Last January, my friend invited me to visit her hometown in Quy Nhon. According to her words, she was born and raised in a peaceful coastal city in Binh Dinh province, where she would walk the unspoiled beaches every day in a beautiful dress, and drink a cocktail at a beach bar.
This is exactly how I imagine my dream life. How dare I deny such a tempting invitation! So, we hopped on a sleeper bus and traveled to Quy Nhon. When I was there, I discovered another even better reason to love this place. The food! It is hard to believe that I can eat out all day with only five dollars in my pocket, but you can in Quy Nhon! Here is the list of the tastiest dishes of Quy Nhon that are worth your time and taste buds.
Contents
- 1 The 10 Best Foods in Quy Nhon
- 1.1 Fish noodle – Bun ca
- 1.2 “Jumping” shrimp pancake – Banh xeo tom nhay
- 1.3 Jellyfish noodle – Bun sua
- 1.4 Grilled Nem
- 1.5 Thin Vermicelli served with pig intestine – Banh hoi long heo
- 1.6 Vietnamese rice pyramid dumpling – Banh it la gai
- 1.7 Water Fern Cake – Banh Beo
- 1.8 Beef ragu served with banh mi – Banh mi ragu
- 1.9 Grilled Coconut Paper – Banh trang nuong dua
- 1.10 The best banh trang nuong dua in Quy Nhon
- 1.11 Fresh seafood – Hai san tuoi song
The 10 Best Foods in Quy Nhon
Fish noodle – Bun ca
Just like Nguyen appears in the first name of many Vietnamese names when it comes to food, it’s the bun (or noodle) that usually begins the name of a Vietnamese dish. Among the countless types of noodle in Vietnam, bun ca Quy Nhon is one of the most popular ones. It is so easy to spot a cart that sells bun ca when you’re in Quy Nhon but the preparation requires a lot of effort.
Every ingredient has to be prepared separately the night before. From kneading, shaping, and boiling a mixture of rice powder and flour to make the vermicelli; to elaborately making the fish fillet and patiently stewing the fishbone and head for hours to make a flavourful broth, this dish will not disappoint. A bowl of fish noodles is usually served with a dish of fresh herbs. It tastes even better when you dip the fish fillet in the fish sauce.
The best bun ca in Quy Nhon
Phuong Teo
Address: 221 Nguyen Hue, Tran Phu W., Quy Nhon city
Phone number: 0256 3815 176
Business hours: 6 AM – 10 PM
Price range: 25,000 VND – 30,000 VND (1.1 USD – 1.3 USD)
Bun Ca Thuan Hong
Address: 415 Nguyen Hue, Tran Phu W., Quy Nhon city
Phone number: 0122 255 2221
Business hours: 6:30 AM – 11:30 PM
Price range: 25,000 VND – 30,000 VND (1.1 USD – 1.3 USD)
“Jumping” shrimp pancake – Banh xeo tom nhay
Are you curious about the name of this dish? At first, when my friend told me that we would be eating the “jumping” shrimp pancake, I expected to see the shrimp jumping on the pan when being cooked. However, it didn’t happen. In fact, the term “jumping shrimp” is used to describe the freshness of the shrimp. This pancake is much smaller than the southern version. I enjoy the sizzle of the heat as the mixture of liquid flour makes contact with the hot pan. The filling of central banh xeo is rich.
You can also eat this pancake with squid, egg, or rare beef which is then complimented by bean sprouts, onion, and green onion. This central pancake feast isn’t completed without a tray of greens herbs, rice paper, and sweet fish sauce. To eat it, grab a piece of rice paper, top it with salad, herbs, and the pancake. Then it’s time to roll! Finally, take a bite and feel the steaming texture of a fried pancake, the freshness of the seafood, and the refreshing flavor of herbs.
The best banh xeo in Quy Nhon
Gia Vy 2
Address: 14 Dien Hong, Le Hong Phong W., Quy Nhon city
Phone number: 093 279 86 69
Business hours: 6 AM – 10 PM
Price range: 25,000 VND – 30,000 VND (1.1 USD – 1.3 USD)
Ong Hung
Address: 24 Dien Hong, Ly Thuong Kiet W., Quy Nhon city
Phone number: 0256 6558 845
Business hours: 8 AM – 10 PM
Price range: 25,000 VND (1.1 USD)
Rau Mam
Address: 91 Dong Da, Quy Nhon city
Phone number: (053) 3 850 526
Business hours: 9 AM – 10 PM
Price range: 25,000 VND (1.1 USD – 1.3 USD)
Ba Nam My Cang
Address: My Cang’s Bridgehead, Phuoc Son District., Quang Nam Province
Phone number: 0905 425 556
Business hours: 8 AM – 9 PM
Price range: 25,000 VND – 40,000 VND (1.1 USD – 1.8 USD)
Jellyfish noodle – Bun sua
Here comes another bun dish! Not every jellyfish can be cooked in a delicious bowl of noodles, it must be a milky jellyfish. The cook immerses the vermicelli noodles in boiling water, then moves it to a bowl when done. Next, the cook places slices of jellyfish, fried fish fillet, and pours a decent amount of broth (made of stewed pork bone) into the bowl. Last but not least, grinded peanut is added to the beautiful bowl of noodles as a delicious crunchy topping.
Just like other Vietnamese dishes, the veggies that accompany jellyfish noodles are mango to contribute a sour taste, slices of cucumber, and some greens like salad, coriander, and mint leaves. All of the ingredients are blended so well together and create a pleasant flavor in your mouth. Bun sua is perfect for those of you who love eating anything that is chewy and crunchy.
The best bun sua in Quy Nhon
Hoa Hoa Seafood Restaurant
Address: 3/8 Phan Chu Trinh, Quy Nhon city
Phone number: 056 3893 695
Business hours: 9 AM – 9 PM
Price range: 50,000 VND – 250,000 VND (2.2 USD – 10.9 USD)
Quan Thuy Bun Ram Bun Cha Ca
Address: 261 Tang Bat Ho, Quy Nhon city
Phone number: 098 820 78 77
Business hours: 7 AM – 9 PM
Price range: 18,000 VND – 25,000 VND (0.8 USD – 2.2 USD)
Grilled Nem
Nem is a kind of meatball (usually pork) that often comes in the shape of a cube wrapped in banana leaves and herbs. Quy Nhon-Binh Dinh nem is a specialty that people usually buy to gift to their family and friends whenever they travel to this region. Normally, nem can be eaten without having been cooked. However, I wouldn’t say no to grilled nem! The nem is grilled until the surface is a little burnt, then the cook will either use it for spring rolls or serve it with the greens, bitter banana, cucumber, and star fruit. In every bite, you will taste the light texture of the grilled nem, it won’t be too dry. Dip it in soya sauce or chili sauce to enhance the taste.
The best grilled nem in Quy Nhon
Co Tuyet
Address: Hai Thuong Lan Ong – Xuan Dieu
Business hours: 3 PM – 9:30 PM
Price range: 7,000 VND (0.03 USD)
Nem Nuong – Cha Nuong
Address: 7 Hai Thuong Lan Ong, Tran Phu W., Quy Nhon city
Business hours: 3 PM – 9 PM
Price range: 7,000 VND (0.03 USD)
An Vat Ba Be – Nem Nuong & Muc Rim
Address: Near 62 Mai Xuan Thuong, Quy Nhon city
Business hours: 5 PM – 10 PM
Price range: 10,000 VND (0.45 USD)
Thin Vermicelli served with pig intestine – Banh hoi long heo
It’s not an exaggeration to say that every province and city in Vietnam has its own exotic food. Though to Vietnamese, the intestine is a normal part of our diet. More or less, we eat it as a daily meal. To foreigners, it’s still a huge challenge but you should give banh hoi long heo a try. This dish is a favorite breakfast of people in Quy Nhon. Made of rice vermicelli, banh hoi is another kind of noodle that the Vietnamese love. It is prepared with a spoon of oil and finely chopped chives, and the intestine is placed in the middle of the banh hoi plate.
The side dish of banh hoi long heo is a helping of boiled bean sprouts, basil, salad, and coriander or a bowl of porridge. The sauce also plays a very important role in completing the taste of this delicacy. First, the server cooks down the fish sauce with sugar until it’s thicker. Second, ground garlic, lime juice, and a few slices of chili are added to the fish sauce. Later, it is poured into a small bowl. Voila!
The best banh hoi long heo in Quy Nhon
Chi Hong
Address: 20 Dien Hong, Ly Thuong Kiet, Quy Nhon city
Phone number: 0122 443 4567
Business hours: 5 AM – 10 AM
Price range: 30,000 VND (1.3 USD)
Man
Address: 76A Tran Phu, Quy Nhon city
Phone number: 056 3825720
Business hours: 7 AM – 10 AM
Price range: 25,000 VND – 30,000 VND (1.1 USD – 1.3 USD)
Vietnamese rice pyramid dumpling – Banh it la gai
This pyramid dessert is a specialty of Quy Nhon-Binh Dinh. Locals wrap a cake with gai leaves and stuff it with coconut flesh, peanut, green beans, and ginger. A good quality cake is soft, bland, and not too sweet. “Don’t think, just chew” to feel the interesting texture. Wait until you bite the sweet stuffing, it is probably unlike any dessert you have tried. Don’t worry about the sweetness as even those who don’t like a sweet taste can’t deny having a second one.
The best banh it la gai in Quy Nhon
Thanh Liem
Address: 128 Chuong Duong, Quy Nhon city
Phone number: 0914 355 588
Business hours: 6:30 AM – 9:30 PM
Price range: 3.500 VND/each (0.16 USD)
Ba Du
Phone number: 097 881 78 22
Facebook: Banh It La Gai Ba Du
Price range: 3,000 VND/each (0.13 USD)
Water Fern Cake – Banh Beo
This dish is not originally from Quy Nhon but beo cake is a flavorful snack with good flavor in this region. The water fern cake in Quy Nhon is made of rice flour, topped with chopped chives, dried shrimp, and ground peanuts. The best version of this dish has crunchy fried breadcrumbs on the top. Add a decent amount of sweet fish sauce and this snack will be ready to go. Sometimes I like to play a game when eating this snack! Since the cakes are served on a small plate, start an eating competition with your friends to see who can eat more water fern cake, and the winner doesn’t have to pay for their meal! 😉
The best banh beo in Quy Nhon
Ba Xe
Address: Tran Nguyen Dan, Quy Nhon city
Business hours: 4 PM – 9 PM
Price range: 15,000 VND – 25,000 VND (0.7 USD – 1.1 USD)
Kim Dinh
Address: 20 Nguyen Hue
Business hours: 7 AM – 10 PM
Price range: 10,000 VND – 22,000 VND (0.5 USD – 1 USD)
Banh Beo Cay Man
Address: 742 Tran Hung Dao, Quy Nhon city
Business hours: 1 PM – 8 PM
Price range: 15,000 VND – 33,000 VND (0.7 USD – 1.5 USD)
Beef ragu served with banh mi – Banh mi ragu
Another popular breakfast in Quy Nhon is beef ragu served with bread. The beef is stewed for hours to make it firm but soft so when you bite down, it will be chewy but not too tough to swallow. A bowl of beef ragu contains a lot of nutrition. Besides meat, you will also find carrots, peanuts, and some other spices. A banh mi is what makes this food even more addictive. The good smell of butter spread on bread is so alluring that you can’t help but keep thinking about it afterward. On a chilly day, nothing is better than holding a warm banh mi in your hands, tearing it apart, stopping for a second to smell the good scent of butter, bread, and beef ragu. Dip the banh mi into the broth and slowly relish the symphony of flavors in your mouth.
The best beef ragu in Quy Nhon
171 Nguyen Hue
Address: 171 Nguyen Hue, Quy Nhon city
Business hours: 5 PM – 9 PM
Price range:35,000 VND (1.6 USD)
132 Ngo May
Address: 132 Ngo May, Quy Nhon city
Business hours: 7 AM – 9 PM
Price range:15,000 VND – 20,000 VND (0.7 USD – 0.9 USD)
05 Pho Duc Chinh
Address: 05 Pho Duc Chinh, Quy Nhon city
Business hours: 4 PM – 10 PM
Price range: 15,000 VND- 25,000 VND (0.7 USD – 1.1 USD)
Grilled Coconut Paper – Banh trang nuong dua
The land of Tam Quan is famous in Vietnam for having many recipes that contain coconut in the ingredients. Coconut paper is the most popular one. It is made of flour, rice flour, sesame, and coconut juice. After coating a pan with the mixture, it will be left in the sun until dried. The grilled coconut paper is a favorable snack that tastes a little sweet because of the coconut juice and smells good due to the sesame. Locals usually bring it home as a Quy Nhon gift to their loved ones.
The best banh trang nuong dua in Quy Nhon
Ba Quan
Call to buy
Phone number: 01692414215
Business hours: 6 AM – 9 PM
Price range: 50,000 VND (2.27 USD)
Website: Banh Trang Dua Ba Quan
Fresh seafood – Hai san tuoi song
You can’t go to the beach without trying any seafood. So wake up early in the morning and pay a visit to the fishing village. With 72 kilometers of coast, seafood in Quy Nhon is very diverse! There you can easily find shrimp, sea snails, crabs, king crabs, clams, scallops, and more. You can buy seafood directly from the fisherman or in the wet market.
If you enjoy the freshness of seafood, I suggest boiling or steaming it to taste the true flavor. But don’t forget to dip it in salt, pepper, and lime sauce. Some dishes you should try are: sea snails sautéed with coconut (oc len xao dua), scallops/echinus grilled with oil and green onion (so diep/con nhum nuong mo hanh), fresh oyster served with lime (hau tai chanh), steamed sea clams (ngheu hap), Huynh De Crab sauteed with tamarind (cua Huynh De rang me), or grilled fish (ca nuong).
The best seafood in Quy Nhon
Ngoc Han Cong Chua street
This street is known as the sea-snail paradise where many carts full of sea-snails stand next to each other, with a variety of dishes. Don’t miss out!
Oc Co Xi
Address: 40 Dao Duy Tu, Quy Nhon city
Business hours: 10 AM – 10 PM
Price range: 30,000 VND – 100,000 VND (1.5 USD – 4.2 USD)
Oc Thuy Kieu
Address: 5D Tang Bat Ho, Quy Nhon city
Business hours: 7 AM – 9 PM
Price range: 10,000 VND – 100,000 VND (0.4 USD – 4.2 USD)
Co Anh
Address: Nguyen Tat Thanh, Le Hong Phong W., Quy Nhon city
Business hours: 2 PM – 6 PM
Price range: 15,000 VND – 20,000 VND (0.7 USD – 0.9 USD)
I have now shared with you the top foods to try when in Quy Nhon. This coastal city still has a lot to offer. So stop by, discover it by yourself and don’t forget to share your experiences with other travelers in the comments below. You might also want to check out our other articles on our blog to find the best accommodations in Quy Nhon and a two-day itinerary designed for you. If you would like to ride a motorbike to other coastal cities from Quy Nhon.
If you wish to read more articles about Vietnamese cuisine, check these out:
Top 10 Vietnamese Dishes You Should Try
10 Weird Food in Vietnam You Must Try: Bugs, Rats, Worms, and Blood
Top 5 Foods in Hanoi – Breakfast Edition
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!
