President Barack Obama didn't just sample some of Vietnam's finest local food in Hanoi, he did it with a guide who happened to be none other than "Parts Unknown" host Anthony Bourdain.
"The whole neighborhood, it seemed, was out. And there is, in my view, no better place to welcome the leader of the free world than one of these classic, characterful family-run noodle spots you find all over Hanoi," Bourdain says. "Dinner and a beer set us back about $6. I'm guessing the President doesn't get a lot of state dinners quite like this one."
President or not, you don't need a celebrity guide to enjoy the national cuisine when you travel here.
Partner links: booking through them supports the blog at no extra cost to you.
The cheapest and one of the tastiest places to find food in Vietnam is the traditional open-air market. Here, single-dish stalls run mostly by women serve up refined dishes that have been handed down from mother to daughter for generations.
Ready to pull up a plastic stool? Here are 10 dishes that will give you the perfect introduction to the best of Vietnamese street food:
Pho
What list of Vietnamese food would be complete without pho?
It's almost impossible to walk a block in Vietnam's major cities without running into a crowd of hungry diners slurping noodles at a makeshift pho tent. This simple dish, built from a savory broth, fresh rice noodles, a scattering of herbs and chicken or beef, dominates the local diet, and it's easy to see why. It's cheap, delicious and widely available at any hour of the day.
Bun cha
Pho might be Vietnam's most famous dish, but bun cha is the top pick when it comes to lunch in the capital. Just look for clouds of meaty smoke after 11 a.m., when the street restaurants of Hanoi fire up their charcoal grills to cook little patties of seasoned pork and slices of marinated pork belly.
Once they turn charred and crisp, these morsels are served with a bowl of broth swimming in a generous fish sauce, a basket of herbs and a serving of rice noodles. A bun cha set often comes with delicious nem cua be, fried crab spring rolls. Still not convinced? This is what Obama ate during his night out with Bourdain.
Xoi
In Vietnam, savory sticky rice is less a side to a meal than a dish in its own right. This gluten-rich staple is served with a range of toppings (from pieces of chicken or pork to fried or preserved eggs), but almost always with a sprinkle of dried onion on top.
Banh xeo
A good banh xeo is a crispy crepe stuffed with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts, plus a side of the fresh herbs that turn up in most authentic Vietnamese dishes. To enjoy it like a local, cut it into manageable slices, wrap them in rice paper or lettuce leaves, and dip them into the special sauce the chef has prepared just for you.
Goi cuon
These light, fresh spring rolls are a wholesome choice for when you've overdone it on the fried food in Vietnam. The translucent wrappers are first filled with salad greens, a slice of meat or seafood and a layer of cilantro, then neatly rolled up and dunked in Vietnam's favorite condiment, fish sauce.
Not ready to give up on the fried stuff? In the north, these fried rolls are called nem ran, while southerners call them cha gio. A crunchy shell wraps around a soft filling of vegetables and meat.
Bun bo nam bo
This bowl of vermicelli, hugely popular in Hanoi, comes without broth, which keeps the ingredients from going soggy and lets them hold on to their different textures. Tender slices of beef are tossed with crunchy peanuts and bean sprouts and seasoned with fresh herbs, crispy dried shallots and splashes of fish sauce and hot chili.
Cao lau
This pork-and-noodle dish from Hoi An hints at the various cultures that passed through the trading port in its heyday. The thicker noodles resemble Japanese udon, the crispy wonton crackers and pork are a Chinese touch, while the broth and herbs are distinctly Vietnamese. Authentic cao lau is made only with water drawn from the local Ba Le well.
Banh mi
The French may have brought the baguette with them, but Vietnam takes it to another level. Exactly how depends on which end of the country you're in.
In the north, cooks stick to the essentials of carbs, fat and protein, bread, margarine and pate, but head south and your banh mi might hold a more colorful combination of cheese, cold cuts, pickled vegetables, sausage, a fried egg, fresh cilantro and chili sauce.
Bot chien
A beloved street snack in Ho Chi Minh City, bot chien is a hit with schoolkids after class and night owls alike.
Chunks of rice-flour dough are fried in a large wok until golden and crisp, then an egg is cracked into the mix. Once it's done, it's served with slices of papaya, shallots and green onion, after which pickled chili sauce and rice vinegar are added to lift the flavor.
Ca phe trung
Vietnamese "egg coffee" is technically a drink, but we prefer to file it under desserts. The creamy, soft foam of egg white, reminiscent of meringue and rising above a strong Vietnamese coffee, will have even those who don't usually crave a cup of joe eagerly licking their spoons.
In Hanoi, slip down a tiny alley between the kitschy souvenir shops at 11 Hang Gai into a cleared-out space, then climb up a few floors of increasingly precarious stairs to pair your ca phe trung with an unbeatable view of Hoan Kiem Lake.
