What to Eat in Nha Trang: From Fish Noodle Soup to Seafood by the Sea

The sea shows up in much of what Nha Trang eats, from the clear broth in a bowl of fish noodle soup to the squid tucked into a banh can cake fresh off the mold. Fish, squid and jellyfish come in on the boats, then find their way into breakfast bowls, afternoon griddles and the family dinner table.

So the easiest way to work out what to eat in Nha Trang is to follow the city's own clock. This page walks through one eating day, from noodles in the cool of the morning to dinner within earshot of the waves, with the address and a reference price for each stop.

What to eat in Nha Trang: one day on the city's clock #

Mornings here start at the beach. By the time the early swimmers towel off, the noodle stalls are setting out stools and ladling up pale, steaming broth.

Midday is hot, which suits slow food in the shade, like grilled pork rolled at the table. Mid-afternoon brings a small bowl of banh canh soup for a few thousand dong. As the heat eases, charcoal smoke starts rising from the banh can molds. Evening belongs to seafood, a home-style fish dinner or tabletop beef, followed by a walk along the water.

Eat to that rhythm and you can try four or five signature dishes a day without flagging. Staying three days? Our Nha Trang travel guide has an itinerary these meals slot into easily.

What to eat in Nha Trang for breakfast: fish and jellyfish noodle soups #

Bun cha ca (bún chả cá, fish cake noodle soup) stands apart here because of the broth, simmered from sea-fish bones until it runs clear and light. The sweetness comes from the fish, not from fat. The fish cakes are steamed or fried, springy and naturally sweet.

Bun sua (bún sứa) is the bowl that tastes most of this city: the same broth and fish cake, topped with prepared edible jellyfish that is cool and crunchy. Locals eat it early, so look for it at breakfast rather than saving it for dinner.

What to eat in Nha Trang for lunch: Ninh Hoa grilled pork rolls #

Nem nuong (nem nướng) comes from Ninh Hoa, in the north of Khanh Hoa Province, and is now sold all over Nha Trang. Fresh pork is pounded smooth, seasoned and grilled over charcoal until the edges char and the fat starts to glisten.

The fun is in the assembly. Lay out a sheet of rice paper, add a skewer of pork, a crisp fried roll and a handful of herbs, roll it tight and dip it in the thick, savory sauce. The first one falls apart. By the third you have the knack, and lunch has quietly stretched through the hottest hours of the day.

An afternoon snack: the VND8,000 bowl of banh canh #

Two stalls in central Nha Trang have kept their banh canh soup at VND8,000 a bowl since 2020. Co Hai is at 90 Nguyen Huu Huan Street and opens 11 am to 5:30 pm. Co Son is a few steps away at the Ngo Duc Ke - Nguyen Huu Huan crossroads.

These bowls fit the gap between a late lunch and dinner. One small bowl, a bread roll to dip in the broth, and you are fed enough to keep walking.

What to eat in Nha Trang in the afternoon: banh can and squid pancakes #

Banh can (bánh căn) is a central-coast specialty. Rice batter goes into little clay molds over glowing charcoal with a soft hiss, then gets topped with egg, squid or shrimp. It is eaten with fermented anchovy sauce or fish sauce with pork meatballs, with a spoonful of scallion oil on top.

The local banh xeo pancake is often made with fresh squid and is nothing like the big Mekong Delta version. Both taste best when you sit close to the griddle.

What to eat in Nha Trang at night: seafood by the sea #

When the sun drops, a breeze comes in off the bay and the seafood places start setting out tables. For many visitors this is the meal the whole day builds toward: prawns, crab, snails and squid, ordered by weight and cooked the way you like.

Pick a place with posted prices, ask the per-kilogram rate and watch your choice being weighed, and the evening stays relaxed. Seafood prices move daily and with the seasons, so we do not print per-kilo numbers here.

On the four-island boat trip, the floating-village lunch includes seafood but keeps it simple, so the unhurried feast is usually the one back in town. Our Nha Trang island hopping guide compares the tours and what their lunches include.

Another kind of evening: fish home cooking or tabletop beef #

For a meal that feels like dinner at someone's home, Ca Men on De Po Street serves sea-fish home cooking at roughly VND150,000-250,000 per person for four to five dishes (August 2025). It suits a group that wants to sit around one table and share.

For a slow, smoky night, Lac Canh on Nguyen Binh Khiem Street has grilled its family-recipe beef over tabletop charcoal since 1963, with dishes from about VND100,000. The smoke drifts halfway down the street. Both places tend to fill up between 7 and 8 pm.

Photo: Hoàng Thạch · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Before you fly home: food gifts at the new Dam Market #

The round Dam Market (Chợ Đầm), built in 1974 and in countless holiday photos, has closed. Its vendors moved to the new Dam Market next door, with March 31, 2025 as the final deadline. Dried seafood, fish sauce and snacks are all sold in the new building.

Photo: Christophe95 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Worth carrying home: fish sauce, dried squid and fish, and the province's two prized specialties, Khanh Hoa bird's nest and agarwood. The local agarwood craft was recognized as national intangible cultural heritage in June 2025. Prices for both vary a lot from shop to shop, so compare a few and keep the receipts. To pair the market with nearby sights, see our list of things to do in Nha Trang.

Downsides and a few ordering tips #

Knowing what to eat in Nha Trang is half the story; ordering clearly is the other half. The best-known places get busy at peak hours, so expect to wait for a seat or for your food. The cheapest soup comes in small bowls. In summer and over holidays, seafood prices can climb, and the odd place adds a charge diners do not notice until the bill.

Seafood prices also follow the weather. When late-year storms keep boats in port, fresh catch gets scarcer and pricier. Our best time to visit Nha Trang guide helps you line up good weather and good eating, and the Review Nha Trang homepage shows how the sea looks today before a floating-restaurant dinner.

Staying two or three days: how to vary the menu #

One day covers the best-known dishes. Stay longer and you can keep the same rhythm, morning, midday, afternoon and evening, and simply swap what goes into each slot.

Day one: fish noodle soup in the morning, seafood at night. Day two: bun sua or a bowl of banh canh at breakfast, then fish home cooking or tabletop beef for dinner. Lunches can alternate between nem nuong and squid pancakes, and banh can works any time you see charcoal smoke.

On your last morning, browse the new Dam Market before heading to the airport. Spread out like this, the list of what to eat in Nha Trang gives every meal something new.

Quick answers: what to eat in Nha Trang #