There are many reasons why Da Lat is a destination for travelers seeking relaxation, and one of these is its cuisine. From popular street foods to sophisticated dishes, the cuisine here has its own unique characteristics. If you are wondering what to eat during your visit to this foggy city, take a look at our guide: "Top 10 best foods in Dalat, Vietnam" ! This article not only offers information about these dishes but also recommends renowned food streets. Let's explore!
1. Bánh tráng nướng (Vietnamese pizza) - a highlight of Dalat cuisine
- Best places to try Bánh tráng nướng:
- Bánh tráng nướng 61: 61 Nguyễn Văn Trỗi, Ward 2, Đà Lạt city
- Dalat market: Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Ward 1, Đà Lạt city
- Bánh tráng nướng: 180 Bùi Thị Xuân, Ward 2, Đà Lạt city
- Price range: 15,000 VND - 25,000 VND
Bánh tráng nướng is a famous street food in Da Lat. This dish is often called "Vietnamese pizza". The rice paper is baked on charcoal until it has a certain crispiness. Then, the vendor adds a little cooking oil to the surface and tops it with ingredients like quail egg or chicken egg, dried shrimp, laughing cow cheese, green onions, dried beef, and sauces.
Bánh tráng nướng is usually sold from the afternoon at Dalat street food stalls. Because it is a very popular dish, you can see it sold in every corner of Da Lat city. Sometimes, bánh tráng nướng also sold with other grilled snacks such as grilled corn and sweet potatoes. On a slightly cold day, it would be great to enjoy all these delicious dishes!
2. Bánh căn (mini pancake)
- Best places to try Bánh căn:
- Bánh căn Cây Bơ: 56 Tăng Bạt Hổ street, Ward 1, Đà Lạt city
- Bánh căn Nhà Chung : 1 Nhà Chung, Ward 3, Đà Lạt city (near Dalat Cathedral)
- Bánh căn Lệ: 27/44 Yersin, Ward 10, Đà Lạt city
- Price range: 15,000 VND - 30,000 VND
With the climate in Da Lat, enjoying hot bánh căn is a must-try when coming here. Originating from the South Central Coast provinces, banh can has become a favorite breakfast dish in this foggy city. It's easy to find bánh căn in any corner in Da Lat.
To make bánh căn, you need small clay pots. First, the mixture of rice flour and water will be poured into it and wait until it is cooked. Then add the cake filling on top. Traditionally, the filling of banh can is quail eggs, however, some places will add seafood to make the dish more delicious.
Banh Can is served with a bowl of fish sauce with minced meat, onions and ground peanuts. When the cake is cooked, you just need to dip the bánh căn into the sauce and enjoy the crispy crust and delicious egg filling.
3. Bánh ướt lòng gà (steamed rice paper with chicken intestine)
- Best places to try Bánh ướt lòng gà:
- Trang eatery: 15F Tăng Bạt Hổ street, Ward 1, Đà Lạt city
- Hằng 68 eatery: 39 Đồng Tâm street, Ward 4, Đà Lạt city
- Long eatery: 202/2/5 Phan Đình Phùng street, Ward 2, Đà Lạt city
- Price range: 20,000 VND - 50,000 VND
Bánh ướt lòng gà is one of the best foods in Da Lat, Vietnam. This signature dish is made with wet cake, chicken intestine, chicken meat, onions, chopped green herbs.
The way to make wet chicken intestine cake is quite simple: the chicken after being processed will be shredded, then mixed with onions, herbs, lemon juice, chili, sugar and pepper.
Many people like "bánh ướt lòng gà" for its flavorful sauce. When you savor it, you'll experience the delightful aroma of wet cake combined with the rich taste of chicken intestine and chicken meat, complemented by the tangy, spicy, and sweet notes from the sauce.
4. Nem nướng (grilled pork rolls)
- Best places to try Nem nướng:
- Bà Hùng eatery: 328 Phan Đình Phùng street, Ward 2, Đà Lạt city
- Bà Nghĩa eatery: 2 Khởi Nghĩa Bắc Sơn street, Ward 10, Đà Lạt city
- Phượng eatery: 23A Nguyễn Trãi street, Ward 9, Đà Lạt city
- Price range: 30,000 VND - 50,000 VND
Nem nướng is made from minced pork. Pork is marinated in spices, then threaded onto bamboo sticks and grilled over charcoal stoves. In Da Lat, a typical serving of nem nướng includes a plate of grilled pork rolls, a bowl of dipping sauce fresh herbs, pickled white radish, tangy onions, carrots, cucumbers, dew-dried rice paper, green chili pepper, garlic, and various other spices for accompaniment. Each grilled pork roll restaurant in Da Lat has its own unique flavor. By depending on the ingredients, seasoning, and sauce, you can know which restaurant has the best grilled pork rolls.
The way to eat “nem nướng” is very simple. Take a sheet of rice paper, add “nem nướng” and the toppings, and then roll it up together with the dipping sauce. Although this dish seems simple, it is loved by many foreign tourists.
5. Lẩu gà lá é (chicken hot pot with basil leaves)
- Best places to try Lẩu gà lá é:
- Lẩu gà lá é Tao Ngộ: 155 Bùi Thị Xuân street, Ward 2, Đà Lạt city
- Lẩu gà lá é 688: 2b Chu Văn An street, Ward 3, Đà Lạt city
- Lẩu gà lá é Tao Ngộ: 89 Hai Bà Trưng street, Ward 6, Đà Lạt city
- Price range: 200,000 VND - 300,000 VND
Lẩu gà lá é is a suitable dish to enjoy in the cold weather of Da Lat city. Originally a specialty of Phu Yen, it has become a popular delicacy in Da Lat. Lẩu gà lá é is made from main ingredients such as chicken, é leaves, sour bamboo shoots and mushrooms. É leaves are a typical herb grown in the South Central region and the Central Highlands and have a slightly spicy taste similar to mint leaves. The broth of lẩu gà lá é is prepared from chicken bones and mushrooms, creating a natural sweetness.
Chicken hot pot with basil leaves is typically served with noodles, and the chicken is often dipped in a mixture of salt, chili, and pepper. Each hot pot features a harmony of flavors, blending the sweetness of the broth and chicken with the tanginess of bamboo shoots, and the spiciness of é leaves. All these delightful flavors come together in just one steaming pot.
6. Bánh canh
- Best places to try Bánh canh:
- Bánh canh cá lóc Chú La: 148 Bùi Thị Xuân street, Ward 2, Đà Lạt city
- Bánh canh bà Hường: Dalat market - Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Ward 1, Đà Lạt city
- Bánh canh Xuân An: 15b Nhà Chung street, Ward 3, Đà Lạt city
- Price range: 25,000 VND - 50,000 VND
Banh Canh holds a special place in the culinary scene of Da Lat. This dish is made from rice flour, regular flour, or tapioca and features a flavorful broth crafted from fish, shrimp, and pork rolls. Banh Canh is similar to vermicelli and has many versions depending on the processing method and ingredients.
In Da Lat, bánh canh made from snakehead fish is the most popular dish. Snakehead fish when eaten will not be fishy but very delicious. When enjoying bánh canh, the aroma mixed with spices will make you have a memorable culinary experience.
7. Nails stuffed with pork
- Best places to try Nails stuffed with pork :
- Ốc nhồi thịt 33: 33 Hai Bà Trưng street, Ward 6, Đà Lạt city
- Dalat night market: Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Ward 1, Đà Lạt city
- Price range: 50,000 VND - 200,000 VND
Stuffed snails with pork are a well-known Vietnamese dish and a specialty of Da Lat city. The general recipe for making this dish is quite simple, but to make it delicious requires ingenuity. Snails are carefully chosen and prepared to eliminate any fishy smell. After soaking the snails in water, their heads are set aside for further preparation. Pork is minced and mixed with snail meat, add a little pepper, mushrooms, spices, onions. This mixture is then stuffed into the cleaned snail shells. To make the food tastier, lemongrass is added to the shells.
The best way to enjoy this dish is by eating it fresh after steaming, then the snail will have a sweet taste and aroma of lemongrass. Snails stuffed with meat are often served with herbs. When eating, you take the snail and meat out of the shell, then dip it with fish sauce with added chili and ginger. The combination of the tender, crispy, aromatic snails and meat with the zesty kick of ginger chili fish sauce creates a unique dish of Dalat. This will be a must-try delicious dish after a day of visiting the top places in Da Lat.
8. Bánh mì xíu mại (shumai bread)
- Best places to try shumai bread:
- Bánh mì xíu mại Ri 79 : 1 Thông Thiên Học street, Ward 2, Đà Lạt city
- Bánh mì xíu mại 79: 179 Ba Tháng Hai street, Ward 4, Đà Lạt city
- Tiệm ăn Bếp Đà Lạt: 10 Phan Bội Châu street, Ward 1, Đà Lạt city
- Price range: 30,000 VND - 65,000 VND
In addition to the traditional Vietnamese bread with various fillings inside, visitors to Vietnam, specifically Da Lat, must definitely try the shumai bread. This is a familiar breakfast dish of the locals because it is both cheap and delicious. Da Lat shumai bread has its own unique and spicy flavor typical of the highlands of the Central Highlands.
To make this dish, you need bread and meatballs. The meatballs are made from finely ground lean meat, seasoned with spices, and rolled into small balls. These xiu mai are served in a small bowl, accompanied by bread and a bowl of dipping sauce. When eating, you will cut the bread into small pieces and then dip into the bowl of dipping sauce and enjoy.
9. Hot soy milk
- Best places to try Hot soy milk:
- Dung Béo eatery: 2 Nguyễn Văn Cừ street, Ward 1, Đà Lạt city
- Cô Lan: 1 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa street, Ward 1, Đà Lạt city
- Hoa Sữa eatery: 3F Tăng Bạt Hổ street, Ward 1, Đà Lạt city
- Dalat night market: Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Ward 1, Đà Lạt city
- Price range: 10,000 VND - 20,000 VND
Coming to Da Lat, enjoying a glass of hot soy milk, exploring the night market and watching Da Lat city at night are among the best experiences. Soy milk is the easiest drink to find among the delicious specialties of Da Lat. Unlike soy milk in other places, Da Lat soy milk can be drunk alone or mixed with cow's milk, peanut milk, green beans or eaten with cakes. Drinking soy milk helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis... For women, soy milk is almost like a "panacea" for anti-aging, weight loss and beauty support. Although it has many uses, soy milk is the cheapest among Dalat specialties. With only 10,000 VND, you can enjoy a delicious dish.
10. Xắp xắp
- Best places to try Xắp xắp:
- Xắp xắp cô Năm: Alley 9, Nguyễn Đình Chiểu street, Ward 9, Đà Lạt city
- Dalat market: Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Ward 1, Đà Lạt city
- Price range: 10,000 VND - 20,000 VND
Xắp xắp is a popular street food in Da Lat, with a characteristic flavor reminiscent of the simple life of the people here. Its name is derived from the arrangement of ingredients and seasonings on the plate. Xắp Xắp Dalat is made from papaya fruits. Papaya is sliced into thin, long strands and soaked in saltwater until tender, then drained and prepared for further steps.
On the plate, the papaya forms the base, followed by meat, cinnamon, peanuts, chili, herbs, and finally the savory sauce. A plate of xắp xắp is not too big, suitable for 1-2 people. When savoring xắp xắp, you will feel the sweet and crunchy taste of papaya, the sourness of tamarind in the sauce, the chewy taste of meat, the pungent taste of chili peppers and the aroma of spices, vegetables, and peanuts. Xắp xắp is a must-try dish when visiting Dalat.
Hopefully the above article is the perfect answer to the question "what to eat in Da Lat?" Autour Asia wishes you a perfect trip and don't forget to refer to the article "Top 10 best places to visit in Da Lat, Vietnam" on our website for memorable memories!