Resembling the Japanese udon noodle, banh canh, literally translated as “cake soup”, is either made with pure rice flour or rice flour mixed with tapioca, giving it a thick appearance and chewy texture. Typical topping options include pork, chicken, and seafood.

“Giant” crab banh canh in District 5

A pot of banh canh at Ba Ba comes with a ladle so customers can split the soup into smaller bowls for individual servings. Photo by VnExpress/Cao Ly.

Ba Ba (Madam Ba) eatery in Alley 84 on Nguyen Bieu Street in District 5 is known for serving their crab noodle soup banh canh in large ceramic cooking pots suitable for two to three people.

Aside from the big serving, the banh canh at Ba Ba lures patrons with its viscous orange broth enriched with crab meat, pork bones, and dried shrimp. Cashew oil and tapioca starch are added to achieve the color and viscosity.

Toppings consist of two to three slices of shrimp and fish cake, quail eggs, blood pudding, and pig skin. A portion costs VND92,000 ($4). The eatery opens from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Phu Yen garlic chive banh canh in District 10

Customers can request to have less chives in their bowl. Photo by VnExpress/Cao Ly.

A specialty of central Phu Yen Province, a bowl of banh canh covered in garlic chives at 111 Cao Thang Street in District 10 might turn some away because of its strong smell. However, garlic chives are tactfully used here to dilute the fishy flavor of the soup.

In central Vietnam cuisine, the broth for soups is usually made with seafood for a sweeter taste than regular pork bone varieties. Simple yet delicious, toppings include thick cut noodles, fish cakes, a piece of mackerel accompanied by a sweet and sour sauce on the side.

A bowl costs VND40,000 ($1.7) and VND50,000 with mackerel. The eatery also serves other Phu Yen delicacies like chicken rice, basil chicken hotpot, and tuna salad. The restaurant opens from 7 a.m. until 9.30 p.m.

“Two bowl” banh canh in District 1

A portion includes a bowl containing the noodle soup and another with the meat, giving the eatery its “two bowl” nickname. Photo by VnExpress/Cao Ly.

Every noon, the eatery at 10 Pho Duc Chinh Street in District 1 teems with customers. Even though the sign only advertises squid porridge, the joint attracts customers for its delicious rendition of banh canh.

Each serving features two bowls, one containing the soup and noodles, the other, meat. A lime, pepper, and salt dip is served on the side. Here, the soup is topped with a chicken drumstick, wing, or pig’s trotters.

Recipe for making porridge is also used for the soup and sweetened with shreds of dried octopus, pork bones, and dried shrimp.

The eatery opens from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Aside from porridge and banh canh, it also offers Vietnamese macaroni (nui), wonton, and side dishes like century egg and boiled chicken feet.

The price for a bowl ranges from VND50,000 to VND55,000, depending on additional extras.

Cuc Gach Restaurant

Obama exits Cuc Gach Restaurant after an hour-long dinner. Photo acquired by VnExpress.

Cuc Gach, a countryside-inspired Vietnamese restaurant in Saigon, welcomed former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle for dinner on Tuesday.

The two ate stir-fried Tonkin jasmine flowers with garlic, stewed pork, spring rolls, and Vietnamese sour soup – typical local delicacies.

Cuc Gach Restaurant. Photo acquired by VnExpress.

Cuc Gach boasts a décor that reflects the country’s tranquility while the furniture is characteristic of a traditional Vietnamese home.

Starting at VND85,000 ($3.7) a dish, the restaurant on Dang Tat Street in central District 1 has also been graced by A-list Hollywood stars like Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Backstreet Boys.

10 Ly Quoc Su Restaurant 

President Moon Jae-in, his wife Kim Jung-sook (left) and staff members enjoy beef pho breakfast, priced at VND150,000 ($6.5). Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook started their last day in Hanoi last year with the hands-down iconic pho at 10 Ly Quoc Su Restaurant in Hoang Minh Giam Street, Cau Giay District. The two ordered two bowls of beef noodle soup they spiced up with a sprinkle of lime.

Pho has earned its place in the Oxford English Dictionary for its unmistakable taste and legacy.

Bill Clinton’s historic visit to Vietnam in 2000 also included a bowl of delicious pho at Pho Co Restaurant near the Temple of Literature in Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. In Saigon, the couple ate at a pho shop near Ben Thanh Market in District 1.

Banh Mi

Turnbull ate the banh mi sitting on a sidewalk stool. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh.

When Vietnam hosted the APEC summit in Da Nang in November 2017, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull grabbed himself a VND10,000 ($0.43) banh mi from a street vendor.

Banh mi, Vietnam’s iconic street food, is a baguette stuffed with anything from grilled pork, chicken, cold cuts, and cucumber slices, to cilantro, pickled carrots, liver pâté, and a swipe of mayonnaise and chili sauce.

Turnbull and chef Luke Nguyen, an Australian of Vietnamese origin, bought the sandwich while on a stroll, savoring the taste from the comfort of the sidewalk.

Vegetarian Tib Restaurant

Former U.S. President George W. Bush, Laura Bush and former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and partner Janette Howard dine at Tib during November 2006. Photo courtesy of Tib Restaurant.

In November 2006, former U.S. President George W. Bush and wife Laura Bush dined at Tib Restaurant with then-Australian Prime Minister John Howard and partner Janette Howard.

The visitors feasted on pincers, jackfruit salad, lotus seed soup in coconut, shrimp cakes, and lotus seed tea. The restaurant has since placed these dishes onto a separate menu named after Bush.

Tib, located on Hai Ba Trung Street in central District 1, mainly serves vegetarian dishes that originate from the former imperial capital of Hue. The ambience is cozy and suitable for receptions and gatherings.

Prices range from VND20,000 to 180,000 ($0.87- 7.8) per item. A Bush menu come in at about VND300,000 ($13) a head.

It is well known that street side eateries in major cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang serve delicious food. However, for the adventurous traveller, similar, equally enjoyable discoveries await in smaller locations.

The quiet seaside town of Phan Rang, capital of Ninh Thuan Province in south central Vietnam, is a case in point. It offers a culinary experience unique to the location.

The town is about an hour from the Cam Ranh Airport and blessed with sunshine and photogenic natural scenery. The better known tourist hotspot in the area is Mui Ne, but this town has its own distinct charm, including its cuisine.

Mi Quang noodle soup.

Mi Quang

Quite a gem, the Mi Quang Thien stall serves a delicious version of this noodle dish and is easy to find. The first stall on Nguyen Van Troi Street, it is near the circle connecting Ngo Gia Tu and Tran Phu streets. Served piping hot with the fragrance of steaming pork broth, this dish is best had early in the morning.

Mi Quang is a dish that originates in Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam. It has become popular throughout the country and it seems every place has its own version. The one in Phan Rang is more like a pork noodle soup instead of the standard semi-dry style with a bit of a soup base. It is served with big pieces of pork on the bone, a quail egg, fish cake (cha ca), and crunchy peanuts on a generous portion of rice noodles.

As the day breaks, security guards, taxi drivers, students and office workers ride up to the place, exchanging small talk with the young lady chef as they settle down for breakfast. They are regular customers, obviously. We order a cup of coffee while waiting. And the dish proves well worth it.

Rice flour and turmeric crepes, banh xeo.

Banh xeo

Another spot popular among locals is Banh Xeo 22 Quang Trung, which carries its address in its name. Phan Rang’s version of banh xeo (rice flour and turmeric crepes) is smaller than the version found in Ho Chi Minh City, but has the same crispiness. The evening we visited, the cook was busy whipping up orders for a stream of customers. Deftly working the pan, she topped up the mixture with small prawns, squid, minced pork and bean sprouts.

The whole yummy crispy crepe is usually dipped into a choice of sauces. There’s fermented shrimp paste (mam nem) with a bold smell (some would say smelly!) and salty taste which certainly adds a buzz to the pancake.

Then there’s the sweet and crunchy mam dau phong (peanut sauce) as a less pungent alternative. Unlike the version in Ho Chi Minh City, Phan Rang’s banh xeo is not served with banh trang (rice paper) that you roll after placing a piece of the banh xeo and some herbs in it. Here, fresh young mango strips are offered as a sourish accompaniment to balance the sweet or salty sauces.

For spice lovers, there’s fresh pounded red chilli to add to the fish sauce; and if that isn’t enough, there are smoking hot small green chillies that will bring satisfying tears to your eyes.

Phan Rang is quite a center for chilli farming and almost everywhere you eat, there’s enough fresh chillis and freshly made pounded chilli dips for your spice cravings.

Mini egg pancakes, banh can.

Banh can

If pancakes are your thing, you will love banh can (mini egg pancakes). These are served with chicken eggs either beaten as a mixture into it (banh can trung) or quail eggs cracked into the pancake mix (banh can trung cut).

The pancakes can also be ordered with shrimp, minced pork or squid baked into it. The whole dish is smothered with spring onions before it’s served. Phan Rang’s version is widely available for breakfast or dinner. And just like local coffee shops, it seems like everyone has a favorite banh can spot in this town.

A banh can stall at 33 Quang Trung Street.

The one we visited one morning, Banh Can 33 Quang Trung at 33 Quang Trung Street, offered tasty portions with a brown fish sauce (nuoc ca), that even had small anchovies in it. Nuoc ca is a popular dip in this seaside town. There were also generous sides of sour young mango strips, sliced onions and cucumbers.

Banh hoi at 44, 21/8 Street.

Banh hoi

Banh hoi is another unique treat to savor in Phan Rang. We checked out this dish at Banh Hoi May Kim Ngan shop, a simple establishment at 44, 21/8 Street, over lunch time. Their banh hoi was sumptuous. Made with fine rice vermicelli in delicate bundles and topped with deep fried banh trang (rice paper) and spring onions, it was served with sesame banh trang, fish cake (cha ca), pig’s liver and deep fried pork belly, as well as a heap of vegetables.

You wrap all this up according to your preference and dip your wrap into either the mam nem (fermented shrimp paste sauce) or mam dau phong (peanut sauce).  It might seem just like simple, small portions without a lot of carbohydrates to stuff yourself with, but this wrap was filling.

Next time you feel adding a cuisine component to your vacation, Phan Rang deserves serious consideration.

Mantis shrimp

Tom tit, or mantis shrimp, is a dish that seafood lovers do not want to miss out on when visiting Ha Tien. Since this creature usually breeds around the third and fourth lunar months, the best time to try this food is six months before that when it carries a lot of ripe roe. These eggs are considered a delicacy. Besides, tom tit caught during this season will have more fat and meat. Mantis shrimp can be found in restaurants across Ha Tien cooked in various ways such as steamed with lemongrass, roasted with garlic and cooked in a hot pot. A portion costs VND100,000-150,000 ($4.3-6.5).

Tongue shell (lamp shell)

Ca xiu, commonly known as tongue shell or lamp shell, lives in the muddy part of rivers, estuaries and brackish water with a long pedicle attached to the ground, making it easier to find food. It might have a strange appearance but is considered a delicacy in Ha Tien. The dish has seasonal prices with the best time being June and August when locals eat them fresh. They also fry them with garlic and eat with rice or ferment them to eat all year round.

Snakehead fish noodle soup

Bun ken, or snakehead fish noodle soup, involves a sophisticated cooking process. After the fish is cooked in boiling water, the chef will fillet it and turn it into mam ruoc through fermentation. Some of the meat is stir-fried with onion, garlic, curry powder, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, and fish meal. Then the chef puts this mixture into a pot of fish broth, adds seasoning and coconut milk and boils on a fire. The broth has a sweetish taste from the coconut milk. It is served with dried shrimp, fish paste, bean sprouts and cucumber on top. Foodies can also add lemon, chili and fish sauce to fit their taste. A bowl costs VND20,000 ($0.86).

Redtail fusilier

Grilled ca do, or redtail fusilier, with pickled papaya is a popular afternoon snack in Ha Tien. This dish is commonly sold in the downtown area, but the best place to try it is at a no-name street stall near Tran Hau and Phuong Thanh streets. The fish is coated with spices and grilled on charcoal until it gives off a nice smell. Eating the fish with pickled papaya and chili will stimulate your taste buds even more. A portion costs VND25,000 ($1.08).

Vietnamese baguette and cow offal

Banh mi pha lau, or baguette filled with cow offal, is an exotic street food thanks to the unique filling. What make this dish unique are the chewy pieces that are yet soft enough to melt in your mouth. Each vendor has a unique way of cooking the innards. But chefs in Ha Tien cook them with coconut milk to give the dish a sweetish taste. A portion costs VND15,000 ($0.65).

The cart at 135 Ha Ton Quyen Street in Chinatown is a popular destination. The fruit stuffed inside the dough draws many durian aficionados to it.

The durian pastry, banh tieu in Vietnamese, comes in small hot bites with sesame seeds added for extra flavor.

The cart owner inserts a durian slice into the dough and deep fries it. It makes for a soft, crunchy pastry that explodes with the durian’s flavor.

It is advisable to eat it hot and many buyers do just that. If you are not a fan of durian or are not partial to grease, it might not be for you.

Though durian is not cheap, the pastry is sold at a very affordable VND6,000 ($0.26) apiece. Some people enjoy the treat with a glass of soy milk.

The owner does not stop kneading the dough or frying for even a moment between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. It is not rare for the eatery to close earlier than its usual 8 p.m. after selling out quickly. Sometimes you have to wait in line for long during rush hour. It is best to get there between 2 p.m. and 4 pm.

Photo courtesy of Thinker & Dreamer Coffee.

Thinker & Dreamer

The minimalist style of this café, with black and white being the main colors, makes it a favorite for many. Despite its modest room, Thinker & Dreamer does not feel crammed. A seat on the balcony looking down on the walking street could be an enjoyable experience.

Photo courtesy of Thinker & Dreamer Coffee.

There is a wide range of items in the menu and an average price of VND50,000 ($2.2) per drink.

Photo courtesy of Boo Coffee.

Boo Coffee

Situated in the top floor of a renovated old apartment building at No. 42, the café offers a bird’s-eye view of downtown Saigon. The décor is spruce.

Photo by VnExpress/Di Vy.

Besides the regular drinks, Boo Coffee also serves a variety of milk teas. One of them, intriguingly named grilled milk tea, is highly recommended. It comprises of black sugar and marshmallow grilled directly with fire right before it is served, creating a novel flavor. This particular drink comes in two versions that cost VND49,000 ($2) and VND59,000 ($2.5).

Photo courtesy of Haan – Drink & Eatery.

Haan – Drink & Eatery

The café, which opened not long ago, is much larger than most coffee shops in the apartment building at No. 42. It is divided into two areas, an outdoors and an air-conditioned room.

Photo courtesy of Haan – Drink & Eatery.

It has various drinks and food. If you have a sweet tooth, give the soufflé with Italian ice cream a go.

Photo by VnExpress/Di Vy.

The Letter

The café replicates the coziness one would feel in the ancient town of Hoi An in central Vietnam with its yellow theme and traditional furniture and pictures on the wall depicting a time in the past. It has three separate spaces, each decorated with pottery, ornamental pots and fresh flowers.

Photo by VnExpress/Di Vy.

Drinks start at VND40,000 ($1.7).

Photo courtesy of L’amant Café.

L’amant Café

The café, situated near the intersection of Nguyen Hue and Ton Duc Thang streets, has a mix of modern architecture and old-fashioned floor patterns. It is usually crowded during weekends.

Photo courtesy of L’amant Café.

The highlight of L’amant Café is its coffee menu. Its coffee beans are said to come from the Central Highlands, Vietnam’s coffee hub, and contain no preservatives. With every sip, you feel a slightly bitter taste on the tip of your tongue followed by sweetness.

Suong, 39, said she opened the eatery in District 3 four years ago and has been serving central region-style crispy pancakes.

Every morning she buys her ingredients in the same market. Then she prepares the ingredients and heads off to grind her own rice flour to make the batter. Suong explained that ready made flour, while admittedly convenient, just cannot compare with homemade flour.

Her central region-style pancakes are around 10 centimeters in diameter which are smaller than the Mekong Delta-style.

Freshly made banh xeo. Photo by VnExpress/Di Vy.

Though it is unclear when the crispy pancakes first made an appearance, banh xeo is a popular dish in the central region and the Mekong Delta. And everywhere locals add their own dash of creativity.

If banh xeo in the Mekong Delta is larger with lots of shrimp, meat, green bean, or coconut milk, those of  the central region are about the size of a palm since the batter is poured into a mold rather than a big pan. It also has fewer ingredients in form of some bean sprout and a couple of pieces of pork.

Suong said she does not use egg or coconut milk in her pancakes. “I use some turmeric powder to make it look more appealing.”

The banh xeo at Suong’s eatery is around 10 centimeters in diameter with brean sprout and pork inside. Photo by VnExpress/Di Vy.

The eatery opens at 2-6 p.m. every day, with 4-5 p.m. being the peak time when her five little ovens operate at full capacity.

Suong only makes the pancakes on customers’ orders meaning it is always fresh and crispy.

Visitors can see how she makes the cakes, from pouring the batter into the mold to adding meat and bean sprouts, waiting until the flour turns golden brown and folding it in half.

She also serves banh khot, a cousin of the banh xeo. Suong uses the same batter and adds shrimp instead of pork.

The dish comes to life when eaten with fresh vegetables and dipped in a bowl of fish sauce which has pickled papaya and carrot. One bite into it and there is an explosion of flavors and textures in the mouth.

A banh xeo costs VND7,000 ($0.3).

Suong makes banh xeo in a small street inside Ban Co Market in Saigon’s District 3. Photo by VnExpress/Di Vy.

Since the street is inside Ban Co Market, it is sometimes a bit dirty and becomes slushy during the rains. Diners can park their vehicles in empty spaces near the venue.

Co Chat Village is located on the banks of the Ninh Co River (Truc Ninh District, Nam Dinh Province).

According to the village’s elders, sericulture has existed in Co Chat for several hundred years. The village makes both yellow and white silk threads.

Silk production begins around March and April, and ends around October every year. At the end of the season, white silk can be found hanging everywhere on bamboo sticks in local markets.

Silkworms mature and weave silk fiber to form cocoons. Around 20 to 25 days later the cocoons are harvested to be reeled and spun into raw silk.

Silkworm cocoons are put into boiling water before silk fibre is unwound from them. After collecting this in reels, it is washed and rid of impurities and thrown, which means to twist or wind, into threads.

The yellow bobbins of silk threads are dried and, delivered to workshops which carry out the final processing stages before selling them to traders.

Mung, who has worked for nearly 30 years in sericulture, said she can process 50kg of yellow silk cocoons a day, earning around VND600,000 – 700,000 ($25.79 – $30.09).

White silk is more common because it is easier to produce and has higher yield.

Silk spinning is hard work, involving sitting next to a hot, steaming coal stove in the middle of summer for hours.

Finished hand-reeled threads produce three grades of silk: two fine grades that are ideal for lightweight fabrics, and a thick grade for heavier material.

The treads are twisted into strands, treated and spun into bobbins before it is sold.

Although the products of Co Chat Village are famous for good quality and durability, elders say the vocation could disappear in the not too distant future.

Despite sericulture delivering decent incomes, few of the village’s youth seem to be picking up the threads from their elders.

The dish costs VND15,000 ($0.65) on average. Photo by Moon Le.

While the noodles in Saigon are thick and chewy and appear white to almost transparent, the noodles in Phan Rang Town are thinner and have a milky white color. They are made from rice powder and boiled in hot water.

The attractiveness of the dish lies in the broth, for which most restaurants seem to have the same recipe. The fish, mainly silver fish, are carefully selected from the market in the morning, and the chef separates the flesh from the bones. The flesh is used to make cakes while the bones are stewed along with pork bones to make the broth flavorful.

To make the fish cakes, the chef seasons the fish and kneads until smooth. Many restaurants have switched to machines to save time. The fish cakes are fried until golden and put on top of the noodles followed by the broth.

Chili fish sauce, which is usually pre-made, is an indispensable addition to the dish. Photo by Moon Le.

To keep the noodles from sticking to each other, the chef puts them in hot water for a few seconds before serving. A bowl consists of noodles, fish cakes, cilantro, green onion, and black pepper. The dish is served hot and presented in an eye-catching manner.

To enjoy, don’t forget to add some chili sauce and lemon slices. The softness and chewiness of the noodles is like no other.

You can also order extra fish cakes. Photo by Moon Le.

The restaurant on Ngo Gia Tu Street is one of the most famous for fish cake noodles. It is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.