ca Mau, the last province of the country, salted turtle is the most wanted dish of tourists. It is not difficult to have a delicious dish because ingredients are easy to find.
The pot that is used to make the dish is usually earthen pot. And the salt that the cook use has to be unrefined. After cleaning the turtle properly, the cook will put it in the pot along with salt and shut it tightly. If you observe how the turtle is made well-done, you will hear a bang several times. That is the salt explodes inside the pot.
When the explosion stops, he will take the turtle out, cut its shell and entrails. The reason is that turtles often eat a lot of things that human cannot consume, such as poisonous mushrooms. So eating their entrails is strictly forbidden.
Turtle meat after being cooks is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, creating a greasy taste in your mouth. It’s nothing like any other type of meat that you have had before. You should eat salted turtle with some chili sauce. You will never forget the spicy flavor combining with greasy taste crumbled on your tongue.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 31A Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi – 165,000 VND/ turtle (about $7.2)
– 19 Ham Long Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi – 165,000 VND/ turtle (about $7.2)

13. Squab porridge (Cháo bồ câu)

If you have a chance to visit the beautiful Vung Tau City, take some time enjoying squab porridge. The dish can be found in various restaurants in the city and is a well-known food. According to some research and many nutritionists, squab meat can detox our body, regulate menstrual cycle in women, and increase the number of sperms in men.
However, above all, it is a great food that almost all tourists would love to try once they visit Vung Tau. You can even make it at home because it is very plain to cook. The first step is to clean the squab. Then, add roasted rice, green beans, and water into a pot with the squab. When rice is almost cooked through, you can put some lotus seeds into the pot to make the dish more delicious.
After squab meat is soft, you will get a chance to have the first bite. Green beans and lotus seed are outstanding combinations for your health. Moreover, the freshness of green beans, good smell of lotus seed, and tasty flavor of squab meat will be one of the most unforgettable experiences in your trip. The dish can be perfect if you add some purple perilla to it.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 31 Do Chieu Street, Ward 1, Vung Tau City – 35,000 VND/dish (about $1.5)
– 23 Nguyen Luong Bang Street, Ward 9, Vung Tau City – 30,000 VND/dish (about $1.3)
– 54 Do Chieu Street, Ward 1, Vung Tau City – 30,000 VND/dish (about $1.3)

14. Fried chicken with boiled broken rice (Cơm tấm gà nướng)

Broiled broken rice is an exclusive types of food from Vietnam. Broken rice has smaller grains than normal rice; thus, it is easier to chew and consume. The food is original from Ho Chi Minh City so that is the best place for you to try boiled broken rice.
Fried chicken with boiled broken rice appeared in wartime. At that time, only rich people could afford normal rice to eat. And poor people had to buy broken rice because its price was much cheaper. However, after many years, been through a lot of ups and downs, Vietnam has got various developments. All citizens can have normal rice in their meals every day.
Boiled broken rice becomes a special food, a fantastic dish that tourists would love to try when visiting Vietnam. Fried chicken with boiled broken rice has very strange and delicious taste. Boiled broken rice is smaller in size than normal rice so you can digest it much easier. Also, the professional cooks have excellent skills of making the sauce.
The quality of this Vietnamese street food depends 50 percent on the sauce. That is why you should look for restaurants having been opened for a long time. The cooks there will have more experiences.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 449 Vo Van Tan Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City – 85,000 VND/dish (about $3.7)
– 378 Le Van Luong Street, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City – 40,000 VND/dish (about $1.8)
– 45 Nguyen Van Ba, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City – 30,000 VND/dish (about $1.3)
– 250 Bau Cat Street, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City – 26,000 VND/dish (about $1.1)

15. Grilled pork with vermicelli (Bún thịt nướng)

This is a unique Vietnamese street food from the south. You will have a chance to try it when visiting Ho Chi Minh City. It may look like vermicelli with grilled chopped meat (bun cha) in Hanoi but it is much greasier.
The pork in this Southern dish is marinated with numerous spices, such as garlic, honey, and fish sauce. They play an important role in making the color of the pork bright and natural. Also, the dish requires the cooks to have professional skills when clipping the meat on bamboo stick and tie it with a string made from banana leaves.
If they are not careful, the meat will fall out while grilling and ruin the whole food. The last step is to put the meat with the stick on a grill and start cooking. The meat after being grilled has sweet taste from honey and you will feel a little greasy in your mouth. And combining those with vermicelli, the dish becomes complete.
Vermicelli is mixed with many kinds of raw vegetables. So you will not have your appetite cloyed while enjoying the food.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 237/73 Tran Van Dang Street, Ward 11, District 3 – 25,000 VND/dish (about $1.1)
– 69 Bui Dinh Tuy, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City – 25,000 VND/dish (about $1.1)
– 299 Vo Van Tan Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City – 40,000 VND/dish (about $1.7)
– 82 Nguyen Hue Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City – 80,000 VND (about $3.5)

16. Mixed Southern beef noodle soup (Bún bò trộn)

Same like many other types of foods in this list, mixed Southern beef noodle soup is a Vietnamese street food that has appeared for over a century. Numerous Vietnamese citizens, especially the old, still cannot leave it out of their daily menu. They are already hooked up with it for half of their lives.
Moreover, mixed Southern beef noodle soup used to be listed by CNN as one of 10 must-try dishes for foreigners visiting Vietnam. So not only Vietnamese but also many foreigners would love to have it once in their lives.
If you go to street restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City, you can observe how they make the dish. It can be a complete surprise when you notice the speed of cooks’ hands, which is very quick and flexible. They can make 6 to 7 bowls and add all the needed ingredients in less than 2 minutes. If you happen to come to an age-old restaurant when your stomach is snarling, you will not have to wait so long.
Several usual elements that can be seen in mixed Southern beef noodle soup are beef fillet, roasted peanuts, fresh noodle, vegetables, garlic, shallots, onions, and some spices. You can add carrots or tomatoes to the dish to make it colorful. And before putting the ingredients together, it is important to make sure they are fresh and process them first.
That is also the most complicated thing while making this dish so you should pay attention and be careful while cooking. Try some street restaurants before starting making it is a great choice if you want to learn.
• Some famous restaurants serving the dish:
– 248 Bui Vien Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City – 30,000 VND/dish (about $1.3)
– 241C Cach Mang Thang 8 Street, Ward 4, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City – 42,500 VND (about $1.8)
– 51B Tu Xuong Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City – 30,000 VND/dish (about $1.3)
– 118 Phan Xich Long Street, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City – 35,000 VND/dish (about $1.5)