First of all you cant ever be 100% sure, even in Australia when eating out. But one things for sure - its alot better to be sick in your own home close to your own Dr than being in some foreign place confined to a hotel room. And those tropics bacteria- Nasty!

We were there for 10 years, and when I eventually got bad food poisoning after a few years, it was from a Pizza!, not street food.

Heres Some more suggestions when eating in Vietnam :

• Firstly, Dont let fear of getting sick stop you from enjoying the amazing food. You can easily put a damper on your adventurous spirit by being overly cautious to the point of hardly trying anything. That would be a shame. Be careful, but otherwise keep your adventurous food spirit going. Its one of the highlights of being here.

• Listen to your tour guide. They have experience on what places are clean and what dishes are safer for you. If you have a particularly sensitive stomach, tell them clearly that you can only eat very clean food.

• City Seafood! I generally avoid most seafood in the city until I travel to a coastal area where its caught fresh daily. The travel and storage time always adds up to the bacteria count..

• Buffets are a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Particularly seafood, such as oysters and prawns that have been sitting around for a while should be avoided.

• When Eating Pho, order the cooked meat instead of raw .This is called "Phở Chín" , pronounced similar to the chin on your face

• The Fresh Spring rolls pre-made on the street should be avoided, not just the meat, but also the salad is likely unwashed.

• Sugar Cane juice has been the cause of many bad tummies, because just peeling the sugar cane doesnt mean all the dirty water its grown in is removed.

• Go Ahead and buy fresh produce at the markets and clean with salt water at home. Its fun to try and you can make sure what youre eating is hygienic.

• If you do get an upset stomach, the usual food remedy (after youve stopped chucking up), is rice porridge "Cháo" , pronounced as its written. This is easy to obtain, and is boiled, so free from nasties.

• Drink Hot Black Tea rather than Iced Coffee if youre not feeling too well.

• If you need to purchase antibiotics for very bad stomach, you can get on the street without a prescription. Its called "Khang Sinh"

Happy Travels!