Vietnamese Food 101: Why Pho-to-Go Will Be Your New Lunch Delivery Favorite

Pizza. Chinese. Thai. If this takeout trifecta is wearing itself out in your office, it’s time to spice up the food delivery routine… literally! When it comes to flavor, there’s no cuisine quite so qualified as Vietnamese to inject a little excitement into the workday. Bright, bold ingredients like chiles, citrus, and savory spices, combined with influence from both French and Chinese cooking, make Vietnamese a unique yet incredibly approachable option for group takeout and pleasing a wide range of palates. Many dishes are customized right at your table, so adventurous eaters can pile on the chiles while pickier eaters can stick to the familiar — yet flavorful — array of soups and sandwiches available on many Vietnamese menus.

Want to get started — or introduce your officemates — to the wonders of Vietnamese food delivery? Try one of these dishes to get off on the right foot with this colorful cuisine:

Perhaps the best-known Vietnamese dish is pho, the vermicelli noodle soup traditionally made from long-simmering beef-bone broth — although chicken broth pho (called pho ga), lighter and more delicate, is also available in some traditional Vietnamese restaurants… and vegetarian varieties can be found in non-traditional ones. Most pho includes a choice of meat, ranging from thinly sliced round steak to beef meatballs (bo vien), with more adventuresome options like brisket (nam), tendon, and tripe. Pho is also served with separate add-ins like basil, lime, cilantro, jalapeños, bean sprouts, and hoisin sauce. Sriracha is also a frequent accompaniment, but pho purists believe that’s the equivalent of putting ketchup on a steak: it ruins the flavor of the delicate soup. Order up a bowl with your meat of choice, and add in the fresh herbs and chiles to taste — perfect for large groups with varying palates or sensitivity to spiciness.

For the lunch crowd that loves a good sandwich, another can’t miss Vietnamese food delivery option is banh mi, which literally means “baguette.” A product of the French colonial influence on Vietnam, these sandwiches consist of tender pork, pickled daikon, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeños, mayonnaise, and thinly sliced carrots stuffed into a crusty baguette. While gio, a pork pate, is often used in banh mi, and yet another example (along with the baguette) of the French influence, many restaurants will also offer chicken and even vegetarian banh mi.

For a step further into Vietnamese cuisine, try bun bo hue – a very flavorful and spicy noodle soup that’s considerably bolder than its more popular counterpart. Bun bo hue is a soup studded with pork hock, sliced beef shank, and thicker rice vermicelli noodles, all topped with a spicy red chili paste.

On the other hand, those who shy away from spice should opt for bo kho – a beef stew with familiar ingredients (tomato, carrots, onions, chunks of beef shank) with delectable Vietnamese spices (star anise, ginger, and lemongrass). This hearty stew is usually served with crusty bread, and so often called “banh mi bo kho.”

For a crowd-pleasing appetizer to share, order up a plate of goi cuon, the Vietnamese take on spring rolls: rice paper wraps stuffed with sautéed shrimp or pork, thinly sliced vegetables, and vermicelli noodles, usually served with peanut sauce.

Too hot for a noodle soup? Go for bun: the general name for a rice noodle salad, consisting of a pile of vermicelli noodles (like the ones found in pho) served chilled on top of greens, like lettuce and cucumber. Then, hot meat is added (the usual array of grilled pork, beef, or chicken), along with briny fish sauce, sweeter hoison, or spicy Sriracha for extra flavor.

For a simple and straightforward dish, look for a com dia, or rice plate, on the menu. It’s essentially rice and meat, whether that’s grilled pork, chicken, or beef. Usually, rice plates are accompanied by sauce and a bowl of garlicky broth, but can be kept fairly mild for beginners.

Whether you’re a pro at slurping pho or a newbie that’s never tasted fish sauce, Waiter.com can help your office discover the deliciousness that is Vietnamese food delivery! Easy online ordering and convenient delivery make it easy to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine right in your break room!