How to order at a Vietnamese restaurant

To order at a Vietnamese restaurant, pick a dish by name or number from the menu, tell the server any changes (like no onions or extra herbs), and use the condiments on the table to adjust the flavor yourself. A few simple Vietnamese phrases, like "Cho tôi một tô phở" (one bowl of phở, please), make it even easier and are usually appreciated.

Here's a step-by-step guide, from reading the menu to paying the bill.

Step 1: Read the menu

Many Vietnamese restaurants, especially phở shops in the US, have numbered menus. Dishes are listed in Vietnamese with an English description, and ordering by number is completely normal.

Menus are often grouped by type:

• Phở: beef or chicken noodle soup.
• Bún: rice vermicelli, often in a bowl with grilled meat, herbs and sauce.
• Cơm: rice plates, like broken rice with grilled pork.
• Bánh mì: sandwiches on a light baguette.
• Gỏi cuốn and chả giò: fresh spring rolls and fried spring rolls.
• Đồ uống: drinks, like iced coffee and iced tea.

Knowing a few food words helps a lot. Our guide to Vietnamese food words every menu reader should know covers the common ones.

Step 2: Choose your first dishes

If you're new, these are easy wins:

• Phở tái: beef noodle soup with rare beef that cooks in the hot broth.
• Bún thịt nướng: noodle bowl with grilled pork, herbs and fish sauce dressing.
• Cơm tấm: broken rice with grilled pork chop.
• Gỏi cuốn: fresh rolls with shrimp and pork, served with peanut sauce.
• Cà phê sữa đá: strong iced coffee with condensed milk.

Portions for soups often come in sizes. If you're unsure, a regular or small bowl is plenty for most people.

Step 3: Useful phrases

You can order entirely in English at most Vietnamese restaurants abroad, but these phrases are handy:

• Em ơi! A friendly way to call a younger server. To someone older, say anh ơi (man) or chị ơi (woman).
• Cho tôi... "Give me..." or "I'll have..." For example, Cho tôi một tô phở tái.
• Một, hai, ba: one, two, three.
• Không hành: no onions. Không cay: not spicy.
• Thêm rau: more herbs/greens.
• Tính tiền: the check, please (common in the South). Thanh toán also works.
• Cảm ơn: thank you.

Tô means "bowl" in the South; in the North, you'll hear bát. Both are understood. For more polite ways to say thanks, see how to say thank you in Vietnamese.

Step 4: Customize your order

Vietnamese food is made to be adjusted. Servers are used to requests like:

• No onions, no cilantro, or no bean sprouts.
• Meat on the side or well done instead of rare.
• Extra noodles or extra broth.
• Sauce on the side.

Ask about allergens directly. Fish sauce is in many dishes and sauces, peanuts are a common garnish, and shrimp and shrimp paste show up in rolls, soups and sauces. If you have a serious allergy, say so clearly and ask what's in the sauces.

Step 5: Use the table condiments

Most tables have a caddy of sauces and seasonings:

• Hoisin sauce (brown, sweet) and sriracha (red, spicy), mostly for phở.
• Fish sauce or prepared dipping sauce.
• Chili oil or fresh chilies.
• Lime wedges and a plate of herbs and bean sprouts for soups.

Taste first, then adjust. Some people like to put hoisin and sriracha in a small dish for dipping meat, rather than stirring them into the broth. See how to eat phở like a local for more.

Step 6: Drinks and dessert

Iced tea often arrives automatically or is offered right away. If you want coffee, Vietnamese iced coffee is strong, so it's a good after-meal pick-me-up. Some restaurants also offer dessert drinks like chè, sweet soups with beans, jelly and coconut milk.

Step 7: Paying the bill

In many Vietnamese restaurants, especially casual ones, you pay at the counter rather than at the table. If you're unsure, ask "Tính tiền ở đâu?" (Where do I pay?) or just watch other diners. Tipping customs follow the country you're in; in the US, tipping is expected at sit-down restaurants.

A quick sample order

Here's how it might sound:

• Em ơi, cho anh một tô phở tái, không hành. Và một ly cà phê sữa đá. Cảm ơn em!

That means: "Excuse me, one bowl of rare beef phở, no onions, and one iced coffee with milk. Thank you!" (Swap anh for chị if you're a woman speaking to a younger server.)

Learn just two phrases before your next visit, "Cho tôi..." and "Cảm ơn," and use them with a smile; it's often the start of a friendlier meal.