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To experience and savor Da Lat's street food in the authentic way, Nhat Vy (20 years old, Lam Dong), currently studying Food Technology at Da Lat University, suggests a culinary experience itinerary in the "City of Mist".
“In the morning, enjoy banh can (rice flour pancakes), in the afternoon, eat xap xap (a type of hot dessert), and in the evening, when the weather gets chilly, enjoy various hot milks like soy milk, corn milk, black sesame milk, rice milk, and grilled rice paper... As for avocado ice cream, you can enjoy it at any time of day. The reason for this schedule is that the vendors base it on the characteristic weather of Da Lat, where one day has four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter,” my friend shared.
Banh Can
Banh can is a popular dish found in many provinces and cities. However, the ingredients vary from place to place depending on local characteristics and tastes. For example, banh can from Ninh Thuan – a coastal province – has up to four types of dipping sauces, the most special being a light fish sauce made from mackerel, tuna, and scallions, with fillings of seafood such as shrimp and squid. In Da Lat, banh can has fillings such as quail eggs, bean sprouts, and beef.
In Da Lat, banh can (rice flour pancakes) come with various fillings such as quail eggs, bean sprouts, beef, etc.
The dipping sauce can be a simmered broth made from minced pork, rolled into balls, and sliced pork skin, or a mixture of fish sauce, scallion oil, and chili paste. Each serving of banh can consists of 5 pairs and costs between 25,000 and 50,000 VND. Tourists can adjust the number of pairs according to their preference.
In Da Lat, tourists can enjoy banh can (a type of Vietnamese pancake) at several famous locations such as:
- Le's Banh Can restaurant is located at 27/44 Yersin Street.
- Banh Can (rice flour pancakes) at 7 Tang Bat Ho Street
- Seafood pancake at 83A Nguyen Van Troi
- Co Chin's Banh Can (rice pancake) at 15A Da Lat
Butter cream
Avocado ice cream is one of the most addictive snacks you absolutely must try when visiting Da Lat. The appeal of avocado ice cream lies in its fresh, delicious ingredients. Fresh, perfectly ripe avocados are pureed, creating a creamy, rich flavor that combines perfectly with sweet, fragrant, cold coconut ice cream, resulting in a harmonious blend that is delicious without being cloying.
Each cup of avocado ice cream costs from 25,000 VND.
The vibrant green of the avocado blends with the white of the coconut cream to create a cup of ice cream that is not only delicious but also incredibly beautiful and appealing. Each cup of avocado ice cream costs from 25,000 VND. Besides hot food and drinks, enjoying a refreshing cup of avocado ice cream is an experience not to be missed when visiting the city of pine trees.
Visitors can enjoy avocado ice cream at several famous shops such as:
- Thanh Thao Avocado Ice Cream at 76 Nguyen Van Troi Street
- Phung's Avocado Ice Cream at 97A Nguyen Van Troi
- Butter cream at Che Cung Dinh at 164 Bui Thi Xuan
Xắpắp
Xắp xắp is also a memorable dish from the land of mist. According to locals, there are many different explanations for the name of this dish, and it comes from the way street vendors arrange the ingredients and spices. This dish is made from unripe papaya shredded into thin, long strips, dried beef, beef liver, and pork liver cooked with five-spice powder, roasted peanuts, herbs, and a sweet and sour broth.
Xắp xắp is also a memorable dish from the land of mist.
After the papaya is shredded into thin strips, it is soaked in diluted salt water to soften it, then drained. Peanuts are roasted and crushed but not too finely, mint is chopped, and a sweet and sour fish sauce is added.
Tourists can enjoy delicious xắp xắp at several restaurants such as:
- Ms. Nam's stall in alley 9 Nguyen Dinh Chieu
- Xắp xắp A Tỉ at 119B Nguyen Van Troi
- Cherry Hai Ba Trung restaurant is located at 236 Hai Ba Trung Street.
Grilled rice paper
Each local dish not only reflects the taste of the people but also tells a cultural story that has been nurtured and preserved through generations. Da Lat can be called a paradise for grilled rice paper, because here tourists can freely experience the diversity of this street food.
Some examples include grilled rice paper with beef, chicken, and sausage; beef and cheese; quail eggs with runny yolks and dried beef; mixed toppings; rice paper with scallion oil; and chewy quail eggs with fried onions… Tourists come here not only to enjoy the delicious and unique flavors of Da Lat's grilled rice paper but also to experience and explore the local life.
Da Lat could be called a paradise for grilled rice paper.
Each grilled rice paper snack is quite affordable, costing only 17,000 - 30,000 VND. In the cool weather of Da Lat, at sunrise or sunset, holding a crispy, hot grilled rice paper snack in your hand and slowly savoring it is an experience not to be missed when visiting the city of a thousand flowers.
Some popular places to enjoy rice paper rolls include:
- Grilled rice paper at Aunt Dinh's shop, 26 Hoang Dieu Street.
- Huyen's grilled rice paper stall at 2 Nha Chung Street
- Minh Chau rice paper shop at 34 Bui Thi Xuan Street.
- Co Phuong's grilled rice paper stall at 69C Nguyen Van Troi
Soy milk
One of the must-try street foods when visiting Da Lat is soy milk. While it's a popular drink in many provinces and cities, Da Lat's soy milk has a uniquely delicious flavor. Hot soy milk in Da Lat is a slow-drinking beverage; holding a steaming cup in your hand and savoring it slowly, you'll truly appreciate the city's culture. Besides soy milk, there are many other delicious hot milk options available, such as corn milk, black sesame milk, and rice milk, all equally tasty.
One of the must-try street foods when visiting Da Lat is soy milk.
The hot milk here has a delicious, rich, and distinctly sweet flavor. In the cool weather of this land of a thousand flowers, enjoying a delicious cup of hot milk will be a wonderful experience for any visitor.
Tourists can find milk stalls in many places; soy milk, corn milk, and black sesame milk cost 15,000 VND per glass, hot rice milk costs from 17,000 VND, and cold rice milk costs from 25,000 VND.
- Hoa Sua Soy Milk at 3F Tang Bat Ho
- Dung Beo Soy Milk at 2 Nguyen Van Cu Street
- Hai Chi Em Soy Milk at 37 Bui Thi Xuan
- Ms. Lan's Soy Milk at 6 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street
Strawberry Shake
Da Lat is famous for its many delicious fruits and vegetables, including strawberries. This fruit thrives in the cool climate of Da Lat, a city situated on the Lam Vien plateau at an altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level, resulting in strawberries grown there with a delicious and appealing flavor.
Strawberry shakes win everyone over with their refreshing, tangy-sweet strawberry flavor.
Among them, strawberry shake is one of the signature dishes of the land of a thousand flowers. Strawberry shake captivates everyone with its refreshing, sweet and sour taste of strawberries, combined with the salty and spicy flavor of shrimp salt. Each glass of strawberry shake costs from 20,000 VND. Tourists can find strawberry shake at street vendors in Da Lat market and the Tran Quoc Toan pedestrian street area.
