The first thing our private guests ask about is food. Traders ask the same thing, then add a second question: "When do I eat if New York opens at eight?" This guide answers both. I've eaten my way along this country for ten years with clients, and these days I also watch gold through the London session, so the timings below are the ones I actually use.
What is the best way to eat in Vietnam on a trading day?
Move your main meal to lunch. Vietnamese food is built around a big midday meal anyway, and in Vietnam time (UTC+7) lunch lands three hours before the London open, so you sit down to charts fed, awake and not sluggish.
The trap is the opposite pattern: skip lunch while you prepare, then eat a heavy dinner with two beers at 19:30 and sit down for the New York open feeling slow. Vietnamese dinners are social and long. If you trade the overlap, have dinner at 18:00 or keep it small, and do the long, loud, beer-and-grill dinner on Friday after the close or on a weekend. Our forex hours in Vietnam guide has every session time if you want to plan your own day.
What should I eat in each region of Vietnam?
Each region has its own signature dishes: the North is subtle and broth-led (pho, bun cha), the Centre is spicy and imperial (mi Quang, cao lau, bun bo Hue), and the South is sweeter, herb-heavy and generous (com tam, hu tieu, banh xeo).
| Dish | Region | Best time on a trading day | Rough price (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pho (beef or chicken noodle soup) | North, everywhere | 07:00–09:00 | 50,000–90,000₫ |
| Banh mi (baguette sandwich) | Everywhere; Hoi An is famous | 07:00–10:00 | 25,000–50,000₫ |
| Bun cha (grilled pork, noodles, herbs) | Hanoi | 11:00–13:00 | 50,000–80,000₫ |
| Mi Quang (turmeric noodles, little broth) | Da Nang, Quang Nam | 11:00–13:00 | 35,000–60,000₫ |
| Cao lau (chewy noodles, pork, greens) | Hoi An only | 11:00–13:00 | 35,000–60,000₫ |
| Bun bo Hue (spicy lemongrass beef noodles) | Hue, Centre | 07:00–12:00 | 40,000–70,000₫ |
| Com tam (broken rice, grilled pork) | Saigon, South | 11:00–13:00 | 45,000–80,000₫ |
| Goi cuon / banh xeo (fresh rolls, crispy pancake) | South, everywhere | 18:00–19:30 | 40,000–100,000₫ |
| Ca phe sua da (iced coffee, condensed milk) | Everywhere | 14:30, before London | 20,000–45,000₫ |
Street and casual-restaurant prices. 100,000 dong is roughly 4 USD. Prices rise near beaches and in hotel restaurants.
How strong is Vietnamese coffee, and when should I drink it?
Very strong. Vietnam grows mostly robusta, which carries roughly twice the caffeine of arabica, and a traditional phin filter brews it dense. One cup around 14:30 covers the London open; a second after 18:00 will cost you sleep after New York.
The classic is ca phe sua da: dark coffee over ice with sweetened condensed milk. Hanoi adds egg coffee (whipped yolk and sugar on top, closer to dessert), Hue and Da Nang do salt coffee, and coconut coffee is everywhere in the south. If you trade the overlap until midnight, switch to tea after the afternoon. Free iced tea (tra da) comes with almost every street meal.
Where can I find fine dining in Vietnam?
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang are covered by the Michelin Guide, so all three have a recognised fine-dining scene, from modern Vietnamese tasting menus to French and Japanese. Hoi An and Phu Quoc have strong resort restaurants rather than a deep independent scene.
For a client trip, I usually plan one tasting-menu dinner per week, on a Friday or Saturday when nobody has a session to trade, and the rest of the week at the places locals queue for. The best meal of most trips is still a plastic-stool lunch with a guide who orders for the table. On our private trips we book both, and we hold the fine-dining nights to non-trading evenings.
Is street food in Vietnam safe to eat?
Generally yes, if you follow the local rule: eat where it's busy, where the food is cooked in front of you, and where locals are queuing. High turnover keeps ingredients fresh. Ice in cities is usually factory-made and fine.
- Pick busy stalls at peak hours. A pho shop that is packed at 07:30 has been cooking broth since before dawn.
- Go gentle on day one. Hot soups and grilled food first; raw herbs and salads after a couple of days.
- Drink bottled water. Tap water isn't for drinking; hotels supply bottles.
- Plan a light first trading day. A stomach upset at the New York open is a real cost. Pack rehydration salts.
Our sister site has a deeper guide to eating and travelling in Vietnam for non-trading companions.
What do I eat during a late New York session?
Order in. Grab Food and ShopeeFood deliver to most hotels in big cities until late, and a bowl of chao (rice porridge) or a fresh roll platter at 22:00 keeps you fed without the crash of a heavy plate.
Have a bag of fruit in the room: mango, dragon fruit and rambutan are cheap in every market. Avoid starting a beer at the New York open. It turns one more trade into five. If you're travelling with a partner who isn't trading, the evening is the best time for them to do a street-food tour while you're on the desk; we set those up often.
FAQ
What is the most famous food in Vietnam?
Pho, the beef or chicken noodle soup from the North, is the best known, followed by banh mi, the Vietnamese baguette sandwich. Each region adds its own signatures: bun cha in Hanoi, mi Quang and cao lau in central Vietnam, and com tam in Saigon.
When should I eat if I trade the London and New York sessions from Vietnam?
Make lunch your main meal, around 11:30 to 13:00, before London opens at 15:00 Vietnam time. Eat a light, early dinner around 18:00 to 19:30, before New York opens at 20:00 in winter, and order in during the late session.
How much does food cost in Vietnam?
A street meal costs about 35,000 to 90,000 dong, roughly 1.50 to 3.50 USD, and a coffee 20,000 to 45,000 dong. Mid-range restaurants run 150,000 to 400,000 dong per person, and fine dining in Hanoi, Saigon or Da Nang is closer to international prices.
Is Vietnamese coffee stronger than normal coffee?
Yes. Most Vietnamese coffee is robusta, which has roughly twice the caffeine of arabica, brewed strong through a phin filter. One cup before the London open is plenty; avoid it after 18:00 if you want to sleep after the New York session.
Does Vietnam have Michelin-starred restaurants?
Yes. The Michelin Guide covers Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, with starred restaurants and Bib Gourmand picks in each. Book ahead, and plan tasting-menu dinners for non-trading evenings such as Friday or Saturday.
The bottom line
Eat big at lunch, have one strong coffee before London, keep dinner light before New York, and save the long dinners for the weekend. Vietnamese food makes that easy, because the country already eats its best meals in the morning and at midday.
Next: where to base yourself in Hoi An or Da Nang, or how to keep your setup live in Trading from Vietnam.