Nha Trang food specialties you shouldn't miss

1. Fresh live seafood

The abundant waters of Khanh Hoa have blessed this place with an extremely rich and fresh seafood source. Notable among these are Binh Ba lobsters, Huynh De crabs, red grouper, Vo Canh trevally, Thuy Trieu blood cockles, conch shells, octopus, clams, oysters, green mussels, abalone, sea crabs, squid, and dozens of sea fish species, etc.

Through the skillful hands of local people, seafood is prepared in many diverse styles such as: steamed with lemongrass, garlic-fried, grilled plain, grilled with scallion oil, grilled with cheese, fish sauce, tamarind sauce, salt-fried, satay stir-fried, salad, sashimi, hotpot, sour soup, etc. Visitors can enjoy these right at seafood markets or seaside restaurants, which always ensure freshness and reasonable seasonal prices.

Reference price: 70,000 - 1,900,000 VND/dish depending on seafood type, preparation method, and dining location

Nha Trang is a paradise of many fresh live seafood types (Source: Internet)

Binh Ba lobsters (Source: Internet)

Mai fish salad (Source: Internet)

2. Fish vermicelli, fish noodle soup

The highlight of Nha Trang fish vermicelli and fish noodle soup is the broth carefully simmered from sea fish bones like mackerel, sailfish, etc., creating natural sweet taste, clear and not fishy at all. A full bowl usually includes chewy fragrant fish cake (steamed or fried), delicious fresh fish slices, crispy cool jellyfish, served with fresh vegetables and bean sprouts. Additionally, there's green chili fish sauce and fresh lime to complete the dish's flavor. Many shops also serve additional accompaniments like fish head, fish innards, etc. for visitors to freely choose.

Reference price: 30,000 - 60,000 VND/bowl

Nha Trang fish vermicelli with jellyfish (Source: Internet)

Mackerel head noodle soup (Source: Internet)

3. Ninh Hoa grilled pork roll

Ninh Hoa grilled pork roll (Nem nướng Ninh Hoà) is made from fresh ground pork, marinated with balanced seasonings then grilled over charcoal until golden and fragrant. A complete grilled pork roll portion also includes crispy fried rice paper, spring roll wrapper, various fresh vegetables, and sweet-sour dipping sauce or smooth peanut sauce.

When enjoying, diners wrap the pork roll with rice paper, fresh vegetables, green mango then dip thoroughly in rich sauce. The harmonious sweet, sour, salty, fatty flavors in each roll make this dish an unforgettable culinary experience when visiting Nha Trang.

Reference price: 35,000 - 80,000 VND/portion

Ninh Hoa grilled pork roll (Source: Internet)

4. Nha Trang pho

Different from traditional Northern pho, Nha Trang pho has small, chewy noodles and clear but rich naturally sweet broth. Pho here is simmered from bones and served with pork rolls or beef, beef balls. Additionally, some places also sell dry pho mixed with fresh vegetables and drizzled with lime chili fish sauce.

Reference price: 25,000 - 60,000 VND/bowl

Nha Trang pho (Source: Internet)

5. Nha Trang mini pancakes

Nha Trang mini pancakes (Bánh căn) are made from rice flour poured into clay molds and grilled with charcoal. Depending on taste, pancakes can include chicken eggs, shrimp, squid, minced meat. When cooked, pancakes have crispy exterior, soft interior, eaten with shredded mango, fresh vegetables, and sweet-sour fish sauce. Many shops also include dumpling soup to add rich attractive flavor to the dish.

Reference price: 25,000 - 60,000 VND/portion

Nha Trang mini pancakes (Source: Internet)

6. Nha Trang savory pancakes

Different from Western region savory pancakes, Nha Trang savory pancakes are poured in hot cast iron molds with bite-sized portions. Pancakes are made from diluted rice flour, depending on the shop can use original white flour or add fresh turmeric for attractive yellow color. The characteristic filling includes squid, shrimp, thinly sliced pork belly, and bean sprouts. When fried, pancakes are crispy outside but remain soft inside, usually eaten with fresh vegetables, cucumber, pickles, and dipped with sweet-sour fish sauce or rich fermented anchovy sauce.

Reference price: 50,000 - 70,000 VND/plate

Nha Trang savory pancakes (Source: Internet)

Nha Trang savory pancakes with white rice flour (Source: Internet)

7. Fish cake sandwich

Fish cake sandwich (Bánh mì chả cá) is a familiar breakfast dish for Nha Trang people. The fish cake is made from mackerel, sailfish, snakehead fish, etc., fried golden evenly, crispy chewy outside, soft moist inside with rich flavor. Fish cake is sandwiched in hot crispy bread with cilantro, cucumber, dotted with spicy hot peppers and characteristic sweet spicy fish sauce. Though not elaborate, this dish always captivates visitors with its harmonious flavor and easy availability on every street corner.

Reference price: 15,000 VND/sandwich

8. Nha Trang chicken rice

Nha Trang chicken rice attracts diners with golden, chewy yet fluffy rice grains, cooked with chicken broth and chicken fat. Free-range chicken is boiled tender, shredded or chopped, served with pickled vegetables, garlic chili fish sauce, and hot chicken soup. Many restaurants also diversify menus with crispy-skin roasted chicken, rotisserie chicken, lemongrass chili braised chicken, etc.

The highlight creating the soul of this dish is the rich butter sauce, made from raw egg yolk beaten with butter and seasonings, creating the characteristic smooth sauce unique to Nha Trang chicken rice.

Reference price: 30,000 - 68,000 VND/portion

Nha Trang chicken rice (Source: Internet)

9. Dien Khanh wet rice paper

Dien Khanh wet rice paper (Bánh ướt Diên Khánh) is prepared directly when customers order. The paper is made from soaked ground rice flour then spread thin. Each layer of soft smooth, hot rice paper is sprinkled with scallion oil and shrimp floss. The dish is served with Vietnamese sausage, fermented pork roll, herbs, bean sprouts, and shredded mango. Paper can be dipped with fermented anchovy sauce or sweet-sour fish sauce. Especially, some old shops also serve dipping sauce from fish innards, with bitter, lightly fatty, sweet, and appetizing taste.

Reference price: 2,000 - 7,000 VND/plate including 1 piece

Dien Khanh wet rice paper (Source: Internet)

10. Khanh Hoa sea urchin

Precious sea urchins are usually caught abundantly at Hon Mun, Hon Tre, Hon Mieu, etc. Fresh urchins are split in half, shell removed, taking the golden urchin roe for preparation. The most delicious dish is grilled sea urchin with scallion oil, with sweet fatty, nutty taste and ocean fragrance. Additionally, urchins are used for porridge, eaten raw with mustard, or made into urchin sauce - one of the specialty sauces only found in Central coastal regions.

Reference price: 30,000 VND/piece

Grilled sea urchin specialty (Source: Internet)

11. Cau Dua duck

Cau Dua duck (Vịt Cầu Dứa) is raised free-range in wetlands near Cau Dua bridge, not through industrial farming so the meat is tender, sweet with little fat, no odor. After cleaning, duck can be cooked into many delicious dishes like boiled duck, roasted duck, grilled duck with fermented bean paste, duck braised with sour fruit, duck hotpot, duck blood soup, duck porridge, duck salad, gizzard stir-fried with ginger onion, etc. Each dish is skillfully prepared, bringing rich flavors attracting near and far diners.

Reference price: 240,000 VND/duck

Cau Dua duck (Source: Internet)

12. Van Ninh squid vermicelli

Van Ninh squid vermicelli (Bún mực Vạn Ninh) doesn't need elaborate preparation but brings very unique attractive flavors. The highlight lies in fresh tube squid or leaf squid, blanched just cooked to maintain crispy texture and natural sweetness. The broth is cooked from tomatoes and pineapple, clear with light refreshing sourness. The vermicelli bowl is served with fresh onions, ngổ vegetables, herbs, and garlic chili fish sauce. When enjoying, diners immediately taste the fresh crispy yet rich sweet squid, blended with refreshing non-fishy broth, bringing a complete ocean flavor experience.

Reference price: 30,000 - 50,000 VND/bowl

Van Ninh squid vermicelli (Source: Internet)

Besides the above famous specialties, visitors to Nha Trang can also enrich their culinary experience with other equally attractive dishes, such as:

• Seven-course goat
• Nha Trang steamed rice cake
• Nha Trang snail vermicelli
• Green chili grilled fish
• Dried beef salad
• Grilled beef
• Ceremony snails
• Plain grilled snakehead fish
• Nha Trang mi quang
• Field shrimp fried roll
• Nha Trang beaten cake

Nha Trang food specialties to buy as gifts

13. Khanh Hoa bird's nest

Khanh Hoa is the most famous bird's nest capital of the country, with a system of bird islands stretching along Nha Trang bay. Bird's nests are naturally harvested from rock caves or collected from swiftlets raised in favorable environments, then cleaned and processed into various forms like raw nests, refined nests, ready-made bird's nest, bird's nest drink. Bird's nests have high nutritional content, considered valuable health gifts, suitable as premium presents.

Reference price:

• Ready-made bird's nest: 216,000 VND/box of 5 bottles
• Refined nest: 3,500,000 - 10,000,000 VND/100g cleaned

Nha Trang bird's nest (Source: Internet)

14. Nha Trang fish cake

Nha Trang fish cake (Chả cá Nha Trang) is prepared from fresh sea fish like mackerel, snakehead fish, etc. After removing bones, the meat is ground smooth then hand-kneaded until achieving perfect chewy texture. The finished product has two popular types: steamed and fried cake, each type has its own flavor but maintains the natural sweetness and characteristic rich taste of sea fish. Visitors can buy to cook vermicelli, noodle soup, or simply eat alone dipped with chili sauce as a rich, addictive snack.

Reference price: 120,000 VND/kg

Nha Trang fish cake (Source: Internet)

15. Dried seafood

Nha Trang is a paradise of rich dried seafood, from common seafood like dried squid, half-dried squid, yellow-striped fish, grouper, dried shrimp, milk anchovies, sliced mackerel, cow fish, hole fish, etc. to premium seafood like sea cucumber, shark fin, seahorse, dried sand worms, etc.

Additionally, diners can find ready-to-eat dried seafood as drinking snacks or finger foods like: seasoned pressed squid, anchovy sauce squid, tamarind squid, milk crab roll, garlic chili anchovies, etc.

Reference price for some seafood types:

• Dried fish: 160,000 - 400,000 VND/kg depending on type
• Dried squid: 300,000 - 1,600,000 VND/kg depending on type
• Dried shrimp: 450,000 - 1,200,000 VND/kg depending on type
• Premium seafood (fish bladder, shark fin, seahorse, sea cucumber, sand worms): 170,000 - 1,260,000 VND/100g

Diverse Nha Trang dried seafood (Source: Internet)

Nha Trang tamarind squid (Source: Internet)

16. Ninh Hoa fermented pork roll

Nha Trang fermented pork roll (Nem chua Ninh Hoà) has compact form, wrapped in fresh green banana leaves, inside is ground pork mixed with shredded skin, garlic, chili, and rice paddy herb leaves. The finished product has mild sour taste mixed with slight sweetness, light garlic and leaf fragrance plus a bit of spiciness. The rolls are usually sold by dozens and preserved in refrigerator for many days, suitable as snacks or light drinking accompaniments.

Reference price: 70,000 VND/box of 20 pieces

Nha Trang fermented pork roll (Source: Internet)

17. E leaf salt

E leaf salt (Muối é) has main ingredient of white e leaves (also called lemongrass fragrant leaves), combined with grain salt, chili or green hot peppers, plus a bit of sugar then ground smooth or finely crushed. The salt mixture has refreshing fragrant aroma and characteristic spicy taste. This is an excellent dipping condiment for seafood, grilled meat, boiled chicken, bringing completely new unique flavors.

Reference price: From 30,000 VND/100g jar

E leaf salt (Source: Internet)

18. Seaweed, sea grapes

Nha Trang is famous for many natural and cultivated seaweed types, notable products include:

• Sea grapes: Have tiny bead chain form, light salty taste, crispy, rich in minerals and natural collagen. Seaweed is pre-processed and packaged (fresh or dehydrated type), eaten with roasted sesame sauce, soy sauce, or made into salad.
  
• Dried seaweed, seaweed jam: Can be processed into jam, snacks, soup, salad, or cooling tea
  

Reference price: Fresh sea grapes from 55,000 VND/250g; dried seaweed from 150,000 VND/kg

Sea grapes (Source: Internet)

19. Coconut rice paper

Coconut rice paper (Bánh tráng dừa) originates from Ninh Hoa and Dien Khanh areas, made from rice flour mixed with coconut milk, sesame, sugar, and a bit of salt. The paper is large, thick, carrying characteristic nutty fragrance of coconut, rice, and roasted sesame. When grilled with charcoal or microwave, the paper becomes crispy, lightly fatty with sweet aftertaste, very suitable as snacks or drinking accompaniments.

Reference price: 29,000 VND/220g

Young coconut rice paper (Source: Internet)

20. Mango cake, chewy dried mango

Mango cake (also called mango rice paper) is a famous specialty of Cam Ranh and Nha Trang areas. Ripe mangoes are peeled, ground smooth, carefully mixed with sugar, spread thin then sun-dried for many days to create fragrant chewy pieces with mild sweet-sour taste. Additionally, mangoes are processed into whole piece chewy dried mango, maintaining characteristic refreshing sweetness, very suitable for modern tastes.

Reference price:

• Yellow chewy mango cake: From 22,000 - 27,000 VND/200g depending on flavor (original, salt chili, etc.)
• Chewy dried mango: 50,000 - 75,000/250g

Nha Trang mango cake (Source: Internet)

Chewy dried mango (Source: Internet)

21. Nha Trang fish sauce

Famous as a sea region rich in fish sauce-making tradition, Nha Trang has hundreds of fish sauce production facilities from anchovy, mackerel scad, etc. fermented by traditional methods in clay jars for many months. Pure concentrated fish sauce has cockroach-wing brown color, fragrant aroma of fermented sea fish, when eaten has salty but mild taste, deep sweet aftertaste and rich flavor. Besides pure fish sauce, products like ready-mixed anchovy fish sauce, fermented shrimp paste, fermented anchovy paste, fish innard sauce are also very popular.

Reference price: From 55,000 VND/500ml depending on protein content and fish sauce type

Nha Trang fish sauce (Source: Internet)

22. Candied dac seeds

Dac seeds (Hạt đác) are ivory white crispy chewy seeds, harvested from forest dac fruits in Khanh Son mountain area. After processing, dac seeds are candied with sugar, can add pineapple or some fruit syrups for color and flavor. This is an ideal accompaniment for desserts, yogurt, shaved ice, carrying rich tropical coastal flavors.

Reference price: 120,000 - 150,000 VND/kg depending on flavor

Candied dac seeds (Source: Internet)

Where to buy Nha Trang food specialties? Suggestions for famous markets and shops

To find authentic Nha Trang specialties most conveniently, you can visit these reputable addresses:

• Xom Moi Market: 49 Ngo Gia Tu, Tan Tien, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa
• Dam Market: Phan Boi Chau Street, Van Thanh, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa
• Xom Bien Specialty Store: 60 Phan Boi Chau, Van Thanh, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa
• Tung Suong Specialty Store: 48 Ngo Gia Tu, Tan Tien, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa
• Nha Trang Ngoc Linh Specialties: G17 Apartment, Dam Market, Van Thanh, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa
• SEAVY Specialty Store: 104 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Tan Tien, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa
• Nha Trang Quang Tam Specialties: 08 Hai Ba Trung, Van Thanh, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa
• OCOP Khanh Hoa product stalls at shopping centers, supermarket systems, reputable distribution stores.

With the ocean's favor and local people's skillfulness, Nha Trang food cuisine and specialties have been carrying an unmistakable identity. From rustic, simple dishes to premium delicacies, each dish has its own attraction and captivates countless diners. Don't forget to spend time enjoying and bringing home rich ocean-flavored gifts to share with relatives and friends. Let Vietnam Airlines accompany you!