Vietnam’s culinary landscape varies from the Northern to Central and Southern Vietnam because of differences in climate and resources, popular dishes in the north may not even exist in the south and vice versa. The following are the most preferred dishes in Vietnam:

1. Pho (Vietnamese Rice Noodle)

No matter if you’ve been to Vietnam before or not, you’ve likely heard of pho.

It is  really one of the most common dishes in throughout the country, and it makes the Vietnamese food menu at nearly every sit-down restaurant too.

Pho is the combination of soft rice noodles in a soup broth, normally prepared with either beef or chicken – both of which can be extremely delicious.

The noodles are flash boiled until soft, topped with your choice of meat, and often finished with a sprinkle of chopped green onions and sometimes sweet onions as well.

Recommended address:

• Pho Thin, 13 Lo Duc, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi
• Pho Ly Quoc Su, 10 Ly Quoc Su, Chan Cam, Hanoi
• Pho Vu Phuong, 120 Nguyen Thai Binh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh

2. Banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich)

The French may have brought with them the baguette, but Vietnam takes it to a different level. How exactly depends on what end of the country you're in.

In the north, chefs stick to the basic elements of carbohydrate, fat and protein -- bread, margarine and pate -- but head south and your banh mi may contain a more colorful combination of cheese, cold cuts, pickled vegetables, sausage, fried egg, fresh cilantro and chili sauce.

Recommended address:

• Banh mi Hoi An, 98 Hang Bac street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Banh Mi Huynh Hoa, 26 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh
• Madame Khanh, 115 Tran Cao Van, Son Phong, Hoi An, Quang Nam

3. Banh xeo (Vietnamese crepe)

A good banh xeo is a crispy crepe bulging with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, plus the garnish of fresh herbs that are characteristic of most authentic Vietnamese dishes. To enjoy one like a local, cut it into manageable slices, roll it up in rice paper or lettuce leaves and dunk it in whatever special sauce the chef has mixed up for you.

Recommended address:

• Banh Xeo, 46A Dinh Cong Trang, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• An La Nghien, 74 Suong Nguyet Anh, Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh
• Banh Xeo Muoi Xiem, 204 Nguyen Trai, Pham Ngu Lao, District 1, Ho Chi Minh.

4. Bun Cha (Vermicelli with grilled pork)

Pho might be Vietnam's most famous dish but bun cha is the top choice when it comes to lunchtime in the capital. Just look for the clouds of meaty smoke after 11 a.m. when street-side restaurants start grilling up small patties of seasoned pork and slices of marinated pork belly over a charcoal fire. Once they're charred and crispy the morsels are served with a large bowl of a fish sauce-heavy broth, a basket of herbs and a helping of rice noodles.

Recommended address:

• Bun Cha, 01 Hang Manh, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi
• Bun Cha Ta, 21 Nguyen Huu Huan
• Bun Cha Huong Lien, 24 Le Van Huu, Phan Chu Trinh, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi

5. Bun bo Hue (Vermicelli with beef)

Bun bo Hue is beef based, and in Vietnam it’s known for being spicy and flavorful.

The broth, which if made to specification, should be full of beef bone flavor, and fragrant with lemongrass, has a wonderful taste, like a citrusy beef soup.

The noodles are normally rice vermicelli noodles, of the sphagetti size, and a bowl of bun bo Hue is often served with slices of beef, a hunk of either ox tail or pork knuckle, cha lua (Vietnamese sausage and ham), and a handful of green and sweet onions.

Recommended address:

• Bun Bo Hue, 162 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, District 3, Ho Chi Minh city
• Bun Hue O Xuan, 05 Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Net Hue,  198 Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

6. Cao lau (Vietnamese Rice Vermicelli)

This pork noodle dish from Hoi An is a bit like the various cultures that visited the trading port at its prime. The thicker noodles are similar to Japanese udon, the crispy won-ton crackers and pork are a Chinese touch, while the broth and herbs are clearly Vietnamese. Authentic cao lau is made only with water drawn from the local Ba Le well.

Recommended address:

• Cao Lau 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An
• Khong Gian Xanh, 687 Hai Ba Trung, Hoi An
• Ba Thanh, 26 Thai Phien, Hoi An

7. Pho cuon (Rolled rice noodle)

Pho cuon packages the flavors of pho and goi cuon in one neat little parcel. This Hanoi take on fresh spring rolls uses sheets of uncut pho noodles to encase fried beef, herbs and lettuce or cucumber.

Recommended address:

• Pho Cuon 26 Nguyen Khac Hieu, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi
• Pho Cuon Huong Mai, 25 Ngu Xa, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi

8. Café trung (Egg coffee)

Vietnamese "egg coffee" is technically a drink but we prefer to put it in the dessert category. The creamy soft, meringue-like egg white foam perched on the dense Vietnamese coffee will have even those who don't normally crave a cup of joe licking their spoons with delight.

Recommended address:

• Dinh Coffee, 13 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hoan Kiem Street, Hanoi
• Giang  Coffee, 39 Nguyen  Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem Street, Hanoi         
• The Note Coffee, 183 Bui Vien, District 1, Ho Chi Minh city

9. Xoi (Sticky rice)

Savory sticky rice is less of an accompaniment to meals in Vietnam, more a meal itself. The glutinous staple comes with any number of mix-ins (from slithers of chicken, or pork to fried or preserved eggs), but almost always with a scattering of dried shallots on top.

Recommended address:

• Xoi Yen, 35 B Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi
• Xoi 622, Nguy Nhu Kon Tum, Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi
• Xoi che Bui Thi Xuan, 111 Bui Thi Xuan Street, District 1, Hanoi

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