Worth tryingCheap eatsStreet food

Goi Cuon: Vietnamese Spring Rolls Done Right

Fresh, unfried rolls of shrimp, pork, noodles and herbs in translucent rice paper, dipped in a thick peanut and fermented soybean sauce.

From: Vietnam, most strongly associated with the south
Typical price: ~$1–$3 (25,000–80,000₫) Estimate per portion of two to four rolls: around 25,000-50,000d (roughly US$1-2) at a street stall or market, and 40,000-80,000d (roughly US$1.60-3.20) at a sit-down restaurant. Prices vary by city.
Type: Vietnamese fresh rolls

What is Goi Cuon: Vietnamese Spring Rolls Done Right?

Gỏi cuốn are the fresh Vietnamese spring rolls that most English menus call summer rolls, and they are nothing like the fried ones. A sheet of rice paper is dipped in water until it turns soft and translucent, then wrapped around cool rice vermicelli, a few leaves of lettuce, bean sprouts, herbs, slices of poached pork belly and two halved poached shrimp, which sit against the paper so their pink shows through. A single chive is left sticking out of one end, which is both traditional and useful for picking the roll up. Nothing is cooked in oil and nothing is heavy. The flavor sits almost entirely in the dipping sauce, which is where regional argument starts: the southern standard is tuong, a thick, sweet fermented soybean sauce cut with peanut, topped with crushed peanuts, pickled vegetables and chili, while other places serve mam nem, a much sharper fermented anchovy sauce. Vietnamese spring rolls are eaten as a snack, a starter or a light lunch, at any hour, and they are one of the safest introductions to Vietnamese food for a nervous first-timer.

Main ingredients

Rice paper rounds, softened in waterPoached shrimp, halved lengthwaysPoached pork belly, thinly slicedFresh rice vermicelliLettuce, bean sprouts and garlic chivesHerbs, usually mint, perilla and Vietnamese corianderFermented soybean sauce thickened with peanutCrushed roasted peanuts and pickled vegetablesFresh chili

Which neighborhood to eat in

Street carts and market stalls in almost any Vietnamese city

The default and usually the best. Look for a cart where rolls are being made in front of you rather than sitting stacked under cling film, since rice paper toughens as it dries out. Markets and school-gate corners in the late afternoon are the classic setting, and portions come in twos or fours with a small tub of sauce.

Around 25,000-45,000d per portion (roughly US$1-1.80)

Sit-down Vietnamese restaurants, in the appetizer section

Nearly every proper Vietnamese restaurant lists them as a starter, plated neatly and often cut in half on the diagonal. The rolls are usually larger and the sauce is served in a proper dish. This is the reliable option if you want air conditioning, an English menu and a clear price before you order.

Around 40,000-80,000d per portion (roughly US$1.60-3.20)

Roll-your-own restaurants, mainly in the south and the Mekong Delta

Some places bring the components to the table instead: a stack of rice paper, a bowl of warm water, platters of herbs, noodles and grilled meat or fish, and you assemble your own. It is messier, slower and considerably more fun, and it is the version to choose if you are eating as a group.

Around 100,000-200,000d per person (roughly US$4-8)

What it costs

Typical price

~$1–$3 (25,000–80,000₫) Estimate per portion of two to four rolls: around 25,000-50,000d (roughly US$1-2) at a street stall or market, and 40,000-80,000d (roughly US$1.60-3.20) at a sit-down restaurant. Prices vary by city.

An estimate — the price moves with the place, the neighborhood and the hour.

How to order it

Eat them within minutes of rolling. Rice paper stiffens and turns rubbery as it dries, which is why stacked, pre-made rolls under plastic are always worse.
Try both sauces if they are offered. The thick peanut and fermented soybean sauce is the crowd-pleaser; the sharper fermented anchovy sauce is what a lot of Vietnamese diners actually prefer.
Dip generously and eat in two or three bites rather than one. The sauce is not diluted the way table fish sauce is, so a light dip leaves the roll tasting of very little.
Order an extra pot of sauce if you are sharing. Running out halfway through a plate is the standard rookie error.
These are one of the lighter and lower-risk options on a Vietnamese menu, useful when you are jetlagged, overheated, or two weeks into a trip and tired of broth.
If you are rolling your own, use less filling than you think you need. Overfilled rolls burst, and the paper does not forgive.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Vietnamese spring rolls and fried spring rolls?

They are different dishes with different names in Vietnamese. Goi cuon are fresh: soft rice paper wrapped around cold, already-cooked fillings and never heated. Nem ran in the north, or cha gio in the south, are the deep-fried ones, with a crisp shell and a hot minced pork and wood ear mushroom filling. English menus confusingly call both spring rolls, which is why the fresh version is often labeled summer rolls instead. If you want the fresh kind, point at a photo or use the Vietnamese name.

What sauce comes with them?

In the south, the standard is tuong: a thick, sweet fermented soybean sauce blended with peanut, finished with crushed peanuts, pickled carrot and chili. Elsewhere you may be given mam nem, a sharp fermented anchovy sauce that is much more assertive, or a bowl of the light sweet-sour fish sauce used across the country. Restaurants aimed at foreign diners default to the peanut one. Try more than one if you can.

How much do Vietnamese spring rolls cost?

Estimate around 25,000-50,000d, roughly US$1-2, for a portion of two to four rolls at a street stall or market, and 40,000-80,000d, roughly US$1.60-3.20, at a sit-down restaurant. Roll-your-own set meals are priced per person and run considerably higher. These are estimates and vary by city and venue.

Are they a safe choice for a sensitive stomach?

Comparatively, yes, with the usual caveat that everything in them except the shrimp and pork is raw and washed rather than cooked. Choose a busy vendor rolling to order, avoid anything that has been sitting out in the heat, and be a little more careful with the raw herbs than you would with a bowl of boiling broth. Many travelers eat them throughout a trip with no trouble at all.

Can I get a vegetarian version?

Yes, and it is common. Vegetarian rolls swap the shrimp and pork for tofu, mushroom, or just extra herbs and noodles, and Buddhist vegetarian restaurants across Vietnam make them well. The catch is the sauce: peanut and soybean sauce is often fine, but check, because some kitchens add fish sauce or dried shrimp to it. Ask about the sauce specifically rather than only about the filling.

Related dishes

Regional specialty

Banh Xeo: The Mekong Delta's Sizzling Rice Crepe

The Mekong Delta, southern Vietnam

A turmeric-yellow rice flour crepe the size of a dinner plate, fried crisp with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts, then torn up and wrapped in herbs.

~$0.5–$2.5 (15,000–60,000₫) Estimate per crepe: roughly 15,000-30,000d (about US$0.60-1.20) at a roadside or market stall, and 40,000-60,000d (about US$1.60-2.40) at larger places or for premium fillings. One delta-sized crepe feeds one to two people. Prices vary by town and season.

Regional specialty

Hu Tieu: Saigon's Other Great Noodle Bowl

Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam

A clear, sweet pork and dried seafood broth over springy noodles, loaded with shrimp, minced pork, quail eggs and offal. Ho Chi Minh City's breakfast of choice.

~$1.5–$3 (35,000–70,000₫) Estimate per bowl: around 35,000-60,000d (roughly US$1.40-2.40) at a neighborhood shop, rising to about 70,000d (roughly US$2.80) at long-established places or with extra toppings. Prices vary across the city.

Regional specialty

Mi Quang: Da Nang's Turmeric Noodle Bowl

Da Nang and the surrounding central coast

Wide turmeric-yellow rice noodles under just enough intense broth to coat them, topped with shrimp, chicken, peanuts and a shard of sesame rice cracker.

~$1–$2.5 (25,000–60,000₫) Estimate per bowl: around 25,000-40,000d (roughly US$1-1.60) at a neighborhood place, and 45,000-60,000d (roughly US$1.80-2.40) at busier spots or with premium toppings such as shrimp, ribs or frog. Prices vary.

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