Ha Long (Quang Ninh) is home to many appealing sightseeing, entertainment, and resort destinations. It also offers delicious dishes for visitors to enjoy. Join iVIVU as we explore 13 Ha Long specialties that have captivated countless diners.
Savor 13 Famous Specialties of Ha Long
1. Plain Sticky Rice with Squid Patties
Plain sticky rice with squid patties is a Ha Long specialty that is famous and impossible to miss when exploring the local cuisine. The plain sticky rice is made from rich, chewy glutinous rice; the squid patties are made from fresh squid, giving them a pleasantly crunchy texture and naturally sweet meat. The dish combines plain sticky rice with golden grilled squid, served with fish sauce and chili sauce for an exceptionally delicious flavor. A serving of plain sticky rice with squid patties at casual eateries costs from 15,000 to 20,000 dong. You can also buy squid patties by weight for around 250,000 dong/kg.
Address:
Minh Hoa Sticky Rice with Squid Patties Eatery – 38 Thuong Mai, Hong Gai Ward, Quang Ninh Province
Quang Phong Squid Patties – Lot C112A, Old Quarter, Hong Gai Ward, Quang Ninh Province
2. Steamed Rice Rolls with Squid Patties
Steamed rice rolls with squid patties
Steamed rice rolls with squid patties are one of the Ha Long specialties that you definitely have to try. The special highlight of this dish is the squid patties. They are made from fresh squid caught in the waters of Quang Ninh and pounded by hand, creating pleasantly crunchy patties rather than a mushy, minced texture. The steamed rice rolls are soft and chewy, with each piece filled with minced pork, shrimp, wood ear mushrooms, and more. The combination of steamed rice rolls, squid patties, and sweet-and-sour dipping sauce leaves a lasting impression on anyone who has tried it. In particular, the dipping fish sauce in Ha Long is lighter and more diluted than fish sauce in southern Vietnam.
Address:
Ba Yen Steamed Rice Rolls with Squid Patties – 36 Doan Thi Diem, Hong Gai Ward, Quang Ninh Province.
Steamed Rice Rolls with Squid Patties – 702 Ha Long, Bai Chay, Quang Ninh Province.
Goc Cay Bang Steamed Rice Rolls with Squid Patties – No. 189, Alley 1, Nha Hat Street, Le Thanh Tong Street, Quang Ninh Province.
3. Tien Yen Hill Chicken
Illustrative photo
Tien Yen is a mountainous district in Quang Ninh Province, about 90 km from Ha Long City, along the route from Ha Long to Mong Cai. Tien Yen is famous for its hill chickens, which are raised free-range, climbing slopes all day and foraging for insects. As a result, they have golden skin, fragrant meat, and naturally sweet broth. Tien Yen chicken is also considered a Ha Long specialty that every diner wants to try when visiting the city. It can be prepared in many ways, but the simplest method—boiling and serving it with fresh herbs and a mildly sour and spicy dipping sauce—is still the most delicious.
Address:
Co Xanh 2 Restaurant – Gieng Day, Bai Chay Ward, Quang Ninh Province.
4. Dishes Made with Ngán
Grilled ngán
Ngán is a bivalve mollusk with two shells like a clam, but larger, and is a rare and delicious specialty of Quang Ninh. It can be prepared in many ways, similar to other fresh seafood: grilled, steamed, cooked into porridge, stir-fried with noodles or vegetables, and served with dipping sauce. Ngán is also used to infuse liquor. Ngán liquor is also used to make a wine with a unique sea-inspired flavor.
Address:
Ha Long Fresh Seafood – 33 Le Quy Don, Quang Ninh Province.
Thien Anh Seafood Restaurant – No. 11, Phan Boi Chau Street, Bai Chay Ward, Ha Long City (near PhanTom Karaoke – Cai Dam Market).
5. Dishes Made with Sá Sùng
Sá sùng porridge
Sá sùng is also known as sea worm or sandworm. It is used to prepare many nutritious dishes and is considered a valuable food, so it is somewhat expensive. You can try dishes such as garlic-fried sá sùng, sá sùng porridge, and grilled sá sùng. If you have the chance to visit Ha Long City, you should definitely try this unique specialty.
Where to buy:
DASAVINA – Lot 41, Group 1, Area 6, Hong Gai Ward, Quang Ninh Province.
Fresh Sea Food – Quang Ninh Province.
Phuc Gia Seafood – Tuan Chau Ward, Quang Ninh Province
Ong Ba Seafood – Ha Long Old Quarter, Lot C122, Sunworld, Quang Ninh Province.
6. Bánh Tày Nồng Ệp (Bánh Tài Lồng Ệp)
Photo: Bao Vy
Bánh tày nồng ệp is a specialty of the San Diu people in Quang Ninh. The San Diu primarily live in Ha Long City, Cam Pha, Van Don, and several northern mountainous provinces. Bánh tày nồng ệp is both a snack and an offering used in traditional holiday ceremonies by the people of Quang Ninh. The cake is made from glutinous rice flour, rock sugar or sugarcane molasses, crushed ginger juice, peanuts, and roasted sesame seeds. Once cooked, it turns golden brown, with an attractive layer of evenly sprinkled sesame and peanuts on top. It is chewy from the glutinous rice, with the fragrant spiciness of ginger and the nutty flavor of peanuts and sesame. To buy bánh tày nồng ệp, you can visit the stalls along the road leading to the Tran Quoc Nghien Temple (also known as Cua Ong Temple) in Cam Pha City.
7. Ha Long Pearl Yogurt
Pearl yogurt is a delicious and nutritious dessert characteristic of Ha Long cuisine. The dish perfectly combines smooth yogurt with coconut pearls, various toppings, and fruit. Ha Long pearl yogurt shops are usually located in very convenient areas where tourists can easily find and enjoy them in the city.
Illustrative photo
Address:
Ha Long Pearl Yogurt – Branch 00 – C107, Zone C, Sunworld walking street, Quang Ninh Province.
8. Horseshoe Crab
Illustrative photo
Horseshoe crab is a valuable and unique type of seafood, but it is difficult to prepare and requires an experienced cook. Its meat is fragrant, moderately sweet, and pleasantly chewy, and it appears on the menus of most good eateries in Ha Long. Because it can easily be confused with the toxic so, care is needed when buying or preparing it yourself. Horseshoe crab can be made into many delicious dishes, including horseshoe crab soup, patties, eggs, salad, grilled cartilage, and stir-fried glass noodles.
Address:
Dung Hoa Horseshoe Crab Restaurant – 96 Thanh Thien, Ha Long Ward, Quang Ninh Province.
Co Beo Horseshoe Crab – Vo Nguyen Giap, Ha Long Ward, Quang Ninh Province.
9. Cù Kỳ Noodle Soup
Photo: Sang Dang/Vnexpress
Cù kỳ belongs to the crab family, but has much larger claws in proportion to its body, a brown shell, and green eyes. It has meaty claws, a spongy body, and is found abundantly in Quang Ninh. This seafood can be transformed into many appealing dishes, the most famous of which is cù kỳ noodle soup.
Cù kỳ noodle soup is made almost entirely from this seafood. The body is finely ground to make the broth; its roe is prepared into a crab-paste topping; and the broth is fragrant with the roe and cù kỳ meat. The bowl also contains meat from the claws, making it especially appealing. The dish is fragrant, mildly sour, and easy to eat. In Ha Long, you can easily find cù kỳ noodle soup at several good eateries.
Meat beneath the elbow joint and in the cù kỳ claws. Photo: Sang Dang.
Address:
Ba Lan Cù Kỳ Noodle Soup – Garden area, Lot 12 Thuong Mai, Cai Dam, Bai Chay Ward, Quang Ninh Province.
Huong Beo Cù Kỳ Noodle Soup – 20 Tan Mai, Bai Chay Ward, Quang Ninh Province.
10. Bánh “Gật Gù”
In appearance, bánh gật gù is quite similar to steamed rice rolls and phở sheets, but it is made in a more unique way. The cake has no filling; diners dip each piece into a special sauce, making the experience enjoyable. Its distinctive name comes from its unique “swaying” appearance. The rolled pieces are long and chewy, bobbing up and down when held. Bánh gật gù is a familiar rustic dish sold in many places in Ha Long in particular and Quang Ninh in general.
Dipping sauce made with a special recipe. Photo: Vnexpress.
Address:
Ba Cuc 73 Hoa Binh Eatery – No. 73, Hoa Binh Street, Quang Ninh.
11. Quang Yen Fermented Pork Rolls and Shredded Pork Rolls
Illustrative photo
If you have the chance to travel to Ha Long, you will also be drawn to Quang Yen’s distinctive fermented pork rolls and shredded pork rolls. The dish has a unique flavor and is sought out and enjoyed by many visitors to the Bai Chay–Ha Long tourist area. The ingredients are simple: shredded pork skin and roasted rice ground into powder. The dipping sauce is the main factor determining how delicious the rolls are. Diners usually wrap rice paper with herbs and the rolls, then dip them into an appealing sweet-and-sour sauce. Quang Yen fermented pork rolls and shredded pork rolls are also a popular gift that many Ha Long tourists buy for family and friends.
Photo: Cồ Hựu Traditional Shredded Pork Rolls – Quang Yen Facebook page
Address:
Cồ Hựu Traditional Shredded Pork Rolls – Quang Yen – No. 3 Le Quy Don, Quang Yen Ward, Quang Ninh Province
Thanh Thai Fermented Pork Rolls and Shredded Pork Rolls – No. 68 Tran Khanh Du Street, Hiep Hoa Ward, Quang Ninh Province
Ha Long Market – Bach Dang Street, Quang Ninh Province.
12. Tien Yen Cà Sáy
Cà sáy is the meat of a hybrid animal bred from a duck and a muscovy duck. Tien Yen cà sáy has become one of the Ha Long specialties that you definitely have to try. It is usually boiled and cut into bite-sized pieces. Cà sáy meat is chewy and rich, and in some places it is also fried until the skin is crisp, then served with hot rice or bread. In particular, Tien Yen locals prepare cà sáy and make a dedicated dipping sauce –a sauce fragrant with Cai Rong, Van Yen, and Cat Hai fish sauce, combined with the rich sweetness of Guangxi sarsaparilla and the gentle spiciness of Tien Yen ginger grown in its native soil.[This segment is part of the preceding sentence.]
Illustrative photo
Address:
Cà sáy restaurants in Cao Xanh area, Quang Ninh Province.
Cà sáy in the Bai Chay area, Quang Ninh Province.
Tan Yen Cà Sáy, Dong Trieu, Quang Ninh.
13. Hoanh Bo Rice Wine
Illustrative photo
Hoanh Bo infused rice wine is a unique liquor that Ha Long tourists should definitely try. It is brewed from Ha Long’s specialty glutinous rice. The rice is not ground; it is cooked and then left to ferment. Once fermentation has begun and the rice has absorbed the flavor, it is infused with leaf yeast gathered from the Hoanh Bo forest. After a period of time, it turns into liquor, which is strained and stored in bottles or jars to drink gradually, a few small cups with each meal. Hoanh Bo infused rice wine is sour and slightly sweet, and is believed to aid digestion and quench thirst, especially in summer. You can also buy it as a gift for family and friends. To find this liquor, visit the markets in Ha Long City.
