Regional Differences in Vietnamese Cuisine

Travelers come to Vietnam with the intention of seeing its surrealistic landscapes, of which the country has no shortage. From the cascading rice terraces of Sapa in the north to the silk-smooth red and white sand dunes of Mui Ne in the south, every major city of the country has something for everyone to see, making Vietnam a paradise for a backpacker. However, your itinerary is incomplete if you do not make it a priority to interact with the curious residents, fine dining hanoi learn about their war-torn past, and of course, eat their food. It makes sense that the type of food available in the home country is changing, as Vietnam is a long stretch of land with many different climates. Here is an in-depth look at the regional differences in Vietnamese cuisine.

PS: I've included links to easy recipes for each dish I've tried. All you have to do is click on the first record of each court you come across 🙂
Vietnam is undoubtedly a paradise for street eaters!

The country has an abundance of options for those who want food like a local, which simply means to happily crawl over a bowl of rice or noodles on a sidewalk. You will see markets on literally every street and stalls on every corner offering a variety of dishes that are popular among people, so finding a meal that suits your taste is a nonissue. You will find some of the finest food in Vietnam on the sidewalk, but if you are looking for a comfortable upscale restaurant, there are of course places that meet that too. Many offer Vietnamese fusion cuisine, whether a mix of French, Japanese or Italian, and if you are tired of the constant rice and noodles, you can always try a pizza or a burger. Vietnam really has it all.

Vietnamese food card
Here is a map listing the dishes famous for each region. Feel free to download - it's made for you! 😉
Vietnam is a long stretch of land, covering a total of 331,210 square kilometers. In the North, it borders fine dining hanoi China and Laos and further south, Cambodia. Geography and differences in climate throughout the country affect the types of dishes available regionally, and most of the time the differences are rather noticeable, even to an untrained tongue.

Northern Vietnamese cuisine
North Vietnam, the cradle of Vietnamese civilization, is the birthplace of some of the country's signature dishes, such as banh cuon, bun rieu, and bun cha. Another one of these, perhaps the most famous - pho - is Vietnamese de facto national court. Locals enjoy this at any time of the day, fine dining hanoi but usually remain a staple for the early emerging Vietnamese, and it is highly unlikely that you will encounter a restaurant that does not have it on their menu.

When asked about the opinion on where to find the best pho in town, multiple sources will tell you all about the same path to the Old Quarter of Hanoi, to a restaurant located at 49 Bat Da Street, called Pho Gia Truyen. Given the hype, the restaurant is not really what you would expect - a small space that looks rather old and tired with children's wooden chairs and communal tables, so you can feel like you've arrived in the wrong place. But if you stand half of Hanoi out there who are no doubt pho, you will know that your question was a success. The next realization to challenge you is that you will never find a seat inside. Maybe you just need to rent a motorcycle for this trip so you can join the countless others who enjoy their meals on their bikes outside.