September 2 is Vietnamese Independence Day, and there’s no better way to celebrate than by feasting on its most iconic dishes.
This year, Vietnam is celebrating its 80th anniversary of its declaration of independence from colonial rule by the French.
But French cultural influence remains prevalent in Vietnamese cuisine.
Vietnamese say “Chúc ngon miệng” before they eat, meaning 'enjoy your meal'.
Each Vietnamese region is quite distinct in its cuisine, with the North known for simplicity, the Central region for spicier and more generous portions, and the South for sweeter, more flavourful dishes.
Here is Chow Luck Club’s list of where you can try some of the best in Auckland, beyond just phở and bánh mì.
1. Phở
Phở is widely considered the national dish of Vietnam, with the word phở referring to the rice noodles used in the dish. The noodles are served with medium-rare slivers of beef or boiled chicken in a flavourful beef or chicken stock that usually takes hours of boiling to prepare.
Variations include Phở Hanoi from the north, distinguished by a clear broth and dressed only with a squeeze of lemon and slices of bird’s eye chili. The Southern version is Phở Nam, has a murkier broth and is served with a side of herbs like bean sprouts, basil and mint, and also hoisin and chilli sauces.
The broth is usually infused with fragrant star anise, clove and cinnamon to lend a natural sweetness to the mix.
Try Phở Hanoi at PHO YEN, 617 Dominion Road, Mount Eden, Auckland
Try Phở Bát Đá (Stone Bowl Pho) at VIKI VIETNAMESE, Shop 503A Glenfield Mall, Glenfield Road, Glenfield, Auckland
Try Phở Nam at TRY IT OUT, 79 Atkinson Avenue, Ōtāhuhu, Auckland
2. Bánh Mì
Vietnamese adopted baguettes introduced by the French and made bánh mì its national sandwich. Paté and margarine are spread across the interior of a baguette, and then loaded with ingredients that could include pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro, pork belly, pork floss and cucumber. Truly an explosion of flavours and textures.
Try it: HAPPY VIETNAMESE, 401A New North Road, Kingsland.
3. Bún Bò Huế
Bún Bò Huế has its roots as part of the legendary royal cuisine of Hue. Unlike pho, the broth is reddish in colour, which is derived from hours of simmering beef bones and stalks of lemongrass. Noodles and vegetables are paired with tender beef shanks for this incredible dish. Bò is Vietnamese for beef, but other than beef, the dish is often also served with Vietnemese sausage or Chả Lụa, made of ham paste.
Try it: VIE VIETNAMESE CAFE, 28 Shortland Street, Auckland Central, Auckland
4. Cơm Gà
Across South East Asia, many countries have their own version of Hainanese chicken rice. But this dish is proudly Vietnamese chicken rice. It was made popular in Hội An where strips of tender chicken are paired with fresh ingredients from the countryside. The chicken is shredded, mixed with flavoured fish sauce and onions, and served on a bowl of turmeric flavoured rice. Pickled shallots, radish and herbs are usually also served on the side.
Try it: NAM VIET, 21/25 Elliott Street, Auckland Central, Auckland
5. Bánh Xèo
Bánh Xèo is popularly eaten around Central and Southern Vietnam, and its origins can be traced to the Mekong Delta. Another French-inspired dish, this is the Vietnamese take on the crispy crepe.
Watching them being made is half the fun; the batter crackles loudly when it hits the hot skillet, which gives it the “xèo” meaning sizzling. The savoury pancake is then filled with slices of boiled pork, minced pork, bean sprouts and prawns, then folded in the manner of a crepe.
The batter is traditionally made from rice flour and coconut milk and gets its yellowish hue from the addition of turmeric.
Try it: MAY EATERY, C6/65 Greville Road, Pinehill, Auckland
6. Bún Chả
This dish became an overnight sensation after Barack Obama, president of the USA at the time, was pictured having a bowl of Bún Chả with Anthony Bourdain.
Bún Chả is a speciality in the Old Quarter in Hanoi. This classic northern dish consists of bún (rice vermicelli), slices of seasoned pork belly, herbs and salad greens and medallions of minced pork served in a bowl of fish-based dipping sauce.
To eat, scoop small bundles of bún into your sauce bowl and shift between eating the vermicelli, pork and greens.
Try it: EAT NOW TAKAPUNA, Eat now 8 Huron Street, Takapuna, Auckland
7. Bún Riêu
Crab and tomato are heroes of this dish, where the main components are bún noodles, crab meat, tofu and stewed tomatoes. Cooking bún riêu is a labour-intensive process - from separating the crab meat, pulverising the shell with a mortar and pestle and then straining it through to form the base of the broth. You’ll find pillowy clusters of minced crab combined with ground pork and egg served with your noodles, which makes it melt in your mouth delicious.
Try it: PHO PHO, 16 Dunrobin Place, Pakuranga Heights, Auckland
8. Gỏi Cuốn
Directly translated as salad rolls, gỏi cuốn comprises a mix of noodles, herbs and vegetables wrapped in rice paper and served with a peanut dipping sauce or a sweet chilli fish sauce.
The skin is made from softened sheets of rice paper and the most common variety of gỏi cuốn is made with a combo of sliced pork tenderloin and shelled shrimps. They are eaten dunked in a bowl of nước chấm and/or hoisin sauce.
Try it: LOVE ASIA (ROLL IT YOURSELF), 6 Bishop Lenihan Place, East Tāmaki, Auckland
9. Chả Cá
Chả Cá is another uniquely Northern seafood delicacy where chunks of flaky white fish are marinated in turmeric before being sautéed in butter on high heat. Dill and green onion are then generously distributed across the skillet, feathering out across the pale yellow fish fillets.
Try it: VIETFLAMES, 286 Mount Wellington Highway, Mount Wellington, Auckland
10. Bánh Cuốn
Bánh Cuốn is a popular street snack made from large sheets of steamed rice flour, then topped with minced pork and wood-ear mushroom before being gently folded and chopped. This has to be made fresh-to-order, and served topped with dried shallots and with a side bowl of fish sauce.
Try it: MADAM YEN, 31 Clyde Road, Browns Bay, Auckland
11. Bò Lá Lốt bepmina.vn
Minced beef, garlic and shallots, rolled up in betel leaves like a small cigar and grilled over charcoal, resulting in a peppery burst of flavour that is Bò Lá Lốt. These flavourful rolls can either be enjoyed with vermicelli noodles or eaten rolled with rice paper and fresh herbs and dipped in spicy fish sauce.
Try it: HANOI HAVEN, 40 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna, Auckland
12. Chè
A sweet way to end your Vietnamese tastebud journey is with Chè, a sweet dessert, served either hot or cold and in the form of a pudding or dessert soup. Cold chè is filled with jellied ingredients and tropical fruits, and doused in coconut cream. Then there is the three-coloured dessert, Chè Ba Màu, also known as the rainbow dessert - where the hero ingredients are red beans, mashed mung beans and pandan jelly, topped with crushed ice and coconut milk.
Try it: CHE VIET, 2 Courthouse Lane, Auckland Central, Auckland
