Sampling the best local dishes from Nha Trang is a must for any first-time visitor. In one of Vietnam’s most beautiful coastal towns, not only can you enjoy a great abundance of fresh seafood, but also experience the town’s own unique takes on quintessential Vietnamese recipes such as spring rolls and curries.
Nha Trang dishes have a distinctive sweet and savoury flavour, where fish sauce is always served as a dipping sauce. Great for adventurous eaters, unique delicacies such as jellyfish are also readily available everywhere, whether from stalls in lively street markets or local eateries in the city. From classic Vietnamese pho noodles to Nha Trang’s interpretation of steak and eggs, here are some of the foods you should try in Nha Trang.
1. Hai san (seafood)
Crabs and clams; shrimp, squid, and shellfish; fresh, fermented, steamed, or stir-fried… the seafood in Nha Trang, however, it’s prepared, is widely considered the best seafood in the country. Just north of the Tran Phu bridge, a string of seafood restaurants lines the ocean road. Point to the catch you crave from the live display swimming in buckets or chilling on ice. The waiter will charge you for your choice by kilogram and ask you how you want it cooked. Spend the evening here with a group of friends, feasting on the freshest possible seafood while the ocean wind sets the mood.
2. Nem nuong (fermented pork roll)
Nem nuong is grilled fermented pork roll that’s usually served with sweet and spicy fish sauce, pickled green papaya, and raw herbs. Served in local restaurants in Nha Trang, patrons are often served with platters of fermented pork that’s grilled on a coal brazier, lettuce leaves, rice paper, fresh herbs, chillies, rice vermicelli and garlic.
You can easily customise your nem nuong to your own preference and we highly recommend forgoing cutlery and enjoying your wraps with fingers for a more authentic dining experience.
3. Bun ca sua
Nothing’s better for breakfast in Nha Trang than a steaming hot bowl of jellyfish noodle soup. Bun cá sứa is a vermicelli soup dish topped with jellyfish meat, grilled fish, and vegetables. The clear broth is elegantly simple and served with chili and fresh lemon. The acidity and bite pairs brilliantly with the slight brine and just a few drops elevates the entire bowl.
Bún cá is eaten throughout the country, but bún cá sứa is one of Nha Trang’s most famous attractions, rarely found outside the city. Just as no trip to Hue would be complete without a namesake bowl of bún bò Huế, so too is a bowl of bún cá sứa an imperative in Nha Trang.
4. Banh can (rice cake with quail eggs)
Banh can is a crispy rice cake topped with your choice of a quail egg, fresh or dried meat, and seafood. Found all over Nha Trang, these rice cakes are freshly prepared in circular pans over a coal brazier and are sold in pairs due to their rather small size.
The best way to enjoy banh can is by dipping it in sauce that’s made with fish sauce, lime, chilli, and garlic. Some vendors offer banh can with raw vegetables, pork meatballs, and shredded green mango.
5. Bò Lạc Cảnh – Lạc Cảnh Beef
Lạc Cảnh is a restaurant that serves grilled beef so famous that the dish is named after the restaurant itself. They do have other dishes on the menu, but most everyone comes for the Bò Lạc Cảnh.
The beef marinade uses a top-secret recipe that consists of honey and at least ten different spices. After being marinated, the beef is cut into small pieces, each one a fragrant, juicy, bite-sized morsel. The traditional oven will be set up in the center of the table with a grill over hot embers, and the plate of raw beef will be served along with fresh vegetables and a chili-lime-salt dipping sauce. Pop the marinated beef strips on the grill and wait for about 15 minutes for each piece to be cooked to tender perfection. The complex, sweet and spicy flavor is elevated exponentially when grilled over hot charcoal. Dab the melt-in-your-mouth beef in the dipping sauce, and then pair the sweet-salty-spicy-citrus pieces with cool vegetables for an absolutely unforgettable dining experience.
The most famous bò lạc cảnh comes from its namesake restaurant, Quan Bò Nướng Lạc Cảnh, but it’s not the only place that serves it. As alternatives, head to 44 Nguyen Binh Khiem Nha Trang to enjoy this must-eat Nha Trang specialty.
6. Banh xeo (crispy pancake)
Banh xeo is a savoury crepe-like pancake that’s made of rice flour, coconut milk, and turmeric. Pan-fried together with a variety of ingredients such as pork slices, shrimps, sliced onions, bean sprouts, and button mushrooms, this Nha Trang delicacy is best eaten with lettuce, herbs and sweet fermented peanut butter sauce.
Banh xeo is great as a snack or appetiser – rice papers are sometimes used by local restaurants to wrap ban xeo with the accompanying condiments.
