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Hai Phong is a city with a long tradition of delicious food, so everyone cooks well. If you want to run a food business in Hai Phong, you have to be an excellent cook! It's very difficult to survive long-term because the city is full of delicious options; if your food isn't authentic, fresh, and safe, you'll soon have to close down. Hai Phong people are very discerning eaters, so if you have friends or a lover in Hai Phong, you should invite them on a food tour. You'll be taken to unadvertised destinations where the food is absolutely amazing!
And in Hai Phong, even anonymous restaurants are delicious, you know. If you don't believe me, just try them and you'll see!
Crab noodle soup is a must-try when you come to Hai Phong.
Instantly addictive, crab noodle soup is a specialty of Hai Phong, a convergence of local produce. The soup has a rustic flavor, with a fragrant broth made from crab, reminiscent of the countryside. The red noodles are fresh, chewy, and generously topped with betel leaf sausage, shrimp, seasonal vegetables, and the divine fried onion and pork crackling sauce – the soul of the dish. When you bring home a steaming bowl of crab noodle soup, don't forget to add some of Hai Phong's signature chili sauce. You'll also find many variations of this dish, such as mixed crab noodle soup, sea crab noodle soup, mantis shrimp noodle soup, etc. These are all characteristic Hai Phong specialties, combined in a dish that's as special to the Japanese as sushi or pizza to the Italians…
Being a coastal region, the seafood is fresh and delicious. The square seafood spring rolls are crispy and crunchy, generously filled with shrimp, crab, minced meat, wood ear mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms. I have to admit, nowhere else are spring rolls so generously filled with crab and shrimp. They're always served with vermicelli noodles, sweet and sour fish sauce, and fresh vegetables; one serving is enough to fill you up completely. Personally, I always linger to eat the crumbs of the crispy wrapper.
There's no shortage of delicious food to enjoy in Hai Phong!
Let's take a short break to digest the square spring rolls, then we'll continue.
Enjoying a cup of Hai Phong chrysanthemum tea while watching the city streets.
The tea has a slightly bitter taste, followed by the sweet aroma of chrysanthemum, licorice, and other herbs... the more you drink, the more you crave it, and you become addicted. Chrysanthemum tea is good for alertness during the day, but if you drink it at night, just order "chrysanthemum tea without tea," and you'll sleep soundly and deeply, waking up refreshed and ready to enjoy another cup of chrysanthemum tea to start the new day.
Coconut jelly dessert is currently a huge hit across Vietnam. Fresh young coconut, coconut jelly, tapioca pearls, coconut milk... all combine to create a sweet, fragrant, and refreshing taste.
Hai Phong baguette, a delicious treat you can't miss.
Closely associated with my childhood memories of cycling around to eat baguette sandwiches, these golden-brown baguettes, about the size of two fingers, are filled with pate—the characteristic pork liver pate of Hai Phong—baked until crispy, and served with spicy chili sauce. If you're out and about and want to bring home a souvenir, this is a great choice that kids will love and adults will be pleased with. The baguettes are small enough to be devoured in three bites, and before you know it, you've devoured ten!
Above, I've only mentioned five signature dishes of Hai Phong, and there are many more for you to write about on your next trips. Cuisine is full of inspiration, so let's wait for Hai Phong to unveil more new and unique national dishes for you to enjoy and savor on your food tour.
