Must-try Dishes
Bún chả cá - Rice Vermicelli with Fish Cake - This dish features tender rice vermicelli topped with delicate, grilled fish cakes and garnished with fresh herbs. Locals enjoy it for breakfast, paired with a side of spicy dipping sauce and lots of veggies.
Bánh mì - Vietnamese Sandwich - A crispy baguette filled with savory grilled meats, pickled vegetables, and fresh herbs, creating a delightful crunch. Commonly found at street stalls, it’s a popular lunch choice, though any time of day works!
Cơm gà - Chicken Rice - Poached chicken served on flavorful rice, often accompanied by a side of rich chicken broth and dipping sauce. It’s a favorite dinner option for locals, often shared among family at small restaurants.
Bánh xèo - Vietnamese Pancake - A crispy turmeric pancake stuffed with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts, wrapped in lettuce and dipped in sauce. You’ll find it at casual eateries, typically enjoyed communally with friends during a relaxed evening.
Gỏi cuốn - Fresh Spring Rolls - These soft rice paper rolls are filled with shrimp, herbs, and vermicelli noodles, served with peanut sauce. A favorite snack or light lunch, locals often misorder by asking for “fried spring rolls,” which are different.
Cá nướng - Grilled Fish - Marinated fish grilled to perfection, served on a bed of rice noodles and fresh herbs. This dish shines during the summer months and is typically enjoyed as a full meal with family in outdoor settings.
Bánh gu - Rice Paper Rolls with Grilled Pork - A delicious twist on traditional spring rolls, these are filled with savory grilled pork and herbs. You’ll often find them at street stalls, especially during lunch hours for a quick meal.
By the way, don't forget to enjoy your meal slowly; it's a common custom to savor each bite while chatting with friends!
Desserts & Drinks
Cà phê sữa đá - Vietnamese Iced Coffee (sweet, strong coffee) - Thick Vietnamese coffee brewed with a traditional drip method and mixed with sweetened condensed milk, served over ice. It's best enjoyed in the afternoon at local cafes, where people socialize or take a break from their day.
Nước dừa - Coconut Water (refreshing drink) - Fresh coconut water served straight from the coconut, sometimes with the soft flesh spooned out for a light snack. Locals sip this cooling drink while basking in the sun at the beach; it’s particularly popular during the hotter months when you can find street vendors on every corner.
Bia Hơi - Fresh Beer (light draught beer) - A refreshing local beer brewed fresh each day that’s served in small cups, often at bustling outdoor beer joints. It’s typically enjoyed during happy hour with friends after a long day at the beach, and locals appreciate its low price—usually around 10,000 VND a glass.
Bánh mì ngọt - Sweet Bread (fluffy pastry) - A sweet, airy bread filled with custard or coconut cream, enjoyed as a delightful treat during breakfast or tea time. Locals often grab one to go, but there’s something special about enjoying it fresh from a local bakery, especially when it's still warm.
Xôi xéo - Sticky Rice with Mung Beans (savory dessert) - A sweet, glutinous rice dish topped with savory mung bean paste and crispy shallots, usually enjoyed during festivals or in the morning as a hearty breakfast. This comforting dish has a unique contrast of textures and flavors—perfect for sharing with family during special occasions.
🙏 Where to eat in Nha Trang, Vietnam?
I had trouble finding good, tasty, and most importantly, clean places.
✨ Marinelli Bistronomia - pasta with seafood 🥳. The Caesar salad with shrimp is a must-try! 😋 The staff is friendly.
✨ Kiwami Restaurant. Sushi, rolls 🔥🔥🔥. Simply divine. They're quick with service! The chef is from Japan. You must try the crab salad 🦀.
✨ Rainforest - grilled mango shake. This is not the kind of thing you find on the street ☔. Try the grilled salmon with salty caramel - a must-try 🧡. Cozy atmosphere is something I love. It has to be pleasant and beautiful!
✨ Alpaca Homestyle Cafe. Very cozy interior 👌. Offers European cuisine. Try the cheesy salmon pasta 🔥. And just enjoy the wine in the warm sunlight. »
Too bad I didn't grab those pistachios this time. Their price was surprisingly high. Sometimes it seems to me that they collect prices to the ceiling there; the last time I bought them, it was two times cheaper.
- My favorite - Omega and vitamin "E". I try local ones, although I love “Solgar”, but right now I don't have them, and as they say about the non-GMO... - Himalaya, I honestly didn’t expect to find it, just like chia. Naturally, immediately went to my basket.
- Seasoning for "Fo" soup. I also enjoyed it here.
- Tamarind sauce for seafood, which I like for cooking.
Well, and of course a "how-it-was" post :) The post is already coming to an end. Just another week and a half, and I’ll be back in town 🍜🧑🏽🍳. »
Beer. You can find a variety of canned and bottled beers. The cheapest local beer is "Saigon" – about 10,000 VND (around $0.42) for 330 ml. Then there's "Tiger" for about 15,000 VND ($0.63) for the same size, and finally "Heineken". In the store "Shakhtar", a pint of "Tiger" costs about $1.77. So regular beer in Vietnam is similarly priced as back home. There are also craft breweries where you can find more premium beers, but it's simpler and easier to grab a can. And you can even enjoy it with ice! A tip for beer lovers: while in Nha Trang, take a taxi to Lotte Mart, where you can get a couple of pints of Heineken or Tiger, and if there's a promotion, you might snag an exclusive bottle of local beer! It’s a great souvenir to bring home or try while there.
Rum. Local rum is just fantastic! You can get 375 ml for about 35,000 VND (around $1.47). They have various flavors, and particularly good is the cacao one! The original rum is unspoiled and pure, with a pleasant taste. It’s a must-try from Vietnam! By the way, there are shops where they’ll pour rum into plastic bottles for you, and they'll even label them. This is handy to avoid customs and airline issues.
Whiskey. Local whiskey is very affordable and has a great taste. I tried it last time I was there. I decided not to buy any, but it’s still an excellent choice!
Branded alcohol. If you love Jack, Ballantine's, or Hennessy, you’ll find good prices in Nha Trang's supermarkets. They even have good old Chivas – the same whisky that was once popular with local fans. The original whisky is priced reasonably, making it cheaper than what you'd pay elsewhere. Jack is quite accessible; the taste is impressive. Just buy it and take it home in plastic if you want! Prices are lower than what you would find in many places.
Enjoy your holiday, folks! Stay safe and have fun! »
In Vietnam, I found myself to be one of the budget travelers. Prices for seafood 🐟 (I don't eat meat, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy seafood) can be quite high 😱. For example, shrimp, crab, squid, and similar dishes cost between 50,000 to 100,000 dong (approximately $2 - $4).
🟣 Soup costs around 50,000 dong ($2).
🟣 Fish in a cafe is about 120,000 dong ($5), while in a store it’s about 100,000 dong ($4).
🟣 Drinks in a cafe start at 12,000 dong ($0.50) in stores, it's around 10,000 dong ($0.40).
🟣 Fresh juices start from 25,000 dong ($1).
🟣 Lobsters are around 700,000 dong ($30).
🟣 Tea or coffee costs 20,000 - 30,000 dong ($0.85 - $1.30).
The prices mentioned are mostly for coffee shops and restaurants. In Nha Trang, food prices are on average 20-30% higher. We felt the effects of the tourist season; the service in cafes took around 1.5 hours, even though we only ordered soup 😱😤.
1⃣ As an alternative, there's a street vendor that serves very tasty, cheap food. For example, soup there costs about 30,000 dong ($1.30), and the portions are larger. No need to get upset, you're already in Asia 😂.
2⃣ The second option is a grill cafe (like in a food court), where you can prepare a variety of common and exotic products (like snake, ostrich, crocodile, etc.), or just take what they have already prepared. The cost starts at around 240,000 dong ($10). It operates from 6 PM to 10 PM.
If you're interested in more information, just let me know! »
At this place, I felt the same warm vibe 🤣. While my husband was figuring out what to order, I sat back, wishing I could leave this restaurant behind. The cost was around $10, which is pretty affordable. The menu includes various fresh dishes like soup, rice, and different kinds of meat—pork, beef, and chicken. One thing to note is that sometimes the flavor can vary a bit without any shortcomings. We went there specifically to try seafood, and I was pleasantly surprised by the variety. There were enough seafood options to choose from if they happen to run out of some items.
There were shrimp, oysters, clams, and so on—all worth trying! There were also meat skewers made from chicken and beef, and I really enjoyed the tender ostrich meat, which was quite unique here. Of course, you can also experience tasting crocodile and snake, which we didn't skip either. I even sampled all the snacks 🐸.
I can’t say WOW; the experience with the tough chicken and the fish was quite unique. Overall, I designed a takeaway: I love to enjoy such things, but it's good to know how they prepare it. You could bring your own drinks, and we enjoyed a bottle of wine there. Is it worth going there? Yes, but for a better experience, I’d recommend trying Mix, which is just around the corner. They provide excellent service with a smile and delightful dishes that are simply irresistible 😋.
In short, I’ve realized that a smile makes everything better. I want to tell them that if they don’t enjoy their work, they might want to consider another profession. »
Everything is incredibly tasty, not overcooked - soups, frog legs, ostrich, crocodile, various fish, oysters, squid, shrimp, calamari, crabs. Everything is just delightful. Prices vary; in some popular places, it can be pricier, but if you venture deeper into the town, you might find cheaper options. We usually ordered two different dishes to try a bit of everything, along with salad, bread, local beer from Saigon, and rice, which generally came out to about $15 per person. From the salads, we really liked the grilled shrimp salad with garlic; the others we didn’t sample. »
Of course, even paradise has its downsides. The wind... it can be pretty strong, and the coldness can be a bit much at times, making it tough to stay beachside beyond 3 PM. The waves are inviting, and I love to jump around in them, so that’s a plus. But for those who just want to float in the water, it might be a challenge. »
In total, over 3.5 hours, we sampled a variety of items: different types of mussels, ostrich, shrimp, lobster, ostrich meat, frog legs (which tasted a bit like chicken), snake (a rare delicacy), and some kind of meaty treat resembling a t-bone steak. The taste was quite incredible, though I wouldn’t want to have it every day. Comparing it to any usual meat is a bit tricky as it's very unique. »
We’ve only been here for 2 days, but the vibe feels like a week already 🤣 it’s just that amazing, everything is perfect, especially the prices 🤣 Today we had dinner at a local café, and we enjoyed shrimp, calamari, local greens, and such delicious sticks 🤳 and even oysters 😱 And right now, the highlight is the price of the oysters – the freshest ones are $30 for 6 pieces. Can you even imagine? 😱 In total, we spent about $18 for all this goodness plus some local beer and sauces for every taste 😍
Honestly, I’m in love with this country, and I have 10 more days ahead, oh what’s to come 😏
And I managed to get some extra stuff today, you’ll see in the photo tomorrow 😉 But now, it's time to sleep, an early start at 5:00 AM and a whole day in the beautiful Dalat tomorrow 😄 »
Dog meat is a main dish at parties, weddings, and special feast occasions.
Dog meat is more expensive than pork and can be sold for around $50 per dish in upscale restaurants. »