Now you can sample some of Vietnam's famous dishes, renowned for their exquisite flavors, sumptuous lightness and the freshness of their ingredients. Vietnam is a nation obsessed with eating, so take a journey with us through our gastronomic delights!

A culture of Soups at all hours of the day:
The famous Beef Noodle Soup ( Pho Bo) begins with boiling-hot beef stock poured over fresh rice noodles and paper thin slices of raw beef or larger chunks of cooked beef in a bowl. After ‘drowning' the beef to ensure that it is cooked, fresh raw bean sprouts, onion, green chile peppers, lemon juice and coriander, basil and mint leaves are added and mixed just before eating. Careful with the chile peppers- they are for flavoring and they are not to be eaten directly!

Noodles and Vermicelli, well mixed, please:
Grilled Pork on a Bed of Rice Vermicelli ( Bun Thit Nuong) is a classic example of the delightful combination of cold fresh noodles topped with shredded lettuce, vegetables, Vietnamese herbs, and grilled meat. Pork is the main meat used in this dish, but grilled beef, chicken and shrimp are just as delicious. Nuoc Cham Sauce and roasted peanuts are traditionally passed around the table so each diner can season and mix his own bowl as desired.

Light and delicious Rolls and Crepes:
Saigon Summer Rolls (Goi Cuon) are a favorite for a light but flavorful snack or as an appetizer. A Vietnamese salad with pork and shrimp rolled in soft rice papers, it offers a refreshing tinge to the palette with its aromatic herbs.
The sound of the

Crispy Sizzling Crepe ( Banh Xeo) when the batter is poured into the skillet is what lends the name to this Southern favorite dish.- “xeo” means “sound”. This is traditionally gathered up by the diner, dipped in Nuoc Cham , and eaten by hand.

Flavorful Salads:
The Green Papaya Salad ( Goi Du Du ) is a refreshing salad with tangy, sweet and spicy characteristics perfect with any barbecued meat, or as an appetizer. The main ingredient, green papaya, has dark green skin and light green flesh, and is used as a vegetable because unlike the orange colored papaya, it is mild and crunchy, not sweet.

Vegetarian a la Vietnamese:
If it is the 1st, 14th, 15th or 30th day of the lunar month, many Vietnamese eat vegetarian, called chay. By abstaining from meat on these sacred days, they reaffirm their belief in the teachings of Buddha. However, when Vietnamese eat vegetarian for religious reasons, they still require all the flavor and freshness of the cooking. In Vietnam, vegetarian food is highly regarded and requires great skill and innovation to select and prepare the ingredients, of which tofu and mushroom are the mainstay.


Vietnamese drip coffee:
In Vietnam, cafes are scattered in every corner, from a city's business center to remote villages. The ritual remains the same: the coffee is made with individual drip filters, enjoyed sip by sip, during a friendly conversation that could easily last half a day.