Da Lat is a city of Lam Dong province, located in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The perfectly cool climate of Da Lat and the romantic atmosphere has attracted many visitors looking for a quick weekend getaway from the crowded and hot cities. Another reason Da Lat attracts visitors is the cuisine. We hope to help you get an understanding of what I mean by this article. Here are the 10 best foods you can try in Da Lat.
Contents
- 1 Salad Da Lat
- 2 Vietnamese Grilled Pork Sausage – Nem nuong
- 3 Mini Pancake – Banh can
- 4 Steamed rice paper with chicken intestine – Banh uot long ga
- 5 Banh mi dip with meatball soup – Banh mi xiu mai chen
- 6 Pancake, central style – Banh xeo Da Lat
- 7 Vietnamese Pizza – Banh trang nuong
- 8 “Shaken” strawberry – Dau lac
- 9 Avocado Ice-cream
- 10 Sweet soup – Che
Salad Da Lat
Salad is obviously something you can get literally anywhere. But if you’re looking for the best, then Da Lat is where it’s at. As the soil and climate in Da Lat are perfect for growing temperate plants and vegetables, such as salad leaves and tomato, you will get the best ingredients here.
Locals usually eat this daily. When you go to any shop or restaurant that sell rice, they will always give you a free dish of salad as a side-just like kimchi in Korea! A simple salad can have your typical ingredients such as lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions, half boiled eggs, and comes seasoned with vinegar. You can also add some beef or other meat in some places. Last but not least, if you have always dreamt of sitting in a huge fridge while eating greens, Da Lat is “the fridge” that you are looking for. Granted it’s not as cold as other places in the world, but it is cold for Vietnam!
Where to get the best salad in Da Lat
Leguda (Vegetable buffet)
Address: 8 Dong Da, Ward 3, Da Lat city (First floor of Cable car station)
Phone number: 0263 3965 965 (You should book a table in advance)
Business hours: 10AM – 9PM
Price range: 39,000 – 200,000 VND (1.8 – 9 USD)
La Chuoi – Am Thuc Viet
Address: 21/9 Tran Phu, W.3, Da Lat
Phone number: (063) 6 511 500
Business hours: 8 AM – 9 PM
Price range: 30,000 – 50,000 VND (1.4 – 2.3 USD)
Vinh Loi
Address: 2D Phan Dinh Phung, Da Lat
Phone number: (063) 3 836 215
Business hours: 6 AM – 9 PM
Price range: 20,000 – 50,000 VND (1 – 2.3 USD)
Vietnamese Grilled Pork Sausage – Nem nuong
It would be a pity if you leave Da Lat without trying the tasty Vietnamese Grilled Pork Sausage! Some people say that it originated from Hue, while others say it’s from Nha Trang. But who cares about the origin? That’s the last thing you’ll be thinking about as you munch down on one of those babies.
Last year, a staff member at the hostel I stayed in told me to try the nem nuong at a shop nearby. My pride as a gourmand didn’t allow me to say no to any food suggestion or invitation. So I went there, tried it and fell in love! How can people come up with such a great combination of rice paper, grilled pork sausage, fresh salad, cucumber, starfruit, herbs and fried rice paper? I do not know.
The star of this delicious food is actually the thick peanut sauce. Don’t forget to add a little bit of dried chili so that the spice will warm you up in cold weather. To eat nem nuong, first you need to grab a piece of rice paper, wet it a little bit with water, then add the greens, pork and everything else in it, wrap it up next, and finally dip it into the sauce. Then you go to town!
Where to find the best nem nuong in Da Lat
Nem Nuong Hung Van (This is where I had my nem nuong)
Address: 150 Bui Thi Xuan, Da Lat
Phone number: 02633991968
Business hours: 9 AM – 9 PM
Price range: 35,000 VND (1.6 USD)
Nem Nuong Ut Hue
Address: 1 Chi Lang, Da Lat
Phone number: 02633811120
Business hours: 4 PM – 10 PM
Price range: 40,000 VND (1.9 USD)
Nem Nuong Ba Nghia
Address: 45 Bui Thi Xuan, Da Lat
Phone number: 02633820993 – 01668282928 – 0971514251
Business hours: 9AM – 10PM
Price range: 40,000 VND (1.9 USD)
Mini Pancake – Banh can
This dish is a popular breakfast in Da Lat. It may have originated in Binh Thuan province, but after making its way to Da Lat, it became a part of the food culture here. To me, sitting next to a stove in a cold morning, watching the banh can lady pour the white mixture of rice powder in a pottery pancake pan, fill it with egg, shrimp or squid and frying it until the pancake is burned slightly, is a nostalgic sight. To you, it may be unique. Normally, a dish of mini pancake have 10 – 12 pieces, and it is served with a bowl of broth, made of fish sauce, green onions, and meatballs. All you have to do is dip the cake in the broth and enjoy the harmony of flavors in your mouth.
Where to find the best banh can in Da Lat
Banh Can Da Lat
Address: 7 Tang Bat Ho, Da Lat
Phone number: 091 211 62 46
Business hours: 9 AM – 10 PM
Price range: 20,000 – 30,000 VND (0.9 – 1.4 USD)
Banh Can Binh Dan
Address: Opposite to 62 Phan Dinh Phung, Da Lat
Business hours: 9 AM – 10 PM
Price range: 20,000 – 30,000 VND (0.9 – 1.4 USD)
Banh Can Cay Bo
Address: 56 Tang Bat Ho, Da Lat
Phone number: 097 528 07 09
Business hours: 6 AM – 11 AM
Price range: 20,000 – 30,000 VND (0.9 – 1.4 USD)
Steamed rice paper with chicken intestine – Banh uot long ga
Steamed rice paper is a popular dish in all regions of Vietnam. However, it’s only in Da Lat that you can find steamed rice paper commonly served with chicken intestine. The dish is made of simple ingredients like rice powder, chicken meat or intestine, topped with crispy fried shallots and served with fish sauce. If you are looking for a dish that is on the weird scale, but not too weird, then you should give steamed rice paper with chicken intestine a try.
Where to find the best banh uot long ga in Da Lat
Banh Uot Long Ga Long
Address: Alley 202, Lo A16 Phan Dinh Phung, Da Lat
Phone number: (+84) 0168-252 9116
Business hours: 12 PM – 7:30 PM
Price range: 15,000 VND (0.9 USD)
Banh Uot Long Ga Trang
Address: 15F Tang Bat Ho, Da Lat
Phone number: 0263 3825 043
Business hours: 1:30 PM – 8 PM
Price range: 30,000 – 70,000 VND (1.3 – 3.1 USD)
Banh mi dip with meatball soup – Banh mi xiu mai chen
On a chilly day, nothing can be more perfect than holding a hot banh mi to make your hands warm, then teasing it and dipping in a bowl of spicy meatball soup and giving it a go. A bowl of meatball soup contains pork meatball, pork skin, coriander or green onions and pepper. Some places also add pork sausage. This is the desired breakfast in Da Lat, which goes wonderfully with hot soya milk, the signature drink of Da Lat.
Where to find the best banh mi xiu mai in Da Lat
Banh Mi Yersin
Address: 10 Yersin, Da Lat
Phone number: No information
Business hours: 7 AM – 6 PM
Price range: 15,000 VND (0.9 USD)
Banh Mi Cham Co Gai
Address: 26 Hoang Dieu, Da Lat
Phone number: No information
Business hours: 6AM – 9AM
Price range: 15,000 VND (0.9 USD)
Banh Mi Phan Dinh Phung
Address: 261 Phan Dinh Phung, Da Lat
Phone number: No information
Business hours: 2 PM – 9 PM
Price range: 15,000 VND (0.9 USD)
Pancake, central style – Banh xeo Da Lat
When discussing banh xeo, people usually think about a big pancake with a thin crust, and veggies on the inside–a must-try dish in Saigon. Let’s forget about that version because the size and taste vary throughout Vietnam. This is the same for other dishes too. The Da Lat version is still a yellow cake batter that is fried in the pan, but the size is much smaller while the crust is thicker and crispier. When you bite it, the cake will melt in your mouth. The greasy taste of banh xeo is neutralized by the freshness of vegetables so that it’s hard to stop eating more and more. If you are addicted to the wrap and roll cuisine of Vietnam, banh xeo is for you.
Where To Find the Best Banh Xeo in Da Lat
Banh xeo Hoang Dieu
Address: 35A-B Hoang Dieu, Da Lat
Phone number: No information
Business hours: 2 PM – 6 PM
Price range: 15,000 VND (0.9 USD)
Banh Xeo Que Huong
Address: 10 Phu Dong Thien Vuong, Da Lat
Phone number: No information
Business hours: 3 PM – 7 PM
Price range: 15,000 VND (0.9 USD)
Vietnamese Pizza – Banh trang nuong
Maybe it is the cool weather of Da Lat that makes any dish cooked on the coal stove become superstars. And Vietnamese Pizza is not an exception. People will put some other ingredients such as pork, green onions, quail eggs and dried shrimps on rice paper. Then they grill it and rotate it on the coal stove until done. Finally, they will cut it into small triangle pieces and serve with chili sauces. You can also choose to add cheese and sausage to your Vietnamese pizza. This is an addictive snack that you should try when you are in Da Lat.
Where To Find the Best Banh Trang Nuong in Da Lat
Banh Trang Hoang Dieu
Address: 35A-B Hoang Dieu, Da Lat
Phone number: No information
Business hours: 2 PM – 6 PM
Price range: 15,000 VND (0.9 USD)
Banh Trang Nuong Di Dinh
Address: 26 Hoang Dieu, Da Lat
Phone number: 0168 588 8621
Business hours: 2 PM – 6:30 PM
Price range: 6,000 – 25,000 VND (0.2 – 1.4 USD)
Banh Trang Nuong Co Hoa
Address: 56 Thong Thien Hoc, Da Lat
Phone number: (063) 3 563 563
Business hours: 5 PM – 21:30 PM
Price range: 10,000 – 25,000 VND (0.4 – 1.4 USD)
“Shaken” strawberry – Dau lac
The cool climate of Da Lat is perfect for growing strawberries. You can literally find strawberries everywhere in the world, but only in Da Lat can you find it being served in a unique way – seasoned and shaken. The seller will put a cup of strawberry in a jar. Next, they add shrimp salt, fish sauce, and sugar into the cup and shake it for about 1-2 minutes. Lastly, they put everything back to the cup and hand to you. Besides the sweet and sour signature savory flavor, the seasoned strawberry is also a bit salty, which makes this snack even more interesting. Don’t miss shaking strawberry when you are in Da Lat!
Where To Find the Best Shaken strawberry in Da Lat
People sell shaking strawberry everywhere in Da Lat. But from my own experiences, I recommend you to buy it in the night market. Depending on the season, a cup of strawberry can cost around 15,000 – 20,000 VND (0.6 – 1 USD).
Avocado Ice-cream
Congratulation to the avocado addicts Welcome to avocado paradise! Together with strawberries, Da Lat is where you can find the freshest avocado in Vietnam. Avocado ice-cream of Da Lat is seen as a legendary dessert. That’s why you shouldn’t miss it when you are visiting this city. The way to make avocado ice-cream is also simple. The server chooses the best avocado to blend, and then adds a scoop of coconut ice-cream into the glass and really, that’s all. The dish is a fantastic harmony of avocado and coconut swirled together in a glass of happiness. I’m sure you will love it!
Where To Find the Best Kem Bo in Da Lat
Kem Bo Thanh Thao
Address: 76 Nguyen Van Troi, Da Lat
Phone number: 098 491 91 10
Business hours: 7AM – 10PM
Price range: 15,000 VND (0.9 USD)
Che Thai Ba Trieu
Address: 4h Ba Trieu, Da Lat
Phone number: No information
Business hours: 8AM – 9:30PM
Price range: 15,000 VND (0.9 USD)
Kem Phung
Address: 97A Nguyen Van Troi, Da Lat
Phone number: 093 414 19 48
Business hours: 8AM – 9PM
Price range: 15,000 VND (0.9 USD)
Sweet soup – Che
This is a food gift for the sweet tooth who is looking for something sweet that is not a cake. On a cool evening, a bowl of hot sweet soup for dessert is super welcome. There are many flavors you can choose, such as beans, corn, pomelo, banana and many more. Sweet soup is also another popular Vietnamese dessert which you will miss after leaving Vietnam.
Where To Find the Best Che in Da Lat
Che He
Address: 11A, 3 Thang 2, Da Lat
Phone number: 098 491 91 10
Business hours: 5PM – 11PM
Price range: 6,000 – 12,000 VND (0.3 – 0.6 USD)
Che Nhu Y
Address: 102A, 3 Thang 2, Da Lat
Phone number: 098 491 91 10
Business hours: 3:30PM – 10:30PM
Price range: 6,000 – 12,000 VND (0.3 – 0.6 USD)
Above is a list of top 10 local food of Da Lat that travelers shouldn’t miss. If you stop by and try anything on the list, don’t forget to share your experiences with other fellow readers in the comment section.
I wish you a wonderful time in the most romantic city of Vietnam. Here are some other articles you may want to read:
See, Do & Eat Guide to Dalat – Vietnam’s City of Eternal Spring
The Best Eco-Friendly Coffee Tours in Da Lat
If you enjoyed reading this article and would like some more fun info about what to see, do, and eat (and a bunch of interesting cafes!) in Vietnam, follow us at 4U Trip Blog!
