Ideal for banh, bun and beyond in Thailand’s capital…
Vietnamese restaurants have historically been thin on the ground in Bangkok, overshadowed by the city’s Japanese, Chinese and Korean options, and the Thai capital’s insatiable desire for bold, bracing flavours.
Which is surprising, when you think about it, given how deep the culinary connection actually runs. A significant Vietnamese population has lived in Isan for generations, particularly around Udon Thani, Nong Khai and Nakhon Phanom, and their influence on the region’s food is considerable. VT Namnueng in Udon Thani is so beloved that Bangkokians regularly receive deliveries of their sausages via the night train from the north, and dishes like kuay jap yuan (a Vietnamese-influenced rolled noodle soup) have become a beloved fixture of the broader Thai culinary canon.
But despite this history, the kind of regional depth you’d find in Paris or Melbourne has been harder to come by in the capital. Or harder to find, at least, given that few of these restaurants have much of an Instagram presence, and some require Google Maps and a willingness to follow a pin into a parking lot to track down. Yet between them, they cover everything from royal Hue recipes to southern home cooking.
With that in mind, and seemingly with an ability to never get full, we’ve eaten our way across the Thai capital, following strands of pho like Theseus in the maze, leaving a trail of banh mi crumbs in our wake, in search of the best food from Vietnam. Here’s what we found; the best Vietnamese restaurants in Bangkok.
Le Dalat, Sukhumvit
Ideal for refined Vietnamese cooking in a century-old transplanted teak house…
We had to start here, at Bangkok’s most venerable Vietnamese restaurant. Le Dalat sits at the end of a leafy soi off Sukhumvit 23, its entrance shaded by a banyan tree whose aerial roots form a canopy overhead, and a courtyard garden beyond that makes you forget you’re minutes from a sky train.
The building tells an interesting story: a century-old teak house shipped piece by piece from Vietnam and reassembled where it now stands. Completing that sense of escapism, lotus-petal lamps hang above cooling terracotta floors, and staff in traditional ao dai guide you through an extensive menu of refined, French-colonial-era celebration recipes.
Just like the setting, dishes are gently theatrical in that playful way you get from a Viet joint charging a little above the baseline. Spring rolls arrive standing on their ends like little towers, carrots are carved into flowers, that kind of thing – but the cooking is precise and expertly seasoned when you peel away the frippery.
The cha tom is superb; shrimp patties shaped around a sugarcane and grilled with the kind of delicate attention that marks out the very best Vietnamese food. Continuing on that theme, the banh cuon is as exquisite and silky as anything you’d eat in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
From the larger plates, the ‘Indochine’ beef stew rewards those not deterred by its prosaic description with rich, slow-cooked depth and the misty warmth of spices that define Vietnamese braised dishes. The ga sa gung (chicken with caramelised ginger) is a signature worth ordering – it’s bright but boasts profound depth, simultaneously.
Prices sit at the higher end for Vietnamese food in Bangkok, but portions are generous and the setting warrants a certain premium. That garden courtyard is a real joy, offering respite from Sukhumvit’s reliable chaos, and lunch here can easily stretch into the afternoon if you realise you’re not ready to brave Asok station just yet. Google might list service as ending at 2:30pm, but we’ve never been moved on when staying later.
If you’re to visit one Vietnamese restaurant in Bangkok for a special occasion, make it Le Dalat.
Address: 57 Soi Sukhumvit 23, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Website: ledalatbkk.com
Thien Duong, Bang Rak
Ideal for Michelin-recognised French-Vietnamese fusion in heritage surrounds…
Thien Duong has been serving faithful, assured Vietnamese food in Bangkok for close to four decades, but its current incarnation inside the heritage grounds of Baan Dusit Thani feels thoroughly contemporary.
The name means ‘paradise’ in Vietnamese, and the setting does its best to deliver. If your idea of heaven is closer to a tropical fever dream, that is. Tropical murals swallow the walls whole, a rainbow of tiles runs down the floor like an airport runway, and bright rattan chairs compete with it all for your attention. It’s a lot, and it shouldn’t work, but somehow it does, the greenery brushing against the windows and the colour on your plate helping it all feel of a piece.
Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition speaks to the quality. Or, perhaps, it just serves to highlight the Francophile proclivities of the Big Red Book, as the menu at Thien Duong leans into the French-colonial influence on Vietnamese cuisine more explicitly than most places in the city. A case in point; the grilled lamb rack with mint-tamarind sauce, which is a signature that regulars return for, though the kitchen is at its best in the more traditional dishes like cha ca, the Hanoi speciality of turmeric-fried fish served sizzling at the table.
A shout out to the page-long dessert menu, the rabbit under Thien Duong’s nón lá, a real treat. Longans bobbing in sweetened coconut cream, sweet sago with cantaloupe, sesame dumplings in ginger syrup… Vietnamese desserts share an intertwined DNA with their Thai cousins, and it’s a neat way to circle back before you step out, blinking into the harsh light of Silom.
Not before a Vietnamese drip coffee, mind, which here is excellent, prepared with a ‘phin’ metal filter and sweetened condensed milk that defines the style. Cocktails draw on Vietnamese herbs – makrut lime, Thai basil, lemongrass – and are worth exploring if you’re settling in for the evening, high on that strong coffee and with no hope of an early night. In Bangkok, there never is…
Address: 116 Saladaeng Road, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Website: baandusitthani.com
Tonkin-Annam, Phra Nakhon
Ideal for family recipes from Vietnam’s former imperial capital…
This family-run shophouse near Wat Pho focuses on the food of northern and central Vietnam. The name nods to Tonkin and Annam, the French colonial terms for those regions, and to the owners’ grandparents who came from Hanoi and Hue respectively. Headlining dishes here skew towards the imperial capital, but the austere, savoury sensibility of Hanoi is all present and correct, too.
Run by noted food anthropologist Gai Lai Mitwichan and his sister, the two-storey space has a modern shabby-chic feel, with distressed walls and unassuming artwork. The cooking is anything but casual, though. It’s precise and deliberate, in fact, and is as close to the real thing as we’ve had in Bangkok.
Bun bo Hue is the dish to order: a deeply flavoured beef noodle soup that’s spicier and more aesthetically complex than pho. Tonkin-Annam’s version uses a family recipe, with tender chunks of beef and a lemongrass-heavy broth that rewards those who like their soups with backbone. That spine is reinforced further with the low thrum and subtle sweetness of good shrimp paste. Dare we venture that they’ve deployed a bit of gapi here, rather than the funkier, brasher mam tom? It’s a move that works in the regal shadow of two iconic wats, we think.
Equally good is the banh xeo. Here, it’s the size of a hubcap and its lacey batter shatters satisfyingly when you attempt to dissect it with chopsticks. Stuffed generously with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts, the accompanying bundle of fresh herbs brings everything to life.
It’s all so delicious, which makes the unceremonious removal of Michelin recognition last year feel all the more curious. Ignore the red guide on this one; Tonkin-Annam remains the best option for regional Vietnamese cooking in all of Bangkok.
Note that it’s cash only, and reservations (exclusively by phone) are recommended given the limited seating. If you do pitch up and find there’s a queue, there’s a mighty fine view of Wat Arun from just outside the restaurant to keep you busy.
Address: 69 Maha Rat Road, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Instagram: @tonkinannam
Saigon Recipe, Sukhumvit
Ideal for home-style Vietnamese with Michelin Guide consistency…
Saigon Recipe occupies three storeys of the Piman 49 complex off Sukhumvit Soi 49, run by a Japanese-Vietnamese couple who wanted to recreate the feeling of eating at home in Vietnam. Chalk-yellow walls, silk lanterns, paintings of women in ao dai and a soundtrack of pre-1975 Vietnamese ballads set the scene and deliver on their mission.
The menu covers southern and central Vietnam without claiming strict regional purity. Canh chua ca loc, the sour soup with snakehead fish that’s a southern staple, is a signature worth ordering – it’s pert and alive, and gives your tom yum gung next door a run for its money in the revitalising stakes.
The bo la lot – beef wrapped in peppery ‘betel’ leaves and grilled over charcoal – is another highlight, and the bánh mì is a reliable rendition (honestly, we’ve not found a great one in Bangkok).
Work your way through the excellent sinh to (Vietnamese smoothies) menu, which comes in everything from watermelon to avocado, the latter a classic in Vietnam. There’s a good selection of fresh juices too – pandan leaf with sugarcane, lemongrass, lime soda – that suit the Bangkok heat.
The kitchen has held a Michelin Guide listing since 2020, which speaks to its consistency if not its fireworks. Vietnamese cooks staff the stoves and the owners source vegetables from their farm in Pathumthani, so freshness isn’t an issue. Pricing is moderate for the area, and free parking makes it a practical option for those driving.
Address: Sukhumvit 49, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Website: saigon-recipe.com
An Com An Ca, Sathorn
Ideal for seafood-forward Vietnamese in a gorgeous heritage setting…
An Com An Ca opened in September 2022 inside a 100-year-old Indo-Chinese house on a narrow lane in Sathorn, and quickly became one of the most talked-about Vietnamese openings in years. The name translates as ‘eat rice, eat fish’, and the menu leans heavily on seafood dishes alongside the usual street food staples.
The setting is the initial draw: wooden beams, geometric tile floors and a garden courtyard that feels entirely removed from central Bangkok. Step inside, though, and the spell admittedly wavers – glossy picture menus and a familiar slickness betray its origins as an Iberry group operation. No bad thing, just a little corporate. An Com An Ca has eight branches now, the majority in shopping malls, and you can feel it.
Cooking is polished rather than rustic accordingly, with spring rolls arriving crisp and greaseless. There is pho on the menu, but in our view, pho is always better from a dedicated slinger who has caressed the stock all night – or, in some cases, for years. When buried on a menu of country-spanning dishes, it’s so often insipid.
The fish dishes are why you’re here. Grilled blood cockles with scallion oil, spicy Indochina river prawns, and bánh khọt – crispy, turmeric-tinted mini pancakes each crowned with a single shrimp – are the plates to order. That banh khot is particularly good, its presentation sharp, its flavour precise.
The Sathorn original remains the most atmospheric of the eight. Prices are higher than the neighbourhood noodle shops but reasonable for the more opulent setting.
Address: 58 Ngam Duphli Alley, Thung Maha Mek, Sathon, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
Instagram: @an.com.an.ca
LELE by Le Mai Anh, Sukhumvit
Ideal for a Hanoi grandmother’s recipes given a contemporary refresh…
The original Le Mai Anh operated on Samsen Road near the Chao Phraya for over two decades, serving home-style Vietnamese food from recipes passed down by the owner’s Hanoi-born grandmother.
Though we miss the nourishing nature of the original, there’s no point getting stuck in the past now things have moved on. LELE is its modernised successor, relocated to Sukhumvit 31 and given a contemporary refresh while keeping the dishes that built the original’s reputation. The name means ‘quickly, quickly’ in Vietnamese, a nod to the fast-casual format, but the pace here is unhurried.
Nem nuong (the old Thai favourite that isn’t nearly as popular in actual Vietnam) is the signature: charcoal-grilled pork sausage served with rice paper, fresh herbs and a thoroughly complex dipping sauce made from over 20 ingredients. The classic accompaniment of spring rolls is done well here; thin-skinned and generously stuffed.
Back to Hanoi, and LELE’s pho takes a milder, northern approach that favours savoury and subtlety over punch. A risk in a city that likes its food loud, perhaps, but one that pays off in a bowl that’s truly fortifying. There’s even a rare outing for a pork version of this most famous Vietnamese soup, and you know what? It works.
Interestingly, LELE also does one of the best yum naem khao tod we’ve had in Bangkok – a curious interloper at first glance, but one which makes sense when you consider how freely fermented pork traditions travel across Indochina. The dish is Lao in origin, Thai by adoption, and the sour pork at its heart has cousins in every country in the region. It’s ace, and LELE is where we head when we have a craving for this elite salad.
Bright and modern, the space is a world away from the cosy Samsen original, and service is efficient without being rushed. Opening hours run 8am to 8pm daily – a reminder that Vietnamese food is best at breakfast – making this a solid option when you fancy a break from jok.
Address: 571 Sukhumvit Rd, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Instagram: @lele.lemaianh
Madame Ong, Ratchathewi
Ideal for cheap and cheerful Vietnamese home cooking in unexpected surrounds…
Finding Madame Ong requires commitment: you enter through a parking lot, pass the lobby of VP Tower apartment building, and eventually arrive at a fluorescent-lit dining room with formica tables and zero pretension. The eponymous Madame Ong still dines at her own restaurant several times a week, and the place fills up with local families who’ve been coming for years.
‘Vietnamese pizza’ is the dish that draws people here: plate-sized rice crackers topped with, essentially, the ingredients of a spring roll or bánh cuốn. So, that’s minced pork, wood ear mushroom, crispy shallots and herbs. Break a shard off and enjoy. The steamed rice flour parcels stuffed with pork and spring onion, served with plum sauce, are a quieter pleasure, and the grilled pâté with fresh garlic is worth ordering for the table, too, a humble, rustic dish that hits a certain spot sometimes.
If you’re settling in for the evening, order the ‘Vietnamese fondue’ – a menu descriptor that’s passed through a couple of rounds of Google Translate, no doubt. What comes is a hotpot bobbing with shrimp, fish and squid. It’s another signature and seems to grace every larger family table here. Save room for dessert: sesame balls in hot ginger syrup, or sala fruit in crushed ice if you need cooling down (that hotpot is nice and spicy).
Don’t expect the refinement of Le Dalat or Thien Duong. But often with a cuisine this grounding, you don’t want it to be elevated or fussed over. What you will get is affordable, honest Vietnamese home cooking, and a fixture of Bangkok’s Vietnamese community. What more could you ask for?
Address: 21, 45 Chawakun Alley, Thanon Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
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