Da Nang cuisine: 26 delicious dishes that captivate diners from all directions

Da Nang cuisine is diverse, with delicious dishes that carry the rich flavor of Central Vietnam. If you have the chance to visit the "most livable city in Vietnam," be sure to try these 26 mouthwatering dishes recommended by iVIVU below!

1. Mì Quảng

When it comes to Đà Nẵng cuisine, you can't miss the famous and delicious Mì Quảng noodles. This is a humble, homestyle dish that anyone will love after trying it for the first time. A bowl of golden, fragrant Quang noodles with soft, chewy noodles made from rice flour, alongside which the light, gently sweet and fragrant broth simmered from bones for many hours is truly indispensable. A full bowl of Mi Quang includes noodles, pork or chicken, shrimp, eggs, etc. Mi Quang is eaten with fresh herbs, rice crackers, lime, chili, etc.

2. Nam Ô fish salad (gỏi cá)

Nam O fish salad (goi ca Nam O) is one of the specialty dishes you must try when coming to Da Nang. This dish originates from Nam Ô fishing village, at the foot of Hai Van Pass in Lien Chieu district, Da Nang city. Tourists can follow National Highway 1A heading North – South to the Nam O fishing village area, stopping to enjoy this appealing fish salad dish. Nam O fish salad comes in two types: wet salad and dry salad. Dried gỏi (Vietnamese salad) is usually eaten wrapped in rice paper rolled into a tube, with fish salad and various fresh bean sprouts and vegetables inside, dipped in a thick, sweet-and-sour, nutty-tasting dipping sauce. Wet fish salad with fresh, sweet fish meat soaked in rich, spicy broth, blended from the fragrant fish sauce of Nam O fishing village.

3. Bun cha ca (Vietnamese fish cake noodle soup)

In your journey to explore Da Nang cuisine, it would be such a shame to skip the bun cha ca (fish cake noodle soup)! Although this dish appears in many regions of Vietnam, in Da Nang it carries a distinctive, unique flavor that cannot be found anywhere else. Fish cake noodle soup comes in two types: steamed fish cake and fried fish cake (or both). In particular, the fish cake noodle soup in Central Vietnam is often delicious mainly because of the broth. Bun cha ca (fish cake vermicelli) is served with lettuce, bean sprouts, shrimp paste, or chili fish sauce…

4. Rice paper rolls with pork

Rice paper rolls with pork (bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo) are also one of the famous specialty dishes of the coastal city of Da Nang. Although the dish looks simple, it tastes really delicious, leaving a lasting impression on diners. The highlight of the dish is the thinly sliced pork, which is fragrant, tender, and sweet, and when boiled, the fat turns out very clear. The accompanying vegetables include: herbs, green banana, bean sprouts, cucumber… which keep diners from feeling overwhelmed by richness. The highlight is a bowl of fragrant fermented anchovy sauce with garlic and chili, skillfully prepared by the maker, with a rich, deep flavor. Every eatery has its own secret recipe for the dipping sauce, creating unique, unforgettable flavors for this rice-paper-wrapped pork dish.

5. Vietnamese sizzling pancake (bánh xèo)

Da Nang bánh xèo isn't too small and isn't too big either — it's just the one size that's perfect for eating. Banh xeo in Da Nang is made from rice flour batter mixed with egg yolk and turmeric powder, poured onto a hot pan. The filling is made from carefully selected ingredients such as fresh shrimp, pork belly with a balance of lean meat and fat, and fresh bean sprouts… Fresh vegetables served with bánh xèo include: lettuce, basil, sour green banana, and young mustard greens…; and soy sauce blended from pork liver and ground peanuts creates a dipping sauce with a nutty, rich flavor, or a bowl of traditionally prepared chili-garlic fish sauce.

6. Steamed rice cakes (Bánh bèo)

Banh beo is a rustic, homely dish, simple in both ingredients and flavor, yet it holds a great charm for both locals and visitors coming to Da Nang. Bánh bèo comes in many varieties, distinguished by their shape and the way they are eaten. Bánh bèo tai is arranged directly on a plate, while bánh bèo chén is pre-molded in small round cups. And they all have an appealing filling steamed on top.

7. Cau Mong Grilled Whole Roasted Calf

Cầu Mống (Rainbow Bridge) is a landmark located in Điện Phương commune (Điện Bàn district, Quảng Nam province), a place famous for its renowned grilled veal dish (bê thui). Nowadays, thui veal (grilled whole veal) has also made its way onto Da Nang's culinary map. Cầu Mống grilled beef is known by Da Nang locals under the familiar name "Cầu Mống rare beef". This dish is just as famous as Quang noodles. Spread out the rice paper, place a few slices of roasted veal on top, roll it up together with fresh herbs, dip it in fish sauce, and chew thoroughly to fully savor the sweet flavor of the veal combined with the rich, fragrant saltiness of the fish sauce.

8. "Xoa Xoa" pomegranate seed sweet soup

Grass jelly cooked from seaweed, tapioca pearls made from fine tapioca flour, black jelly made from a cooling leaf found in the forest, and especially coconut milk pressed from pure coconut… All of these combine together to make a delicious, refreshing snack. When eaten, the crunchiness of the jelly, coconut milk and the rich, creamy crushed mung beans, combined with the chewy texture of the pomegranate seeds, captivates the taster. On sunny days, "xoa xoa hat luu" sweet tea/dessert is truly a wonderful refreshment!

9. Mixed jackfruit salad

This mixed young jackfruit salad is simply young jackfruit boiled just until tender, then shredded and tossed with sliced pork belly or shrimp or pork skin, sprinkled with peanuts, fried shallots, and sweet-and-sour fish sauce dressing, plus a little Vietnamese coriander and mint, yet it enchants people with its irresistible aroma and eye-catching color. Eat jackfruit salad with sesame rice paper. Break off a piece of rice paper, scoop up a bite of the mixed young jackfruit salad, and feel the crunchy crispness of the rice paper, the mild sweetness and nutty flavor of the young jackfruit, a bit of crunchy, springy pork skin melting in your mouth, along with the fragrant aroma of peanuts, fried shallots, and a touch of spicy chili and fresh herbs melting together — creating an irresistibly delicious flavor.

10. Wrapped rice paper roll

The bánh tráng kẹp (grilled folded rice paper) in Da Nang is praised as rich in flavor and wonderfully varied. From a basic grilled rice paper, Da Nang people have created many kinds of rice paper dishes such as pate-stuffed, egg-stuffed, dried beef,… each with its own way of shaping the rice paper. No matter what type of rice paper it is, when eating it you must dip it in the distinctive sauce with the bright red color of dried beef sauce, smooth and thick, blending salty-sweet flavor with a bit of spicy heat from candied chili — only then is it truly delicious and just right.

11. Sticky rice ice cream

On hot, sultry days in Central Vietnam, what could be better than savoring spoonfuls of cool, refreshing ice cream? Kem xôi (sticky rice ice cream) is quite an interesting snack in Da Nang. The cool, fragrant flavor of chocolate, durian, and vanilla ice cream scoops… Blending with every soft grain of sticky rice cooked together with elaborately prepared mung beans, plus a touch of rich, creamy coconut shreds, will make it impossible for you to forget once you've tasted it.

12. Tofu cocktail

Tofu pudding is made from soybeans, but what makes the cocktail tofu pudding in Da Nang special lies in its thick, smooth, and highly cohesive texture, so when the piece of tofu pudding is turned out onto a plate, it doesn't fall apart, and at first glance people will immediately think of a cool, refreshing jelly dessert. Tofu is usually placed in round-shaped molds. Depending on the customer's preference, the shop owner adds ice and other flavors and fruits such as chocolate, durian, or cocktail (a mix of fruits blended with syrup)… Scoop up each small spoonful of tofu pudding and bring it to your mouth, and you'll clearly feel the fragrant, savory, creamy, smooth flavor of soybeans, carefully blended together with the sweetness of sugar.

13. Salted yogurt

What makes Da Nang yogurt special isn't just its cute little plastic pots, but also the incredibly unique combination of tangy-sweet flavor with a touch of salty from the salt. At first hearing about it, you might feel that this combination sounds strange, but once you've tried it, you'll be even more captivated — yogurt naturally has a gently tangy, smooth and creamy flavor, and adding salt helps make it even richer and more delicious to enjoy.

14. Snails

Snail sucking (ốc hút) has long become a familiar snack for the people of Da Nang city. After being soaked in rice-washing water to release all the grit, the snails are trimmed at the tail and then stir-fried together with chili, coconut milk, ginger, and lemongrass so that those seasonings soak evenly into every snail. Ốc hút (sucking snails) are usually eaten together with green papaya and rice paper. Just thinking about the crispy rice paper mingling with the thick, fragrant snail broth—bursting with salty, sweet, spicy, and nutty flavors all at once—is already enough to make your mouth water.

15. Da Nang chicken rice

If you ever have the chance to visit Da Nang, you absolutely must try the famous chicken rice here. This chicken rice dish is prepared in many styles such as fried chicken, shredded chicken, grilled chicken…; the rice is cooked soft and fragrant, the chicken is sweet and chewy, and the more you eat it, the more captivating it becomes.

16. Bún mắm nêm (rice vermicelli with fermented fish sauce)

A delicious noodle dish in Da Nang that leaves diners longing for more is bun mam nem (fermented fish sauce noodles) — it may sound a bit hard to eat at first, but once you get used to this flavor, you'll surely find it addictive. Bun mam nem consists mainly of soft fresh rice vermicelli, topped with a rich, flavorful fermented anchovy sauce made according to a special recipe, combined with appealing side ingredients such as: roasted pork, beef sausage, pig's ear, nem, pork belly… brings visitors a delightful experience when enjoying this attractive dish.

17. Hue-style clam rice

Com hen (baby clam rice) is a famous dish from Hue, but when you visit Da Nang you can also enjoy this dish, incredibly delicious and just like the flavor of Hue. The sweet, fragrant clam meat eaten together with the rice creates a dish that is extremely eye-catching and tasty, which is why it is sought after by so many people.

18. Da Nang beef vermicelli soup

Da Nang beef noodle soup captivates diners with its distinctive flavor. A bowl of beef noodle soup here usually includes beef, beef balls, blood pudding, noodles… along with that is the sweet, fragrant broth with its distinctive aroma. To add more stimulating flavor, while eating you can add fresh herbs, lime, chili, satay chili oil, fish sauce… to make the dish more impressive.

19. Da Nang beef pounded sausage (Chả bò Đà Nẵng)

It would truly be a shame to skip the beef sausage (chả bò) when coming to Da Nang! Chả bò is on the list of the city's famous specialty dishes. This beef pate is crispy-chewy, fragrant, and incredibly rich in beef flavor, so you can rest assured about the purity of this beef pate! With this dish, you can enjoy it with bread, spring rolls, or just eat it on its own — it's absolutely delicious.

20. Grilled rice paper

Bánh tráng đập (smashed rice paper) is a snack loved by many when visiting Đà Nẵng because of how simple and delicious it is. The cake is made from grilled rice paper, topped with a thin layer of rice flour cake, sprinkled with a bit of red shrimp, peanuts, and fragrant fried scallions. When eating, dip the rice paper into the rich and enticing fermented fish sauce.

21. Nam cake (steamed rice flour cake with shrimp and pork)

Bánh nậm is one of the snacks favored by many tourists when visiting Đà Nẵng. This is a cake made from rice flour, rectangular in shape, wrapped in banana leaf or green dong leaf, and thinner than bánh bèo. Although this bánh nậm cake is made with very simple ingredients, it has always been a dish loved by many people for its delicious, especially appealing flavor.

22. Rice porridge with crullers and cartilage ribs

Congee with quẩy and cartilage ribs is a dish that attracts many customers with its rich, flavorful taste. The congee is cooked just right, neither too thick nor too watery. Hot congee combined with cartilage ribs is extremely appealing. The bowl of congee is overflowing with crispy golden fried dough sticks, fragrant fried shallots, and rich, savory pork floss. You can try a bowl of congee with fried breadsticks for those chilly rainy days to feel the warm flavor of the porridge.

23. Cabbage rolls (Ram cuốn cải)

Cabbage-wrapped ram is a dish that captivates diners with its quite impressive flavor. Each roll, with its outer layer fried to a golden crisp, is crunchy and utterly satisfying to eat. Ram filling has 3 types: meat ram, corn ram, and vegetarian ram. Da Nang-style ram is always eaten together with spicy mustard greens, dipped in a salty-sweet dipping sauce. Besides that, to make the flavor of the ram cuốn (fried spring rolls) more delicious, apart from spicy mustard greens, people also eat ram together with a variety of raw vegetables such as lettuce, pickled papaya, pickled carrots, thinly sliced cucumber…

24. Rice paper rolls with mackerel

Mackerel rolled in rice paper is a fragrant and appealing dish; fresh mackerel with soft, sweet-smelling flesh is usually steamed with onions and then rolled in rice paper. It may seem unappetizing at first, but this is actually an extremely enticing dish, and you'll be hooked on it after just one try.

25. Mixed Pork Skin Salad

Mixed pork skin salad is an attractive dish in Da Nang, combining chewy pork skin, fried shallots, shredded papaya, Vietnamese coriander,… served with a perfectly balanced sweet and sour fish sauce. You just need to mix it thoroughly and you can enjoy this special pork skin dish.

26. Grilled leg of lamb

On your Da Nang culinary journey, be sure to try lamb prepared in many different ways, such as: grilled lamb ribs, crispy fried lamb ribs, salt-roasted lamb, and lamb stewed with beans,… especially the fragrant grilled lamb leg. The lamb meat is aromatic and tender, and only when you taste it can you fully feel the chewiness and the indescribable sweet, delicious flavor of this irresistible dish.