There’s more to Vietnamese cuisine than Pho and Banh Mi

As someone whose entire soul is powered by food, the thing I miss the most whenever I am away from home is, unsurprisingly, Vietnamese food. Sometimes the craving just hits out of nowhere, and no matter how many restaurants I check, none of them have the exact dish I am dreaming of. On days like that, all I can do is open a random mukbang, stare at the screen, and swallow hard as if I am the one eating instead of the person on camera.

For me, Vietnamese cuisine truly feels like heaven. It is a heaven not only because everything tastes amazing, but because the variety is endless. Honestly, when people talk about Vietnamese food, the first things they think of are pho and banh mi. And to be honest, I do love both. They are icons. They are what I proudly brag about to my international friends. But Vietnam does not stop there. There are so many other dishes that I secretly hope will one day appear on those global “must try” food lists.

If you ever stop a random Vietnamese student on the street and casually ask them about their favorite food, I am pretty sure they will start listing a whole bunch of dishes you have never heard of. But trust me, their charm is real. I know the dishes I am about to introduce are not exactly calorie friendly, but come on, everyone knows delicious food automatically counts as zero calories.

And what makes these dishes special is not just how they taste, but how you eat them. You can absolutely try some of them in restaurants with air conditioning and comfortable chairs. But if you want the real thing, the version that locals love, the version that makes traveling worth it, then you need to try them the way we do. That means sitting on tiny plastic stools on a sidewalk that is already way too small, next to a cart that is steaming like crazy, letting the smell hit you before the food does.

Right now, Hanoi is entering its chilly season, which is exactly why I thought it would be fun to share some winter street foods that every local is obsessed with. If you want to know what it feels like to warm your whole body just by eating something hot and delicious, then let’s get started.

Banh ran

If there is a snack that brings me back to the cool, misty afternoons of Hanoi, it is banh ran. It looks small and unassuming, but for me, its comfort hits way harder than it should. I have eaten it so many times that I can almost hear the crunch just by looking at it.

The savory version is made from glutinous or wheat flour, fried until the shell turns crisp and golden while the inside remains soft and chewy. Its filling is a rich mixture of minced pork, vermicelli, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, and a blend of fragrant spices. When you bite into it, you can feel the harmony between the crunchy outer layer and the hot, flavorful filling with a light hint of pepper. A sweet and sour dipping sauce with garlic and chili is always served on the side, bringing balance and creating a taste that is easy to fall in love with.

The sweet version carries a gentler personality. It has the same golden shell, but the inside holds smooth mung bean paste mixed with sugar and a touch of vanilla. The flavor is softly sweet and comforting, melting slowly on the tongue. Some modern versions come with white sesame or a light dusting of sugar that makes the cakes look even more inviting.

Whether sweet or savory, banh ran is always tied to the image of street vendors with their bubbling pans of oil. It is where people stand on the sidewalk, eating while the heat from the cake warms their hands, and the cold air of Hanoi brushes past them.

Banh khoai, Banh ngo and Banh chuoi

If you walk through any corner of Hanoi during the cold season, the scent of hot oil and the sight of golden fried cakes will almost always pull your attention. This familiar trio, banh khoai, banh ngo and banh chuoi, has long been a comforting part of Vietnamese street food.

Banh khoai is made from shredded or thinly sliced sweet potatoes mixed with flour and a little sugar. When dropped into hot oil, each piece slowly turns golden and crisp, while the sweet potato inside stays soft and naturally sweet.

Banh ngo has its own charm. Fresh corn kernels are mixed with flour and sometimes coconut milk to make the flavor richer. When fried, the cake becomes crispy on the outside, with soft, sweet kernels inside. The gentle sweetness of corn and the light fragrance of coconut make the cake pleasantly comforting. Some vendors add scallions or sesame seeds for extra aroma.

Banh chuoi is often the star of the trio. Ripe bananas are flattened, dipped in a flour mixture that includes coconut milk, and fried until the shell turns lightly crisp. When you bite into it, the banana inside is warm, soft and naturally sweet. The richness of the batter and the fragrance of the banana blend together in a way that feels both familiar and delightful. Some modern stalls sprinkle sesame seeds on top or serve it with condensed milk for a more indulgent version.

These three desserts are best enjoyed hot. The taste is simple yet deeply satisfying. It feels both rustic and warm, like something you have eaten many times before even if it is your first bite. With a crispy exterior and a soft, warm center, they offer just the right kind of comfort on a chilly day.

Chuoi nep nuong

Although chuoi nep nuong is not originally from the northern region, I believe so, it has become increasingly popular in Hanoi in recent years. In fact, it’s not the kind of snack that many Hanoians grew up with, and neither did I. The first time I tasted it wasn’t even in Hanoi. I didn’t know the dish existed until I tried it for the first time when I was 12 visiting the Southest region of Vietnam. But from that very first bite, I fell completely in love. There was something about its warmth and sweetness that made me think: this would be perfect on a chilly Hanoi day. And to my delight, that thought slowly came true. In the past few years, chuoi nep nuong stalls have started appearing more often along the streets of the Old Quarter

Ripe bananas are wrapped in white sticky rice, then covered with banana leaves before being grilled over hot charcoal. As it cooks, the banana leaves release a gentle smoky aroma, while the sticky rice becomes slightly crisp on the outside but stays soft and chewy inside. The banana turns sweeter after grilling and blends beautifully with the mild nuttiness of the rice. What completes the dish is the coconut cream poured on top when serving. It is rich, slightly sweet and balanced with roasted peanuts and sesame seeds sprinkled over it. Every component works together to create a warm, sweet and fragrant treat.

Chuoi nep nuong is best enjoyed hot. It is ideal for anyone who loves simple, rustic sweetness and wants to explore a different side of Vietnamese street desserts.

Chao suon quay

There are few things more comforting on a chilly day than sitting at a small food stall with a steaming bowl of chao suon quay in front of you. It is a humble dish, yet it has an incredible ability to warm you from the inside out. To be honest, I miss those mornings when I would drag myself out of bed at 6 a.m., shivering in the cold, just to ride almost ten kilometers into the city center for a bowl of this porridge. Most chao suon stalls sell out ridiculously early, so waking up at dawn was the only way to get it. Anyways it was always worth it.

The porridge is made from rice simmered for a long time until the grains break apart and turn into a smooth, silky mixture. Pork ribs are cooked together with the rice, making the porridge naturally sweet and slightly rich. When served, it is topped with chopped scallions, ground pepper, fragrant fried shallots, and sometimes pork floss. The highlight of this dish is the “quay”. These golden fried sticks are crisp and airy at first, but when dipped into the hot porridge, they soak up the flavor while staying slightly chewy. The combination of soft porridge and the texture of quay creates a very satisfying contrast. Some places add dried shredded pork, egg or chili sauce to enhance the flavor.

To me, chao suon quay is more than food. It carries the memory of smoky street corners on misty mornings, and the comforting scent that rises from a pot of porridge into the cold air.

Nem chua ran

This is hands down my favorite snack in the entire world. If you translate it into English, people often call it “fried fermented pork” but honestly, this version has nothing to do with fermentation. Vietnam does have a real fermented pork called “nem chua”, but the one I am talking about is completely different. It is simply minced pork mixed with pork skin, garlic, pepper, and all kinds of seasonings, shaped into small bites, coated with flour, and dropped into bubbling hot oil.

I have no idea why people call it nem chua, and to be honest, the name confuses a lot of people, even locals. But whatever the name suggests, the taste is absolutely top tier. When you take a bite, the first thing you hear is the crisp crackle of the outer layer, and then immediately comes the warm, soft, slightly chewy filling. It is savory with a gentle garlic and pepper fragrance, a little rich from the meat, and just the right amount of bounce from the pork skin mixed in. Everything blends together into a dangerously addictive combo.

Dip it in a little chili sauce and it becomes perfection. I guarantee you will want a second plate. And if the weather in Hanoi is cold, sitting on the sidewalk with a steaming skewer of nem chua ran in your hand, eating while fanning your mouth because it is too hot, is the kind of experience you will remember for a long, long time.

Banh gio

To me, few dishes can create a sense of warmth as quickly as banh gio. Just peeling back the layer of banana leaves releases a wave of steam and fragrance that makes you want to dig in immediately. This dish is tied to one of my favorite memories from high school. There was a tiny banh gio stall right near my school, and it was so good that my friends and I basically "paid rent" there every Wednesday evening. I ate it so often that I actually got sick of it for a while, but now that I’m far from home, I would do anything to taste it again. Funny how that works the moment you cannot have it anymore, the craving hits even harder.

Banh gio is shaped like a small pyramid and wrapped carefully in banana leaves. Inside is a layer of smooth rice flour that is soft, warm and gentle on the palate. The filling is a mixture of minced pork, wood ear mushrooms and fried shallots seasoned just right. The scent of banana leaves combined with the warm filling creates a comforting aroma that feels both homely and nostalgic. People often enjoy banh gio with cinnamon sausage, pickled vegetables or a little chili sauce. Holding a warm banh gio in your hand while sitting on a sidewalk stall feels like the entire city has slowed down for a moment, leaving only the quiet pleasure of a simple, satisfying meal.

After walking through all these dishes, I hope you can feel a little of what Vietnamese street food means to me. These are the foods that carried me through school days, winter evenings, exam seasons, and moments when life felt a little too fast. If you plan to come to Hanoi during this winter break, I hope you will give these simple street dishes a chance. Sit on a tiny stool, let the steam fog up your glasses, let the smell cling to your clothes, and let the heat from the food warm your hands. That is the kind of experience no restaurant can recreate. Maybe the world talks a lot about pho and banh mi, but the true heart of Vietnamese cuisine is right here on the sidewalks, in the hands of the vendors who have been making these dishes for years. And if you ever taste them on a chilly evening in Hanoi, just know that somewhere out there, I am probably watching a mukbang and imagining I am eating the same thing too