How to Eat Well during Your Trip to Vietnam - Let your food adventures begin!

Tipped to be one of Asia's premier destinations for food lovers, wining and dining is among the main objectives of a getaway in the breathtaking holiday hub that is Vietnam. Serving up a fusion of regional cuisines as well as dishes steeped in its own culinary tradition, the meal and snack options in Vietnam are among the finest in Asia. From sampling local delicacies to digging into lesser-known treats, here is a guide to eating well during a vacation in this part of the world.

Fill Up on Pho

No holiday in Vietnam would be complete without consuming innumerable bowls of Pho, the delicious soupy noodle dish that's ubiquitous around the country and especially in cities such as Hanoi. Made using vermicelli rice noodles and plenty of herbs, bean sprouts, a choice of meats and fresh limes are used to season this tangy and delectably spicy dish. Seafood Pho bowls and meat infused Pho dishes are the most popular menu items in Mui Ne restaurants although the dish varies slightly in the northern and southern reaches of the country. The northern Pho dish is typically meatball or seafood-based with a red spicy broth finishing off the dish while the southern incarnation is cooked in a clear broth with an assortment of meats serving as the protein elements.

Hoi An Street Food

The chance to sample the multi-faceted and varied types of street food available in Hoi An is a reason to holiday in Vietnam in its own right. Die-hard foodies will marvel at the sheer diversity of meals available on wheels in the streets of Vietnam where one can grab everything from French fries and spring rolls to sea snails and fried tofu. Pancakes and the popular Vietnamese sandwich cum burger Bánh Mì are other options available to locals and tourists walking the street of any city while Bánh Tráng Trộn and Vietnamese pizzas round up the treats. Inexpensive and hygienically prepared, it is not uncommon to find commuters and expats dining on street corners and outside food stalls at all hours.

Beverages

One cannot ignore the many soothing and refreshing beverages up for grabs in Vietnam's restaurants and street food hubs. Green tea, is arguably, the most popular drink in the country as it is served to all household guests in homes across the land. When it comes to local beer varieties, on the other hand, include Saigon Lager and Saigon Export which are widely available in shops and served in bars. Rice wine is another local speciality in Vietnam and is typically identified as Ruou. This particular drink is not for the faint of heart as some contain pickled snake remains as it is known to offer health benefits according to the school of Vietnamese traditional medicine. Fruit wines with lemon, apricots and oranges are also common in Vietnam while those who love smoothies or fresh juices will be surprised to find that most are flavoured with condensenced milk or sugar. King coconut or young coconut is another nutritious drink that's cheap and sold in nearly every grocery shop and served in most restaurants.

Discover Cafe Culture

Those who wish to uncover the country's cafe culture will find no better location than Hanoi to sample the unique beverages and snacks served in the city's best cafes. The Zenith Cafe is a veritable institution in Hanoi where kombucha, fresh juices and teas are served alongside burgers while the Tamarind Cafe is revered for its beet juice and salads. Beach resorts towns such as Mui Ne are also famed for coffee houses the likes of Joe's Cafe and I Cafe Mui Ne. Those based at Anantara Mui Ne Resort and other similar hotels will find that these establishments also have their own cosy lounges and cafes where speciality coffee beverages the country is renowned for are on the menu.