Danang, known during the French colonial period as Tourane, has become one of Vietnam’s most attractive destinations — not only for the beauty of its beaches but also, often overlooked, for its local cuisine rich in seafood.
Located in the heart of Vietnam, the city also stands at the crossroads of scents and flavors! Danang’s cuisine, though less famous than that of Hue, offers a variety of delicious and distinctive local dishes.
Here are the dishes we recommend you try during your stay in Danang!
Hai San (Seafood)
Let’s not keep you waiting any longer — let’s start with what’s most mouthwatering: the seafood!
Danang boasts 74 kilometers of coastline, dotted with offshore islands and a stunning peninsula to the north of the city. With such a beautiful coast, it’s easy to see why seafood is found in abundance in Danang!
It’s also easy to spot local fishermen at work on their small boats. The ocean plays a vital role in their lives — it provides them with their livelihood and the means to care for their families. The sea is so important that locals worship Lady Buddha, located atop the Linh Ung Pagoda. The 67-meter-high statue faces the ocean like a lighthouse, guiding and protecting Danang’s fishermen.
You’ll find plenty of seaside restaurants offering seafood platters with crab, shrimp and prawns, fresh fish, and more.
Here are our top spots for enjoying delicious seafood:
- Restaurant Thoi Co, no 354/1 street Vo Nguyen Giap, district Ngu Hanh Son
- Restaurant Moc, no 26 street To Hien Thanh, district Son Tra
- Restaurant Nam Ranh, no 71 Chuong Duong, district Ngu Hanh Son
In addition to these seafood dishes, Danang is also known for several specialties featuring fish.
Stunning seafood presentations in Danang
Bun cha ca (Fish noodle soup)
This is one of Central Vietnam’s signature dishes — a true specialty of Danang. Everyone will tell you: to taste the authentic flavors of Bun Cha Ca, you have to go to Danang!
This fish soup (“ca” means fish in Vietnamese) stands out for its broth, which is made from fish bones rather than pork bones like in Pho, the traditional soup of Northern Vietnam. Everything in this dish is made with fish!
In your bowl of Bun Cha Ca, you’ll find rice noodles (Bun), fish cakes (cha ca), bamboo shoots, tomatoes, and fragrant herbs such as chives, mint, and basil.
A pure reflection of Central Vietnam’s ocean-inspired cuisine!
This dish is served all day long in every neighborhood at an affordable price of 30,000 to 40,000 dong.
Here are our top spots for enjoying delicious seafood:
- Resto de Mrs. Lu, no 319 rue Hung Vuong, district Thanh Khe, Danang
- Resto de Mrs. Hon, no 113/3 rue Nguyen Chi Thanh, distric Hai Chau, Danang
- Resto de M. Ta, no 113A rue Nguyen Chi Thanh, district Hai Chau, Danang
Bun cha ca Danang
Goi ca Nam O (Nam O raw fish salad)
Let’s continue with another fish-based dish. This time, it’s not a soup but a delicious salad — perfect for hot days, which are quite common in Danang!
Nam O isn’t the name of the fish but of a fishing village located about 10 km north of Danang, where you’ll find the best sardines in the region — perfect for adding rich flavor to this dish!
The raw sardine pieces are then mixed with nuoc mam (fish sauce), peanuts, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, and chili.
This salad is often considered the “Vietnamese sashimi,” a must-try dish for every traveler passing through Danang.
Our top recommendations for tasting it:
- Resto Sau Hao, no 232 Tran Cao Van street, Hai Chau district, Danang
- Resto Ba My, no 11 Mai Lao Bang, Hai Chau district, Danang
- Resto Thanh Huong, no 1029 Nguyen Luong Bang, Lien Chieu district, Danang
A plate of Goi Ca Nam O from Danang
Oc cay (Spicy snails)
Snail restaurants are plentiful in Danang! Vietnamese people love enjoying a plate of snails as an appetizer or simply as a snack.
Danang’s snail dish (oc cay) is famous and unique — and it’s also very spicy! In Danang, you’ll find two types of snails: those you “suck” and those you “pull out.” The cooked snails are incredibly flavorful, and the broth they’re served in offers a perfect balance of sweet and salty notes. Deliciously prepared, the soup is served with a touch of crispy papaya.
Aromatic and spicy snail restaurants can be found all over Danang. The most affordable and popular spot is the Bac My market. These small eateries, located along the main road, are very popular and often packed with locals!
The price for a plate of snails ranges from 20,000 to 50,000 VND.
This dish is most commonly served between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. and is especially popular among Vietnamese women!
Besides Bac My market, here are some great places we recommend:
- Resto Hanh, no 277 Dong Da, Hai Chau district
- Resto Ha, no 294 Ong Ich Khiem, Hai Chau district
- Resto Be Quynh, no K356/40 Hoang Dieu, Hai Chau district
A plate of Oc cay from Danang
Cau Mong (Grilled veal)
This dish, simply grilled veal, is a specialty of a village located 25 km from Danang. The village is called Cau Mong, in the commune of Dien Phuong.
If you happen to pass through this village, you’ll find this dish everywhere! It truly defines the village, which is why its name has been kept in the dish’s title.
Don’t worry — you don’t need to go all the way to the village to taste it. You can easily find it in Danang.
Several important steps are required to prepare this dish. First, the selected veal must weigh less than 30 kg and be fed with sugarcane leaves — this gives the meat its distinctive fragrance!
But the key to this dish’s success lies in the grilling technique, which allows the veal pieces to separate into three layers: a translucent skin, a rare center, and a well-cooked portion.
This dish is served with slices of green banana, starfruit (be careful not to eat too much of it), green papaya, cucumber, and bean sprouts.
This dish isn’t usually eaten alone — it’s ordered to share among several people. The price typically ranges from 150,000 to 200,000 dong.
Here are our top spots for enjoying delicious seafood:
- Resto Ro, no 8 Bac Son, Cam Le district, Danang
- Resto Ngoc Lan, no 895 Ngo Quyen, Son Tra district, Danang
- Resto Huong, no 18 Le Quy Don, Hai Chau district, Danang
Plat de Cau Mong Danang
Goi mit bo kho (Jackfruit salad with dried beef)
Here’s a salad whose main ingredient is jackfruit, a fruit native to India that has since spread to many tropical regions, including Vietnam.
It’s truly a summer salad loved by both locals and travelers alike. It’s as popular in Danang as green papaya salad is in Hanoi!
But be careful — there’s a specific recipe for this dish: the jackfruit pieces used are not yet ripe and still green. They are boiled in water, then mixed with a sweet and sour sauce, pork, peanuts, fried onions, and aromatic herbs.
Price : 20.000 – 30.000 dong
The restaurants we recommend:
- Di Anh, no 34 Pham Van Nghi, Thanh Khe district
- Ba Gia, no 47/25 Ly Thai To
- Nguyet, no 58 Le Huu Trac, Son Tra district
A plat of Gỏi mít bò khô, Danang
You now know the must-try dishes of Danang!
All that’s left is for us to wish you… ENJOY YOUR MEAL!!
