4 Dishes Showing French influence on Vietnamese Cuisine

The french influence on Vietnamese cuisine is one of the most lasting legacies of colonial history. From bread to beef, soups to sweets, French techniques and ingredients were adopted, adapted, and transformed by Vietnamese cooks. Today, these influences are everywhere — in street stalls, local markets, and everyday meals.

1. Bo ne – From Colonial Steakhouse to Street Delight

Historical origin: The term “bit tet” is a phonetic adaptation of the French bifteck (beefsteak). introduced into Vietnam during the 19th-century French colonial era, beef steak originally symbolized Western luxury, served primarily in elite French restaurants in Hanoi and Saigon. only the French or upper-class Vietnamese — civil servants, scholars, and landowners — could afford it.

Vietnamese adaptation: Today, this dish has completely transformed. a full serving of Vietnamese-style Bo net typically includes:

• 100–150g thinly sliced beefsteak, seared over high heat
• 1 sunny-side-up egg (trung op la)
• 1 spoon of homemade pate gan heo (pork liver pate)
• Sauteed onion slices
• Half a Vietnamese baguette
• Fried potato wedges or french fries
• a side of Maggi soy sauce and chili sauce

average price: 3.00 to 4.50 usd per portion at street stalls; up to 8 usd in mid-range restaurants.

Where to try:

• Bo Ne Thanh Tuyen, 20/6-7 Nguyen Truong To Street, Ward 12, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City — opened in 1980s, serves over 200 portions daily
• Bo Ne Xiu Mai Sai Gon, 62/61 Lam Van Ben, Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 — offers sizzling hotplate steak with egg and fries for 3.50 usd

What makes this dish a prime example of french vietnamese food is not just its origin, but its transformation: once a plated delicacy in ceramic French dishes, now sizzling on cast-iron cow-shaped skillets served on plastic stools by street corners — an image that defines the modern-day french influence on vietnamese cuisine.

For travelers exploring culinary alleys via public transport in ho chi minh city, most of these eateries are within 300–500 meters of major bus stops or BRT lines, making them highly accessible.

2. Banh Mi kep pate – The ultimate French-Vietnamese Fusion

Colonial roots: The foundation of banh mi is the French baguette, introduced by colonists in the mid-1800s. However, due to Vietnam’s climate and wheat import costs, bakers adjusted the dough using rice flour (up to 30%) to reduce weight and cost, creating a lighter, thinner-crust baguette — uniquely Vietnamese.

Core ingredients in a classic banh mi kep pate:

• Vietnamese baguette (~20–22 cm long, average weight 100–120g)
• pate gan (liver spread, French-style but made from pork in Vietnam)
• Slices of grilled pork, Vietnamese sausage (cha lua), or shredded chicken
• Do chua (pickled carrot & daikon, soaked in vinegar for at least 24 hours)
• Fresh coriander, chili slices, cucumber, and a dash of soy sauce or Maggi seasoning

Cost: 1.00 to 1.30 usd per sandwich at traditional stalls.

Cultural evolution: This dish is now found from sidewalks in Saigon to immigrant bakeries in Paris and California. it has become a symbol of french influence on vietnamese food, recognized globally for its fusion of meat and vegetables, acid and umami, heritage and speed.

Notable places to try in Ho Chi Minh City:

• Banh Mi Huynh Hoa, 26 Le Thi Rieng St, District 1 — sells more than 2,500 sandwiches per day, popular since 1989
• Banh Mi Bay Ho, 23 Huynh Khuong Ninh, District 1 — family-run for over 60 years, specializes in handmade pate

CNN Travel (2018) listed banh mi as one of the Top 10 Best Street Foods in the World, highlighting its ingenuity as a street-side adaptation of French culinary philosophy: balance, flavor layering, and texture control.

3. Sup Cua – a Parisian Spoon with a Saigon Soul

in the early 20th century, creamy soups — a staple of French cuisine — were served in Saigon’s high-end colonial restaurants, particularly in areas like Dong Khoi (then Rue Catinat). influenced by French veloute and bisque, these soups were rich in butter, milk, and wheat flour. However, these ingredients were expensive and foreign to most locals. The Vietnamese responded with innovation.

Sup cua, the Vietnamese adaptation, completely transformed the original French formula. instead of dairy-based thickening, cornstarch or tapioca flour was used, producing a light, clear, slightly viscous broth. The traditional French flavor base was replaced by a mixture of pork stock, fresh mud crab (cua đong), and locally available vegetables. ingredients in a typical portion of sup cua include:

• 25 to 40 grams of fresh shredded crab meat
• 1 or 2 boiled quail eggs (trung cut luoc)
• White fungus (nam tuyet), thinly sliced into strips
• Sweet corn (ngo ngot), either fresh or canned
• Fresh cilantro (rau mui), ground black pepper (tieu xay), and a dash of sesame oil for aroma
• Thickened with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, dissolved in water and stirred in near the end of cooking

each serving is sold for around 15,000 to 25,000 VND (0.60–1.00 usd), depending on the stall and crab quality.

unlike its French ancestor, sup cua is not consumed as a starter but as a main morning dish or afternoon snack. in Ho Chi Minh City, it’s most often found in cho truyen thong (traditional markets) like:

• Cho Tan Dinh District 1 estimated over 150 servings sold per morning
• Cho Ben Thanh Gate 7 – food court frequented by both locals and tourists
• Cho Ba Chieu Binh Thanh open from 500 am with sup cua served until 900 am

Nutritional analysis: a bowl of sup cua provides approximately 130–160 kcal, depending on toppings, and is high in protein (crab, egg) and collagen (from fungus), making it suitable for light breakfast, elderly diets, and post-illness recovery meals. No dairy is used, making it ideal for lactose-intolerant consumers in Vietnam.

This evolution exemplifies the french influence on vietnamese cuisine — a story not of preservation, but of adaptation. From a French colonial soup bowl to a Vietnamese plastic container, sup cua shows how french vietnamese food evolved through necessity, taste, and local ingenuity.

4. Banh Flan – a Creamy Legacy in every Vietnamese Dessert Shop

The roots of banh flan lie in the classic creme caramel dessert introduced to Vietnam in the colonial era. originally a product of French aristocratic cuisine, this silky custard was made with fresh cream, egg yolks, and burnt caramel, served chilled in silver bowls in Saigon’s luxury hotels like Hotel Continental and Majestic in the early 1900s.

But the Vietnamese adaptation was revolutionary in both ingredients and method.

Cream was replaced with sua dac co duong (sweetened condensed milk), a more shelf-stable option in tropical climates. Whole eggs (both yolk and white) were used instead of only yolks, to maximize use. Caramel sauce was darkened for deeper bitterness, and coffee — now essential in Vietnamese coffee culture — was introduced as a topping.

a typical portion of banh flan includes:

• 2 whole eggs
• 100 ml boiling water
• 40 ml sweetened condensed milk
• 15 ml fresh milk (optional, depending on regional preference)
• 20 grams white sugar, caramelized into syrup
• 30–50 ml strong black coffee, poured over the custard after steaming
• optional topping: finely crushed ice (especially popular in southern Vietnam for hot climates)

Steaming time: 20–25 minutes using indirect heat
Calories per portion: approx. 200 kcal
Selling price: from 7,000 to 15,000 VND (0.30 to 0.60 usd)

Where to try banh flan today:

• Flan Thanh Nga – 58 22 Duong Nguyen Thuong Hien Quan 3 Ho Chi Minh City – established in 1985 sells over 300 servings daily
• Banh Flan Ben Thanh – inside the Ben Thanh Market food court
• Che Co Hue – Hoi an Night Market – banh flan served with coconut milk twist

The dish is now fully embedded in both home-style cooking and street food traditions. it's commonly eaten by school children, office workers, and night-shift workers seeking a cool, sweet, affordable treat — proof of the vietnamese culture of everyday indulgence.

The presence of french influence on vietnamese food is evident here: in the steaming trays of local street vendors who’ve passed down this recipe across three generations, keeping the french vietnamese cuisine legacy alive, one creamy spoon at a time.

5. Conclusion

The french influence on vietnamese cuisine is clearly reflected in everyday dishes like Bo net, banh mi, sup cua and banh flan. they are direct results of cultural exchange, adapted to local taste, climate, and ingredients. To truly understand vietnamese food, you need to experience it where it lives: on the streets, in markets, and at local kitchens across Vietnam.