The Top 10 Vietnamese Breakfast Meals

Vietnam is a country that wakes up early. The parks and sidewalks fill up quickly with people doing their morning stretches and strolling around to loosen their legs. But before the real work can get going, people need fuel. Here are the favorite breakfasts in Vietnam.

Bánh mì

The bánh mì is the Vietnamese breakfast sandwich. It’s cheap, hearty, tasty and portable. For people in a hurry to get to work or school, the bánh mì is the perfect breakfast on the go. The story of how this humble sandwich became the breakfast of choice for millions is a surprisingly interesting one as well. Read all about it here.

Xôi

Bún chả giò

There’s dozens of varieties of bún in Vietnam. They’re any dish made with rice vermicelli noodles. Add in some grilled fatty pork, fried spring rolls, herbs, pickled veggies and dipping sauces, and you’ve got a delicious meal.

Bánh cuốn

These are a kind of Vietnamese pancake, made by steaming fermented rice batter over a cloth to make thin, wavy sheets. Once you add in the minced shallots, ground pork, mushrooms and some fish sauce, you have a healthy and filling breakfast.

Phở

When people around the world think of Vietnamese cuisine, phở is the first dish that comes to mind. It’s an indispensable part of waking up for many people in Vietnam, and like most of the dishes on this list, phở is a good choice any time of the day.

Bò kho

Here’s one of our favorite Vietnamese dishes. We could eat bò kho every single day and be perfectly happy. Is it the healthiest? Probably not – but bò kho is just too delicious. We love dipping bread into the broth until we’ve sopped up every last drop.

Cơm tấm

This is likely the most customizable dish on this list. It’s a bed of broken rice – the cheapest kind – topped with any number of things, including fish, pork, meat balls, morning glory, pickled veggies and so much more. The options change with every restaurant. Broken rice used to be undesirable, but now many people prefer it.

Bò né

Be careful with the fingers when you’re eating this dish, because it comes sizzling on black iron. It looks more Germanic than Vietnamese, but it’s the breakfast of choice for many protein-hungry people here. It’s beefsteak, eggs, sausage, veggies and a baguette – definitely not the breakfast of centenarians.

Bún bò Huế

We already covered one bún dish, but bún bò Huế is unique enough to warrant another spot on this list. It comes from Huế in central Vietnam, the old imperial capital and home to some of the spiciest food in the country. This dish might be a bit too much on a hot day in Ho Chi Minh City, but it’s the perfect way to warm up in the colder regions.

Hu tieu

And finally, yet another bowl of noodles. Hu tieu is popular through much of Southeast Asia, especially in Cambodia. The noodles are doused in a sticky mixture of oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar. The broth is flavored with pork bones, dried squid, sugar and fish sauce. The dish is served with meats and greens as well, dependent on availability and the tastes of the cook.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.