
I must admit, one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to visit Vietnam was because of the food. I love noodle soups and Vietnam does them like no other country. After having fallen in love with Pho back in London already, I knew I was going to go to Vietnam to do one thing above everything else: EAT!
I wanted to taste real vietnamese food! And so I did.
With the result that I blew my Budget massively over the course of two weeks, because all I literally did, was to go from one restaurant, cafe, street food stall to the next. And I did not gain weight! Vietnamese food, in my eyes is relatively healthy. Pho noodles, and many dishes in vietnamese cuisine, are naturally gluten free. Pho soups, rice paper rolls and even curries: you’d struggle to find wheat in those dishes. I once knew someone who did a gluten free diet to loose weight and it worked. In other words: you’d struggle to pick up weight in Vietnam – unless you consume copious amounts of ueber-sweetened vietnamese coffee and masses of Kem (icecream).
What struck me the most, was the incredibly beautiful restaurants I have visited in this country. The interior design in some places were out of this world. I felt right at home!
These are the most beautiful restaurants in Vietnam (in my eyes):
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1) Miss Ly – Hoi An
I recommend trying Pho Bo here – one of the best I had on my trip! Alternatively, if you prefer chicken, order Pho Ga (Bo = beef / Ga = chicken). And yes, of course, there are Vegetarian alternatives served with Tofu (or just plenty of veggies) readily available throughout Vietnam. I must say though… Vietnamese food is so much more than ‘just’ Pho Bo. Alternatively, try the regional taster menu. Prices are reasonable.
What I adored about this place was the small cosy space with big windows overlooking the street near the market in Hoi An. Miss Ly has been cooking at this place for ages. This business has been in her family for 21 years. She greets everyone who comes into her restaurant and is always happy to have a bit of a chat! Lovely lady!
Address: 22 Nguyen Hue St, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
2) Giang Cafe – Hanoi
This was a serendipitous find when I wandered through the streets in Hanoi. You need to try the famous Vietnamese Egg Coffee (Ca Phe Hanoi). There are plenty of Egg coffee places to try this beautiful frothy and smooth coffee delight that tastes a bit like a Cadbury Creme Egg. I loved it so much, I even posted a recipe on how to do it yourself. It is really easy to do! Essentially, it is what it says it is: Coffee with egg yolk. The egg yolk is mixed with sweetened condensed milk (very popular in SE-Asia) until it is supremely smooth and delicious. The weight of the froth makes the coffee sink to the bottom of the glass and apparently also takes some of its bitterness away.
Address: No. 39- Lane Nguyen Huu Huan, Hanoi, Vietnam
3) Soi Hoian – Hoi An
This was my absolute favourite! Set amidst a beautiful relaxing zen-like garden complete with Buddha statue and water features. I had a long chat with the owner who gave me plenty of advice for things to do in Vietnam. Him and his family happened to have lunch when I arrived, so he not only prepared what I ordered for me but offered me some of the traditional dish they were busy eating.
My Mi Quang was a taste sensation! Originally from the Quang Nam province – now served all over Vietnam – this noodle dish is particularly served during family gatherings and on important dates, such as TET (Vietnamese New Year). Rice Noodles are yellow because of the Turmeric used. Usually served with Croutons (toasted sesame rice crackers called ‘bánh tráng me’) and roasted peanuts on top. My personal favourite is Mi Quang with pork.
Address: 232 Cua Dai – Cam Chau, Hoi An 084 510, Vietnam
4) Sozo – Ho Chi Minh City
During my time in Bangkok, I had Bubble tea every single day. That’s how much I love it. Not as popular in Vietnam, I was worrying about my daily fix of tapioca balls. Until glorious serendipity led me to Sozo. Their Passionfruit cheesecake is out of this world…by the way. Who are Sozo? To quote them, Sozo is a cafe that was created ‘for the purpose of helping disadvantaged Vietnamese break the cycle of debt, find employment and start a new life’. All profits go straight into staff training, education and used for the creation of new jobs. The atmosphere at this place is great, the staff fantastic – and well…the concept…very worthwhile supporting.
It is located in a very trendy part of HCMC – the interior is simple and cosy and the people go out of their way to make you feel comfortable.
Address: 176 Bui Vien, Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam
5) Mango Rooms – Hoi An
I love duck. Especially roasted duck. I love soup. Especially noodle soup. Now, imagine my intense feeling of happiness when I saw Mi Vit Tiem = Roast Duck Noodle soup on the menu! There are street food stalls that specialise in just this one soup. And one day, after reading raving reviews about the famous ‘Mango Rooms’ in Hoi An, I splashed the cash and treated myself to a bit more expensive version. It was so worth it! Plus, I absolutely adore the interior of the Mango Rooms. Bold colours – just the tiles alone….*sigh*. My idea of interior decor heaven! A pricier restaurant – for Vietnamese standards. If you don’t feel like dining here, bring a book, order a Herbal tea and enjoy the view over the river – which is exactly what I did on a few occasions. The place has such a blissfully relaxing atmosphere – perfect to relax and unwind!
Address: No. 51, 24A Street, Area 5, An Phu Ward, District 2
What were your favourite restaurants in Vietnam? I would love to hear your comments below.
shiv
02.02.2016 at 20:48I am so hungry after this!
Serendipity Tess
02.02.2016 at 21:36The food is outstanding in Vietnam 😉
Jacqueline
03.02.2016 at 10:32Omg, I LOVE SOZO. Lived in HCMC for 2 1/2 years. Another great one — if you ever return — is Thuyen Vien (vegetarian) in district…phu my hung, I believe. Drool.
Serendipity Tess
03.02.2016 at 12:07Wow you lived there? That is exciting! Thanks for the recommendation – I will make sure to check it out for sure!! 🙂
Tonya Denmark
03.02.2016 at 10:34Your photos are the beautiful part! Nice shots!
Serendipity Tess
03.02.2016 at 12:07Thank you so much Tonya 😀
Mimi
03.02.2016 at 10:42This is exciting!! I’m heading to Ho Chi Minh in a couple of weeks, so I’m definitely going to try and check out Sozo!! Thanks for the recommendations!
http://www.mimisw0rld.wordpress.com
Serendipity Tess
03.02.2016 at 12:08See if they still serve the divine Passionfruit Cheesecake…omg….soooo good!!
Sarah Harding
03.02.2016 at 10:54I’m currently in Hoi An and haven’t tried any of these restaurants but I will and will let you know what i think. I like so many restaurants, some of the best dishes are on the street food carts for me!
Serendipity Tess
03.02.2016 at 12:10Hey Sarah, I absolutely agree about the street food stalls – but I can’t help to crave a comfortable cushion to lounge on, sip a tea and watch the world go by while reading my book all within a cosy colourful space. Please try to pop by at Mango Room’s for a herbal tea if you don’t feel like eating there. They are pricier than other restaurants but the atmosphere is lovely. I really love the tiles 🙂 Let me know what you thought 🙂
Lindsay
03.02.2016 at 11:19So Vietnam and I are not on good terms due to a stopover gone wrong & stress for 18 hours straight, but these delicious dishes are making me considering going back and trying again… in a few years hahaha. Love the post! I’ll keep these in mind if I do make it back!
Serendipity Tess
03.02.2016 at 12:12Hi Lindsay, I totally understand what you mean – I had a very bad start to my Vietnam travels: http://www.alifefullofserendipity.com/impressions-and-expressions-vietnam/ & http://www.alifefullofserendipity.com/welcome-to-vietnam-musings-on-travelling-solo/ — I actually didn’t like Ho Chmi Minh City for that reason. My whole bumpy start set the mood for the rest of my time there pretty much. But Once I got to Hoi An I had fallen for Vietnam – and Hanoi was lovely too.
Veronica
30.11.2017 at 10:29Interesting to read your different experiences in Vietnam. Me and my boyfriend have been traveling here for three weeks now. Mostly we …hate it. I’m not sure why, or, I know why. It’s because of the horrible hostels we’ve stayed at, the dreadful cockroach infested transportation, the extremely rude Asian tourists and the lack of good food.. I read all about the amazing food too. But the soups are watery, or made of broth, and we dislike both. They taste like tea with soggy vegetables floating in them (we don’t like tea). The curries have been horrible, with a slimey consistency and no flavor. The fried rice have been.. fried rice. With peas. And the bacon in sandwiches we have eaten taste like the pigs have been tortured. It’s so chewy even the knife won’t go through. We have ended up eating in Indian restaurants, which are good (and quite authentic, I lived in India for a while a few years back). And we eat toast when we can.. lots of toast. It’s funny.. I’ve traveled so many places, but this is the first trip I’ve just wanted to go home from day 1. I’m not sure if it’s my age or my timing or something else. But I believe I have been on my last backpacking trip ever.
(Sorry, don’t mean to be so negative, but I thought if I aired it out, and maybe someone who feels the exact same way reads this I can comfort them by saying you are not alone)
Serendipity Tess
27.06.2018 at 15:13Holy cow! Are we talking about the same country? I mean…I was there in 2015…I can’t imagine that a few years would make such a difference…but Vietnam was honestly one of my most favourite countries ever! Sorry to hear you had such an awful time! *yikes*
Jennifer St Louis
03.02.2016 at 11:40I can’t wait to try your recipe for Vietnamese Egg Coffee. It looks so good!
Serendipity Tess
03.02.2016 at 12:12Hehe 🙂 Brace yourself – it’s very very sweet! But yummy!
Christina Wagar
03.02.2016 at 12:15Yummy! I love Pho but sometimes in North America I find that it can be very salty. Did you find authentic Vietnamese food to be salty at all?
Serendipity Tess
03.02.2016 at 12:42Hey Christina, no absolutely not! Vietnamese food, if anything, is really bland – Real Pho has not much flavour to it. You add flavour to it by adding numerous different herbs and some sauces, if you wish to.
Michaela
03.02.2016 at 13:12Wow, your photos are beautiful and make me hungry!! I just ate at Vietnamese restaurant yesterday, but in Brussels 🙂
Serendipity Tess
03.02.2016 at 13:30Thank you for the lovely comment 🙂 Did you enjoy it? 🙂
Melina
03.02.2016 at 16:59Excellent food photography!! I am now absolutely starving 🙂
Serendipity Tess
03.02.2016 at 18:03Thank you Melina 🙂
Tania Mukherjee
03.02.2016 at 22:39I am definitely going to come back to this post when I plan to visit Vietnam, and try out all mentioned in this list!
Serendipity Tess
04.02.2016 at 13:08Hey Tania 🙂 glad you liked my recommendations!
Simona
04.02.2016 at 06:33Awesome! This is something to be shared! Thank you!
Serendipity Tess
04.02.2016 at 13:09Always happy about some sharing love 🙂
nastasia wong
04.02.2016 at 23:31great, thanks for the recommendations! will be visiting Vietnam for the first time in March 🙂
Serendipity Tess
10.02.2016 at 16:05ooooh let me know how you liked it 🙂
Becca
05.02.2016 at 00:50Loved everything about this. I am heading to Vietnam soon and this will come in handy 🙂
Serendipity Tess
10.02.2016 at 16:05Enjoy it to the fullest! It is a beautiful country!
Ria
05.02.2016 at 18:14I really loved food in Vietnam, after Indonesia it was like paradise for me 🙂 Very nice article and pics – shows the Vietnam kitchen like I remember 🙂
Ria recently posted…How to travel from Yogyakarta to Bali in economical way
Serendipity Tess
10.02.2016 at 16:07Hi Ria, thank you so much for popping by! I do enjoy the food on Bali too, I must say – so many great organic vegan & vegetarian places. But as a lover of soup…Vietnam is Paradise for me 🙂
Neil Stolmaker
05.02.2016 at 19:38You are making me hungry. Eating new foods has to be one of the best of all the great reasons there are to travel. Vietnam is on our list of places to visit this year, so I will surely try some of your favorites. Thanks for this post.
Serendipity Tess
10.02.2016 at 16:08Hi Neil, thank you so much for your lovely comment! Oh please let me know which restaurant you visited in the end 🙂 I’d love to know! And I totally agree – I mainly travel to eat actually…haha 😉
Joanna Ferguson
06.03.2016 at 02:18Great article, I’ve just moved to Vietnam for a semester at uni.
Just for the heads up, Sozo has moved! They’re now at No. 51, 24A Street, Area 5, An Phu Ward, District 2.
Cheers, Jo
Serendipity Tess
06.03.2016 at 07:34Hi Jo, oh wow – thank you for letting me know – will update this right away! Please visit Hoi An if you can! It’s my favourite and highly recommended!
stephanie
01.12.2016 at 10:53I loved the food in Vietnam, especially in Hoi An.
I went to a lot of different restaurants during my 8 days stay and I think Mango Rooms and Mango Mango were my favorites!
x
Serendipity Tess
05.12.2016 at 10:55Hey Stephanie, I really loved Mango Rooms too! One of my favourite places in the world 🙂