Not only did President Barack Obama sample some of Vietnam's finest local eats in Hanoi in May, but his guide was none other than "Parts Unknown" host Anthony Bourdain.
Bourdain teaches Obama the art of
the noodle slurp.
"There
is no better place to entertain the leader of the free world, in my opinion,
than one of these classic, funky family-run noodle shops you find all over
Hanoi," says Bourdain. "Dinner and a beer costs about $6. I'm
guessing the President doesn't get a lot of state dinners like this."
President
or not, you don't need a celebrity guide to make the most of this nation's
eats.
The
cheapest and one of the most delicious places to find Vietnamese cuisine is in
a traditional open-air market.
Here,
single-dish food stalls, run mostly by women, offer finely crafted dishes
passed from mother to daughter for generations.
Ready
to pull up a plastic stool?
Here
are 10 foods that will give you a perfect introduction to Vietnam's best street
eats.
Pho
What
list of Vietnamese cuisine would be complete without pho?
It's
almost impossible to walk a block in Vietnam's major cities without bumping
into a crowd of hungry patrons slurping noodles at a makeshift pho stand.
This
simple staple, consisting of a salty broth, fresh rice noodles, a sprinkling of
herbs and chicken or beef, features predominately in the local diet -- and
understandably so.
It's
cheap, tasty and widely available at all hours.
Bun cha
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
in Hanoi 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 bowl of a fish
sauce-heavy broth, a basket of herbs and a helping of rice noodles.
Bun
cha sets often come with the delicious nem cua be -- fried crab spring rolls.
Still
not convinced? It's what Obama ate during his night out with Bourdain.
Xoi
Savory
sticky rice is less of an accompaniment to meals in Vietnam; it is more a meal
itself.
The
glutinous staple comes with any number of mix-ins (from slivers of chicken or
pork to fried or preserved eggs), but almost always with a scattering of dried
shallots on top.
Banh xeo
Banh xeo: The bulgier the better.
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.
Goi cuon
These
light and fresh spring rolls are a wholesome choice when you've been indulging
in too much of the fried food in Vietnam.
The
translucent parcels are first packed with salad greens, a sliver of meat or
seafood and a layer of coriander, before being neatly rolled and dunked in
Vietnam's favorite condiment -- fish sauce.
Not
ready to give up on the fried ones?
In
the north these fried parcels go by the name nem ran, while southerners call
them cha gio.
The
crispy shell surrounds a soft veggie and meat filling.
Bun bo Nam bo
This
bowl of vermicelli noodles - widely popular in Hanoi - comes sans broth,
keeping the ingredients from becoming sodden and the various textures intact.
The
tender slices of beef mingle with crunchy peanuts and bean sprouts and are
flavored with fresh herbs, crisp dried shallots and a splash of fish sauce and
fiery chili pepper.
Cao lau
One of Vietnam's most popular dishes, cao lau combines elements from various cultures.
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.
Banh mi
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 paté -- 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.
Bot chien
Ho
Chi Minh City's favorite street snack, bot chien is popular with both the
after-school and the after-midnight crowd.
Chunks
of rice flour dough are fried in a large wok until crispy, and then an egg is
broken into the mix.
Once
cooked, it's served with slices of papaya, shallots and green onions, before
more flavor is added with pickled chili sauce and rice vinegar.
Ca phe trung
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.
In
Hanoi, follow the tiny alley between the kitschy souvenir shops at 11 Hang Gai
into the clearing and up several flights of increasingly dicey stairs to pair
your ca phe trung with an unbeatable view of Hoan Kiem Lake.
Helen Clark, Karryn
Miller and CNN's Shen Lu contributed to this report.
By CNN Staff