Southern Vietnamese food
Southern Vietnamese food is the sweet, herb-piled, exuberant cooking of the Mekong delta and Saigon — shaped by abundance, French influence, and a serious sweet tooth. Sugar and coconut milk creep into savoury dishes, the herb plates are enormous, and the icon is cơm tấm, the broken-rice plate built around grilled pork. This is also bánh mì at its best.
© Christopher Crouzet · CC BY-SA 4.0Saigon’s plate of broken rice with grilled pork chop — the city’s default lunch.
© Kent Wang from Austin, TX · CC BY-SA 2.0A crackly turmeric crêpe stuffed with shrimp and bean sprouts — wrapped and dipped.
© Tonbi ko · CC BY-SA 4.0The south’s endlessly variable pork-and-seafood noodle — wet or dry, your call.
A whole evening eating culture — sea snails and shellfish, beer, and plastic stools.
© Lưu Ly · Public domainA cool bowl of vermicelli, smoky grilled pork, herbs, and pickles you dress yourself.
© Baoothersks · CC BY-SA 4.0Skewers of grilled pork sausage you wrap at the table with herbs and rice paper.
© manda_wong · CC BY 2.0Crispy little coconut-batter cups topped with a prawn, wrapped in greens and dipped.
© Phương Huy · CC0Fat, chewy tapioca noodles in a thick, almost gravy-like crab broth.
© Light Write · CC BY-SA 2.0Da Lat’s “Vietnamese pizza” — rice paper grilled crisp with egg and toppings.
The fresh, un-fried rolls — shrimp, pork, herbs, and rice noodle in translucent paper.
© Charles Haynes · CC BY-SA 2.0Fish simmered in a clay pot with caramel and fish sauce until sticky and deep.
Southern food — common questions
- What food is southern Vietnam known for?
- Southern Vietnamese food is the sweet, herb-piled, exuberant cooking of the Mekong delta and Saigon — shaped by abundance, French influence, and a serious sweet tooth. Sugar and coconut milk creep into savoury dishes, the herb plates are enormous, and the icon is cơm tấm, the broken-rice plate built around grilled pork. This is also bánh mì at its best. The dishes to seek out: Com tam, Sizzling pancake, Hu tieu, and Snails & shellfish.
- What is the most famous southern Vietnamese dish?
- Com tam (Cơm tấm) — Saigon’s plate of broken rice with grilled pork chop — the city’s default lunch.