Street Food Vietnamese: Essential Vocabulary for Foodies

Vietnamese street food is legendary — and knowing the right words transforms your experience from pointing at random items to ordering like a local.

The Classics

• Phở — Rice noodle soup (bò = beef, gà = chicken)
• Bún chả — Grilled pork with noodles (Hanoi specialty)
• Bánh mì — Vietnamese baguette sandwich
• Cơm tấm — Broken rice with grilled pork (Saigon specialty)
• Bún bò Huế — Spicy beef noodle soup (Huế specialty)
• Gỏi cuốn — Fresh spring rolls
• Chả giò / Nem rán — Fried spring rolls (South/North)
• Bánh xèo — Crispy crepe with shrimp and pork

Cooking Methods

• Nướng — Grilled
• Chiên / Rán — Fried (South/North)
• Hấp — Steamed
• Luộc — Boiled
• Xào — Stir-fried
• Kho — Braised in caramel sauce

Ingredients

• Thịt — Meat (bò = beef, heo/lợn = pork, gà = chicken)
• Tôm — Shrimp
• Cá — Fish
• Rau — Vegetables
• Trứng — Egg
• Đậu phụ / Tàu hũ — Tofu (North/South)

Condiments

• Nước mắm — Fish sauce
• Tương ớt — Chili sauce
• Chanh — Lime
• Rau thơm — Fresh herbs
• Giá — Bean sprouts

Ordering Phrases

• Cho tôi một phở bò — Give me a beef pho
• Thêm rau — More vegetables
• Bớt cay — Less spicy
• Có chay không? — Do you have vegetarian?
• Ngon quá! — So delicious!

Food vocabulary is the most immediately useful Vietnamese you'll learn. It appears in countless WELE podcasts and is the first thing you'll use when visiting Vietnam.