NHA TRANG | To most visitors, Nha Trang is a resort town. It’s a place to visit for sandy beaches, scuba diving, snorkelling, and island hopping. It’s not a place that pops up on foodie itineraries, with many deterred by the tourist-focused food spots that dominate the centre of town.
Like any city though, Nha Trang is filled with gems catering to hungry locals, and those who seek these spots out will be rewarded with a diverse selection of delicious Vietnamese delicacies.
Being a coastal city, Nha Trang excels in seafood. There are several markets in the city where fishermen sell their local bounty, which provide fresh produce for many of the best food spots in Nha Trang.
In this Nha Trang Food Guide, updated as at April 2005, I’ll tell you the places to visit if you want to experience the best food and drink in Nha Trang.
I’ve placed the tips in alphabetical order, and they’re all worth checking out. Are any of your favourites listed below? Are there any places that you think should be on my Nha Trang food guide?
Bánh Căn – Bánh Xèo – Bánh Canh Tôm Hùm 7C Tô Hiến Thành
Bánh căn are the lesser known cousin (in the West) of Vietnam’s bánh xèo, and something that you have to try when you visit Vietnam. In Nha Trang, you can find great versions of both dishes at the rather lengthily named, Bánh căn – bánh xèo – Bánh canh tôm hùm 7C Tô Hiến Thành.
Bánh căn are little party pie sized pancake-like cakes made from rice flour, water, and turmeric. They’re cooked in a special cast-iron pan or traditional clay pan with round moulds and only a little oil. Common toppings include things like shrimp, pork, and eggs.
Bún Cá Sứa Năm Beo
As you’d expect given its location on Vietnam’s southern coast, Nha Trang is known for is seafood. One regional delicacy that you have to try when you visit, is bún sứa, or jellyfish noodle soup.
A light, semi-sweet, boiled fish-based broth, is served in a bowl with vermicelli noodles, sliced jellyfish, and fried fish paste. To the side, you’ll find raw vegetables, herbs, wedges of lime, and chili, allowing you to customise your bowl to your tastes.
The jellyfish is cleaned and washed, then soaked in an a acidic guava-based solution for a few hours before being cleaned again, and sliced. The result is a relatively flavourless, addition on its own, that takes on the flavour of the broth. Each bite adds a nice cucumber-like crunch to the bún sứa. It’s a healthy option too. Jellyfish is high in protein, collagen, essential amino acids, and antioxidants, and low in fat and carbohydrates.
At Bún Cá Sứa Năm Beo, I recommend ordering the signature bún cá sứa, which features the classic soup, with the addition of chunks of fresh fish.
Cơm Gà Giòn Da A Tài
If you’re in Nha Trang and craving fried chicken, it doesn’t get much better than the Vietnamese-style chicken rice at Cơm Gà Giòn Da A Tài.
Succulent, marinated, crispy fried chicken is the star of the dish. You can choose between a quarter, half, or full chicken, fried until golden brown. Quality, local breed free range chicken (gà ta) is used. Served with the chicken, you get delicious chicken fat cooked turmeric rice, chicken soup, salad, and sauces.
Đen Cá Nướng
At Nha Trang’s Đen Cá Nướn, there’s no English menu, and no English spoken. What you will encounter is friendly staff, and some of the best seafood in town, sourced from local fishermen and the nearby fresh produce market.
Đen Cá Nướng is the kind of place where you’ll want to over order. Sea snails are served with a wonderful peppery sauce; sweet, crunchy, wok-fried little prawns are served with a fiery hot sauce; while garlicy thin egg noodles with steamed squid, prawns, and greens are irresistible.
That’s more than a meal on its own, but you also have to order the whole fish (you get to choose from the fridge) wrapped in banana leaf and grilled over charcoal. It comes with an assortment of sides and sauces, and rice paper rolls so you can DIY spring rolls.
Little Armenia
Nha Trang is popular with Russian tourists, and there are many restaurants in the city catering to that crowd. If you’re looking for something different to Vietnamese food for one of you meals, I highly recommend Small Armenia. In the kitchen, you’ll find an Armenian chef cooking an assortment of Armenian and Georgian dishes.
It’s things like dolma, khachapuri, and khinkali, meat dishes like khorovats (Armenian barbeque), and delicious grilled vegetable dishes. Servings are generous, so come with a group and order a few things to share if you can.
Nem Nướng Đặng Văn Quyên
Nem nướng, Vietnam’s famed grilled pork sausage, originated in the town of Ninh Hoa, 30km north of Nha Trang. It’s a local delicacy that’s popular throughout Vietnam these days, and one of the best places to enjoy it in Nha Trang is at Nem Nướng Đặng Văn Quyên.
One look around the restaurant, and you’ll see that everyone’s ordering the same thing. Platters of nem nướng, served with long, fried “crackers”, fresh herbs, carrots, cucumber, and a spicy dipping sauce. Wet the provided rice paper rolls, layer each one with a bit of everything, and roll them into spring rolls and you’re in for a treat.
Also be sure to order some of the banana leaf-wrapped sausages, chả lụa and fermented pork sausages, nem chua.
Have you been to Nha Trang before? What are your favourite things to eat there, and your favourite place to eat them? What would you add to this Nha Trang Food Guide?