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Vietnamese Street Food Tips and Cookbook Giveaway

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Vietnamese Street Food_COVER

In 2010 when I was in Hanoi on a press trip, I met Tracey
Lister, an Australian expat with active passion about Vietnamese food. She’d
been living in Vietnam’s capitol for many years, exploring the food scene then
writing about it as well as  running the
Hanoi Cooking Centre, a terrific place to take classes. She has a quiet
curiosity about food and is highly observant – traits that she poured into her
latest book, Vietnamese Street Food.

She authored the charming book with her husband, Andreas
Pohl. The location photography gives a true sense being in Vietnam. It’s a book
that anyone who’s traveled to Vietnam should have, not just as a keepsake but
to cook from. It’s also terrific for armchair travelers and cooks. Many people
are interested in street food nowadays so I asked Tracey to share her thoughts
and expert advice on what to eat in Hanoi.

 

Vietnamese street food photo girl

Copyright Tracey Lister and Andreas Pohl, Hardie Grant 2011

An American
restaurateur once remarked to me, " Vietnam doesn't
really have a restaurant culture." How do you agree or disagree with that
statement?

I don’t think Vietnam has
a strong fine dining culture in the Western sense, although that is growing in
line with the economy.

There is, however, has a long
history of people eating out. Historically, restaurants started to appear as
part of the Chinese trading communities in the early 19th century with eating
places initially serving mainly Cantonese dishes. The Chinese restaurants were
subsequently joined by French establishments. These two influences together
with the local village banquet tradition morphed over time into the uniquely
Vietnamese restaurant scene we enjoy today.

On a typical day in Hanoi ,
how many times do you eat on the street? What are your favorite street foods
these days?

At the Cooking Centre we have a chef who produces a delicious staff meal for
lunch, so it’s a bit hard to resist that. But on a weekly basis I imagine half
a dozen times. A Saturday lunch favorite is Bún Chả with Andreas and Franka at
a stall close to where we live.

Banh da ca viet street food

Banh Da Ca fish noodle soup. Copyright Tracey Lister and Andreas Pohl, Hardie Grant 2011

I never tire of the
classics Phở Bò and Phở Gà [beef and chicken pho], but am enjoying Bánh Đa Cá
[fish noodle soup]. I just love the chewiness of the Hải Phòng noodles and the
soft fish together. Also, Bánh Tôm Hồ Tây [fried shrimp and sweet potato cakes]
and a Bia Hà Nội [Ha Noi brand beer] on a Sunday afternoon are a winner.

For people traveling to Hanoi for
the first time, what street foods should be on their hit list?

  • Bún Chả, Phở (of course)
  • Bún Ốc, noodles and snails with turmeric green
    banana and tofu
  • Trứng Ngải cứu, Omlette with a bitter herb,
    chilli/lime salt on the side
  • Bánh Cuốn, Steamed rice pancake with pork and
    mushrooms. Try a little Cà Cuống (water bug) essence in the sauce. It has a
    distinct green apple perfume.
  • If visiting in winter, Lẩu (steamboat) on Trúc Bạch Lake.
Pork ribs Viet Street Food

Barbecue Pork Ribs. Copyright Tracey Lister and Andreas Pohl, Hardie Grant 2011

If I were a beginner cook, what three recipes in Vietnamese
Street Food should I tackle first? Why?

  • Barbecue pork ribs (page 56). Everyone loves a
    BBQ It's an easy recipe with accessible ingredients, which can be prepared in
    advance.
  • Sticky rice steamed in lotus leaf (page 92) makes
    for a dramatic centre piece on the dinner table.
  • Black sesame seed and peanut soup (page 179) for
    dessert. It's comfort food and looks fabulous. We just don’t have enough black
    food.

If you had to move away from Hanoi ,
what street foods would you miss the most?

I have had good Phở
outside of Vietnam,
but never a good Bún Chả, so probably that. Maybe there is an opening there for
someone?

The Giveaway

I’d purchased Vietnamese Street Food last year from Kitchen
Arts and Letters in New York and prepared a fun faux crab and rice noodle soup
(bun rieu chay). At that time, the book was a pricey foreign import. This year, the publisher is releasing it in the United States, and I received
a copy to give away to a lucky winner! If you don't win, the book is a steal at this price.  

Here’s
the giveaway lowdown:

Prize: 1 copy of Vietnamese Street Food

Who
is eligible to enter: Anyone with a United States mailing address.

How
to enter: Simply
leave a comment on this post. What’s your
favorite Vietnamese street food? Or, what’s your favorite Viet snack food? Include
your email address so that I can contact you directly if you
win.

Can
you enter more than once? Yes, if you’re a fan of the VWK
Facebook page, follow me on Twitter or have joined me on Pinterest,
you can enter an extra time for each of those social media networks. If we’re
buddies on all three, then shoot, you can enter 4 times. If you’re doing
multiple entries, let me know who you are by including something like [FB],
[Twitter], or [Pinterest] in your comment.

Deadline
to enter: Monday,
March 25, noon (PST)

Selection,
notification, and claiming the tickets: The winner will be randomly selected via Random.org
and notified by email. The winner will be announced next Tuesday, March 26.
I’ll send the winner the book. If you’d like more details, read the official giveaway rules.

Good luck! 

Related posts: 

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. I CAN’T forget to mention banh tom. They’re fried cakes of shredded sweet potato and shrimp… and they are AMAZING! (Pinterest)

  4. When I lived in Minnesota, I became a fan of banh mi.
    Now that I live in a rural area with limited food options, I would love to try to make banh tom ho tay.
    Or, maybe I just need to visit Vietnam?

  5. My favorite is Banh Xeo. You can’t replicate the flavor you get from those cast iron skillets cooking over the charcoal.

  12. Bahn mi. When I was visiting san fran, I ate it two times a day. Great on a budget, and delicious. I may have to grab one today.

  13. Banh xeo most definitely — too difficult to replicate in my kitchen (or maybe not? We’ll see…)

  17. We ate so much wonderful food in Hanoi, but two meals stand out. Near our hotel there was a small place called bun bo. I’ve tried to find a similar dish at Vietnamese restaurants in the US to no avail. The rice noodles were topped with a ladle full of a rich, dense, broth of sorts. Topped with peanuts, bean sprouts, and some other things that I can’t remember.
    Another time we were specifically looking for a restaurant that served cha ca va long, but before we got there, we saw and smelled something we couldn’t pass up. I don’t really know what it was – marinated beef grilled at our table with lard and vegetables. They served it with garlicky french fries, french bread, and a cucumber salad. I want to go back just to try and find that place again.

  22. My favorite snack is banh bot lot. I love the gooeyness texture mixed with crunchy shrimp and salty minced pork. The umami dipping fish sauce just completes the dish perfectly!

  23. I haven’t visited Vietnam, so my knowledge is limited to the offerings stateside. Would love to learn more! Bahn mi, pad thai, and spring rolls are all delicious.

  27. Man, this is a tough one but there was some crab in tamarind sauce I had in some random alley in Saigon that was top notch (I couldn’t tell you the restaurant name or even what street it was off of). Otherwise, I like banh mi pho mat or banh cuon. Mmmmm……

  28. I dream of sitting on a stool in Hanoi with a Vietnamese-style iced coffee. (and let’s be honest, whatever else they want to put in front of me!)

  29. Hmm… Street food. All of them are super yummy. I love the little stalls that have the grill seafood. Just walking along the street venders and point at anything and it’s all yummy.

  30. Would like to say something different, but can’t go past Banh Mi (with the works, including a fried egg) and Pho. They’re classics for a reason.

  33. I’ve never been to Vietnam but I want to go. Have you ever considered hosting a culinary trip? I want to try all of the things people are listing here. I have enjoyed everything I’ve made from your cookbook and that I’ve eaten in restaurants but I could eat bun every day.

  35. Hands down my favorite snack is warm bo bia with (or after) beer! I’m hitting you up on Facebook too – I really want that book 🙂

  49. Banh mi in all its various forms is the epitome of Vietnamese street food, IMHO. When I was a wee little girl, my mom walked me to preschool and we often stopped at a banh mi stand. I remember how bossy I was and to tell the lady to make sure she scraped off all of the burnt parts of the bread…LOL. The smell of the bread and banh mi fixings, as well as the sound of her knife scraping the charred bits, are some of my most vivid childhood memories of Vietnam.

  52. I fell in love with Banh Xeo my most recent trip to Vietnam, but what about pho, bun cha, and banh mi?!? I can’t choose!

  54. ớt cà ri cua với cỏ chanh. Had it in Saigon 8 years ago and fell in love. Also love the shrimp and pork summer rolls. I will eat anything Vietnamese. By far my favorite food on the planet!

  59. During a visit to Vietnam last month, I had a great bowl bún mắm! For a snack, I love me some chè or sliced green mango with chili salt!

  61. Banh mi is by far my favorite street food!! It’s quick, healthy, affordable, portable, DELICIOUS, and varies between vendor to vendor.

  64. don’t know if it’s a street food but wether is winter or summer i must have pho soup with lots of cilantro and lime juice!!

  74. I was in Hanoi earlier this year, and I’d love to have this book. My favorite street food was banh bot chien, which I had in Saigon.

  77. I admit I haven’t had much opportunity to try much Vietnamese street food. But of what I have tried, I do love banh mi!
    I follow you on all three 🙂 [FB], [Twitter], and [Pinterest].

  81. Next would be Bun Cha but it has to be eaten on a little blue plastic chair to taste just right. (Facebook)

  82. Can’t forget Com Hen, a tiny clam dish I heard about from Kim Fay’s book, “Communion”. (Twitter)

  83. Well I have never been to Vietnam and I don’t know the proper names for a lot of the food but one of my best friends in high school was from high school and I loved all the food her mom would make. I can only assume that the delicious soup she used to make was Pho Ga but it was way better than anything I have had at a restaurant since. That was always a treat. I would love to win so I can try making some new favorites!

  84. Then a tie between bahn mi and Bahn Xeo. (Pinterest)
    Are you sure I can only enter 4 times??????
    🙂 Thanks for the chance to win.

  85. I love “banh bot chien” for breakfast with an egg, sweet soy sauce, lots of scallion and pickled string carrot. Yummmmmmm!

  88. I’ve never been to Vietnam, so can’t comment on the street food scene there. However, I did grow up with parents who were born in Vietnam and lived there before immigrating to the US, and took those food traditions with them. I love my mom’s bun rieu (noodle soup with a tomato crab soup) and goi cuon (spring rolls with shrimp). I’m craving them right now!

  94. Bánh Cuốn is my favorite. I had such good versions when I became addicted to Vietnamese street food during a 6-week trip there!

  96. A few years ago, I visited Vietnam from the North to the South, and my best meals were enjoyed around foldable tables, sitting on plastic stools, right by the street curb or tucked in some lane. In Hanoi, my most memorable dish was xoi (sticky rice prepared with different condiments such as coconut, peanuts, green mung beans, or with grilled chicken, or Chinese sausages and shitake mushroom). In Central Vietnam, I tasted the best Banh Khoai at Quan Ong Cam or the Dumb Man’s Inn. It’s a hole in the wall type of place serving the famous Hue crispy pancake stuffed with prawns, sliced pork, bean sprouts, shallots and dipped in a peanut/hoisin sauce with chopped pork liver and meat. And finally in Saigon, I have tried a variety of mouth-watering food from street vendors, and my absolute favorite is banh uot, served warm with herbs, beansprouts, a kind of deep fried shrimp and beans dumpling, and an amazing chili-spiked nuoc mam… so simple yet so delicious!

  98. I love the sweet potato fritters. Order them every time I go to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, and make them myself.

  102. When I was a kid, growing up in central PA – long before I had ever started to cook Asian food – I used to go to a local hole-in-the-wall grocery/cafe place after school that had these amazing Vietnamese spring rolls. They were light and flaky, but more importantly, they had the ubiquitous Vietnamese dipping sauce (that I know know…but didn’t then), is nuoc cham. I used to order those rolls just for the sauce.
    Fish sauce – food of the gods! My favorite street food or snack is just about anything with nuoc cham.

  103. I love street food and I have started to collect street food books. I would love to win this one. I have been to Hanoi and was in street food heaven. So much better than restaurant food.

  104. My wife and I ate at this banh cuon place every day the entire week we were in Hanoi. We couldn’t get the thought of it off of our minds.

  106. I love Banh mi and Pho, but those are really the only two names of dishes I know. I would really love to win this cookbook. Thanks for the chance.

  107. Bánh cuốn is by far my favorite and something I could eat pretty much everyday, I love the combination of textures and flavors.

  112. I’m not too familiar with street food but I’m a huge fan of Banh mi and pho (of course)

  114. There are too many! Bo bia, dried pressed squid with a cold beer, sweet corn Che to name a few.

  117. Definitely Banh Xeo, but banh bot chien & all the yummy oc at the qua’n oc are close seconds. Sigh… I want to make another trip to VN soon…

  124. I left Vietnam for almost 20 years, but the food on the street still on my mind, I never forgot it. Pho bo vien, bun rieu cua, hu tieu mi quang, every thing I had tasted , I had eaten still in my mind, so I can not say which is the food I like. I think I love my Vietnamese food forever.

  125. bun cha in Hanoi
    ice cream in Nah Trang
    pho in Saigon
    sugar cane at the night market in Hoian
    and lots more
    pretty much everything I ate everywhere

  126. hrm… My favorite snack is Che Ba Mau. I have tons vietnamese favorite food. Due to my mother cooks a lot of vietnamese food. My favorite vietnamese food is my mother make the best Canh Ca Dua.

  128. Since I was in Hanoi during summertime, my favorite “street food” was ice cream from Kem Tràng Tiền. I just wish I had a motorcycle to lean on…

  131. I don’t really know a lot about Vietnamese street food or snack foods… that’s why I really want to win the book! 🙂 But I really like canh chua, pho, cha gio, etc. etc.

  134. bun rieu hands down! found a legit street stand behind a street full of pig butchers.. the taxi driver who took us there wanted to turn back because he said there was nothing there.. good thing we persevered! a diner who spoke some english asked me how i found out about this store, since she had never seen foreigners there before.. it was perfection.

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  140. Can I count the fresh, cold coconut water (nuoc dua)and sugar cane juice (nuoc mia)?!? Ahhhh…so refreshing!

  142. Not sure that I can pick out a definitive favorite because I love so many Vietnamese specialties. My favorite to make at home (one of the few things I can make better than the fabulous Vietnamese restaurants in town) is Bo Nuong La Gno. I can’t find la lot in Philadelphia at any of our well-stocked Asian supermarkets, though, so I have to use grape leaves. Cooked on the grill till crisp and served with Nuoc Cham – I could eat it every day for lunch.

  143. Unfortunately, I’m not eligible as I live in the UK. Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll look out for Tracey’s book. The photography is top-notch. I’ve been thinking of taking a class in Vietnamese street food at Jamie Oliver’s school in London.

  144. I’d like to enter to win a copy! I was anti-Vietnamese food growing up and always looked to other dishes. Even when learning to cook during college, it was always Italian or American dishes but lately I’ve been wanting to learn Vietnamese dishes especially the ones my mom makes.

  147. I’m new to vietnamese cuisine. Living in the Northwoods of Wisconsin my exposure is rare. I made both beef and chicken Pho. My favorite is marinated chicken thighs with my fish dipping sauce then baked have time. Then I put all my vegetables on the pastry pan and top with the chicken and finish cooking. I then dump the vegetables and juice into a pot of noodles mix and serve with the chicken. I then refresh with dipping sauce before serving. I have also made Banh Mi bread with rice flour. Im looking forward to getting the new Banh Mi cookbook in July for ideas. I’ve got a list to visit the oriental market thats 100 miles away. I want to stock up on Red Boat, daikon and lemongrass. I freeze my lemongrass I haved developed a taste for Red Boat. I’m diabetic so asian food is very benefical and stabalizing to my health.

  151. Vietnam has been on the top of my list of places I want to visit, and Hanoi sounds amazing. Can’t wait to try the variation of street foods and I think this book will just whet my appetite even further…

  154. Since I was in Hanoi during summertime, my favorite “street food” was ice cream from Kem Tràng Tiền. If only I had a motorcycle to lean on while eating cone after cone….

  156. Banh mi with grilled meat of any kind. Also enjoy pho. I have never been to Vietnam but love all the foods I have tried at various Vietnamese restaurants. I enjoy your mobile app and use it frequently!

  158. I’ve never enjoyed fresh Spring Rolls outside of Hue. My favorite Pho is Pho Doc Biet, or a combination of meats in a savory ginger stock.