Ha Long Food has a special lure to visitors, which is a combination of fresh seafood and skilful processing techniques. Let’s have a look at our thoughtful list of the distinguished local dishes and a place to stay to enjoy the most of your time in Ha Long, Quang Ninh - Vietnam.
1. A suggestion of 10 best foods in ha long you must try
1.1. Banh Gat Gu (Nodding Cake)
On the top of the list of street food in Ha Long Bay, this is a kind of roll made from rice powder with minced pork and fried onions as fillings. The roll should be dipped in fish sauce and chilly. As the roll is long and soft, it will hang down when the diners hold it in their hands which looks like a person nodding. This funnily named tasty dish can be tried at Ha Long night market inside Ha Long Marine Plaza, Bai Chay, Ha Long city at a fairly reasonable price.
1.2. Ngan (Austriella Corrugata)
This kind of shellfish tastes very good and is among the top dishes of Quang Ninh cuisine. The corrugata can be processed in various ways including being steamed, baked, grilled, cooked in soup, stirred in fat with noodle or even put in wine for a long time to create a nutritious alcoholic drink.
Many restaurants in Ha Long offer this dish. Or you can try it at Thien Anh Seafood Restaurant, in Cai Dam Urban Area, Bai Chay.
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1.3. Oyster
Oyster has been one of the top seafoods in both Ha Long restaurants and street stalls thanks to its good taste and nutrition. The sea water in Quang Ninh has a high amount of salt and a rich source of food for oysters, so the local oysters taste even better than those in other sea areas of the country.
Local chefs prefer to keep the freshness of the seafood. That is why simple cooking methods like baking, steaming or boiling are more popular.
The oyster in Ha Long has a thin shell, soft body and contains lots of minerals without a fishy smell. People prefer to eat the oyster raw to enjoy its fatty meat together with lemon, mustard and chili sauce.
Oysters can be baked alone, with onion or with cheese; steamed with piper lolot, ginger or lemongrass.
They can be covered with starch and then fried, or stirred in butter with garlic as well.
You can try this dish in any Ha Long restaurants.
1.4. Cha Muc (Grilled Chopped Squid) - a must-eat Ha Long food
Grilled Chopped Squid is the first Ha Long food that you should try when setting foot in Ha Long city. The dish is made of chopped or minced squid, formed into a circle and fried. The dish here is more tasty than those in other localities.
The dish can be served with steam sticky rice or normal steam rice, which is mouthwatering to many people who have tried it.
The dish can be ordered at Quang Phong Restaurant, C112A Block, Old Quarter Area, Ha Long city.
The grilled chopped squid can be served with hot steamed rice rolls as well. Some salted minced pork and wood-ear mushroom are wrapped inside the rolls. The dish is eaten with fish sauce. You can try it at Goc Bang Roll & Grilled Chopped Squid Restaurant, Opera House Lane, Bach Dang ward, Ha Long city.
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1.5. Tien Yen Hill Chicken - Ha Long cuisine is more than just seafood
Ha Long cuisine is famed with dishes processed from chicken raised in a natural way in Tien Yen Hill, where they are free to run on hills and find food in nature in the north of the province. The chicken offers soft and sweet meat.
The most common processing method is boiling. Boiled chicken dipped in a special sauce has lured many visitors to Ha Long restaurants.
You can try the dish at Cỏ Xanh 2 Restaurant, Gieng Day, Hung Thang, Ha Long city.
1.6. Sa Sung (Sipunculus Nudus)
Talking about Quang Ninh food, it is impossible to not mention sa sung (Sipunculus Nudus), a kind of sand worm that resides only in the Ha Long sea area. The worm is so nutritious that it is nicknamed “earth ginseng”. The worm can be stirred in fat with garlic as a main course or baked as a snack to enjoy with cold beer.
The porridge of the worm, added with some herbs and thin slices of ginger, tastes so sweet that it will surely be unforgettable for diners.
You can try the dish at Huong Duyen Hon Gai Restaurant, 66 Tran Hung Dao street, Cao Thang ward, Ha Long city.
1.7. Sam (Horseshoe Crab)
The best food in Ha Long Bay also includes sam (horseshoe crab), which can be processed in various ways. You can order this kind of crab stirred in fat with sweet & sour flavours. The crab can be made into salad, stirred in fat with vermicelli or stirred in fat with red chili & lemongrass. Chefs can also cook the crab with tomatoes. They can also fry the crab’s egg and bake the crab’s cartilage. The softness and sweetness of the crab will conquer any fastidious diner.
You can try it at Sam Restaurant, Ha Long Market, Bach Dang ward, Ha Long city.
1.8. Chao Ha (Acorn Barnacle Porridge)
Acorn Barnacle is a shellfish in the family of crab and lobster, which often resides in underwater rocks or the bottom of ships and never moves away throughout its life. This small shellfish has high nutritions and tastes sweet in porridge. The porridge should be served hot with black pepper, some herbs and fried bagel twists. This dish is ideal for suppers or meals on cool days. Any Ha Long restaurant can offer the dish at a reasonable price.
1.9. Bun Be Be (Noodle with mantis shrimp) - an iconic Ha Long noodle dish
Noodle with mantis shrimp is one of the best dishes in Ha Long, which offers the sweet taste of the seafood, the soft noodles mingling in rich broth with some herbs on top. In some Ha Long restaurants, the dish is added with some fried tofu, shrimp and grilled chopped squid.
You can try it at Lang Chai Noodle with Mantis Shrimp, 1 Le Thanh Tong street, Hong Gia, Ha Long city.
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1.10. Halong Tapioca Yogurt - Quang Ninh cuisine’s most famous dessert
Quang Ninh cuisine is highly praised with Ha Long Tapioca Yogurt, which is very special with the fatty taste of coconut milk and tapioca that is similar to marshmallow. The yogurt also contains aloe vera, jelly and dried coconut.
You can try the delicacy at Cai Dam Tapioca Yogurt, 589 Ha Long, Bai Chay, Ha Long city.
2. Where to stay in Ha Long? Accommodation when visiting Ha Long
All of the above-mentioned delicacies of Ha Long Food can be ordered at the luxurious restaurant system of Vinpearl Resort & Spa Ha Long, where travelers can both experience traditional cuisine and enjoy relaxation at a 5-star hotel.
Three restaurants at Vinpearl Resort & Spa Ha Long serve various menus from international buffet to à-la-carte or set menus prepared by chef Khong Quoc Thuy.
The hotel also offers afternoon tea sets with various local and international snacks.
At two bars in the hotel, guests can also order food or snacks as well.
Bayview Restaurant, looking over Ha Long Bay, opens between 6 am and 10 pm and offers buffet only.
Pavilion Restaurant opens at dinner time between 6 pm and 10 pm, serving fresh seafood. The restaurant was built over the sea with a spectacular view.
Built right on the sea, Vinpearl Resort & Spa Ha Long looks like a beautiful castle inspired by the Rennes theatre in France.
The resort possesses 3 private beaches, green premises and an outdoor swimming pool of up to 1,200 square meters.
Nearly 400 spacious rooms with large balconies offer good views of the bay and Ha Long city in the distance.
>>> Don’t hesitate to book Vinpearl Resort & Spa Ha Long to experience high-end services
Ha Long Vietnam is not only a must-visit destination in Viet Nam with beautiful landscape but also a paradise of foods, the best of which are listed above. You should visit Ha Long to enjoy its natural gifts. Ha Long cuisine is special as the ingredients are fresh and processed in the wisest ways to keep the most natural tastes and nutritions. Try Vinpearl, the best place to stay suggested for your trip, to enjoy one of the most luxurious services in the north of Vietnam.
>>> Remember to book Vinpearl Resort & Spa Ha Long in advance