A UK Traveler’s Guide to Vietnamese Food: Find out

Planning to travel to Asia? Then Vietnam should be your first choice where you can see scenic landscapes, splendid waterfalls., and above all, the flavourful cuisine. Vietnamese food delicacies are a vibrant attraction among all global travellers.

Besides, Vietnam has a flamboyant street food scene where the local food markets are always alive. In this blog, we will explore the exquisite Vietnamese cuisine and where to find the best Vietnamese food. 

Travelling to Vietnam from the UK is very easy. For up to 45 days, a Vietnam visa for UK citizens is not required. Although you need a UK passport. 

Getting to Vietnam from the UK

There are direct flights from the UK to Vietnam, as you can land in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Amongst the most important documents, your UK passport is the most important document to enter Vietnam. 

Importance of having a UK Passport to travel to Vietnam

Since a Vietnam visa for a UK citizen is not required for 45 days, your valid UK passport will help you to enter Vietnam without any hassle. However, your UK passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months from the day of your arrival in Vietnam. 

Application for an e-Visa

If you plan to stay more than 45 days, you can avail of an e-visa. The e-visas will allow you to stay in Vietnam for 90 days and provide you with multiple entries to Vietnam. 

If you need help applying for your eVisa to Vietnam, you can visit here. These are all the ways you can enter Vietnam and enjoy the amazing culinary delights of the country.  

Vietnamese Cuisine: The Healthiest in Asia

Vietnamese cuisine is globally acclaimed by travellers and food lovers because of its freshness. There are many iconic dishes in Vietnamese cuisine that have a brilliant balance of taste. 

How Balanced is the Flavour in Vietnamese Cuisine

Vietnamese dishes have a balance of all the flavours in their cuisines. The ‘five element theory’ of Vietnamese cuisine depicts the five key taste elements, which include sweet, sour, spicy, salty, and bitter, making the food more enjoyable and delicious. 

Common ingredients found in Vietnamese Cuisine

In almost every Vietnamese cuisine, you will find some common ingredients like fish sauce, lemon grass, mint, cilantro, rice noodles, green onion, and some exotic spices. However, despite using multiple spices, Vietnamese cuisine is not very hot or spicy, as they maintain the right equilibrium of taste. 

Priority of Fresh Ingredients

Vietnamese foods are prepared with fresh ingredients to keep the flavours of the dish natural. Vietnamese people prefer to use locally sourced and fresh ingredients in their food. 

Delights from the Streets: Amazing Vietnamese Street Foods

Since there is no requirement for visas for Vietnam for UK citizens, you can focus on your culinary journey in Vietnam. From street foods to regional specialities, travellers around the world visit Vietnam for their magnificent culinary options. Overall, there are various types of options to explore. 

Pho

Pho is what most of the Vietnam natives consider their go-to food. The aromatic Vietnamese noodle soup has a perfect blend of flavours. Additionally, the taste of the pho soup broth is phenomenal, which is stewed with beef bones, cinnamon and cloves. Besides, fresh herbs like cilantro and Thai basil are also used to deliver the classic flavour of Pho. 

Banh Mi

Banh Mi is a delicious combination of a French Baguette with a filling of pork and pickled vegetables inside. You can enjoy the crunchy baguette, which resonates with the country’s colonial history. 

Bun Cha

A quality street food from Hanoi, Bun Cha combines various flavours from different culinary traditions. At the base of the food, you will get a grilled pork patty, which also contains fresh aromatic herbs. Furthermore, Vermicelli noodles along with fresh herbs like mint, perilla leaves and fresh coriander. 

Special Vietnamese Foods from Different Regions

Different locations in Vietnam have different culinary specialities. Like street foods, Vietnamese regional foods are delicate in delivering the best quality flavour profile. 

Cao Lau from Hoi An

A special street food dish from Hoi An, Cao Lau, is very unique in its flavour. The noodles are made from rice, which makes the texture chewy. You will get the noodles garnished with mustard greens, bean sprouts, herbs, and cinnamon. All of these materials are sourced from the local vegetable market. 

Bun Bo Hue from Hue

Bun Bo Hue is a famous dish that originated from Central Vietnam, more specifically from the Hue region. This is a beef soup and noodle combination that comes with beef broth. In addition to this, these also come with a hint of chilli and shrimp paste. 

Com Tam from Saigon 

A signature delicacy from Saigon, the Vietnamese Com Tam is an economical daily meal option. This food is a combination of broken rice, grilled pork ribs, and Vietnamese-style omelets. Moreover, the taste is enhanced by the mixed fish sauce and oil garnishing. 

Vegetarian Food Options in Vietnam

It may sound surprising, but there are plenty of options for Vegetarian food in Vietnam because of the huge number of Buddhists within the country. Hence, the UK travellers can get vegetarian food options at almost anywhere in the country.  

Banh Xeo

A rice flour crepe filled with fresh vegetables, Banh Xeo is one of the most popular Vietnamese food options available. You will be served this food with a fine wrap of lettuce and a sour dipping sauce. You will love this cuisine as it uncovers different types of textures which makes the food unique. 

Banh Mi Chay

A vegetarian variation of Banh Mi, the Banh Mi Chay is the simpler form of this famous Vietnamese food option. Additionally, inside the traditional baguette, you can get the marinated tofu with pickled vegetables and fresh herbs. This way, the taste massively enhances and travellers enjoy it.  

Where to get the Vegetarian Food options in Vietnam

You can get vegetarian options in most of the big cities of Vietnam, including Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Hoi An, and Halong Bay. There are also some entirely vegetarian hotels where you will find only veg options.  

Things You Should Know Before Exploring Vietnamese Food

Exploring Vietnamese cuisine as a UK citizen is a good choice, as there is no Vietnam visa for UK citizens. Before you try Vietnamese food, you need to remember the basic information about the stalls and foods where you are eating. Alongside this, you also need to care about hygiene and other food etiquette. 

Choose Only Hygienic and Reputable Stalls

Since most Vietnamese delicacies are available as street food, you may not always get the same proper hygiene standards that you get in formal restaurants. Moreover, issues like improper handling, uncleaned cooking materials, and unsafe water can impact the food experience. Hence, this is recommended to look for hygienic and reputable food stalls. 

Eating With Chopstick 

Like most of the south Asian countries, eating with chopsticks is a part of Vietnamese food etiquette. Try to comply with that and learn other eating etiquette. 

Tipping Culture

As a foreign traveller, it would be nice to tip for the services you get. In Vietnam, the standard tipping practice is between 10% to 20% of the bill value. Although tipping is not something that you have to practice mandatorily, leaving a small tip will help the service providers. 

Preventing Food Poisoning

Preventing food poisoning is a key concern while exploring the lip-smacking delicacies of Vietnam. Therefore, always look for food that is properly cooked and avoid any kind of raw food or undercooked meats. 

Final words

Tasting different authentic culinary of Vietnam helps to explore the country effectively. Moreover, since there is no need for visas for Vietnam for UK citizens, you can go to the country and explore the food rich in taste and flavour. 

So, get ready for the next flight to Vietnam for an unforgettable culinary journey and make great memories!