What food is Nha Trang famous for?

Nha Trang's signature dishes include bun cha ca (fish cake noodle soup), banh can (mini egg pancakes), nem nuong (grilled pork rolls), ca phe muoi (salted coffee), and fresh seafood — particularly oc (sea snails and shellfish).

What is ca phe muoi (salted coffee)?

A Nha Trang original — drip coffee served with salted cream foam on top. The contrast between bitter coffee, sweet condensed milk base, and salted cream creates a distinctive flavour. A relatively recent creation from the 2010s, costing ₫25,000-45,000 ($1-1.80).

What is nem nuong and where to try it in Nha Trang?

Grilled lemongrass-seasoned pork sausage served with fresh herbs and rice paper for wrapping, with a fermented pork and pineapple dipping sauce. Nem nuong Ba Duc is a well-regarded specialist at ₫60,000-100,000 ($2.40-4) per set.

Is the seafood hotpot good in Nha Trang?

Excellent. The fresh catch keeps quality high. Seafood hotpot restaurants near the beach serve fresh prawns, crab, squid, and fish in lemongrass and tamarind broth for ₫200,000-400,000 ($8-16) per person.

Nha Trang Food Guide | The Vietnam Guides

Nha Trang’s food identity is coastal and specific — several dishes here are genuine regional originals that aren’t found elsewhere in Vietnam, or are found here in distinctly better versions.

Bun Cha Ca (fish cake noodle soup)

The Nha Trang dish. Thin rice vermicelli in a pale fish broth with homemade fish cakes (cha ca) — bouncy, lightly spiced cakes made from fresh local fish. The broth has tomato and pineapple added (unusual in Vietnamese noodle soups) for a slight acidity. Topped with spring onion, fried shallots, and fresh herbs.

This is a breakfast and lunch dish. ₫30,000–50,000 ($1.20–2).

Where to eat it: Bún Cá Sứa (jellyfish noodle soup) stalls near Dam Market (Chợ Đầm) — morning market stalls from 06:00, 40,000–60,000 VND.

Banh Can (mini egg pancakes)

A Nha Trang specialty — small circular rice flour pancakes cooked in cast iron pans with many round cup-shaped moulds. Each small pancake contains a quail egg or a small shrimp. Eaten in sets of 8–10, with multiple sauce options (fish sauce, peanut sauce, shrimp paste). The texture is crispy outside and soft inside.

Sold at evening street stalls and market vendors. ₫30,000–60,000 ($1.20–2.40) per set.

Where to eat it: Bánh Căn Cô Hồng (Lê Thánh Tôn area) — mini pancakes with quail egg, 5,000–8,000 VND each; also available at the Đường Đêm Nha Trang night market on Tran Phu beachfront from 18:00.

Nem Nuong (grilled pork sausage rolls)

Grilled lemongrass-seasoned pork sausage, served with fresh herbs and rice paper for wrapping, and a fermented pork and pineapple dipping sauce. Nem nuong is found across Vietnam but the Nha Trang version is considered among the best.

Nem nuong Ba Duc: One of the well-regarded specialists. ₫60,000–100,000 ($2.40–4) per set.

Where to eat it: Nem Nướng Ninh Hòa restaurants on Hoàng Diệu street — these specialise in the Ninh Hoa version of nem nuong which is particularly good in Nha Trang.

Oc (sea snails and shellfish)

Nha Trang’s coastal position makes it one of the best places in Vietnam for oc — the generic term for sea snails, periwinkles, clams, and other shellfish cooked in various preparations. Street stalls specialising in oc operate in the evening near the market and beach areas.

Various preparations: steamed with lemongrass, wok-fried with chilli and garlic, grilled. ₫40,000–80,000 ($1.60–3.20) per type.

Where to eat it: Street stalls specialising in oc operate in the evening near Dam Market and the beach areas; the Đường Đêm Nha Trang night market (Tran Phu beachfront, 18:00–midnight) has a good selection of shellfish by weight.

Ca Phe Muoi (salted coffee)

A Nha Trang original — drip coffee served with salted cream foam on top. The contrast between the bitter coffee, the sweet condensed milk base, and the salted cream creates a distinctive flavour. A relatively recent creation (ca. 2010s) but now associated specifically with the city.

₫25,000–45,000 ($1–1.80).

Where to eat it: Cafes throughout the city centre serve ca phe muoi; look for signs near Tran Phu beach road, where it has become a fixture at beachfront coffee shops.

Goi Ca (fresh fish salad)

Raw or lightly cured fish (usually barracuda or mackerel) with fresh herbs, green mango, peanuts, and a lime-based dressing. A coastal specialty that uses the fresh catch directly. ₫60,000–100,000 ($2.40–4).

Where to eat it: Seafood restaurants on Đường Đệ (north of the city near the fishing village) for the freshest catch; also available at the beach restaurants along Tran Phu.

Lau (hotpot seafood)

Nha Trang’s fresh seafood makes its hotpot scene particularly good. Seafood hotpot restaurants near the beach area serve fresh prawns, crab, squid, and fish in a lemongrass and tamarind broth. ₫200,000–400,000 ($8–16) per person for a full hotpot spread.

Where to eat it: Trân (seafood restaurant near the beach) for beach-adjacent hotpot; the seafood restaurants on Đường Đệ north of the city also do excellent hotpot with same-day catch.

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