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Western Vietnam not only boasts captivating riverscapes but also offers a rich culinary experience thanks to its abundant rivers and streams. Pin down the top list of Western Vietnamese delicacies below to enjoy during your visit.
There's an endless array of delicious dishes in Western Vietnam, from Fish Hotpot to Burnt Rice with Braised Fish Sauce. Each dish is enticing and embodies the freshness, tastiness, nutritional value, and affordability of the western river region.
Top Delectable Dishes from Western Vietnam That Fascinate Travelers
Catfish Hotpot
One of the signature dishes of Western Vietnam is catfish hotpot – a type of fish belonging to the carp family. Catfish are medium-sized to small, with white, fragrant, tender flesh and high nutritional value, primarily found in the freshwater lakes and ponds of the Mekong Delta.
Fresh and fragrant, catfish hotpot exudes the aroma of the rivers and streams. Photo: Vinpearl
People in Western Vietnam skillfully prepare catfish into various delicious dishes, among which catfish hotpot is perfect for travelers. Gathering around a pot of fragrant hotpot, surrounded by billowing smoke, and savoring the delicious pieces of fresh fish, nothing beats that feeling.
The selection of ingredients for crafting specialty dishes from Western Vietnam demands meticulousness. The catfish must be fresh, large-bodied, with a plump white belly. The skin of the catfish is slimy, so when cooking, chefs must treat it by rubbing with ash or soaking the fish in saltwater. When served, the catfish hotpot broth carries a subtle sourness from galangal leaves, making it quite distinctive.
Catfish hotpot is devoid of any fishy smell when eaten. Photo: Mytour
To perfect the catfish hotpot, one must not overlook the accompanying vegetables such as water lilies, water spinach, Chinese cabbage flowers, and especially bitter vegetables. The bitterness of the vegetables, when combined with the sweetness of the fish and the sourness of the broth, creates a distinctive flavor that is unforgettable.
Visiting Western Vietnam without trying catfish hotpot is a must. Photo: halotrave
If you have the opportunity to travel to Can Tho, don't forget to indulge in catfish hotpot at places like Sister Tô's Restaurant (Le Loi Street, Ninh Kieu District), Ao Sen 2 Restaurant (CMT8 Street, Ninh Kieu District), Countryside Cuisine Restaurant (Luong Dinh Cua Street, Ninh Kieu District)…
Catfish hotpot
It seems that in the Mekong Delta, all fish dishes are very famous and beloved. Therefore, in the list of delicious dishes in the Mekong Delta, catfish hotpot in Hau Giang cannot be overlooked. Catfish has sweet, firm, and fragrant flesh, so when processed into fish cakes, it is very popular with diners.
Catfish is a specialty of the Mekong Delta. Photo: Mina
The characteristic of catfish hotpot – a specialty dish of the Mekong Delta – is the broth made from sweet and naturally flavored coconut. Coconuts should be chosen with firm shells, not too old or too young, to ensure the hotpot's deliciousness.
People in the Mekong Delta often mold fish cakes into small, bite-sized pieces, place them on bitter melon slices, add fresh onions, and invite guests. As you eat, you add the fish cakes and bitter melon accordingly. The cooked fish cakes turn into an attractive opaque white color, dipped into a bowl of lightly spicy dipping sauce, irresistibly delicious.
The fish cakes of catfish hotpot stimulate the taste buds. Photo: Mytour
Catfish hotpot is a perfect combination of the fragrant broth, bitter melon, and the chewy, fragrant fish cakes. Tourists in the Mekong Delta can enjoy it with noodles, dipping them into the hot broth, savoring the sweet and savory taste of this specialty hotpot. Catfish hotpot is not greasy, so you can indulge in it without worrying about feeling overwhelmed.
Burned rice with braised fish sauce
Another specialty dish of the Mekong Delta that Vietnam Travel would like to introduce to you is burned rice with braised fish sauce. In the past, when life was difficult and people faced scarcity, the people of the Mekong Delta invented this dish to eat with burned rice to save money. Today, this dish is still preserved and has become a delicious specialty of the Mekong Delta, attracting tourists from all over.
Burned rice with braised fish sauce - a rustic dish of the Mekong Delta. Photo: Afamily
Burned rice with braised fish sauce is not difficult to make, but achieving the authentic Mekong Delta flavor with a savory, slightly sweet, and rich braised sauce is not simple. The braised sauce is essentially fish sauce simmered until thick and sticky, with small pieces of pork, crab, small fish, and shrimp added.
Dip a piece of burned rice into the braised sauce and enjoy. Photo: Afamily
When tasting the braised sauce, tourists in the Mekong Delta will clearly discern the characteristic salty-spicy-sweet-rich flavor of Mekong Delta cuisine. Dipping a piece of burned rice into this fish sauce, adding a piece of boiled vegetable, the flavor becomes rich and delicious.
Braised sauce is meticulously and delicately prepared. Photo: Afamily
Burned rice with braised fish sauce is eaten daily, in family meals or at affordable eateries to luxurious restaurants in the Mekong Delta.
Fish sauce hotpot
Once again, another specialty hotpot dish from the Mekong Delta that leaves a lasting impression on tourists is the fish sauce hotpot. Mentioning this name, many people may think of the salty taste of sea salt or regular fish sauce. However, the allure of this fish sauce hotpot lies in the delicious sweet aroma of linh fish sauce and sặc fish.
To have a delicious fish sauce hotpot, the broth is the decisive factor. Linh fish and sặc fish are cooked with fresh coconut water until soft and then the bones are removed. This fish sauce is combined with meat broth and bone broth, so it is neither fishy nor greasy.
Mekong Delta fish sauce hotpot is a harmonious combination of many ingredients. Photo: Cultural Newspaper
The highlight of fish sauce hotpot lies in its extremely diverse accompanying ingredients, including eels, basa fish, snakehead fish, squid, catfish... all abundant. The variety of accompanying vegetables is also rich with water lilies, sesbania flowers, morning glory, Sesbania grandiflora flowers, shredded banana flowers, water spinach, water mimosa...
When the fish sauce hotpot is brought to the table, diners will perceive the intense fragrance of fish sauce. As the ingredients are cooked, encountering a hot piece of fish, dipped in a slightly spicy dipping sauce, tingling on the tip of the tongue, the intense aroma is truly unforgettable.
Fish sauce hotpot – you can eat it endlessly without getting tired. Photo: Ngôi sao
In the Mekong Delta, An Giang is the most famous place for fish sauce hotpot. Some recommended addresses for delicious fish sauce hotpot for tourists to the Mekong Delta include Núi Sam fish sauce hotpot (Tân Lộ Kiều Lương Street, Châu Đốc City), Bảy Bồng 2 restaurant (Trưng Nữ Vương Street, Châu Đốc City), Hà Gia fish sauce hotpot (Tân Lộ Kiều Lương Street, Châu Đốc City)...
Grilled snakehead fish
Another extremely famous delicacy from the West is grilled snakehead fish. Hence, people in the Mekong Delta have a saying: 'Catch a snakehead fish for grilling - Prepare a table of white wine to treat distant friends.' Grilled snakehead fish - a rustic dish but imbued with the sophistication and friendliness of the local people in the orchard.
Fresh snakehead fish when grilled brings an indescribably delicious flavor. Photo: Cần Thơ Plus
After being caught from the river, fresh snakehead fish doesn't need much processing. The chef will skewer a straight stick from the mouth to the end of the fish and then grill it with straw. The straw must be carefully arranged to ensure that when it burns out, the fish is cooked perfectly.
After the ashes are gone, people scrape off the slightly burned scales on the outside and it's ready to eat. The fish sauce step is extremely important because if not done properly, it can make the fish taste bitter, losing its deliciousness.
Just looking at it makes you crave it. Photo: SGCC
Grilled snakehead fish emits a fragrant aroma. It's a blend of the fragrances from the fish, the straw, the fire... characteristic of the Mekong Delta, incomparable anywhere else. Grilled snakehead fish dipped in spicy fish sauce and accompanied by fresh vegetables is irresistible.
Tourists in Can Tho who want to enjoy grilled snakehead fish can visit Quan An (Tran Van Hoai Street, Ninh Kieu District), Countryside Cuisine (Luong Dinh Cua Street, Ninh Kieu District), Man Restaurant (Huynh Cuong Street, Ninh Kieu District)...
Hu Tieu
Alongside the famous southern-style hu tieu, the hu tieu from the western region is equally renowned. Based on experiences in Tien Giang, the My Tho-style hu tieu boasts a delicious and enticing flavor. When visiting My Tho City, diners will easily find stalls and restaurants selling hu tieu ranging from humble eateries to upscale establishments, tempting you to indulge immediately.
My Tho-style hu tieu has been famous for a long time. Photo: foodcollectionsmy
My Tho-style hu tieu first appeared around the 1960s and has been a staple for generations of locals. One of the most distinctive features of My Tho-style hu tieu is its small, crispy, and chewy rice noodles, made from Go Cat rice – famous for its rice production in Tien Giang.
Abundant toppings, a mouthwatering delight. Photo: diadiemanuong
Based on experiences in Tien Giang, the distinctive My Tho-style hu tieu noodles are easy to recognize, but what truly determines the deliciousness of this dish is the broth. Indeed, the broth is simmered for hours with beef bones, dried shrimp, dried squid, white radish, resulting in a naturally sweet flavor.
My Tho-style hu tieu, a delightful dish from the western region, is also generously topped with minced meat, shrimp, sliced pork, liver... an absolute palate pleaser. Nowadays, hu tieu in My Tho has been adapted with more diverse ingredients such as bone hu tieu, sa te-style hu tieu, mixed hu tieu, beef balls, squid... but no matter how it's varied, it still retains the characteristic flavor of western-style hu tieu. A bowl of hu tieu like this is very affordable, priced around 20,000 - 40,000 VND.
The table is always set with a variety of condiments. Photo: ng_le_tv
According to experiences in Tien Giang, Hu Tieu Thuy Loan (Tran Quoc Toan Street, My Tho City), Hu Tieu Sau Sen (Tran Hung Dao Street, My Tho City), Hu Tieu Tam Lai (Dinh Bo Linh Street, My Tho City)... are all famous and worth trying.
Bun mam
Traveling in the Mekong Delta without trying Bun Mam would be a real miss. Originating from Cambodia, Bun Mam has been creatively transformed by the locals into a dish rich in regional flavors.
Bun Mam - a delicacy of the Mekong Delta. Photo: SGK
Bun mam is suitable for both lunch and dinner. After a day exploring the Mekong Delta, stopping at a roadside eatery to enjoy a hearty bowl of bun mam is incomparable. Bun mam combines the spiciness of chili, the fragrant aroma of lemongrass, the sweetness of linh fish sauce, and various herbs.
The most famous bun mam is found in Chau Doc, An Giang province. For just about 25,000 - 35,000 VND, tourists can enjoy a bowl of Mekong Delta bun mam without worrying about breaking the bank.
Bun mam is also inexpensive. Photo: Tan Binh
Above are the must-try delicacies of the Mekong Delta when visiting this region. Follow Du Lich Viet Nam to stay updated on more new destinations and useful travel experiences for your upcoming trip.
Swallow's Nest
According to Vietnam Sports Newspaper
Posted by: Lê Phương
Keywords: Must-try delicacies in the Mekong Delta when traveling
