Buzz
One of the main reasons to captivate tourists from all over the world is the cuisine. Besides experiencing new landscapes, cultures, and customs of the locals, exploring the cuisine is also crucial. Thanks to the distinctive characteristics of the cuisine, when mentioning a region, we can immediately think of the specialties of that region.
The following article by Mytour compiles 50 must-try culinary specialties when traveling in Vietnam.
Part 2: 30 specialties not to be missed when traveling in Vietnam in Hanoi, Quang Ngai, Nha Trang, Saigon, Vung Tau, and Ca Mau
1. Traveling in Saigon: Mixed rice paper, broken rice, stewed offal, soursop ice cream
Mixed rice paper - 10,000 VND to get a plethora of flavors: salty, sweet, sour, spicy, fatty, and chewy. Not only teenagers in Saigon but also people in their 30s and 40s still love this cheap and addictive snack.
The renowned hotspot for 'phá lấu' in Saigon is District 4. Prices for 'phá lấu' here range from 15,000 to 17,000 VND per bowl.
Saigon Lychee Ice Cream is famous for its inclusion of real lychee fruit instead of artificial flavoring. This ice cream is often served with peanuts or cinnamon cookies, the peanuts adding a hint of saltiness. The price for this delightful treat is quite affordable, only 12,000 VND per scoop.
You can indulge in this heavenly lychee ice cream at Mr. Tam's Lychee Ice Cream - Located at 2 Truong Han Sieu Street, District 1.
2. Vung Tau Travel: 'Bánh khọt' (Vietnamese Mini Pancakes), Salted Egg Sponge Cake, Stingray Hotpot, Alibaba Ice Cream
'Bánh khọt': When talking about Vung Tau, everyone mentions 'bánh khọt' from Goc Cay Vu Sua, but locals in Vung Tau tend to avoid this spot due to its high prices and long waiting times due to high tourist traffic. Vung Tau's 'bánh khọt' is famous for its crispy shell and savory shrimp filling, best enjoyed with sweet and sour fish sauce.
Recommendation: Mrs. Hai's Eatery (no signboard, just ask for Mrs. Hai)
Address: 376/27 Le Loi Street, Vung Tau City (near Ben Dinh Intersection)
Price: 20,000 VND/11 pieces
Salted Egg Sponge Cake: The savory and rich flavor of salted egg, combined with the sweet and fluffy texture of sponge cake, infused with the aroma of butter, is beloved by both adults and children alike.
The most famous spot in Vung Tau is Goc Cot Dien Bakery. Prices are quite reasonable: 25,000 VND/box for either cheese or salted egg. 30,000 VND/box for a special combination of both cheese and salted egg.
Stingray Hotpot: Truong Cong Dinh Street in Vung Tau is renowned for its stingray hotpot. This dish is relatively affordable and naturally becomes a specialty of Vung Tau whenever tourists visit this city.
The Truong Cong Dinh area has quite a few eateries, but the most famous one is located at 40 Truong Cong Dinh Street, Hoang Minh Eatery. The stingray hotpot here comes in three prices: 130,000 – 170,000 – 200,000 VND.
In the pouring rain, sitting beside a stingray hotpot is truly paradise.
Alibaba Ice Cream: Alibaba Ice Cream is a small kiosk right under the cable car. The owner, a Westerner living in Vietnam for 12 years, is very fluent in Vietnamese. The tube ice cream costs 20,000 VND – 1 scoop – 1 flavor. The cup ice cream costs 28,000 VND – 2 scoops – 2 flavors. The ice cream here is incredibly creamy, rich, and aromatic. Fruit flavors like strawberry, passion fruit have a perfect balance of sourness. Whatever flavor you choose, it's top-notch!
3. Hanoi Travel: Pho, Bun Cha, Fermented Shrimp Paste Vermicelli, Sticky Rice
Pho: It's no exaggeration to say that Hanoi pho is one of Vietnam's globally recognized culinary trademarks. Pho can be found in many places. However, where diners can savor the most delicate pho flavors, it's only in Hanoi...
Though not born in the capital, pho has become the essence and extremely famous in this land. If you're new to Hanoi, you definitely need a 'map' to find the renowned pho stalls.
Bun Cha: Like pho, bun cha is a very popular dish in Hanoi. It still consists of familiar ingredients such as vermicelli, meat, herbs, fish sauce,... but Hanoi bun cha with slightly charred grilled meat, finely minced golden brown patties, and some crisp green papaya slices have captivated tourists when they come here.
Fermented Shrimp Paste Vermicelli, a humble yet irresistibly delicious dish. With its main ingredients being vermicelli, fried tofu, fermented shrimp paste, fresh herbs, and some spring rolls, if you've ever tasted a dish with such a unique flavor, you'll surely never forget it.
Sticky Rice: For a long time now, sticky rice has been one of the quintessences of Vietnamese cuisine. Sticky rice is a dish made from glutinous rice combined with various other ingredients to create diversity, such as sticky rice with 'gac' fruit, sticky rice with mung beans, sticky rice with corn...
4. Travel to Quang Ngai: Corn Soup, 'Don' Fish, Lý Sơn Garlic Salad, Freshwater Loach
Corn Soup: A popular and easy-to-make dish, Quang Ngai corn soup is not only a specialty of the locals but also known by people from many regions. At many large gatherings, corn soup becomes the favored dish of many.
'Don' is not easy to find. 'Don' fish only appears around April or May when the weather is dry. Because of its deliciousness and rarity, 'don' fish has become a favorite dish of people in the Trà Khúc river region. 'Don' fish can be made into many dishes such as stir-fry or boiled, eaten with rice paper.
Lý Sơn Garlic Salad is made from male garlic bulbs, mixed with sweet and sour dressing and roasted peanuts. The salad is eaten with dipping sauce and rice paper. Dipping the salad into the sauce, wrapping it in thick rice paper, you can already smell the strong aroma even before putting it into your mouth. The spicy taste, the warmth of the garlic flavor when swallowed down, what could be more enjoyable?
Trà River Sand Goby is famous throughout the country and abundant in the Tra Khuc River area – the longest river in Quang Ngai. There are many types of Sand Goby including round goby, purse goby, sharp-nosed goby, spear goby, sand goby, among which the sand goby with its sandy color, firm flesh is the most delicious, especially when cooked with salt or stewed with pepper.
5. Travel to Nha Trang: Fish Cake Vermicelli, Ninh Hoa Grilled Rolls, 'Banh Can'
Fish Cake Vermicelli: For Nha Trang locals, fish cake vermicelli is a very familiar dish. It's like pho in Hanoi. Although many regions in Vietnam sell fish cake vermicelli, when you come to Nha Trang, you will feel a very distinctive taste, a characteristic of Nha Trang because of its small vermicelli, chewy fish cakes, and rich flavor.
Ninh Hoa Grilled Rolls: Another distinctive dish that cannot be missed when traveling to Nha Trang is grilled rolls. Originating from Ninh Hoa, grilled rolls have now become a popular dish in Nha Trang and a dish that every tourist is eager to explore.
'Banh Can': Although not as famous as Fish Cake Vermicelli and Ninh Hoa Grilled Rolls, 'banh can' has its own unique feature, which is the very fast pouring, covering, and scooping of the cake by the seller. Surely, this will surprise tourists a lot.
6. Travel to Ca Mau: Curry Vermicelli Cake, Braised Swamp Eel with Wild Betel Leaf, U Minh Fermented Fish Hotpot, Rạch Goc Tadpole Vermicelli
Curry Vermicelli Cake is a specialty of Ca Mau land. Just one taste of curry vermicelli cake or a plate of steamed vermicelli and meatballs for breakfast will make you endlessly long for this land.
Braised Swamp Eel with Wild Betel Leaf: Braised eel combined with wild betel leaf is likened to 'earth ginseng,' which is not an exaggeration at all. It is both a delicious dish and a medicinal remedy for treating acne, fever, back pain, and cooling the liver.
U Minh Fermented Fish Hotpot: Fermented fish hotpot has become an indispensable dish in many luxury restaurants nationwide. The cooking principles are the same everywhere. However, each place has its own differences in using which type of fish and which vegetables to accompany to fit the local taste. Nevertheless, whether you are from any region, a fermented fish hotpot feast in U Minh forest will surely leave a deep, rustic, and unforgettable impression.
Rạch Goc Tadpole Vermicelli: Rạch Goc belongs to Tan An commune, Ngoc Hien district, Ca Mau province. In addition to the natural landscapes with pristine beauty, surely anyone who comes here will be very excited about a dish that has long been a local specialty: Tadpole Vermicelli.
By Nguyen Le
***
Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourOctober 27, 2014
