Vietnamese Food: 3 Tasty Alternatives to Phở

Vietnam is considered a country with a rich culinary background, even compared to its neighbors in Southeast Asia. Vietnamese specialties are not only delicious but also very popular and loved by many foreign tourists. Some of the most popular dishes in Vietnam are Bún Bò Huế, Canh Bún, and Bột Chiên. Let's take a look at how each of these dishes is made and their popularity in Vietnam.

Bún Bò Huế

Vietnamese Food: Bún Bò Huế

Bún Bò Huế is a specialty of the city of Huế. It commonly has beef in the soup. But in addition to beef, there is also pork. This dish's special flavor comes mainly from the pungent taste and the soup's characteristic lemongrass smell. It is an unmistakable Huế flavor, and that makes people remember this dish forever.

Basically, Bún Bò Huế is similar to Phở. There is a bowl of broth, with meat and spices, along with vermicelli or rice noodles. However, phở's noodle is usually soft and thin, while Bún Bò Huế has stiffer and more rigid noodle.

To have a delicious bowl of Bún Bò Huế, choosing ingredients is very important. The best option is to use thigh beef. You can use fore-calf beef or flank steak in this case. Beef must be bright red, have a fine texture, fragrant scent, and the fat must be light yellow in color. The broth can be made sweet and appealing using beef leg bone.

Bột Chiên

Vietnamese Food: Bột Chiên

Bột Chiên is a simple dish that originates from China. It is most famous in Ho Chi Minh City and other southern provinces. Bột Chiên in Vietnam is made mostly by Chinese-Vietnamese and isn't much different from the original dish in China.

In Ho Chi Minh City, you can find the famous Võ Văn Tần variant of Bột Chiên on Võ Văn Tần street. This version has cute square cubes of cakes instead of the common long ones. A dish of Bột Chiên can be complemented using pepper and diced green onion. Dip them in spicy soy, and your tongue will go through an out-of-body journey.

Canh Bún

Unlike Bột Chiên, Canh Bún is a pure Vietnamese dish. However, it's relatively obscured and is often mistaken with Bún Bò Huế. This dish originates from the Northern provinces but is becoming increasingly harder to find there. Ironically, it is prevalent in the South. However, the southern variant is so different from the Northern original that it might as well be a different dish.

Vietnamese enjoy Canh Bún alongside boiled bindweed (one of the simplest vegetable dishes in Vietnam). The broth varies from place to place. Therefore, expect to go on a Kinder-Egg adventure because you will have a different taste every time!

We hope we have triggered your appetite by introducing these fantastic dishes. If you have a chance to come to Vietnam, don't forget to find one of these and experience the best cuisines Southeast Asia has to offer.