Vietnamese Cuisine

Vietnamese food is often described as the lightest Asian cuisine, and it's true: very little oil, raw herbs served with everything, and clear rather than heavy broths.

Pho

Pho is a bone broth simmered for six to twelve hours with onion and ginger charred over an open flame, plus star anise and cinnamon. The broth must stay completely clear — any hard boil clouds it. It's served with rice noodles, thinly sliced meat and a plate of raw herbs on the side.

Raw herbs

Coriander, mint, basil and sprouts come on a separate plate, and each person adds what they want. That makes every bowl personal.

Bánh mì

A sandwich in a crisp French baguette (a colonial inheritance) filled with meat, pâté, pickled carrot and daikon, coriander and chilli — French and Vietnamese in a single sandwich.

Nước chấm

The basic dipping sauce: fish sauce, lime, sugar, water, garlic and chilli. It's served with almost everything and balances any dish.