Đà Nẵng Food Guide: Mì Quảng, Bánh Xèo and Beach-Road Seafood

Đà Nẵng has become Vietnam's third food city in the last decade, with the central-Vietnamese repertoire as its base and a wave of newer modern Vietnamese restaurants opening on and around the beach. It is also the easiest big city in the country to eat well on a budget.

The signature central dishes

Mì Quảng — the everyday noodle. Mì Quảng Bà Mua at 19 Trần Bình Trọng (and other branches across the city) is the reliable everyday version at around 35,000 to 50,000 VND. Mì Quảng 1A on Hải Phòng is the older institution.

Bún chả cá — fish-cake noodle soup, a Đà Nẵng specialty separate from Hanoi's bún chả. Bún Chả Cá 109 on Nguyễn Chí Thanh is the long-running stop. Around 30,000 to 50,000 VND.

Bánh xèo Đà Nẵng — smaller and thicker than the southern version. Bánh Xèo Bà Dưỡng on Hoàng Diệu serves the textbook version with peanut sauce for around 50,000 VND.

Bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo — boiled pork belly wrapped in rice paper with herbs and pickled vegetables, dipped in mắm nêm (anchovy sauce). Trần Restaurant on Lê Duẩn is the famous chain version; Mậu Restaurant on Đỗ Thúc Tịnh is the local rival.

Beach-road seafood

The strip along Võ Nguyên Giáp (the road behind the beach in Mỹ Khê and Bắc Mỹ An) is lined with seafood restaurants pointing to live tanks of crab, lobster, prawn and fish. Bé Mặn at 14 Phước Trường 15 in the An Hải area is the long-standing local favourite. Expect 400,000 to 800,000 VND a head for a full seafood dinner with beer.

Modern Đà Nẵng

Burger Bros on An Thượng for the inevitable burger fix. Pizza 4P's has a Đà Nẵng branch on Trần Phú with the same Vietnamese-Japanese formula as elsewhere. Olivia's Prime Steakhouse on Nguyễn Văn Linh is the upmarket steak option.

Coffee scene

Đà Nẵng's third-wave coffee scene is the strongest in central Vietnam. 43 Factory Coffee Roaster on Phan Bội Châu is the flagship; The Workshop Coffee at multiple locations is the everyday option. Cộng Cà Phê (the chain) has multiple Đà Nẵng branches if you want condensed-milk coconut coffee with kitsch decor.

Markets

Cồn market (Chợ Cồn) on Hùng Vương is the main wet market, with a hot-food section upstairs serving bún chả cá, bánh xèo and the local sweets. Hàn market on the river is more tourist-focused. Both open 6am to 6pm.

What to skip

The seafood "restaurants" at the south end of Mỹ Khê beach that quote menu-less prices to tourists — agree the price per kilo before they put the lobster on the scales. The chain noodle restaurants in shopping malls.

How to plan a day

Early mì Quảng. Coffee at 43 Factory. Beach morning at Mỹ Khê. Late lunch of bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo. Afternoon at the Marble Mountains. Sunset beer on the beach. Seafood dinner at Bé Mặn. Late dessert at any chè stall on Phan Châu Trinh.

Related reading: Đà Nẵng, Mì Quảng, Bánh xèo, Vietnamese coffee deep dive, Central and southern cuisine.