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Hai Phong is a port city in the Northern Coastal Region of Vietnam, boasting numerous famous scenic spots and unique cuisine. Despite being a large city, it maintains a slow and peaceful pace of life. In summer, the streets of Hai Phong are always covered in vibrant red flame trees, a sight that captivates visitors.
The vibrant red blossoms of the flame trees are striking, reflecting the vitality of the people of Hai Phong (photo: Internet).
Besides its beautiful scenery and delicious food, the people of this bustling port city are always loved for their characteristic generosity and unparalleled hospitality. The "lively and boisterous" nature of the people of Hai Phong is probably already familiar to many.
Walk along the city
Along Hai Phong, there are countless snack shops of all sizes, the most numerous of which are those selling crab noodle soup with generous portions.toppingVery hearty. A steaming bowl of crab noodle soup is usually served with finely chopped fresh vegetables, kumquat, and chi chuong - a type of chili sauce characteristic of Hai Phong. The best crab noodle soup is the one with wide red noodles, a fragrant and sweet crab broth, and a few tightly rolled betel leaf-wrapped, lightly fried minced pork patties that fill the whole street corner with their aroma. If you get tired of that, you can switch to thin white noodles with blanched meat.
A version of crab noodle soup overflowing with toppings on the famous Ky Dong street.
The crab noodle soup served in an earthenware pot at the gate of Ngo Quyen High School features very thick noodles.
Besides crab noodle soup, shrimp noodle soup and fish noodle soup are the most beloved by locals. Shrimp noodle soup, with its plump, meaty shrimp, a little stir-fried pork with wood ear mushrooms, and an attractive, shimmering orange shrimp broth, is a perfect afternoon treat for food lovers or a breakfast option on hot summer days.
Fish noodle soup is a bit "sharper" than shrimp noodle soup. "Sharper" because it's a dish that harmoniously combines sour and spicy flavors. A bowl of fish noodle soup without a spoonful of slightly pungent tamarind sauce or a touch of fresh chili paste that tingles the tongue is truly incomplete. Crispy fried fish, thin slices of fish cake, taro stems and dill filling the bowl, topped with a spoonful of tamarind sauce and a spoonful of chili paste, and chili paste sprinkled on top of fresh noodles. Eating noodle soup is refreshing and wholesome, but... you'll get hungry quickly.
Shrimp noodle soup at the intersection of To Hieu and Hang Kenh streets, with firm, succulent shrimp.
When mentioning Hai Phong and wanting to snack, snails are a must-try. The best way to enjoy Hai Phong snails is boiled in fish sauce; no fancy sauces are needed. Snails from the port city only need to be boiled thoroughly in good quality fish sauce, seasoned with just the right balance of sour and spicy flavors, and then served as is. Besides boiled snails in fish sauce, snails stir-fried with coconut or spicy stir-fried snails are also very delicious, especially on rainy days.
Boiled snails at 131 Mieu Hai Xa, a familiar snail spot for the people of Hai Phong.
If you have a sensitive stomach, you can switch to the paradise of afternoon pastries in Hai Phong. Banh beo, banh gio, and banh day gio are simple and rustic, with soft, smooth dough and just the right amount of filling. Notably, the banh beo here doesn't come with pork sausage, and the banh gio doesn't come with pork sausage. These evening snacks are always a top choice for children, students, and the elderly.
A small local specialty – a steamed rice cake (bánh đúc tàu) generously topped with dried shrimp, kohlrabi, pork cracklings, and a drizzle of spicy vinegar. After finishing that, head over to the next stall for a refreshing glass of mixed sweet soup. This famous spot is located on Cát Dài street; the vendor has a tray of steamed rice cakes and sells them from 2-4 pm, never without customers.
Speaking of snacks, there's one dish that's probably unique to Hai Phong – sea bean salad and stir-fried sea beans. It's not an easy dish to eat, but once you try it, you'll be hooked. Sea beans are cooling, highly nutritious, and have a distinctive flavor that's definitely worth trying.
The sea snail dish at Cho Do market comes with a bowl of dipping sauce that is sour, spicy, salty, and sweet – a distinctive flavor.
Hai Phong's culinary paradise is not limited to just that; seasonal dishes, like red jellyfish with fermented rice paste and earthenware pot-cooked mudskippers, also leave a lasting impression on food lovers. On a scorching summer afternoon, simmering a pot of fragrant fermented rice paste, slicing a red jellyfish, adding some young coconut and pineapple slices, and wrapping it like spring rolls will make all the heat and frustration disappear.
The special braised mudworm dish is only available during the mudworm season, around the 10th lunar month. It's considered a "gift from heaven" because whenever mudworms are available, farmers earn extra income from this expensive delicacy. The mudworms are braised until tender with starfruit, ginger leaves, and tangerine peel, along with a few secret family recipes. The pot of mudworms is simmered in rice husks, with smoke rising from the kitchen stove, for a whole night before the dish is ready. Despite the hard work and meticulous preparation, a delicious pot of rice is enough to finish the entire pot of braised mudworms.
Red jellyfish with dipping sauce is refreshing and enjoyable to eat.
A little murmur of the sea
If you're tired from wandering around the city, the next day, hop in the car and take a trip to the beach. Hai Phong has two famous beaches: Do Son and Cat Ba.
Lan Ha Bay, recognized by UNESCO as one of the world's natural wonders, is located east of Cat Ba Island. Traveling from Hai Phong to Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay can be somewhat challenging and takes about half a day. Besides driving, you'll also need to take a boat or ferry to get there. Detailed and specific travel information is always provided by tourist destinations.
Lan Ha Bay was once featured on Instagram by the famous actor Leonardo DiCaprio. This place is blessed by nature with scenery like a heavenly paradise. The lush green landscape and fresh air allow you to temporarily forget the stresses of life.
Beaches like Cat Dua, Cat Co, Ben Beo, Co Tien, and Van Ha are both pristine and safe for swimming. With over 400 islands of varying sizes surrounding the area, visitors have plenty to explore and relax on.
Lan Ha Bay is always pristine (photo: Internet)
See you again
Let's immerse ourselves in a bit of seaside charm, then return to the bustling city with its many delicious food options to take home as souvenirs and beautiful, modern cafes perfect for taking photos. We promise Travellive readers that in the near future, we will introduce other facets of the beautiful city of Hai Phong.
