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The coastal city of Da Nang, one of the top beautiful destinations in Vietnam and only about 2 hours flight from Hong Kong, is constantly asserting its position on the international tourism map. However, besides the famous scenic spots such as Ba Na Hills, Hoi An or the neighboring ancient capital of Hue, the true attraction of Da Nang lies in another aspect: the richness and authenticity of its street food.
Chef Olivier Corti, head chef and co-owner of Le Comptoir, a fine-dining French restaurant in Da Nang, who moved to live and work here in 2017, believes that the city's "true culinary heroes" are not in the luxury restaurants but hidden on the streets. Mr. Corti, who has worked in Lyon (France), Monaco and Hong Kong, shares with Hong Kong newspaper SCMP the best dishes and addresses in Da Nang, where he finds the best Vietnamese dishes beyond the globally famous pho and banh mi.
Da Nang can be divided into two main areas, each with its own distinct lifestyle and culinary style. The coastal area is packed with bars and hotels, popular with digital nomads and surfers. It is vibrant and highly cosmopolitan. The inner city is where the local vibe is strongest, with 24-hour cafes, small food stalls and bustling traditional markets.
The Dragon Bridge across the Han River connects the two banks, these two areas, with its fire-breathing performance on weekend evenings, and has become a tourist icon. Whichever side you choose, you will enjoy delicious food, proving that Vietnamese cuisine has been honored by the online travel guide TasteAtlas as one of the top cuisines in the world by 2024.
Quang noodles
“Nothing makes you feel like you’re in Da Nang like a bowl of Mi Quang,” says chef Olivier Corti. The noodle dish takes its name from Quang Nam, the province that formerly bordered Da Nang. It’s characterized by a little turmeric broth and a variety of ingredients: shrimp (often recommended to be eaten with the shell), fish, eel, pork, chicken and even jellyfish.
What makes the light and fresh flavor of Mi Quang is the fresh herbs such as basil, coriander, mint, along with chili, boiled eggs, chopped lettuce, lemon and especially crispy sesame rice paper that brings a rich taste.
Corti's favorite place to enjoy this authentic dish is My Quang Co Sau (397 Tran Hung Dao, An Hai Tay, Son Tra), a restaurant located on the banks of the Han River and recommended by Michelin, owned by a Quang Nam native.
Seafood from the Central Coast
Corti believes that the best chefs in Da Nang are the “street moms,” who work day and night to serve breakfast and have been cooking the same dish for 30 years. These women keep the traditional flavors intact and are the culinary soul of the city, especially when it comes to seafood. Chau Son 1 Seafood (21 Nai Tu 2, An Hai Bac, Son Tra) is a casual seafood restaurant, serving customers right on the sidewalk with low metal tables and blue plastic chairs. The French chef shares that the restaurant gets its seafood extremely fresh from a small boat in the early morning. The restaurant’s charcoal grill gives oysters, clams, squid and even bread a distinctive smoky flavor.
Or Mrs. Ro seafood (115 Ly Tu Tan, Tho Quang, Son Tra) is also a familiar destination of Corti, serving a variety of fresh seafood such as chili crab, garlic oysters to cream shrimp.
Banh xeo
For French chefs, banh xeo is a must-try. This local specialty consists of golden pancakes made from rice flour and turmeric powder, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, filled with shrimp and chicken. Corti recommends Banh Xeo Ba Duong (280/23 Hoang Dieu, Phuoc Ninh, Hai Chau), a restaurant that has been specializing in this dish for more than 30 years, also serving grilled spring rolls and lemongrass-grilled minced pork skewers.
Danang style breakfast
Instead of pho bo, the local people's breakfast is usually a bowl of vermicelli or banh canh. Visitors should try bun cha ca or banh canh Thu (29 Chau Thi Vinh Te, Bac My Phu, Ngu Hanh Son), a regional specialty vermicelli with fresh fish cakes. If vermicelli is not your thing, Bo Ne is also an interesting choice at Bo Ne Khanh (41 Hoang Van Thu, Phuoc Ninh, Hai Chau) with a simple meal of fried egg, beef and bread.
Besides traditional cuisine, Da Nang's growing popularity with Korean tourists and digital nomads has fueled the rapid growth of international cuisine, from Korean to Japanese.
Chef Corti concludes that Danang’s culinary culture is like the city itself – evolving rapidly, full of surprises and finding its own rhythm, with a wide range of options from long-standing family-run establishments to new international restaurants popping up.
