Nine dishes foreign tourists should not miss in Vietnam Banh mi, pho bo, cao lau, banh xeo, and che are the dishes praised by foreign visitors for their special taste. Pho bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup)   The extremely popular traditional dish is hailed by foreign tourists as a symbol of Vietnam cuisine and occupies a small corner in the heart of gourmets worldwide. Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, linguini-shaped rice noodles called banh pho, a few herbs, and meat. It is primarily served with either beef or chicken. Pho originated in the early 20th century in northern Vietnam. Because pho's origins are poorly documented, there is significant disagreement over the cultural influences that led to its development in Vietnam, as well as the etymology of the word itself. Pho cuon (Vietnamese rice noodle rolls)   Pho Cuon consists of a slightly cooked rice paper shell the same thickness as a Pho noodle. Inside this soft shell is a selection of herbs and greens - mainly cilantro, mustard leaf, and lettuce - and thinly sliced beef that have been cooked with garlic and generous amounts of pepper. It is served cold with a bowl of fish sauce, garlic, carrots, radish, vinegar, boiled water, chili and sugar for dipping. Cao lau   The famous dish in the ancient town of Hoi An is also commendable. It is the perfect combination of yellow noodles, shrimp, pork, local herbs, bean sprouts, pork skin, fried leaves and very little broth. Bun cha   This is a dish of grilled pork and noodle, which is thought to have originated from Hanoi. Bun cha is served with grilled fatty pork over a plate of white rice noodles and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce. Banh mi   The Vietnamese sandwich combines ingredients from the French (baguettes, pâté and mayonnaise) with native Vietnamese ingredients, such as cilantro, cucumber, jalapeno, and pickled carrots and daikon. Banh khot (Mini fried rice pancakes)   One of most popular dishes from Southern Vietnam is banh khot. These pancakes are usually served with vegetables and sweet and sour sauce. To create one of delicious like this dish, all fresh ingredients are required such as fresh shrimps and vegetables. The sauce is also important to create the flavor for this dish. Banh xeo (Vietnamese pancakes)   Banh xeo are Vietnamese savoury fried pancakes made of rice flour, water, turmeric powder, stuffed with slivers of fatty pork, shrimp, diced green onion, and bean sprouts. Southern-style banh xeo contains coconut milk, and certain Central regions skip the turmeric powder altogether. They are served wrapped in mustard leaf, lettuce leaves or banh trang wrappers, and stuffed with mint leaves, basil, fish leaf and/or other herbs, and dipped in a sweet and sour diluted fish sauce. In the Central region, the pancake is also dipped in a special sauce which consists of fermented soy bean and sticky rice sauce, ground pork liver, ground and toasted peanuts and seasonings. Bia hoi   Bia hoi is a type of draft beer popular in Vietnam. It is available throughout Vietnam. It is mostly to be found in small bars and on street corners. The beer is brewed daily, then matured for a short period and once ready each bar gets a fresh batch delivered every day in plastic jugs. It is a very light (~3% alcohol) refreshing lager at a fraction of the cost of draft or bottled beer in Western-style bars. Bia hoi production is informal and not monitored by any health agency. It is typically priced between VND3,000 and VND5,000 which is equivalent to US$15 cents to 24 cents per 12oz bottle, making it a fraction of the price of any western beer. Che   This is a Vietnamese term that refers to any traditional Vietnamese sweet beverage, dessert soup or pudding. Varieties of Che are made with mung beans, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, tapioca, jelly (clear or grass), fruit (longan, mango, durian, lychee or jackfruit), and coconut cream. Other types are made with ingredients such as salt, aloe vera, seaweed, lotus seed, sesame seed, sugar palm seeds, taro, cassava and pandan leaf extract. Some varieties, such as che troi nuoc, may also include dumplings. Che are often prepared with one of a number of varieties of beans, tubers, and/or glutinous rice, cooked in water and sweetened with sugar. In southern Vietnam, chè are often garnished with coconut cream. The preparations are named with adjectives that refer to a wide variety of distinct soups or puddings which may be served either hot or cold. Each variety of che is designated by a descriptive word or phrase that follows the word che, such as che dau do (red bean che). Che may be made at home, but are also commonly sold in plastic cups at Vietnamese grocery stores. Pha Le, VNN