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Taste of Southeast Asia
What to Eat in Southeast Asia – Top 50 Foods
Mainland Southeast Asia beyond Thailand – Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar – plus Brunei and Timor-Leste. Expect fresh herbs, rice noodles, fish sauce and fermented pastes, sticky rice, and French colonial legacies like baguettes and pâté. (Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand each have their own guide.)
Mains, Street Food & Savory Dishes
Vietnam
Beef Noodle Soup (Phở) – A crystal-clear broth simmered for hours with star anise, cinnamon and charred ginger, poured over silky rice noodles and thin slices of beef, then finished with basil, lime and chili.
Caramelized Clay-Pot Fish (Cá Kho Tộ) – Catfish braised in a clay pot with caramel, fish sauce and black pepper until sticky, salty-sweet and glossy.
Vietnamese Baguette Sandwich (Bánh Mì) – A crackly French-style baguette stuffed with pâté, grilled pork, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, cilantro and a swipe of mayo – a perfect blend of French and Vietnamese.
Grilled Pork with Noodles (Bún Chả) – Hanoi’s smoky lunchtime favorite: charcoal-grilled pork patties and belly in a sweet-sour fish-sauce broth, served with cold rice noodles and a heap of fresh herbs.
Fresh Spring Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn) – Translucent rice-paper rolls packed with shrimp, pork, vermicelli and mint, dipped in creamy peanut-hoisin sauce.
Broken Rice with Grilled Pork (Cơm Tấm) – Saigon’s everyday plate of fragrant broken rice topped with caramelized lemongrass pork chop, a fried egg and pickles.
Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Bún Bò Huế) – A fiery, lemongrass-scented soup from the old imperial city of Huế, with thick round noodles, beef shank and pork.
Coconut Chicken Curry (Cà Ri Gà) – Mild, fragrant chicken and sweet potato curry in coconut milk, served with crusty bread – a Southern family favorite.
Crispy Rice Crêpe (Bánh Xèo) – A sizzling turmeric-yellow crêpe filled with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts, wrapped in lettuce and herbs and dunked in nước chấm.
Hoi An Noodles (Cao Lầu) – Chewy, smoky noodles found only in Hoi An, topped with sliced pork, crunchy croutons and herbs in a little savory gravy.
Hanoi Chicken Noodle Soup (Bún Thang) – A delicate, festive Hanoi soup of rice vermicelli in clear chicken broth, topped with ribbons of thin omelet, shredded chicken, pork roll, dried shrimp and herbs.
Turmeric Fish with Dill (Chả Cá Lã Vọng) – Hanoi’s famous turmeric-marinated fish sizzled at the table with heaps of dill and spring onion, eaten with rice noodles and peanuts.
Beef Stew (Bò Kho) – Lemongrass- and star-anise-scented beef stew with carrots, eaten with a baguette or rice noodles for breakfast in Saigon.
Crab Noodle Soup (Bún Riêu) – Tangy tomato broth with a fluffy crab-and-egg “cake,” tofu and rice vermicelli.
Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Gỏi Gà) – Shredded chicken and cabbage tossed with onion, Vietnamese coriander and a lime-fish sauce dressing.
Steamed Rice Rolls (Bánh Cuốn) – Silky rice sheets rolled around minced pork and wood-ear mushrooms, topped with fried shallots and dipped in nước chấm.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá) – Strong drip coffee over sweetened condensed milk and ice; also try Hanoi’s whipped egg coffee (cà phê trứng).
Cambodia
Steamed Coconut Fish Curry (Fish Amok) – Cambodia’s signature dish: fish steamed in banana-leaf cups in a silky, fragrant coconut curry custard.
Stir-Fried Beef with Lime-Pepper Sauce (Lok Lak) – Tender cubes of beef seared with soy and served with a zingy lime-and-Kampot-pepper dip, fried egg and salad.
Cambodian Noodle Soup (Kuy Teav) – A clear pork broth with rice noodles, minced pork and fresh herbs – Phnom Penh’s favorite breakfast.
Khmer Noodles (Nom Banh Chok) – Fresh rice noodles under a green fish curry with lemongrass, banana flower, cucumber and herbs – Cambodia’s classic morning dish.
Stirring Soup (Samlor Korko) – A hearty soup of pork or fish with green papaya, pumpkin, long beans and toasted ground rice, flavored with kroeung paste.
Khmer Red Curry (Kari Sach Moan) – Coconut chicken curry with sweet potato, eggplant and green beans, often served at weddings with bread or rice.
Prahok Ktiss – A rich, creamy dip of minced pork, fermented fish paste and coconut milk, scooped up with fresh vegetables.
Pork and Rice (Bai Sach Chrouk) – Thin slices of garlic-coconut-marinated pork grilled over charcoal, served with broken rice and pickles for breakfast.
Laos
Spicy Minced Meat Salad (Larb) – Laos’s national dish: minced meat tossed with lime, fish sauce, chili, mint and toasted rice powder, eaten with sticky rice.
Lao Rice Noodle Soup (Khao Piak Sen) – Thick, slippery hand-cut rice noodles in a silky chicken broth with garlic oil and herbs.
Sticky Rice (Khao Niao) – Steamed glutinous rice served in woven bamboo baskets and eaten by hand – the heart of every Lao meal.
Green Papaya Salad (Tam Mak Hoong) – Pounded green papaya with chili, lime, fish sauce and fermented crab or padaek – funkier and fierier than its Thai cousin.
Or Lam – A thick, peppery Luang Prabang stew of buffalo or beef, eggplant, beans and sakhan (chili wood).
Lao Sausage (Sai Oua) – Coarse pork sausage packed with lemongrass, kaffir lime, garlic and chili, grilled over charcoal.
Steamed Fish in Banana Leaf (Mok Pa) – Fish mixed with herbs, chili and lemongrass, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed until fragrant.
Myanmar
Fish Noodle Soup (Mohinga) – Myanmar’s beloved breakfast: rice noodles in a lemongrass-and-catfish broth topped with crispy fritters and boiled egg.
Fermented Tea Leaf Salad (Laphet Thoke) – A crunchy, tangy salad of fermented tea leaves, fried beans, peanuts, sesame, tomato and chili.
Shan Noodles (Shan Khao Swè) – Flat rice noodles in a light tomato-chicken or pork sauce with garlic oil and pickled mustard greens, from Shan State.
Coconut Chicken Noodles (Ohn No Khao Swè) – Wheat noodles in a creamy coconut-chicken broth topped with boiled egg, crispy fritters, onion and lime.
Burmese Curry (Hin) – Slow-cooked, oil-rich curries of chicken, pork or fish, served with rice and a spread of small side dishes.
Shan Tofu Salad (Tohu Thoke) – Yellow chickpea “tofu” sliced and tossed with chili oil, garlic, herbs and tamarind.
Rice Noodle Salad (Nan Gyi Thoke) – Thick rice noodles mixed with chicken curry, chickpea flour, fish sauce and crispy onions.
Brunei & Timor-Leste
Ambuyat (Brunei) – Brunei’s national dish: sticky sago starch twirled on bamboo forks and dipped in sour, spicy sauces.
Nasi Katok (Brunei) – A cheap, beloved bundle of rice, fried chicken and sambal, sold around the clock across Brunei.
Ikan Sabuko (Timor-Leste) – Grilled mackerel marinated in tamarind, garlic and chili, a coastal favorite in Dili.
Batar Daan (Timor-Leste) – A comforting stew of corn, mung beans and pumpkin – a staple of the Timorese table.
Desserts & Sweets
Vietnamese Sweet Soup (Chè) – Layered cups of beans, jellies, fruit and coconut milk, served warm or over ice.
Vietnamese Caramel Flan (Bánh Flan) – Silky French-inspired custard with bitter caramel, often topped with crushed ice and a splash of coffee.
Sticky Rice Cakes (Num Ansom) – Cambodian sticky rice parcels filled with banana or mung bean and pork, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled for festivals.
Mooncakes (Bánh Trung Thu) – Rich, beautifully molded pastries filled with lotus seed, mung bean or mixed nuts – often with a salted egg yolk – given as gifts for Vietnam’s Mid-Autumn Festival.
Bananas in Coconut Milk (Chek Ktis) – A comforting Cambodian dessert of ripe bananas and tapioca pearls simmered in sweet, salty coconut milk.
Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Niao Mak Muang) – Laos’s favorite sweet: sticky rice soaked in coconut cream and served with ripe mango – at its best in the hot-season mango months.
Shwe Yin Aye – Myanmar’s cooling “golden heart” dessert: coconut milk over agar jelly, sago, sticky rice and a slice of bread, served over ice.
Tips: In Vietnam, start the day with phở or bánh cuốn and hit street stalls for bánh mì and bún chả. In Cambodia, look for nom banh chok and bai sach chrouk at morning markets. In Laos, eat sticky rice with your hands alongside larb and tam mak hoong. In Myanmar, mohinga is breakfast and tea-leaf salad is a must.
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