Vietnamese cuisine shines with three dishes in TasteAtlas’s top 100 Asian fish dishes, led by Hanoi’s turmeric fish ‘cha ca la vong’ in fourth place, alongside sour soup and caramelized fish.
The rankings were determined by 3,016 legitimate ratings recorded from a total of 4,246 until May 15, 2025.
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A set of tumeric catfish is set up over a burner at La Vong Restaurant in Hanoi. Photo by Quynh Trang |
At number 4 is cha ca la vong (turmeric fish with dill and noodles), a Vietnamese capital’s specialty.
The dish features grilled turmeric-marinated fish with dill, served with vermicelli noodles, peanuts, and shrimp paste. It dates back to the French colonial era and is known for its roots in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
Cha ca la vong was also named among the 100 best-rated seafood dishes by international food guide TasteAtlas.
Coming in at number 19 is sour soupsweet and sour fish soup, a popular dish in the Mekong Delta. This dish blends tamarind broth with vegetables like tomatoes and pineapple. Often made with catfish, it balances sweet, sour, and spicy flavors and is served with rice.
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A bowl of canh chua ca bursts with vibrant colors from pineapple, tomatoes, and okra. Photo by Read/Bui Thuy |
Sour soup also ranks in the world’s top 10 seafood soups by TasteAtlas.
Ca kho toor caramelized fish in a clay pot, ranks 44th. Prepared with catfish or snakehead fish, it is braised in fish sauce, sugar, and coconut water. Cooked in clay pots, this dish is enjoyed with rice and often paired with sour soup.
Leading the list is batagor from Indonesia, a fried fish dumpling served with spicy sauce. In second place is Japan’s otoro nigiri sushi, featuring hand-pressed rice topped with fatty tuna. Rounding out the top three is chutoro nigiri sushi, also from Japan, made with medium-fatty tuna on sushi rice.
