In Singapore, food is considered important for its national identity and the unifying cultural thread. Singaporean literature calls food a national pastime and food a national obsession. There are religious dietary restrictions; Muslims do not eat pork and Hindus do not eat beef, and there is an important group of vegetarians. People from different communities often eat together, while taking care of each other’s culture and choosing food that is acceptable to all. In addition to local Singaporean cuisine, it is common to find restaurants in Singapore that specialize in food from around the world.
Vietnamese food is known for being both healthy and strong in taste, thanks to its excellent blend of fresh herbs and vegetables, rice, noodles, seafood, pork, salad and beef. While many cities, such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, offer many eateries and restaurants in five-star hotels that are decorated in extravagant environments, some of the finest Vietnamese dishes are actually on the roadside food stalls, bustling streets. Although most are familiar with Fu or Spring Rolls, there is a wide range of Vietnamese cuisine available only in certain regions, so be sure to try them on your trip.
Here’s a helpful guide on Best and Cheap Vietnamese Food in Singapore, most of which you can enjoy at any time of the day.
Pho
Phở, or as it is commonly known in some countries, is probably the most popular dish Vietnam has to offer. This delicious Vietnamese noodle soup is cooked in chicken, beef or even vegetable soup. The final product is a bowl of hot rice noodle soup mixed with the meat of your choice and sprinkled with some parsley, onion and green onion.
This combination creates a foul odor in the mouth which makes the eater want to dive into their food immediately. Some places even offer chow koi (Vietnamese fried bread sticks) with pho. When eaten with fu, the bread sticks add a unique crumb to the soup. If you ever go to Vietnam, you must try this internationally famous noodle soup.
Cá Kho Tộ – Braised Catfish and Caramelized
If you look at the master chef, you will remember Christine Ha, a blind Vietnamese American competitor. She chose this delicious caramelized and braised catfish for her audition and the judges liked it. For this dish, catfish is often cooked in fish sauce, a popular Vietnamese sauce. It is then caramelized with sugar. Sprinkle some black pepper, green onions, and red pepper. This delicious dish tastes great with white rice.
While Cá kho tộ is often cooked in earthenware (the word “tộ” means earthenware), it can also be cooked in a pan. This delicious dish is considered comfortable food in Vietnam, so don’t forget to try it if you get the chance.
Banh Xeo – Vietnamese Crepes
You know, a dish is good when it’s called country crepe. You can also think of bánh xèo as a Vietnamese taco. Like a taco, it has an aged outer layer made by putting rice batter in a hot pan or frying pan with turmeric powder. The batsman often makes a sharp sizzling sound, which gives the dish the name “xèo” or “sizzling” in English. Turmeric powder gives the outer layer a pleasant yellow color.
It is then stuffed with pork, bean sprouts, peanuts and crab. Eaters can take this delicious mixture, roll it in lettuce leaves with some vegetables and dip it in sauce. The sauce is mainly mixed with garlic and red pepper to make the fish sauce watery. Who would want to resist the temptation to mix rice crispy batter, chewed pork, and healthy vegetables?
Banh Khot – Mini Vietnamese Crispy Pancakes
Money crispy pancakes, doesn’t it look delicious? These mini pancakes are also very crispy, so be prepared for a crunch. You might think of bánh khọt as a similar but smaller version of bánh xèo. To make these small pancakes, a mold is needed to shape them into small bowls. In these molds, rice flour mixed with turmeric powder and green onion is fried. Shrimp, peanuts, and pork belly are then added on top. When finished, these small pancakes are wrapped in lettuce and vegetables, mixed with garlic and red pepper and dipped in fish sauce, just like bánh xèo. Many Vietnamese love this dish, so don’t be afraid to try it.
Gỏi Sứa – Jellyfish Salad
Have you ever wondered what jellyfish tastes like? Not surprisingly, there are jellyfish salads. This wonderful appetizer or side dish is healthy, chewy and simply delicious. Although some people are reluctant to try this dish because jellyfish is raw, it is beneficial for those who dare to try it. Jellyfish are often cut into strip-sized strips and mixed with vegetables, sometimes chopped green mangoes. The sauce, which is made from fish sauce, lemon or lemon juice, red pepper and sugar, is added directly to salads. Do you think that you are brave enough to try this amazing salad?
Cơm tấm
Probably one of the most recognizable landmarks you’ll ever see tied up around the big city of Saigon. You will find ‘Cơm tấm’ signs everywhere on street food carts and at local restaurants. Traditionally a food produced by poverty in the Mekong Delta, broken rice is considered inferior to whole grains and is the result of poor handling during the farming process. This broken grain could not be sold and was eaten by farmers who did not want to waste any valuable item.
In the early days, the dish was no more than that, broken grains of rice were cooked. However, as Vietnam has developed, so has the dish, which includes various proteins such as grilled pork and a minced pork and mushroom meatloaf with an omelet called Chả Trứng Hấp on top.
Conclusion
All people agree that Vietnamese Food touches more than the stomach. Color, texture, and sensory elements make food an all-encompassing experience. The Vietnamese combine their food with the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The thinking and action that goes into Vietnamese cooking, therefore, is truly amazing. Vietnamese believe that all foods are in some way linked to one or more elements. Salt, an important example, is seen as the connection between the living and the dead. Qwang provides you with the best traditional delicious dishes in Singapore.
