What are Vietnam Winter Flavors? ❄️🍲

A hot bowl of phở, sizzling beef hotpot, bánh cuốn fresh off the steamer - you name it! The S-shaped country is the land of mouth-watering food that will satisfy any and every stomach, even that of a Masterchef (do you know that Gordon Ramsay loves Vietnamese food?). If you have plans to travel to Vietnam this winter, you are in luck, because many of Vietnam's most iconic dishes are best served hot and will warm you up after any kind of adventure. Among the various Vietnam winter flavors, what will be your next bucket dish?

Phở 🍜

You cannot mention Vietnam without mentioning phở, a dish loved worldwide with its elegant combination of rich broth, chewy noodle strands, flavorful herbs, and thinly cut slices of beef or chicken. There is no better feeling than slurping a hot bowl of phở at a bustling street vendor in the chilly air of Hanoi winter, all while watching local life ebb and flow. Complex in techniques and rich in traditions, the dish is an essential of Vietnam winter flavors!

✨ Different regions in Vietnam have different ways of cooking phở: for example, Northern people prefer their bowls salty, while Southern people like their bowls sweeter with a lot of herbs. Be sure to try them all when you visit Vietnam this winter!

📍Here are some of our favorite addresses to eat phở:

Phở Thìn, 13 Lo Duc street, Ngo Thi Nham, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
Phở Ngọc Vượng, 94 Nguyen Chanh, Trung Hoa, Cau Giay, Hanoi
Phở Khôi Hói, 50 Hang Vai, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Phở Hòa, 260A Pasteur, Ward 8, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Phở Phú Vương, 339 Le Van Si, Ward 1, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnamese beef noodle soup with sliced beef, onion, and herbs.

Bánh cuốn 🥢

A must-try of Vietnam winter flavors, bánh cuốn (steamed rolled rice pancake) is a Hanoi classic and a breakfast favorite all around the country. Every morning, it is easy to catch sight of restaurant owners preparing the large steamer, pouring the thin rice cake batter on the surface, and letting it sit for a few minutes before rolling the finished product with pork, wood ear mushroom, and purple onion. Bánh cuốn is often enjoyed with dipping sauce mixed mainly from fish sauce, creating a unique burst of flavors that will warm up your senses on winter days.

✨ Many agree that the birthplace of bánh cuốn is Thanh Trì, an ancient artisan village on the bank of the Red River in Hanoi. Until today, bánh cuốn Thanh Trì is still considered the most iconic version of the dish.

📍Excited to taste bánh cuốn? Check out our recommended restaurants:

Bánh cuốn Ngân Trần, 30 Tam Da, Thuy Khue, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Bánh cuốn Anh Thư, 50 Ngo Si Lien, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam, Dong Da, Hanoi
Bánh cuốn Bảo Minh, 56 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Plate of steamed rice rolls topped with fried shallots and herbs.

Mì Quảng🍜

The city of Đà Nẵng brings many gifts: sunlit beaches, lantern-filled Hội An, breathtaking nature on top of Bà Nà hill, and the savory mì Quảng (Quảng noodles). Besides the noodles, the main ingredients of mì Quảng include shrimp, fish, eel, pork, chicken, frog, and jellyfish. Only a small amount of the broth covers the dish, which is simmered in bone broth and strongly seasoned with fish sauce, black pepper, shallot, and garlic. The yellowish color comes from turmeric, coupled with herbs to create a stunning dish.

✨ In 2024, mỳ Quảng was recognized as part of the national intangible cultural heritage list by the Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

📍Whenever you crave Mì Quảng in Vietnam, here are the spots to visit:

Mì Quảng Cô Sáu, 397 Tran Hung Dao, An Hai Trung, Son Tra, Da Nang
Mì Quảng Bà Minh, 5 Hai Trieu, Hoa Hai, Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang
Mì Quảng Ếch Bếp Trang, 441 Ong Ich Khiem, Phuoc Ninh, Hai Chau, Da Nang

Bowl of Quảng noodles with shrimp, quail eggs, peanuts, and herbs.

Bún bò Huế🌶️

Huế Imperial City is famous for its equally tasty and affordable array of food, even in a country like Vietnam, where virtually every city has its own internationally recognized dish. The most famous (and rightfully so) of them all is bún bò Huế (Hue beef noodle soup). The main ingredients include thick vermicelli noodles, sliced beef, chả lụa (Vietnamese pork roll), lemongrass and shrimp paste. The dish is an everyday favorite that can be enjoyed any time of the day, claiming its undisputable spot on the list of essential Vietnam winter flavors. Its lavish broth and smell of lemongrass will activate your taste buds and get you warmed up for more adventures!

✨ Bún bò Huế has a long history dating back to the late 1500s, originally created as the royal dish in the then-capital city of Vietnam ruled by the Nguyễn lords.

📍Want to try it for yourself? Make your order at these restaurants:

- Bún bò bà Nga, 62 Nguyen Chi Dieu, Phu Hau, Hue

- Bún bò bà Hòa, 11A Truong Dinh, Vinh Ninh, Hue

- Bún bò Loan, 158B Phan Chu Trinh, Phuoc Vinh, Hue

Vietnamese Hue beef noodle soup with pork roll, herbs, and chili oil.

Lẩu bò🍲

"The City of Thousand Springs," Đà Lạt is blessed with cool weather year-round, but from October onwards, the temperature can get as low as 10°C (50°F), making lẩu bò (beef hotpot) the perfect dinner! Hotpot is a familiar sight in every large Vietnamese gathering, where the steam from the center pot and the meat divided among waiting hands are synonymous with family and connection. Inside the Đà Lạt pot, there are ingredients like cinnamon, onion, star anise, and chilli, giving the dish its signature spicy flavor that counteracts the cold weather.

✨ In Đà Lạt, lẩu bò is also known as lẩu bò Ba Toa, the local name originating from the French word "abattoir" (slaughterhouse). French colonialists loved the city for its comfortable climate and brilliant nature, thus setting up many slaughterhouses alongside other facilities here, which led to the creation of lẩu bò.

📍When you visit Đà Lạt, gather your friends around lẩu bò at these spots:

Lẩu bò Dìn, 8/1 Hoang Dieu, Ward 5, Da Lat, Lam Dong, Vietnam
Bò Tơ Ông Minh, 49 Le Hong Phong, Ward 4, Da Lat, Lam Dong, Vietnam
Lẩu Bò Phan Rang, 1B Hoang Van Thu, Ward 4, Da Lat, Lam Dong, Vietnam

Vietnamese beef hotpot with vegetables and meat simmering in broth.

Make Vietnam winter flavors your own with Up Travel Vietnam!

Our very own Dine With Locals is the perfect choice for your culinary adventures: From bustling local markets to family kitchens, our local chefs take you through the traditions and techniques of bún chả (grilled pork with vermicelli noodles), phở, and other celebrated Vietnamese dishes. 👩🍳🍴

If cooking is not your thing, try Up Travel's various options for food tours, either through the regions or in Hanoi's Old Quarters. Vietnam winter flavors are a feast for your senses—contact us today and experience it for yourself!