Best Food in Vietnam: 12 Dishes Our Kids Loved (+ Food Safety Tips)

We spent two weeks eating our way through Vietnam as part of our 100-day family sabbatical, working through the country's best-known dishes - and plenty that were completely new to us - with two kids in tow.

What we love most about Vietnamese food is that it's fresh, flavourful, and pretty kid-friendly compared to some other Asian countries. Herbs and vegetables come on the side, most broths are mild, and many dishes can be adjusted to suit younger palates.

This guide covers the best food to try in Vietnam with kids, based on what our family actually ate (and loved). You'll find famous Vietnamese foods like phở and bánh mì, alongside less well-known picks such as a Northern Vietnamese breakfast dish we tried during a homestay in Ninh Bình.

We'll walk through some of the best Vietnamese dishes to try with kids, including what to expect, which ones are most family-friendly, and a few tips for ordering them to suit younger kids.

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Want a Guide to Help You Get Started?

If you'd rather have someone show you the ropes, a Hanoi street food tour is an easy way to try the best food in Vietnam without the guesswork.

Local guides know which stalls are worth visiting, can help you order for picky eaters, and handle the "is this safe?" question for you.

1. Phở

Phở (pronounced "fuh," not "foe") is Vietnam's iconic noodle soup, and it's about as kid-friendly as Vietnamese food gets. A clear, fragrant beef or chicken broth is poured over soft rice noodles and served with a plate of fresh herbs and bean sprouts to add as you like. There's plenty of flavour, but no spice unless you add it yourself.

The most common variety is beef phở. The beef is sliced paper-thin and laid over the noodles so that it cooks in the hot broth as the bowl is served. If your kids aren't sold on the idea of beef cooking in their soup, chicken phở is a great alternative, and it's the version we tried in Trang An.

Adventurous eaters can try tendon, tripe, or beef balls, or a "special" bowl with a bit of everything. For more heat, look for a sate version made with spicy chilli-lemongrass paste, or add fresh chilli, chilli sauce, and lime from the table.

Kid-friendly tip: Most restaurants are happy to keep it simple, serving just noodles and broth with the herbs and bean sprouts on the side. Well-done beef or beef balls are also great for kids who want beef without the rare slices.

2. Bánh Mì

Bánh mì (pronounced "bun mee") is Vietnam's famous baguette sandwich and another favourite with kids. A light, airy baguette with a crackly crust is filled with your choice of meat and topped with fresh, crunchy extras.

In our opinion, it's the perfect sandwich!

The most common filling is pork, but you'll also find versions made with chicken, beef, meatballs, or Vietnamese pork roll (similar to bologna).

Most bánh mì come with a thin spread of pâté (a smooth pork liver paste) and mayonnaise, plus pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, coriander, and a drizzle of chilli sauce.

Two of our favourites were My Banh Mi near the Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City and Banh Mi 25 in Hanoi. But you'll find great bánh mì almost everywhere, from street carts to neighbourhood bakeries.

Kid-friendly tip: Bánh mì is easy to customise. Ask for no pâté, mayo or chilli if your kids are hesitant.

3. Hot Pot

Hot pot was our very first meal in Vietnam, and it's a fun, interactive option where everyone cooks only what they want to eat. A pot of simmering broth sits over a small burner in the middle of the table, and the broth is usually mild with a hint of lemongrass.

Alongside it come plates of thinly sliced beef or pork, noodles, tofu, and a pile of vegetables like mushrooms, bok choy or cabbage. Everyone dips what they want to eat into the broth and cooks it to their liking.

Hot pot lets kids pick exactly what they want, and is great to get kids trying new veggies, in a fun way.

Safety tip: The broth stays at a rolling boil and the burner gets hot, so seat younger kids away from the pot and supervise while they cook.

4. Vietnamese Coffee

Depending on how old your kids are, they probably won't be drinking coffee. Ours don't, and Susie isn't a fan either. But I couldn't leave it off this list, because Vietnam has one of the most distinctive coffee cultures in the world.

It's also the world's second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, so coffee is a big deal here.

The coffee itself is strong and rich, but it comes in plenty of variations. The classic order is iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk, and many cafés also serve coconut coffee blended with ice.

In Hanoi, I tried an iced egg coffee at Hanoi Coffee Culture, which is a local specialty made with whipped egg yolk, condensed milk, and coffee. It ended up being one of my favourite food discoveries of the trip and tasted a bit like tiramisu (which I happen to love).

Another variation is iced salt coffee, which has a lightly salted cream on top of strong iced coffee that balances out the bitterness. Both drinks are well worth trying.

Kid-friendly tip: Many egg coffee cafés also serve an egg cocoa or chocolate version, so kids can try the whipped topping without the caffeine.

5. Bún Chả

Bún chả is a Hanoi classic that's easy for kids to eat. It's grilled pork patties served with a bowl of warm, tangy dipping sauce, alongside a plate of rice noodles and fresh herbs.

You dip the noodles and herbs into the sauce as you go, so every bite can be as simple or as loaded as you like.

The grilled pork patties are a lot like mini burgers, which makes them an easy starting point for picky kids.

The sauce is sweet and tangy rather than spicy, with chilli and garlic usually added separately, so kids can stick to plain noodles and pork without any heat.

"Obama Bun Cha"

Want to Eat Where Obama and Anthony Bourdain Ate?

For bún chả with a side of history, head to Bún Chả Hương Liên, better known as "Obama Bún Chả."

President Obama and Anthony Bourdain shared a meal there in 2016, and you can still order the "Obama combo" of bún chả, a crispy seafood spring roll, and a Hanoi beer.

You can read about our experience here.

6. Bún Thịt Nướng (Grilled Pork Vermicelli)

Bún thịt nướng is a popular Vietnamese dish of grilled pork served over rice vermicelli noodles with cucumber, fresh herbs, and a light dipping sauce.

It's a great middle-ground option, as it's more filling than a simple noodle soup, but still mild and easy to order plain for kids who aren't fans of heavily spiced food.

We've eaten plenty of rice vermicelli bowls back home in Calgary, and they have been one of the easiest ways to introduce our kids to Vietnamese food.

7. Bánh Xèo (Savoury Pancakes)

Bánh xèo is one of the most popular Vietnamese street foods: a crispy savoury pancake filled with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts.

We tried it for the first time at Ben Nghe Street Food Market in Ho Chi Minh City, and it became one of our favourite discoveries in Vietnam.

We didn’t realize it at the time, but apparently the proper way to eat it is to tear off pieces and wrap them in lettuce and fresh herbs before dipping them in the sauce.

8. Gỏi Cuốn (Fresh Spring Rolls)

Vietnam has very much made spring rolls its own.

Unlike the deep-fried version many people are familiar with, gỏi cuốn (fresh spring rolls) are wrapped in rice paper and packed with fresh herbs, vermicelli noodles, and your choice of filling, but most commonly shrimp.

They're light, refreshing, and not spicy, making them a fun way for kids to try something new. The ones we ate in Ninh Bình had grilled pineapple in them, which was different from what we'd had before, but made them more appealing to the kids!

The texture can be a little different if you're not used to fresh rice paper, as the wrappers are soft and chewy rather than crispy. If your kids aren't fans, don't worry.

The fried version, known as chả giò, is just as popular and has that familiar deep-fried taste and texture.

9. Grilled Sausage

You’ll see these grilled sausages on sticks at markets and street food stalls throughout Vietnam.

They're a perfect quick snack: smoky, savoury, and slightly sweet, with a nice char from the grill.

It's simple Vietnamese street food, but sometimes that's exactly what hits the spot when you're exploring a busy market, as we found while wandering around the Hoa Lư Night Market in Ninh Bình.

10. Fresh Fruit Smoothies

Vietnam’s fruit is incredible, and fresh fruit smoothies are everywhere. They’re really cheap too.

As an example, we bought four smoothies for around $7 CAD total while wandering through Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

In a country that gets hot and humid, they're a great way to cool down while sneaking some extra fruit into the kids between meals.

Wondering about the ice? We had plenty of smoothies and cold drinks without any problems. There's more on ice in our food safety section below.

11. Bánh Cuốn (Steamed Rice Rolls)

Bánh cuốn is a Northern Vietnamese breakfast dish made from delicate, steamed rice-batter rolls filled with minced pork and mushrooms, then served with a fish sauce dip and topped with fried shallots and fresh herbs.

It’s quite different from the sort of breakfast we’re used to back home, and feels more like eating noodles or a light savoury meal first thing in the morning. It’s a common breakfast, especially in Northern Vietnam.

This was one of the breakfast options at our homestay in Trang An, and it was so good that I ate it every single morning we were there!

12. Cơm Tấm

Cơm tấm, often translated as “broken rice,” is a popular Vietnamese dish, particularly in Ho Chi Minh City.

The rice is served with grilled pork, a fried egg, and usually some pickled vegetables or cucumber, along with a sweet and savoury fish sauce.

It’s a simple, filling meal and a good option for kids who prefer rice over noodles.

The grilled pork and fried egg are familiar enough for most kids, while still giving them a taste of traditional Vietnamese food.

Bonus: Durian, If Your Kids Like a Challenge

Durian is known as the “king of fruits,” and you’ll definitely know when someone nearby is eating one. The smell is incredibly strong, while the creamy fruit inside has a surprisingly sweet, custard-like texture.

It’s definitely a love-it-or-hate-it food, and we didn't give it a try ourselves, but if your kids enjoy trying unusual foods, the 'stinky fruit' is a good challenge to pose for them!

Just be aware that the smell is strong enough that many hotels and other public places don't allow it inside.

The fruit's legendary reputation is all part of the fun, and you'll even spot it featured on T-shirts and souvenirs throughout Vietnam.

Food Safety: Use Your Instincts, Don't Be Overly Cautious

It's worth being sensible about food and water safety in Vietnam, but it's just as easy to be overly cautious and end up missing out on some genuinely great experiences - iced egg coffee being a perfect example.

A few practical, non-paranoid guidelines:

• Don't drink tap water. Stick to sealed bottled water for drinking (and for brushing teeth if you want to be extra careful). It's cheap and available everywhere.

  
  

• Not all ice is equal, but most restaurant ice is fine. Clear, cylindrical ice with a hole through the middle is factory-made from filtered water and considered safe. It's what you'll get at most cafes and reputable restaurants. Cloudy, crushed, or block ice at smaller, less established street stalls is the kind worth being more cautious with. If you avoided ice entirely on principle, you'd miss out on things like proper iced egg coffee, so it's really about where you're getting it rather than banning it outright.

  
  

• Hot, freshly cooked food is generally very safe. The cooking process kills most of what you'd need to worry about, so dishes like phở, hot pot, and freshly grilled meats are a safe, easy place to start.

  
  

• Look for busy stalls. A stall full of locals is a good sign. High turnover means fresh ingredients and food that doesn't sit around.

  
  

• Ease into raw vegetables and fresh herbs. These are washed in local water, so if you're being extra cautious early in your trip, it's fine to go a little easier on them at first and build up as you go.

  
  

In short: use common sense, favour hot and freshly prepared food, be a little choosy about ice and raw produce, and don't let an overabundance of caution stop you from trying the things that make Vietnamese food so good in the first place.

The Best Food in Vietnam - Final Thoughts

Vietnamese food is one of the best reasons to bring kids here, as it is approachable, varied, and full of dishes that even hesitant eaters tend to enjoy.

That said, there are also plenty of more adventurous foods to try beyond the famous Vietnamese foods everyone knows, making Vietnam just as rewarding for kids who love stepping outside their comfort zone.

For more on our time in Vietnam, take a look at our best things to do in Hanoi guide, or browse our full 100-day diary.

If you're visiting Hong Kong or Japan on the same trip, take a look at our guides to the best foods for kids to try in Hong Kong and kid-friendly food in Japan.

We're a Calgary-based family that travelled for 100 days, documenting each step so other families can get an honest, real-life look at long-term travel with kids.

You can browse the full 100-day daily diary contents list here.