Best Vietnamese Street Food in NYC

The best Vietnamese street food in NYC can be hard to choose. There are a decent amount of Vietnamese food carts, along with restaurants and cafes that offer traditional Vietnamese street food on their menus. It's healthy, it's delicious, and there's even some vegetarian friendly options for you leaf eating monsters.

1. Bahn Mi is the king of Vietnamese street food. There are many different kinds of bahn mi, and what they basically boil down to are Vietnamese sandwiches. A number of fillings are offered, from BBQ pork to lemongrass chicken. The actual name comes from the bread, which is made out of a combination of wheat and rice flour. The most popular bahn mi sandwiches are offered at the Bahn Mi Saigon Bakery. Bahn Mi Saigon Bakery, 138 Mott St., New York, NY 10002 (212) 941-1541.
2. Pho is a traditional Vietnamese soup that usually gives you nigh endless customization options. A menu for a full featured pho can go on for a couple of pages, and choosing what type to get can be rather difficult. The base never changes, though - it's either beef or chicken broth. Rice noodles are a staple of this dish, and you typically add some sort of protein such as chicken, beef, or even firm tofu. Lan Cafe offers many different types of pho that are both excellent and pretty cheap. Lan Cafe, 342 E 6th Street, New York, NY 10003 (212) 228-8325.
3. Spring rolls are found in many types of Asian cuisine, and Vietnamese street food is no exception to this rule. Spring rolls are see through and can contain meat, vegetables, or usually a combination of both. These come with dipping sauces such as hoisin. The Saigon Grill offers spring rolls as appetizers, and their dipping sauces provide a great counterpoint to the light and airy rolls. Saigon Grill, 93 University Pl, New York, NY 10003 (212) 982-3691.
4. Rice noodle soup may not sound like a very portable street food, but it does end up being both traditional and delicious. Doyers Vietnamese Restaurant has about 18 varieties of this popular Vietnamese street food, so indulge yourself. Doyers Vietnamese Restaurant, 11 Doyers Street, New York, NY 10003 (212) 513-1527.
5. Vietnamese tacos are a speciality street food popping up in NYC and other areas. These tacos are filled with traditional Vietnamese meat like bbq pork, lemongrass chicken, or tofu. You can find these at Doyers, address referenced above.