What Does a Traditional Vietnamese Family Dinner Look Like?

The tradition of ‘eating out’ in Vietnamese culture.

Vietnamese families traditionally have enjoyed eating out. Although a lot of Vietnamese dishes can be prepared at home, the culture of eating out and participating in the greater community is well established. For this reason, many Vietnamese restaurants will lay claim to one specialty. Recipes are often passed down from generation to generation. Some restaurants are small while others are quite sizeable and prestigious, having been passed down from parents to children many times over. A lot of these traditions are carried over into Canada and other countries to which Vietnamese families have immigrated to in the post-Vietnam War era.

Vietnamese customs in cuisine.

Influenced by Chinese eating, chopsticks and spoons are regularly used in Vietnamese eating. You’ll also find many foods wrapped in things like banana or coconut leaves. When younger Vietnamese are eating with their elders, it is the elders who are always allowed to eat first. It’s custom to cook Vietnamese food through either deep frying, stir frying, boiling, or steaming. Unlike the Chinese and other cultures, only a minimal amount of oil is used while cooking. Vietnamese cuisine always aims to preserve the freshness of the ingredients and the natural taste as much as possible. As herbs and spices are added to a Vietnamese dish, this is usually upheld as a priority with consideration given to herbs or spices which could affect the balance of the meal.

If you’re living in Toronto or the GTA and you want to try a Vietnamese meal for yourself, visit Toronto Pho. We will challenge any other restaurant in Toronto who serves pho. Toronto Pho has the best pho in the city, customized in a way that’s sure to warm the soul from the inside out. Drop by any of our locations for the most satisfying Vietnamese noodle soup in the city.