Pho 

  • Ingredients: Flat rice noodles, slow-cooked beef bone broth with a blend of herbs and spices, thinly sliced beef or chicken, finely chopped scallions, and fresh herbs sprinkled on top.

  • How to Enjoy: You can enhance the flavor with a squeeze of lime, sliced chili peppers, ground black pepper, vinegar, and chili sauce. A common side dish with Pho is fried dough sticks. You can dip them into the broth or enjoy them on their own.

  • Price: 35,000 - 60,000 VND/bowl (1,4 - 2,4 USD).

  • Popular restaurants: 

  • Pho Thin Lo Duc: No 13 Lo Duc, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi

  • Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su: No 10 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

  • Pho Hien: 68 Tran Quang Khai, District 1, Saigon

  • Pho Phu Vuong: 120 Nguyen Thai Binh, District 1, Saigon

Vietnam Noodle Soup - pho vietnam

Ready to dive into a bowl of tangy Pho

Pho became so renowned that it was added to the Oxford Dictionary in 2007. It can be said that the bowl of pho symbolizes the culinary spirit of Vietnamese cuisine. Pho in Northern and Southern Vietnam differs in taste. Northern pho has a rich and savory flavor, while Southern pho tends to be sweeter and contains more herbs.

Bun Cha

  • Ingredients: Rice vermicelli served with grilled pork and pork patties cooked over charcoal, a dipping sauce featuring a sweet and tangy taste, finely sliced pickled papaya and carrots, and fresh herbs. Some places may offer additional choices such as fried spring rolls, thinly sliced cucumbers, and iced tea.

  • How to Enjoy: Dip the noodles and fresh vegetables into the sweet and sour dipping sauce then savor them. You can adjust the dipping sauce with pepper, vinegar, thinly sliced chili, or chili oil.

  • Price: 35,000 - 50,000 VND (1,4 - 1,9 USD).

  • Popular brands: 

  • Bun Cha Ms. Tuyet: 34 Hang Than, Ba Dinh, Hanoi

  • Bun Cha Huong Lien (Bun Cha Obama): 24 Le Van Huu, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi

  • Bun Cha Sinh Tu: 316 Pho Vong, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi

  • Bun Cha Dac Kim: No 1 Hang Manh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Vietnam Noodle Soup - bun cha vietnam

A hearty serving of Bun Cha - top Vietnam noodle soup

Bun Cha is a long-standing favorite dish in Vietnam and is highly cherished by locals. Its distinctive highlight lies in the flavorful charcoal grilled pork, accompanied by a bowl of sweet and sour dipping fish sauce.

Bun Bo Hue (Hue Noodle Soup)

  • Ingredients: Rice vermicelli noodles (twice the size of Bun Cha noodles) are served in a deeply flavorful broth made from beef bones and local shrimp paste. A bowl presents tender beef brisket, pork trotters, crab sausage, pork knuckles, and fragrant herbs.

  • Price: 45,000 - 80,000 VND/bowl (1,7 - 3,1 USD).

  • Popular restaurants: 

  • Bun Bo Me Keo: 20 Bach Dang, Phu Cat, Hue

  • Bun Bo Ms. Tuyet: No 47 Nguyen Cong Tru, Phu Hoi, Hue

  • Bun Bo Ngu Uyen: 5 Kim Dong, Hoang Mai, Hanoi

  • Bun Bo Ba Nghi: 466 Nguyen Tri Phuong, District 10, Saigon

Vietnam Noodle Soup - bun bo hue vietnam

Bun Bo Hue boasts intense flavors

Bun Bo Hue is known for its rich and slightly spicy broth. The noodles used in this dish are thicker than regular noodles. Additionally, the toppings are abundant with a variety of carefully selected meats.

Bun Rieu Cua (Crab Noodle Soup)

  • Ingredients: Rice vermicelli noodles accompanied by a broth crafted from freshwater crab, tomatoes, Indian taro, and vinegar. The dish is garnished with fried tofu, pork or crab sausages, crab roe, cartilage patty, and a touch of scallions, served alongside fresh greens.

  • How to Enjoy: It tastes better with crispy pork greaves on top and shrimp paste.

  • Price: 25,000 - 60,000 VND/bowl (1 - 2,4 USD).

  • Popular restaurants: 

  • Bun rieu Tuan Anh: 35 Hong Mai, Hanoi

  • Bun rieu Hang Bo: 44 Hang Bo, Hanoi

  • Bun rieu Ms.Huong Beo: 19B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 1, Saigon

  • Bun rieu Ms.Yen: 1348 Truong Sa, Tan Binh, Saigon

Vietnam Noodle Soup - bun rieu vietnam

Bun Rieu offers a rustic taste of rural Vietnam 

Bun Rieu is a humble dish that reflects the bucolic life of Vietnam’s countryside. In addition to the mentioned accompaniments, restaurants may also offer variations such as sliced beef, snails, or seafood such as squid, shrimp, and mantis.

Banh Da Cua (Crab Red Noodle Soup)

  • Ingredients: Flat red noodles, broth cooked from freshwater crab, crab spring rolls, squid patty, shrimp, mantis shrimp, grilled pork wrapped in betel leaves, finely chopped scallions, fried shallots, and herbs.

  • How to Enjoy: People from Hai Phong prefer to use a local chili sauce called “chi chuong” for their dishes, which you can try adding to enhance the flavor.

  • Price: 35,000 - 60,000 VN/bowl (1,4 - 2,4 USD).

  • Popular restaurants: 

  • Banh da cua Ba Cu: 179 Cau Dat, Ngo Quyen, Hai Phong

  • Banh da cua Lach Tray: 48 Lach Tray, Ngo Quyen, Hai Phong

  • Banh da cua Huynh Thuc Khang: 16 Huynh Thuc Khang, Dong Da, Hanoi

  • Banh da cua Phung Hung: 6A Phung Hung, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Vietnam Noodle Soup - banh da cua vietnam

Banh Da Cua for seafood lovers

While both Banh Da Cua and Pho noodles have flat texture, Banh Da Cua’s noodles are firmer and more flavorful compared to the softer Pho’s noodles. Originating from a coastal city, this dish is often served with a variety of seafood options.

Bun Bo Nam Bo (Vietnamese beef noodle salad)

  • Ingredients: Rice vermicelli topped with stir-fried beef, roasted peanuts, cucumber, fresh herbs, and crispy fried shallots, all tossed in a sweet and sour fish sauce dressing.

  • Price: 40,000 - 90,000 VND/bowl (1,6 - 3,6 USD)

  • Popular restaurants: 

  • Bun Bo Nam Bo Bach Phuong: 67 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

  • Bun Bo Nam Bo Ta Hien: 7 Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

  • Ba Ba Restaurant: 76 Nguyen Thai Binh, District 1

Vietnam Noodle Soup - bun bo nam bo vietnam

Famous Vietnam noodle soup to try

It is interesting that this dish is called Southern Beef Noodle, but it actually originates from Hanoi. This is because the area where the dish originated was once called Nam Bo Street - Southern Street.

Cao Lau

  • Ingredients: Yellow round noodles, known for their chewy and thick texture, char siu pork, crispy pork skin, fresh vegetables, and a small amount of broth made from simmering bones poured over the bowl of noodles.

  • How to Enjoy: Hoi An is renowned for its Mot herbal drink You can pair this dish with a serving of Mot water for a complete experience.

  • Price: 30,000 - 60,000 VND/bowl (1,1 - 2,4 USD).

  • Popular restaurants: 

  • Cao lau Ba Le: 45/3 Tran Hung Dao, Hoi An, Quang Nam

  • Cao lau Ms.Lien: 21 Thai Phien, Minh An, Hoi An, Quang Nam

  • Cao lau Trung Bac: 87 Tran Phu, Minh An, Hoi An, Quang Nam

Vietnam Noodle Soup - cao lau vietnam

The finesse of Vietnamese noodle soup

The dish also has an intriguing name. “Cao Lau” in Vietnamese means a delicious dish enjoyed on a high floor, where diners can both relish the food and admire the beautiful scenery. Cao Lau is a fusion of Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese culinary styles born out of the cultural intersection in Hoi An during its bustling trading port days.

Mi Quang (Quang Noodle)

  • Ingredients: Yellow flat noodles, char siu pork, boiled quail eggs, shrimp, roasted peanuts, fresh herbs. Similar to Cao Lau, this dish is typically enjoyed with a small amount of rich bone broth.

  • How to Enjoy: You can pair the dish with crunchy rice crackers.

  • Price: 30,000 - 60,000 VND/bowl (1,1 - 2,4 USD).

  • Popular restaurants: 

  • Quang Noodle Ms. Mua: 40 Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang

  • Quang Noodle Huong Que: 78 Phan Thanh, Thanh Khe, Da Nang

  • Quang Noodle Ms. Vi: 91 Vo Thi Sau, Thanh Nhan, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi

  • Quang Noodle Ngon: 38B Dinh Tien Hoang, Da Kao, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam Noodle Soup - quang noodle vietnam

Quang Noodle - top Vietnam noodle soup

Quang Noodles offers a harmonious blend of ingredients creating irresistibly savory and rich flavors. This is undoubtedly one of the Vietnam noodle soups you can’t afford to miss.

Banh Canh (Thick Noodle Soup)

  • Ingredients: The noodles are as thick as chopstick heads, served with a viscous broth cooked from shrimp, fish, and pork. Banh Canh is topped with boiled quail eggs, pork knuckles, shrimp, crab, pork, or fish cakes.

  • Price: 30,000 - 300,000 VND/bowl (1,8 - 11,8 USD)

  • Popular restaurants: 

  • Banh canh: 87 Tran Khac Chan, Tan Dinh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

  • Banh canh Ms. Ba: 84/6 Nguyen Bieu, Ward 1, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City

  • Banh canh ghe 69: 11 O Cho Dua, Dong Da, Hanoi

  • Banh canh Ut Coi: 2B Quang Trung, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Vietnam Noodle Soup - banh canh vietnam

A bowl of Banh Canh Vietnam noodle soup

Banh Canh is a delicious Vietnamese noodle soup with a soft, chewy texture and rich flavor. Regular bowls of Banh Canh typically cost as low as $2, but some varieties with added seafood like crab can be more expensive, ranging from $6 to $11.

Hu Tieu Nam Vang (Nam Vang Noodle Soup)

  • Ingredients: Thin small rice noodles, pork liver, shrimp, minced meat, boiled eggs, and fresh vegetables make up this dish. The broth is simmered from bones for 8 hours with various vegetables to create a flavorful and sweet broth.

  • Price: 30,000 - 100,000 VND/bowl (1,2 - 3,9 USD)

  • Popular brands: 

  • Hu tieu Dat Thanh: 232 Nguyen Thi Thap, Binh Thuan, District 7, Saigon

  • Hu tieu Nhan Quan: 122D, Cach Mang Thang 8, District 3, Saigon

  • Hu tieu Minh Chau: 67 Tue Tinh, Nguyen Du, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

  • Gia Thanh restaurant: 36C Mai Hac De, Bui Thi Xuan, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi

Vietnam Noodle Soup

Hu Tieu Nam Vang Southern Vietnam Noodle Soup

While originally from Cambodia (Nam Vang), this dish is enhanced with a variety of robust spices upon its arrival in Vietnam. Hu Tieu Nam Vang now emerged as a celebrated specialty of Saigon, revered for its deliciousness across Vietnam.

Discover additional information in our article on travel guide to Vietnam!

Vietnam noodle soups recommended in this list have also garnered considerable attention and acclaim from renowned magazines like CNN and TasteAtlas. Besides, don't miss out on discovering more about Vietnamese cuisine as well as the enticing tour packages available on our website.