The Vietnamese food scene in New Orleans is vast, with family owned and operated restaurants in every part of the city. Chef Anh Luu knows this firsthand as a born-and-raised Vietnamese New Orleanian. She owns and operates the pop-up Xanh NOLA, which has an eye for creative cuisine like the pho quesadilla with grilled steak, cheese, phở noodles, green onion, hoisin, sriracha, and Thai basil sauce on the side. Luu, alongside chefs Cristina Quackenbush and Haley Vanvleet, plans to open the Vietnamese-Filipino fusion restaurant Tatlo in the French Quarter in summer 2024. Watch the video below for the chef’s tour of Vietnamese cuisine in the city and find more spots for delicious Vietnamese food in New Orleans below.
French Quarter/ Downtown
Bun Bo Hue from Phở Tầu Bay
A longtime local spot for Vietnamese cuisine, Phở Tầu Bay excels in all the traditional dishes. Enjoy the Bun Bo Hue, a hot and spicy pork and beef soup served in a beef and shrimp stock with large rice noodles.
Shrimp and crab phở from Viet Orleans Bistro
This spicy phở noodle soup with shrimp, crab, basil, bean sprouts, lime, and jalapeño peppers is the perfect dish to cure your New Orleans hangover.
Brown sugar milk tea from Mr. Bubbles
This weekday lunch spot on Canal is perfect for a quick bite. Order a banh mi and bubble tea for a tasty treat.
Uptown
Rainbow rolls from Lilly’s
Made with shrimp, tofu, avocado, strawberry, lettuce, and vermicelli noodles, you can’t go wrong with this delightful pescatarian dish. Ask if they have the candied kumquat soda for a surprise.
Shrimp garlic noodles from Magasin Vietnamese Café
You’ve got to try the seafood at Magasin, and the shrimp garlic noodles are a hearty, buttery option.
Lemongrass pork banh mi from Le’s Baguette Banh Mi
Simple, juicy pork with a savory sauce is the star of this sandwich at Le’s Baguette.
Combo banh mi from Banh Mi Boys
You can’t go wrong at Banh Mi Boys. We suggest the Vietnamese style combo banh mi, with five different kinds of pork including two types of Vietnamese ham and pork belly.
Tremé/ Mid-City
Charcoal pork soup from Café Minh
Made with egg noodles and baby bok choy, lose yourself in a hot bowl of soup at Cafe Minh.
Tofu banh mi from Eat-Well Food Mart
Simple yet delicious, the tofu banh mi from Eat-Well is an economical vegetarian option.
KFC Bao from Bao Mi
The 2023 National Fried Chicken Fest winner for best use of chicken in a dish, the KFC bao from Bao Mi is legendary. The recipe is simple but packs in the flavor - small pieces of crispy crunchy fried chicken served with aioli and cucumber in a steamed bun - yum!
Lakeview
Chicken banh mi from Chez Pierre
This delicious option from Chez Pierre is packed with grilled chicken, shaved carrots, cilantro, and jalapeños.
Gentilly & New Orleans East
Pâté chaud from Dong Phuong Bakery
Flaky puff pastry is filled with your choice of pork or impossible meat for a savory Vietnamese meat pie.
Goi Cuon Cha Gio from Phở Bằng
The Goi Cuon Cha Gio is a fried eggroll stuffed into a spring roll - need we say more?
Algiers/ West Bank
Salt & pepper squid from Tân Định
If you’re feeling adventurous, go for the salt & pepper squid at Tân Định, made with your choice of in-house sauce.
Crab rangoons from TD Seafood & Phở House
TD Seafood is one of the only places in the city that uses real crab in their rangoons. They specialize in seafood boils and the seasonal Viet-Cajun style crawfish boils come spring.