Indulge in the exquisite flavors of 13 renowned specialties from Halong Bay

Halong City (Quang Ninh) is home to numerous captivating attractions, entertainment venues, and resorts. Besides, it boasts a delectable array of dishes for visitors to savor. Let's explore the 13 distinctive culinary delights of Halong Bay that never fail to enchant gastronomes, courtesy of Mytour.

Savoring the Distinctive Tastes of 13 Renowned Halong Bay Specialties

1. Squid-infused White Sticky Rice

Location:

Minh Hoa Sticky Rice with Squid eatery – 38 Trade Street, Bach Dang Ward, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

Quang Phong Squid Sausage - Block C112A, Old Quarter, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

2. Squid Sausage Steamed Rice Rolls

Squid sausage steamed rice rolls stand out as one of the specialties of Halong that you must not miss. The distinctive feature of this dish lies in the squid sausage, made from fresh squid caught right in the waters of Quang Ninh, hand-pounded to create crispy and textured sausage pieces, unlike the mushy ground ones. The rice rolls are soft and elastic, with each piece containing a filling of minced meat, shrimp, wood ear mushrooms, and more. The combination of rice rolls, squid sausage, and the sweet-sour dipping sauce creates an unforgettable experience for anyone who has tasted this dish. Especially, the dipping fish sauce in Halong is lighter and more transparent than the fish sauce in the Southern regions.

Location:

Mrs. Yen's Squid Sausage Steamed Rice Rolls - 36 Doan Thi Diem Street, Bach Dang Ward, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

Squid Sausage Steamed Rice Rolls - 702 Halong, Bai Chay, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

Goc Cay Bang Squid Sausage Steamed Rice Rolls - 189 Alley 1, Opera House Street, Le Thanh Tong Road, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

3. Tien Yen Hill Chicken

Tien Yen, a mountainous district in Quang Ninh Province, located approximately 90km from Halong City on the way to Mong Cai. Tien Yen is renowned for its hill chicken breed, raised naturally, roaming and foraging on steep slopes throughout the day, resulting in golden skin, fragrant meat, and sweet broth. Tien Yen chicken meat is considered a Halong specialty that every visitor wants to savor when setting foot in the city. The chicken can be prepared in various dishes, but the best is a simple boiled style, served with fresh vegetables and a tangy, spicy dipping sauce for a delightful experience.

Location:

Co Xanh 2 Restaurant - Gieng Day, Hung Thang Ward, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

4. Dishes from Mud Crab

Ngan, a jellyfish-like creature with two shell pieces like clams but larger, is a rare and delicious specialty of the Quang Ninh region. Ngan is prepared in various ways similar to many other fresh seafood: grilled, steamed, cooked in porridge, stir-fried with noodles or vegetables, accompanied by a tasty dipping sauce. Ngan is also used for making infused liquor and unique-seaflavored wine.

Location:

Fresh Seafood Halong - 33 Le Quy Don Street, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

Thien Anh Seafood Restaurant - 11 Phan Boi Chau Street, Bai Chay Ward, Halong City (near Karaoke PhanTom – Cai Dam Market).

5. Dishes from Sea Cucumbers

Sea cucumbers, also known as sea ginseng or sea worms, are used to create nutritious dishes, considered a valuable food source with a slightly higher price. There are many sea cucumber dishes to try, such as garlic-stir-fried sea cucumbers, sea cucumber porridge, grilled sea cucumbers, and more. If you have the chance to visit Halong City, be sure to indulge in this unique and exquisite specialty.

Purchase Locations:

DASAVINA - No. 41, Group 1, Zone 6, Yet Kieu Ward, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

Fresh Seafood - Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

Phuc Gia Seafood - Ha Khau Ward, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

Ong Ba Seafood - Old Quarter Halong, Block C122, Sunworld, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

6. Hot Pillow Cake (Basket-shaped Cake)

Banh tay nong ep is a specialty of the Sán Dìu people in Quang Ninh. The Sán Dìu ethnic group mainly resides in cities such as Halong, Cam Pha, Van Don, and some northern mountainous provinces. Banh tay nong ep serves as both a festive treat and an offering on special occasions in Quang Ninh. Made from ingredients like glutinous rice flour, brown sugar or sugarcane molasses, crushed ginger, peanuts, and roasted sesame seeds. When cooked, the cake has a golden-brown color with a uniform layer of sesame seeds on top, making it visually appealing. The cake has the chewiness of glutinous rice and the aromatic spiciness of ginger, combined with the nutty flavor of peanuts and sesame seeds. To purchase banh tay nong ep, you can visit stalls along the road leading to Tran Quoc Nghien Temple (or Cua Ong Temple) in the city of Cam Pha.

7. Halong Tapioca Pearl Yogurt

Location:

Halong Tapioca Pearl Yogurt - Branch 00 - C107 Block, Sunworld Pedestrian Street, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

8. Sea Cucumber

Sea cucumber is a precious and unique seafood that is challenging to cook, requiring experienced chefs. Sea cucumber has fragrant, sweet, and moderately firm flesh, making it a common dish on the menu of most good restaurants in Halong. Due to its appearance being easily confused with a toxic species (a type of sea cucumber), caution is needed when buying or preparing it. Sea cucumber is transformed into various delicious dishes, including sea cucumber soup, fried sea cucumber, sea cucumber eggs, sea cucumber salad, grilled sea cucumber cartilage, and stir-fried vermicelli with sea cucumber.

Location:

Dung Hoa Sea Cucumber Restaurant - 96 Thanh Thien Street, Hong Hai Ward, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

Sam co Beo - Vo Nguyen Giap Street, Hong Hai Ward, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

9. Ky Crab Noodle Soup

Ky crab, a relative of the crab but larger in size, brown-shelled with green eyes. Ky crab has more meat, a tender body, and is abundant in Quang Ninh. With this seafood, various delectable dishes are created, with the most famous being Ky crab noodle soup.

Ky crab noodle soup is made almost entirely from this seafood. The crab body is finely ground to make the broth, the crab claw is processed into crab paste, and the broth is fragrant with the essence of crab and Ky crab meat. Additionally, the bowl of Ky crab noodle soup is adorned with appealing crab claws. When enjoyed, the dish has a fragrant, slightly sour, and easy-to-eat taste. In Halong, you can easily find this Ky crab noodle soup in some delicious eateries.

Location:

Bun Ky Crab Mrs. Lan - Garden area, No. 12 Thuong Mai, Cai Dam, Bai Chay Ward, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

Huong Beo Ky Crab Noodle Soup - 20 Tan Mai, Bai Chay Ward, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

10. Tilting Cake

Location:

Ms. Cuc's 73 Hoa Binh Eatery - No. 73, Hoa Binh Street, Tien Yen, Quang Ninh.

11. Quang Yen Town Sour Fermented Pork Rolls and Fermented Pork Sausages

If you have the opportunity to travel to Halong, you will be captivated by the unique Quang Yen sour fermented pork rolls and fermented pork sausages. This dish carries a distinctive flavor that many tourists seek and enjoy at the tourist area in Bai Chay – Halong. The ingredients for making these delicacies are humble. Pork skin is sliced into strips, and rice is roasted and finely ground into powder. The deliciousness of these rolls and sausages primarily lies in the dipping sauce. When eating, diners typically wrap the rice paper with herbs, rolls, and dip it into a bowl of sweet and sour dipping sauce, creating an irresistible combination. Quang Yen sour fermented pork rolls and fermented pork sausages are also popular gifts that many Halong tourists choose to buy for their loved ones and friends.

Location:

Traditional Cồ Huu Fermented Pork Sausages – Quang Yen – No. 3 Le Quy Don, Quang Yen Town, Yen Hung District, Quang Ninh Province.

Thành Thai Sour Fermented Pork Rolls and Fermented Pork Sausages – No. 68 Tran Khanh Du Street, Cong Hoa Commune, Yen Hung District, Quang Ninh Province.

Halong Market - Bach Dang Street, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

12. Tien Yen Duck-Mallard

Duck-mallard, a crossbreed between duck and mallard, is the highlight of Tien Yen cuisine, making it a must-try specialty in Halong. This dish is typically boiled and cut into bite-sized pieces. The duck-mallard meat is chewy and flavorful, and in some places, it is even deep-fried until the skin becomes crispy. Enjoy it with hot rice or bread. Notably, the people of Tien Yen create a special dipping sauce for duck-mallard, a sauce that carries the aromatic essence of Ca Rong, Van Yen, Cat Hai fish sauce, combined with the sweet, rich taste of Quang Tay star anise, all complemented by the mild spiciness of Tien Yen ginger cultivated in the local soil.

Location:

Duck-Mallard Restaurant in Cao Xanh area, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

Duck-mallard in Bai Chay area, Halong City, Quang Ninh Province.

Duck-mallard in Tan Yen, Dong Trieu, Quang Ninh.

13. Hoanh Bo Soaked Glutinous Rice Wine

Hoanh Bo Soaked Glutinous Rice Wine is a unique beverage that every Halong tourist must try. The wine is brewed from the special glutinous rice of Halong. The rice, uncrushed, is cooked and then soaked for fermentation. After reaching the desired fermentation level, it is immersed with a special leafy yeast from the Hoanh Bo forest. The result is a delightful wine with a sweet and sour taste, known for its digestive and thirst-quenching properties, especially refreshing during the summer. You can also purchase this wine as a gift for your loved ones. To find this type of wine, visit the local markets in Halong City.

According to Mytour

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour