Buzz
More than just a place renowned for its beautiful landscapes, Nha Trang is also known for its delectable and enticing dishes that create lasting memories for every traveler.
Grilled Nem Nha Trang
An exquisite dish that travelers should try when visiting Nha Trang is grilled nem (spring rolls). Originating from Ninh Hoa, it has become a popular dish in Nha Trang, capturing the curiosity of every tourist. The ingredients for grilled nem are quite intricate, including minced grilled meat, crispy fried rice paper, and a variety of accompanying vegetables. The assortment of vegetables for grilled nem includes nearly a dozen types, with different tastes such as spicy, sour, and bitter. Depending on the season, vegetables can range from water mimosa, coriander, basil, lettuce, cucumber, banana flower, sour star fruit, or young mango... Some places even add pickled vegetables or sour onions for extra flavor.
When enjoying grilled nem in Nha Trang, tourists often associate it with Trang Bang rice paper or Da Nang pork rice paper, as they share similarities in the variety of vegetables and rolled rice paper. Particularly, the dipping sauce for nem is a special sauce prepared according to each restaurant's unique recipe, making it an exclusive condiment that only Ninh Hoa grilled nem offers. The sauce is thick, sweet, and perfectly complements the aromatic grilled nem, crispy rice paper, and fresh vegetables. Anyone who tastes it will never forget the experience.
Nha Trang Seafood
Exploring Nha Trang's Coastal Cuisine
The uniqueness of visiting any coastal tourist area lies not only in enjoying the scenic beauty but also in savoring the seafood. In Nha Trang, tourists can venture into any restaurant to indulge in seafood delights. However, the real charm lies in discovering those charming small eateries in this vibrant tourist city. If you ask a friendly local, there's a good chance you'll find your way to Pham Van Dong Street, where numerous seafood stalls offer fresh and reasonably priced delights. The seafood here is both fresh and affordable, partly because many restaurants serve as renowned seafood procurement centers in this coastal area.
The variety of seafood here is extensive, ranging from shrimp, crab, snails, clams, catfish, barramundi, to squid. Restaurants often display a plethora of seafood to showcase their freshness and diversity. Tourists can personally select and hand over their choices to the chef for preparation. Due to the freshness of the seafood, the dishes are incredibly fragrant, flavorful, and distinctly carry the taste of the sea. This is perhaps what makes visitors fall in love with Nha Trang seafood in a unique way.
If you have the opportunity, visit the fishing villages and indulge in freshly caught seafood right from the ocean. Fishermen from the villages will take you to seafront restaurants by boat. Here, you can choose between fresh seafood or personally catch shrimp and fish from the sea, letting the restaurants prepare them into delicious meals for you.
Nha Trang's Bánh Căn
While not as iconic, visitors to the coastal city also want to try the unique flavor of Nha Trang's Bánh Căn. The interesting preparation process, with each mold pouring batter, closing the lid, and quickly scooping out the cakes, can surprise and delight diners. Originally made from eggs and flour, Bánh Căn has evolved with various tastes according to diverse preferences. The vendors now offer versions like beef Bánh Căn and squid Bánh Căn. Sitting next to the small counter, scooping up a hot and fresh Bánh Căn, and dipping it into your favorite sauce is another special experience.
Nha Trang Jellyfish Noodles
The main ingredient of this dish is jellyfish, freshly caught from the Nha Trang sea. Jellyfish are available throughout the year, but locals recommend enjoying them starting from the beginning of summer. The translucent white jellyfish, long and crispy, have a refreshing and pleasant taste. Jellyfish vermicelli is served with fish patties, shredded fish, and a clear, sweet broth. When eating this dish, a plate of finely sliced raw vegetables, spicy chili, and lime are essential accompaniments.
Nha Trang Fish Cake Vermicelli
In the culinary culture of the coastal people in Nha Trang, fish cake vermicelli is as familiar as pho is to Hanoi or Quang noodle soup is to Quang Nam. Despite sharing the same name, Nha Trang fish cake vermicelli differs significantly from its counterparts in other regions, creating a unique characteristic for Nha Trang cuisine. As a coastal region, the ingredients for making fish cake vermicelli come from the sea, not freshwater fish as in the Northern or Western provinces. The fish used here is fish cake, a distinct specialty of Nha Trang.
Fish cakes are made from fresh fish, hand-ground, and can be a combination of various types of fish. This results in a rich, fresh, and delicious flavor, unlike the processed fish cakes or other types of cakes made entirely from flour. Delicious fish cake is half the success of a bowl of fish noodle soup. However, the piping hot fish noodle soup is further enhanced by the cool, tangy flavor of refreshing pineapple. All the ingredients in the fish noodle soup are sourced entirely from the sea, with the broth made exclusively from fish without using meat. Other condiments are also derived from the sea, and the limited use of spices results in a noodle soup that is sweet, gentle, yet still rich and deeply flavored with the essence of the sea.
Bún sứa Nha Trang
Delicious fish cake is a key element in the success of a bowl of fish noodle soup. However, the piping hot fish noodle soup is further enhanced by the cool, tangy flavor of refreshing pineapple. All the ingredients in the fish noodle soup are sourced entirely from the sea, with the broth made exclusively from fish without using meat. Other condiments are also derived from the sea, and the limited use of spices results in a noodle soup that is sweet, gentle, yet still rich and deeply flavored with the essence of the sea.
According to Women Today
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourNovember 20, 2015
