14 Best Restaurants in Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Located across from Vinh Trang Pagoda, the setting of this charming vegan restaurant is basic but pleasant, and while the service is not the fastest, the food is truly delicious. Note that the English menu lists meat dishes, but they use imitation, soy-based "meats." The house specialty is the vegan Thai-style sour-and-spicy hotpot (lau Thai Lan); the braised vegetables in claypot (rau cu kho) is also a stand-out dish.

This basic street food stand serves a great version of the local specialty, bun nuoc leo, a vermicelli noodle soup with a umami-rich lemongrass-infused broth topped with pork and snakehead fish; you can indicate to omit the cubes of pork blood, if you don't want it. Patrons can expect celebrity treatment, with plates of spring rolls, fried prawn cakes, and banana-leaf-wrapped roast pork offered, along with wide smiles. If you don't eat any of the extras, you don't pay (but they are very good).

Cars steadily pull up and pile out at this bustling but tidy shop dedicated to Soc Trang specialty bun nuoc leo, a sweetish savory broth made with fermented fish, served over fresh bun rice noodles with slices of fish, roast pork, shrimp, shredded banana flower, and local greens.

This riverside café features a sizeable koi pond at its center and an extensive drink menu, from espresso and milk tea, to cold brew, in addition to a small menu of snacks and desserts.

There's a range of morning and daytime street food stalls surrounding Ha Tien's impressive market, which comprises of several buildings. Also find lots of cheap snacks and seafood at the night market, which used to be on the riverside but has been relocated to a wide boulevard in a newly developed area of town; a few vendors still set up at the river.

A central location on Long Beach's main strip, an eclectic assortment of recycled furniture and antiques, friendly owners, and terrific Arabica coffee beans from Dalat are more than enough reasons to choose this creatively decorated nook. Look for their mobile cart on the beach behind the café, where they do sunset pop-ups.

Usually packed with locals, this big eating hall with metal tables and plastic stools is the best place in town to order hu tieu My Tho, the noodle soup specialty of My Tho. The menu, printed on the walls, is simple: hu tieu (rice-noodle soup), banh canh (rice-and-tapioca noodle soup), bot nui (rice-macaroni soup), and hoanh thanh (pork wonton soup). There are different prices for hu tieu: thit (pork), xuong (pork knuckle), muc tuoi (fresh squid) and tom tuoi (fresh shrimp).

This modern café has an eclectic menu of Korean and Japanese-influenced dishes, including ramen and bi bim bap, as well as pizza and Thai food.

There are two parts to the night market, one section selling clothes and tourist items and the other serving sweet and savory treats from a variety of carts, with vendors who are well versed in the point-and-nod style of ordering. Most of the food can be munched while strolling and is more of a snack than a meal. Stalls start appearing at around 6 pm each day.

An invitingly clean, calm, air-conditioned space is just one reason to eat at this vegetarian restaurant, which does plant-based versions of Vietnamese classics such as hu tieu rice noodle soup and com tam (broken rice with surprisingly tasty mock meat) for less than 25,000d, as well as hotpot ideal for two or more people.

The restaurant, which is close to the market and is popular with the locals, makes a delectable version of com tam ("broken rice") with charcoal grilled pork in a sweet, sticky glaze.

From 5 pm on, a small outdoor market sets up shop along the riverside, where you can sit down on a little plastic stool with the locals and enjoy beer, grilled meat and seafood, and even hotpot.

Tran Hau Street, which runs east from the market, is packed with local mom-and-pop establishments. These small eateries usually specialize in one dish and are named after what they serve, so look out for all manner of delicious southern favorites, including hu tieu (chewy noodles with pork and seafood), bun ca (rice noodle soup with fish), banh canh ghe (thick tapioca noodle soup with crab), com tam (broken rice with grilled pork), and che (a Vietnamese dessert).

Make your way through the bustling local market to the food section at breakfast or lunchtime to find something cheap, authentic, and delicious such as banh uot, which translates literally as "wet cakes," steamed rice sheets topped with barbecued pork patties, pickled vegetables, and a tangy dressing. The market stalls start packing up at around 4 pm.