Food in Vietnam is an art, an experience to be remembered.
In Vietnam's southern region chefs are preoccupied with vegetables. And while vegetables are as likely as not to be pickled in Hanoi, in Saigon they will be fresh. The cuisine of Vietnam's southern region is also more influenced by the French colonial era. You will awaken in Saigon to the smell of baguettes baking. And the people of the south prefer to serve several small dishes at mealtime instead of two or three large helpings (as is common in Hanoi).
There are a few staples that you should be ready for throughout the country. One is pho -- or beef noodle soup. Pho is the fast food of Saigon, Hanoi, Danang, Hue', and Haiphong. Come lunch time, it's "let's hit the noodle house." Almost anywhere you go you will also find gio lua (pork sausages), nem ran (spring rolls), and cha ca (fish balls). And seafood is abundant -- crabs, shrimp, squids, mussels, an untold variety of fish and even lobster are drawn from the waters off Vietnam's coast or from the country's rivers. You will also find nouc mam (fish sauce) on almost any table, in the spot where the Chinese would place soy sauce. It may be added to almost anything.
Finally, no meal is complete without a tray of herbs and fresh vegetables. Almost anywhere in the country you will find sliced cucumbers, hot peppers, coriander, bean threads, a little basil or mint, and a few other herbs on the table to complement the meal.
The cuisine of Saigon will offer you a huge number of novel experiences. You will be confronted with some of them if you are in the country for any length of time. You don't have to be afraid of them. The Vietnamese have been eating frog legs for centuries and are no worse off for it. Most of the meats you will be offered will be familiar: beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, and fish. But a little snake or dog meat never hurt anyone (or at least it didn't hurt me). And tasting your host's turtle soup out of sheer politeness certainly won't kill you!
At the end of the day, most Western visitors leave Saigon with a new appreciation for the power of the chili pepper, an awe at what Vietnamese cooks can do with vegetables, a love for noodles, and a desire to find out if they can get fruits like lychees or soursop in their home town.
Should you have the rare privilege of dining as a guest in a Vietnamese home, you will enter into an environment where manners and etiquette are far more important (or at least more detailed) than in most western countries.
A few hints...
- Generally, rice will be served at a meal and then the host will give a signal to begin eating. Wait until that happens before tasting anything.
- You will likely be considered the guest of honor. As such, the first and the best will go to you. Sample it. Then share.
- Vietnamese dining is a social occasion. Be prepared for constant interaction. If the meal is particularly formal, you are unlikely to be allowed to serve yourself.
- Don't take a second helping of anything until you have tried a helping of each dish. In the southern areas of the country, a "helping" is about one tablespoon.
- Compliment the cook on each dish after you have tasted it.
- The meat is the most important (and the most costly) ingredient in any meal. Leave some of it for others.
- It is polite to use both hands when offering something or passing something. The same is true for accepting something. The Vietnamese will nod at each other as the pass a dish.
- Do NOT hunt and peck to find the "good stuff" on a serving plate. Doing so will leave your guests with a low opinion of you.
- Never return a piece of food from your plate to the serving dish.
- Unlike most Western countries, it is NOT okay to turn down a second or third helping. To do so might be considered an insult. Begin early to talk about how FULL you are and then reluctantly agree to the seconds (and thirds) your host offers you.
- If you don't know what to do, say so.
- Finally, if you have been invited in advance to a meal in a Vietnamese home, bring a present. Sweets are common. So is tea or coffee. Flowers will also do; but be aware that white is the color of death in Vietnam.
A few where the food is worth trying:
- Le Bordeaux in the Binh Thanh District - their salmon is the best dish in Siagon, according to the The Insider's Guide. Excellent wines. Goose liver pate flown in from Paris...
- Restaurant 13 in District 1 - traditional Vietnamese food. Not too expensive and very flavorful. Try the deep fried squid with plum sauce.
- Ashoka Restaurant in District 1 - Indian Tandoori cooking.
- Song Ngu Seafood Restaurant in District 1 - great seafood in a local setting, including traditional Vietnamese music. Try the abalone steamed with ginger or the fresh seafood hot pot.
- Nam Giao behind Ben Thanh Market in the city center. Excellent Hue-styled central Vietnamese cuisine.