Six Vietnamese fried dishes you shouldn’t miss

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TasteAtlas recommends six Vietnamese fried dishes ranging from spring rolls to sticky rice-wrapped chicken, naming four of them in its Asia top 100 deep-fried dishes, and recommending the other two for their standout flavors.

Fried spring rolls

Ranked 25th among Asia’s top 100 deep-fried dishes by TasteAtlas, fried spring rolls are also Vietnam’s sole representative on the global fried food list. Though originally influenced by Chinese cuisine, they have become a beloved staple on Vietnamese menus around the world.
Their filling typically features minced pork or seafood mixed with chopped vegetables, glass noodles, and mushrooms. The mixture is wrapped in rice paper and deep-fried until golden and crispy. Often served with pickles, rice noodles or rice, and a sweet-and-sour fish sauce, fried spring rolls can be enjoyed either as an appetizer or a main course.

Fried dough sticks (quay)

Placed 80th on TasteAtlas’s Asia rankings, quay is a simple yet irresistibly tasty snack.     Made from wheat flour, yeast, salt, and water, the dough is left to rest before being cut and deep-fried, resulting in sticks that are crisp on the outside and light and airy inside.
Enjoyed year-round—though especially popular in winter—quay is typically paired with a tangy dipping sauce and pickles or served alongside noodle dishes. Cheap, filling, and comforting, it’s a favorite among people of all ages, particularly students.

Shrimp and sweet potato fritters (banh tom)

Ranked 70th, banh tom is a signature dish of Hanoi. It features shrimp mixed with thin strips of sweet potato, bound together in a light batter and fried to a crisp golden finish.
Typically served with fresh herbs, pickles, and a sweet-and-sour dipping sauce, this dish is at its best when enjoyed hot.

Deep-fried elephant ear fish

Originating from the Mekong Delta, deep-fried elephant ear fish is cooked whole until its skin turns perfectly crisp. The tender flesh is then flaked off and enjoyed with cucumber, pickles, and fresh herbs, or wrapped in rice paper for added texture. Some variations are finished with a sprinkle of roasted peanuts for extra crunch and flavor.

Chicken drumsticks wrapped with sticky rice

Playfully known as “chicken with no escape,” this dish starts with drumsticks marinated in garlic, sugar, and aromatic spices, then wrapped in sticky rice and deep-fried to a golden crisp.
Often prepared for festive occasions, it delivers a balance of savory and subtly sweet flavors. The sticky rice coating becomes crunchy after frying, while the inside stays soft and richly seasoned. It’s typically served with fresh herbs, tomato, cucumber, and chili sauce.

Deep-fried pumpkin flowers

Rounding out TasteAtlas’s top 100 is deep-fried pumpkin flowers, a specialty of the Mekong Delta. Valued for their natural sweetness and versatility, pumpkin flowers are commonly simmered in soups, added to hotpots, or stir-fried with meat.
For the crispy variation, the blossoms are dipped in a light tempura-style batter made from flour, eggs, seasonings, and a bit of yeast, then fried until golden. Typically served as an appetizer, they are often paired with a fragrant garlic–chili dipping sauce.

Source: VNExpress International.

Photos: Collected.