Vietnamese Menu Guide
from Andrea Nguyen, http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/

When you look at a Vietnamese restaurant menu, it may not seem like regular restaurant menu pages. There are strange words, cakes are offered as savories and soups are categorized as sweets. What do all of these things mean? How do you make sense of the unusual types of Vietnamese foods?

Have little fear, the menus of a deli/bakery, pho shop, or full-fledged restaurant, are set up similarly. There is a loose standard but up to this point, that standard has been left for just Vietnamese people to understand. This page, along with the pages of common Vietnamese restaurant dishes and cooking methods and ingredients, have bilingual content.

I (Andrea Nguyen) put this together with Pho411.com to bridge any communication gap between Vietnamese food lovers and Vietnamese restaurant owners and chefs.

Sections of a Vietnamese Restaurant Menu:  The dishes at a Vietnamese restaurant, deli or bakery are typically organized in food groups that include:

Typical Dishes

Whether you're at a Vietnamese pho joint, takeaway deli/baker, or a formal restaurant, the range of dishes fall into a common repertoire.

Appetizers

Savory Bánh Snacks (Bánh = cake or bread)

Salads

Soups

Noodle Dishes (Dry, with broth, stir-fried)

Rice Plates

Entrees and Sides

Beverages - đồ uống

Desserts/Sweets

Misc. menu terms:

Cooking Methods, Seasonings, Fruits and Vegetables

Let's say you don't recognize what a dish is. You can try to decipher the menu description if you understand the Vietnamese words for cooking techniques, condiments and dipping sauces, and common fruits and vegetables.

Cooking Techniques

Condiments and Dipping Sauces

Noodles

Herbs and Vegetables

Fruits