25 Best foods in Dalat

Vietnam has thousands of great foods that you should not miss. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Hue are famous for lots of attractions and amazing dishes. And you may never know that Dalat is also the paradise for foodies thanks to the unique and delicious foods. The following is the list of 25 Best foods in Dalat and I hope that you have chances to eat all of them.

1. Wet cake with chicken organs (Bánh ướt lòng gà)


ho chi minh street food tour by motorbike with local students
Wet cake with chicken organs is a specialty food of Dalat. It has been said that a trip to this city could not be complete if traveler misses this food. Wet cake is made by steaming thin layer of rice flour and tapioca batter on a cloth put on a pot of water. A very thin layer of oil is applied to the cloth before pouring the batter to make the sheet does not stick to the cloth and the sheets do not stick together. When the rice flour sheet is well-done, the cook skillfully gets it out of the cloth and put the sheets in layers. The white, tender, a little chewy, a little oily sheets are cut into pieces to serve and we call them Wet cake. In many regions of Vietnam, Wet cake is usually served with Vietnamese pork roll, fermented pork, Cinnamon pork pate, cucumber, poached bean sprouts, herbs. However, in Dalat, they serve Wet cake with chicken organs and shredded chicken meat. The chicken is chosen carefully, it should be grazed in garden. After preparing, whole chicken and its organs are boiled with some ginger. The chicken has firm, tender, a little chewy, a little crunchy meat, crunchy skin, and typically smelling. The organs (including liver which is tender and buttery, unlaid egg which has a deep, concentrated flavor, a hint of sweetness, but not overly rich, gizzard, intestines, and stomach which are crunchy chewy) can win the hearts of most of the dinners, even foreigners who have never eaten chicken organs. Wet cake is topped with shredded chicken, organs, herbs, chili pepper (optional) and served with sweet and sour dipping fish sauce. For more information, Vietnamese people eat this kind of cake with chopsticks.

Where to eat in Dalat?

Long restaurant at Alley 202, A16 KQH, Phan Dinh Phung Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province. For more information, Long restaurant is one of the oldest restaurants serving Wet cake with chicken organs in Dalat. It has been own and run by three generations of family.

Trang restaurant at 15F Tang Bat Ho Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

68 Phan Dinh Phung Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

47 Tang Bat Ho Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

2. Can cake (Bánh căn)

Can cake is small rice flour pancake, topped with shrimp (or squid, quail egg, pork, etc.). They use a special pan made from  with small holes to make the cakes. They can cook 5-10 Can cake at the same times. Each hole is covered with small terracotta lid when cooking. Not similar to other kinds of Vietnamese pancakes (Khot cake, Xeo cake, etc.), Can cake is not fried in oil so that it is not oily. The cake is extremely crispy outside and tender, chewy inside. A portion consists of a plate of 5-10 Can cakes topped with chopped scallion oil, a plate of vegetables and a small bowl of dipping sauce, Vietnamese pork roll. There are various dipping sauces for Can cake in Dalat: sweet, sour, and spicy fish sauce dip, fermented fish sauce dip, fermented soybean sauce dip, fermented round eggplant sauce dip, broth of braised fish. They also add Xiu Mai – Vietnamese meatballs, shredded green mango, and scallion oil to dipping fish sauce. This kind of dipping sauce, shredded green mango,  Vietnamese pork roll make portions of Can cake in Dalat different from that in many regions of Vietnam such as Phan Thiet, Nha Trang. Vegetables served with the cakes are mustard greens, heart leafs, Vietnamese balms, Vietnamese basil, shredded green mango, etc. You can use a pair of chopsticks or your fingers to dip a Can cake and some vegetables in the dipping sauce and tuck in.
ho chi minh street food tour by motorbike with local students
Where to eat in Dalat?

Tang Bat Ho Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Lệ restaurant at 7/44 Yersin Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Cây Bơ (Hằng) restaurant at 56 Tang Bat Ho Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

3. Bloating fern shaped cake (Bánh bèo)

Bloating fern shaped cake is a traditional Vietnamese cake which is made from rice flour. It is popular in many provinces of Central Vietnam such as Khanh Hoa, Phan Thiet, Thua Thien – Hue, Danang, etc. In Dalat, they add tapioca powder to the rice flour batter to make the cake more sticky and chewy. The batter is put into small bowls and steamed until well-done, not too wet not too dry, not too hard not too tender. The cake is topped with an orange sauce made from pork, shrimp, crushed toasted peanuts. It is served with fish sauce dip. Diner uses a spoon to get some dip and pour onto the cake.
saigon food tour with female guide in ao dai

Where to eat in Dalat?

4 Ba Huong Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

4. Plain bread and Xiu Mai (Bánh mì xíu mại)

This food is very simple, it consists of plain bread and Xiu Mai. Plain bread is extremely crispy outside and airy, soft inside. The bread is so crispy that you can hear a sound when you break it. Xiu Mai, which is also called Vietnamese meatballs, is made by simmering meatballs in a mixture of tomato, chicken broth, fish sauce, sugar, water. After cooking, the sauce should cover the meatballs. In Dalat, they top Xiu Mai with chopped green scallions to enhance its flavor. When eating, dinner uses fingers to break a piece of the bread, dip the piece in the sauce quickly so that the broth just plays off the piece of bread, the crust is still crispy but the inner part turns tender. Use a spoon or a pair of chopsticks to eat a meatball with the piece of bread. Although it is a simple dish, it has won the hearts of most people who have ever eaten it. Dalat is cool around the year, so that a plain bread and a hot bowl of Xiu Mai is one of the best choice when you are hungry in the city. Coming to a stall or restaurant that serves this food, you can see medium yellow bread and a pot of Xiu Mai which is kept warm on an oven. Enjoying Plain bread and Xiu Mai is a way to delve into the soul of Dalat.

26 Hoang Dieu Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

16A Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Where to eat in Dalat?

5. Grilled girdle cake (Bánh tráng nướng)

Grilled girdle cake – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour

You may eat Grilled girdle cake – one of the most famous street foods in Vietnam. The cake is made by grilling girdle cake topped with various ingredients such as quail egg, butter, sausage, beef jerky, dried shrimp, green scallions until crispy, in other places in Vietnam. The cake is also called Vietnamese pizza. Dalat is the birthplace of Grilled girdle cake so that you should not miss this cake on your trip to the city. What is better than sitting at a street food stall serving grilled girdle cake, eating crispy and tasty grilled girdle cake, and seeing how vendor skillfully grills the cake on charcoal in the cool air of Dalat. The cake should not be overcooked. If vendor grill the cake for too long, it will be burnt. On the other hand, it will be not crispy enough. To serve the cake, vendor usually tops the cake with chili sauce, mayonnaise.

Where to eat in Dalat?

61 Nguyen Van Troi Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Dì Đinh food stall at 26 Hoang Dieu Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Dalat night market

6. Sweet silkworm cake (Bánh tằm)

Weaving Dalat, you can see many street food stalls serving Sweet silk-worm cake on the streets or at local markets. Sweet silkworm cake consists of crunchy, greasy shredded coconut meat, crunchy peanuts, many thick, sticky, chewy, buttery, greasy, sweet strips which are made from cassava, tapioca starch, sugar, coconut milk. They call the cake Sweet silkworm cake because the strips look like silkworms.

7. Hot pot with chicken and clove basil leaf (Lẩu gà lá é)

Hot pots are popular in many Asian countries including Vietnam. There are tens of Hot pot with chicken recipes in Vietnam as well as other countries. However, you should not miss a specialty food of Dalat – Hot pot with chicken and clove basil leaf with a special taste and smell which comes from clove basil leaves. The clove basil leaf is the key to this hot pot. It has an impressive aroma, a little sour, a little tart. After it is cooked in boiling water, it turns a little buttery and pungent. When you order Hot pot with chicken and clove basil leaf, they bring you a pot of fragrant, spicy, and flavorful broth cooked from chicken, a plate of chicken which is grazed in garden and has firm, tender, a little chewy flesh, a plate of rice noodles, a plate of oyster mushrooms, a plate of bamboo shoots, a plate of clove basil leaves. This kind of food is not only delicious but also healthy. It can warm and fullfill your stomach and satisfy your taste.

Where to eat in Dalat?

668 restaurant at 2B Chu Van An Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Tao Ngộ (Hằng) restaurant at 5 3/4 Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

8. Ba Toa beef hot pot (Lẩu bò Ba Toa)

Beef hot pot in Ba Toa area in Dalat is famous for thick, big, long, and tender beef slices, crunchy and chewy tendons, tails, brisket point, and very rich broth. Egg noodles, tofu, and vegetables including celery are served with the hot pot.

Where to eat in Dalat?

Thanh Tâm restaurant at the beginning of Nguyen Thi Dinh Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Gỗ (or ABa Toa) restaurant at 1/29 Hoang Dieu Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

9. Stuffed snail with pork (Ốc nhồi thịt)

Escargot – one of the most favorite snail in Vietnam is the main ingredient for Stuffed snail with pork. The snail is washed carefully, the shell must be clean and shinning. They break a hole at the end of the snail. Then the snail meat is removed from the shell, then wrapped in pork. The shell is stuffed with the snail meat and the pork, and section of lemongrass. The last step is steaming the stuffed snail until well-done and smelling. This kind of food must be served hot.

Where to eat in Dalat?

33 restaurant at 33 Hai Ba Trung Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

10. Quang noodle (Mì Quảng) on Anh Sang Street

Quang noodle – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour

Quang noodle is a specialty food of Quang Nam and you can eat this food in many regions of the country, especially Quang Nam, Danang. If you need a bowl of Quang noodle to fill your stomach in Dalat, you can come to Anh Sang Street where there are many Quang noodle restaurants. 10 Anh Sang Street,  Dalat City, Lam Dong Province is one of the most famous Quang noodle restaurants thanks to the great taste of the noodles it serves.

11. Noodle soup in terracotta pot (Bún thố)

Similar to other kinds of Vietnamese noodle soup, Bún thốincludes a delicious broth, toppings, rice noodles and vegetables. The broth is cooked from pork bone, coconut water, and fingerroot. Toppings include shrimps, fish, pork, fish cake. The noodle soup is called Bún thố (Bún means noodle soup, thố means terracotta pot in English) because it is not served in a bowl like other kinds of noodle soups but a terracotta pot with a lid which keeps the dish warm until dinner has finished it. When the waitress serves the terracotta pot consisting the noodle soup, you can see the broth is still boiling.

Where to eat in Dalat?

Cafe Acoustic Memory at 24 B Hung Vuong Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Cafe Phuot at 45 Pham Ngu Lao Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Thick noodle soup (Bánh canh)

Thick noodle soup is different from other Vietnamese noodle soup because the rice noodles are thicker and shorter than rice noodles for the others. Thick noodle soup is popular in Vietnam and there are many versions of this noodle soups in the country. In Dalat, you can come to 15 Tran Hung Dao Street to eat Phan Rang Thick noodle soup with fish cake which includes chewy fish cake and rich broth cooked from sea water fishes. Or you can come to An restaurant, 21/9 Tran Phu Street to enjoy the famous Thick noodle soup with snakehead. The broth is cooked from snakehead, the cook should be experienced so that the broth does not have a fishy smell. The noodles are made from rice flour and wheat flour, they are tender, chewy, and slippery. Bitter prostrate knotweed is eaten with the noodle soup, this vegetable goes well with the noodle soup.

12. Ba Hung grilled pork skewer (Nem nướng Bà Hùng)

Grilled pork skewers which are served at Ba Hung restaurant is famous in Dalat. Locals and travelers are amazed at its taste, most of them would like to come back to enjoy the great grilled pork again. Although Grilled pork skewer is more popular in Hue and Nha Trang, Grilled pork skewer cooked by Mrs. Hùng, who was born and lived in Hue, has a very special taste and it is worth a try on your trip to Dalat. According to Mrs. Hùng, the pork – the main ingredient for this food should be fresh. The pork is ground with some pork fat until smooth and mixed with garlic, sugar, fish sauce. The mixture is placed on skewers, the pork skewers are grilled on charcoal until it sounds “sizz”, crispy and yellow outside, tender and well-done inside. The grilled pork is served with pickles, vegetables, fried rice paper, and a unique sauce which is made from pork broth, ground fermented soybeans, toasted sesame.
ho chi minh street food tour by motorbike with local students
Where to eat in Dalat?

Bà Hùng restaurant at 328 Phan Dinh Phung Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

13. Fried corn roll (Ram bắp)

Fried corn roll is similar to the famous Vietnamese fried roll (Chả giỏ) which you may have heard about or tried. Instead of pork, cellophane noodles, wood ears, egg, etc., they use tender and sticky corn seeds. Use rice paper to wrap a mixture of corn seeds, minced shallots, black pepper, sugar, salt into rolls and fry the rolls until crispy and yellow. Fried corn roll is served with pickles, vegetables, rice paper and a greasy and buttery sauce made from fermented soybeans, ground pork.

14. Vegetable salad (Xà lát rau củ)

Mother Nature gives Dalat lots of temperate vegetables such as lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion which are ingredients for delicious vegetable salad. The dressing is made from sugar, oil, vinegar. The salad is sweet, sour, and oily so it goes well with many kinds of main dishes such as braised dishes, fried dishes, grilled dishes. The highlight of this salad is that all of the vegetables are completely fresh, juicy, and crispy.

Where to eat in Dalat?

Leguda restaurant (Vegetable buffeet) at 8 Dong Da Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Lá Chuối restaurant at 21/9 Tran Phu Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Vĩnh Lợi restaurant at 2D Phan Dinh Phung Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

15. Beef jerky salad (Xắp xắp)

Beef jerky salad is a favorits snack in Dalat, it is made from shredded green papaya, beef jerky, dried beef lung, simmered pork liver with five-spices, toasted peanuts, herbs, chili pepper, and a very special sauce made from tamarind sauce, fish sauce, sugar. In comparison to sweet and sour Beef jerky salad in Saigon, salty and spicy Beef jerky salad in Danang,  Beef jerky salad in Dalat is sour enough, not too sweet, not too spicy.

Where to eat in Dalat?

Bà Triệu restaurant at 28 Ba Trieu Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

35 Hung Vuong Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Yersin park, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

16. Artichoke flower bud and pork leg soup (Canh giò heo bông Artiso)

Artichoke originated in South Europe, it is brought to Tam Dao, Sapa, Dalat by French people at the beginning of 20th century. Artichoke flower bud is a specialty of Dalat, it is usually used to make tea or cook soup. Artichoke flower bud and pork leg soup is a delicious and healthy soup. The broth is distinctly flavorful, it has a typical smell and taste which come from the Artichoke flower bud. The pork leg is cooked until tender so that diner comfortably eat the broth, pork leg and the bud.

Where to eat in Dalat?

Cường Thiên Hương restaurant at 2C Bui Thi Xuan Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

17. Avocado ice cream (Kem bơ)

Avocado ice cream is very famous in Dalat, it has attracts lots of people coming to Dalat. Avocado is ground into a smooth, sticky, greasy mixture. The mixture is topped with a scoop of coconut ice cream, shredded coconut meat, and dried coconut meat crackers (optional), peanuts (optional). Are you mouthwatering and would like to start your trip to Dalat in order to eat this refreshing dessert.

Where to eat in Dalat?

Thanh Thảo restaurant at 76 Nguyen Van Troi Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

18. Strawberry ice cream (Kem dâu tây)

Strawberry is a specialty of Dalat and strawberry ice cream is a must-try food in the city. A scoop of smooth, light sweet, and greasy strawberry ice cream; fresh, juicy, sweet, and sour strawberry slices; smelling, sweet strawberry jam, crispy tuile roll with strawberry. In Dalat, they make strawberry ice cream by hand from milk, sugar, strawberry, and honey.

Where to eat in Dalat?

242 Phan Dinh Phung Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

19. Shaken strawberry (Dâu lắc)

Local people have created a very yummy recipe from this healthy and tasty fruit – Shaken strawberry. It is very simple to make this food, whole strawberries or halves of strawberries are shaken with sugar and shrimp salt which is salty, spicy, sweet-tasty. The sweet, salty, spicy a little sour, tender strawberries can make you eat more and more.

Where to eat in Dalat?

Dessert stalls and restaurants

Dalat night market

20. Vietnamese sweet soup at Chè Hé restaurant (Chè)

Vietnamese sweet soup – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour

Chè means sweet soup, Hé means half-open in English. It has been said the sweet soup restaurant half-opens the doors to protect customers from the wind and the cold in Dalat. So that it is called Chè Hé. Vietnamese sweet soups are favorite of most Vietnamese people, Sweet soup restaurants and stalls are everywhere in the country. Coming to Dalat, do not miss coming to Chè Hé restaurant and enjoy 3 delicious uniquely Corn sweet soup, Thung sweet soup, and Glutinous rice dumplings in ginger syrup. Locals people usually say that a trip to Dalat could not be complete if you miss Chè Hé restaurant.

Where to eat in Dalat?

21. Cheese yogurt (Sữa chua phô mai)

Cheese yogurt is a very familiar and favorite dessert of Dalat people. The food is made from condensed milk, cheese, fresh milk, water, yogurt. The dessert is tender, smooth, a little sour, slightly sweet, a little greasy and has an seductive smell which comes from cheese.

Where to eat in Dalat?

Ngọc Nhung (Chùa Tàu) at 50 Mimosa Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

At many sweet soup stalls and restaurants

22. Soy milk, mung bean milk, corn milk, lotus seed milk, black sesame milk (Sữa hạt)

Dalat is cold during the year so that hot beverages are very popular. Soy milk, mung bean milk, and corn milk are delicious beverages you should not miss in the city. In Dalat, when you order soy milk (or mung bean milk, corn milk, lotus seed milk, black sesame milk), they will bring a plate of some cakes such as youtiao, croissant, etc. If you want, you can eat them while drinking the beverage and pay for the cakes.

Where to drink in Dalat?

64 Tang Bat Ho Street, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Dalat night market

Many drink stalls in the city

23. Dried fruit and vegetable chips (Hoa quả sấy khô)

Dried fruit and vegetable chips – Photo by Scooter Saigon Tour

Coming to Dalat, do not miss dried fruits including crispy dried yellow sweet potato chips, dried purple sweet potato chips, dried banana chips, dried taro chips, dried carrot chips, dried jackfruit chips, dried okra chips, dried eggplant chips.

Where to buy in Dalat?

Various stores at local markets, on the streets, near tourist attractions.

24. Sugar-preserved fruits (Mứt)

There are many kinds of jams for your choice: Sugar-preserved persimmon, Sugar-preserved strawberry. Sugar-preserved hibiscus, Sugar-preserved tomato, Sugar-preserved blackberry. The jam can be served with bread, sandwich, or added to tea in order to enhance the tea’s flavor, add to ice cream, top many kinds of cakes (sponge cake), used to make fillings of some sweet cakes, etc.

Where to buy in Dalat?
ho chi minh street food tour by motorbike with local students
Kieu Giang store at 223 Mai Anh Dao Street,  Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Phuong Lan store at 48 Phu Dong Thien Vuong Street,  Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

25. Dalat wine (Rượu vang Đà Lạt)

Dalat wine is famous around the country and the world for many years. Coming to Dalat, do not miss trying some Dalat wine at local restaurants. You can also buy some to bring home.

Where to buy in Dalat?

Dalat wine factory at 31 Ngo Van So Street,  Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

L’angfarm Đà Lạt in Dalat market, 40 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street,  Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

Vang Đà Lạt store at 3 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street,  Dalat City, Lam Dong Province

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