Places to eat in Da Lat

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While visiting Da Lat, you will be surprised to discover restaurants and street food stalls with dishes representative of all three regions of Viet Nam. For breakfast in the morning or a quick meal at night, you can enjoy phở (rice noodle soup) from the north or bún bò Huế (Hue beef noodle) from Thua Thien Hue Province in central Viet Nam.

The phở restaurants are clustered at the back of the Hoa Binh Quarter. Some popular restaurants here are phở Tùng, phở and cơm tấm (rice noodle soup and broken rice) Bắc Hương, and phở Hiệu. There are also   phở restaurants in other places, such as: phở Vi on the corner of Nguyen Du Street and Tran Quy Cap street, phở Ha Noi on Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street near the crossroads of Phan Chu Trinh Street, phở Quang on Ha Huy Tap Street, and phở restaurants on Hoang Van Thu Street.

Another popular Vietnamese dish, bún, can also be easily found in Da Lat. Bún is rice noodles. It is used with different ingredients to prepare a variety of tasty dishes. The most common one is bún soup. You can have a good bowl of bún at Bà già tóc bạc (Grey-haired Old Woman) restaurant at 44 Hung Vuong Street or at Tung Nghia Bus Station at the back of Hoa Binh Quarter. If you want a real taste of bun from Hue City, go to bún Cong Restaurant on Phu Dong Thien Vuong Street. There also are good bún restaurants at the Thung Lung Tinh Yeu (Love Valley) Tourist Site.

The price of a bowl of phở or bún varies from place to place, depending on the quality of the dish. In general, you should expect to pay from VND 6,000 to 8,000 for a bowl.

Mì Quảng, a specialty from Quang Nam Province, has also found its way to Da Lat. Don't mistake it for the same dish from Guangdong Province of China, because these two kinds of noodles of different origins are sold on the same Nha Chung Street, and at about the same price. Mi Quang is made from rice flour and is eaten either as a soup or a dry dish,  while Guangdong noodles  are made from brown wheat flour by the Vietnamese Chinese. Restaurants serving Mì Quảng on this street are always crowded with people, most of whom are Da Lat residents.

Some restaurants in Da Lat also serve Chinese foods, such as noodle soup and dim sum. Several of these restaurants are located in the hotel area near the central market. For breakfast, tourists often go to the Quách family restaurant at 217 Phan Dinh Phung Street as it serves many traditional Chinese dishes. The chef here serves hủ tiếu, hoành thánh mỳ, and very attractive dumplings. If you plan to go there with a large group, you can call in advance to ensure a proper reception. The telephone number of the restaurant is (063) 820104. Another good Chinese restaurant to try is Vinh Loi at the end of the Duy Tan Slope.

If you are health conscious, then try dishes braised in traditional Chinese herbs. The flavor may appear strange and strong at first, but many Westerners have become addicted to them after a few attempts. The most popular of these dishes are duck, chicken legs, and pig brain. Then, fried rice. The best restaurants that serve these dishes are Tai Ky and Nhu Y. Tai Ky Restaurant on Bui Thi Xuan Street, which opens from noon to night. A Chinese dish of this kind costs VND8,000 to 12,000.

If you're seeking a quiet and scenic place for breakfast, go to Bich Dao Restaurant on Trieu Viet Vuong Street, on the way to Bao Dai Mansion. The food here is delicious. You can enjoy the restaurant's specialty bò né and sip your cup of Highland coffee.

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Hủ tiếu nam vang is another popular dish. You can find it in restaurants in the Hoa Binh Quarter, as well as near the central market.

Another of Da Lat's specialties is bánh canh. Xuân An restaurant at 15 Nha Chung Street is the best known for this dish. The family owners have prepared it for years. The dish, which is like a Vietnamese pork pie with spicy ingredients, tastes rich but it's delicious. For advance bookings, call (063) 827690.

Whether you are trying to buy or eat something, make sure you check the prices beforehand. If a shop doesn't display them clearly, some staff may quote you exorbitant prices.

As for dishes from the Mekong Delta, you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner at the cluster of restaurants near the central market, opposite Hai Son Restaurant, on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. Some restaurants can accommodate a large group. For example, Hung Phat 1 Restaurant can host more than 500 diners at the same time. It has a car park for more than  10 coaches of 40-50 seat capacity. The Mekong Delta dishes include sour soup (canh chua), mixed ingredients soup (canh thập cẩm), pork leg and bamboo shoot soup (canh măng giò heo), salty braised food, fried fish (cá chiên), stir-fried mustard greens, and desserts.

Hung Phat Restaurant in Da Lat is one in a chain of the Hung Phat Restaurants. They specialize in serving large tourist groups. If you leave from Ho Chi Minh City for Da Lat, before you reach Nga Ba Dau Giay on Highway No. 1, you will see three restaurants belonging to this chain: Hung Phat, Hung Phat 1, and Hung Phat 2. There is also a Hung Phat Restaurant in Bao Loc Town, and another one in Lac An commune.

If you do not want to squander your money on food, you can mingle with the masses in the restaurant section on the first floor of Da Lat Market. Here, you can savor rice soup, bún, phở, bánh cuốn, and cơm đĩa, for VND 3,000 to 5,000. Vegetarian food is even cheaper. There also are cheap restaurants for lower income students and workers, such as the Tung Nghia Bus Station (the corner of Phan Boi Chau Street and Nguyen Van Troi Street), and opposite the Transport Police Station on Hung Vuong Street.

Restaurants on Hung Vuong Street specialize in simple dishes cooked in the style of northern Viet Nam. A meal with rice, a salty dish and vegetables costs VND6,000 - 7,000. If you favor peasants' country-style dishes, try dưa chua (pickled vegetables), cà pháo (pickled eggplants) and shrimp paste. You can even try a cheaper meal at the restaurant at the crossroads of Nguyen Van Cu Street and 3 thang 2 (3 February) Street, as a plate with a fixed choice of items costs only VND 4,000.

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Specialty Foods

If you have an adventurer's palate, there are places where you can try something you may never have eaten before. Many are suitable for a group of five or six friends.

• Barbecues

You will be impressed by the way chefs season their meat. Your mouth will water as you watch the waiter fill a plate with unusually arranged pieces of meat on your table. If you are sitting at the same table with someone from northern Viet Nam, s/he will immediately tell you the taste is typical of northern cooking. A good restaurant for barbecue is Sa Pa on Hai Thuong Street (Tel. 835760). The house is modeled after the stilt house of the northwestern part of northern Viet Nam and the Central Highlands. The price for a plate of roasted meat for four persons is VND 30,000.

• Dishes prepared from local or marine products

Some restaurants serve dishes made from both local and marine products, but if you want to have 200-gram lobsters, the place to go to is the restaurant with the name meaning "sea and mountain," which is Hai Son,   near Da Lat Market. The telephone number is: 827252.

• Asian and European food

Tourists may also dine at restaurants serving both Asian and European dishes. In particular, try Cafe de la Poste, the casual cafe that is near the Sofitel Palace and Novotel. They serve French pastries, and next to the bar is a pool table.

Below are some good restaurants:

- Nhat Ly, 88 Phan Dinh Phung, Tel: (063)821651
- Phuong Hoang, 81 Phan Dinh Phung, Tel: (063)822773
- Nhu  Ngoc, near Da Lat Market, Tel: (063)822651
- Nam Do, near Da Lat Market, Tel: (063)824550
- Long  Hoa,  63  thang  4 Street, Tel: (063) 822934
- Thanh Thanh, 4 Tang Bat Ho, Tel: (063) 821836 - 829158
- Tan Hue Do, 27/2 Hoang Dieu, Tel: (063) 826848 (serving a specialty prepared from goat meat)
- Van Hue Lau, 22/2 Tran Phu, Tel: (063) 824794
- Nhu Y, 143B Phan Dinh Phung, Tel: (063) 823770
- Quan Suoi Mo, 17 Nguyen Van Troi, Tel: (063) 823022
- Hoa Le, 1 Nha Chung, Tel: (063) 833399 (specializing in sea food)

• Cabbage

Da Lat is a city of cabbages. They not only carpet the hills surrounding the town but also occupy pieces of land near Xuan Huong Lake and Le Dai Hanh Street. Da Lat's cabbages are grown with hygienic technology, so you're safe eating such vegetable dishes. The nets covering the plants not only protect them from insects, but enhance the local landscape.

Cabbages are so abundant that some restaurants won't even charge customers for a plate of cabbage topped with sliced egg. Such generosity may even be extended to include goat meat hot pot (lẩu dê), a dish that you can enjoy with your cabbage dish.

Below are some good lẩu dê (goat hot pot) restaurants:

- Ngan, 32C Ho Tung Mau, Tel: (063) 823808
- Phu, Hoang Dieu St.

Some law-end lẩu dê restaurants are on Le Quy Don Street (near Nguyen Van Cu Street and 3 thang 2 Street), and khu Ba Toa (one kilometer from Da Lat Market). A good lẩu dê dish for four diners costs VND 40,000 to 60,000.

•  Coat Meat

Coat Restaurant (Quán Dê), 5 Ho Xuan Huong Street, Tel: (063) 824197, serves many traditional dishes made from goat meat, including goat blood for the bolder diner.

•  Artichoke

Artichoke season runs between December and June. For six months, this voluptuous vegetable becomes a regular item in many restaurants. The most popular artichoke dish is stewed with pig legs, it is believed to have medicinal values, facilitating urination, cooling the liver system, and ensuring a sound sleep. Tourists on holiday during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year Tết (end of January - February) usually eat this dish.

• Mekong Delta dishes

Nhu Ngoc 2 Restaurant, which serves dishes from the Mekong Delta, is an interesting place. It is conveniently located behind the central post office in the town center, overlooking the central market. The menu includes, among other things, rice cooked in the traditional style, using small terra cotta pots. Adding to the rustic ambience are the waitresses who are dressed in the traditional bà ba uniform of the Mekong Delta. You can find Nhu Ngoc 2 Restaurant at No. 19/8 Ho Tung Mau Street. The telephone number: (063) 833999.

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Where to eat at night

Da Lat eateries usually remain open until midnight. They have good reason. Tourists often bundle themselves up in warm clothing and wander the streets in spite of the chilly mountain air. Their hunger pangs may lead them to a place with an off - putting name - chợ Âm Phủ (Hell's Market). But the food there is palatable. The market is located next to Hai Son Hotel, near Da Lat's central market.

A few years ago, on the steps leading to Da Lat Market of Hoa Binh Quarter, there were several vendors serving cheap food at night. Their businesses flourished so well that they blocked the streets and ruined the view. That's why the local authorities decided to move the market to its current location, 200 meters from the previous one.

At Hell's Market, restaurants and food stalls serve dishes from the northern, central and southern areas of Viet Nam, and even from China. These include noodles, rice porridge, soy beverages, roasted squid, and corn on the cob.

Make sure you check the prices of the dishes before you order. Some sellers may try to take advantage of your innocence to grab an easy buck.

In addition to Hell's Market, you can try these other eateries:

There are the bún bò Huế (Hue beef noodles) restaurants in the alley called Anh Sang (light) by Xuan Huong Lake. The cooks are natives of Hue City in central Viet Nam, so you can taste real Hue dishes. On a cold night, the hot peppery foods will certainly cut the chill. Some food shops also serve dishes, such as Quảng noodles and duck rice soup.

If you miss phở (rice noodle soup), try the phở restaurants on Tang Bat Ho Street before midnight. Only two big phở restaurants on this street remain open until 2 a.m. in the morning.

Cassava vermicelli soup also is a very popular dish in Viet Nam. If you want a bowl of cassava vermicelli soup topped with chicken, go to the restaurant at No. 12 on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Tel. (063) 823578, near Ngoc Lan Hotel. Please note that this restaurant is only open at night.

Great coffee

If you love coffee, try Thuy Ta and Thanh Thanh restaurants by Xuan Huong Lake, the coffee street on the slope going up to Hoa Binh Quarter. Also, visit the bars on the top floors of some hotels. From these higher levels, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the brightly lit town below.

Thuy Ta and Thanh Thanh serve food indoors, but reserve the outdoor space for drinkers. On a quiet evening, what could be more blissful than sipping hot coffee on a terrace overlooking the lake, and watching the veil of mist rising from the water's surface?

The cost at Thuy Ta may be a little high, but you have both European, Asian and Vietnamese food and good coffee at the same place. In addition, the restaurant has performances of traditional Hue music on weekends. You can request that the local musicians and singers perform your favorite pieces.

Many coffee bars in the Hoa Binh Quarter are open from morning until night. You can find the most popular and cheapest coffee at the bars around the central markets, such as Phan Boi Chau, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Nguyen Van Troi and Truong Cong Dinh. The price for a cup of hot black coffee is only VND 2,000.

In the middle of the slope leading to Hoa Binh Quarter is a row of coffee bars on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street. From here, you can enjoy a good view of the town landscape. These bars attract customers in the early morning and late evening. The price for a cup of black coffee is as high as VND 4,000-5,000; a cup of coffee with milk, VND 6,000. This area is named "the coffee street" of Da Lat. Of special note: Internet access is ubiquitous in this area.

Another popular coffee bar in Hoa Binh Quarter is Tung. The owner is known for playing recordings of classical music to create a more relaxing atmosphere. And the coffee is highly regarded.

Below are some other favored coffee bars:

- Valentine in Ho Tung Mau Street provides a great view of Da Lat. There are actually 3 different locations - the best one overlooks the main lake. Valentine also sells its own blend of arabica, robusta and cherry blend, roasted in wine and butter. You can come with a group of friends and dine in your own "pavilion."

- Bich Dao near Bao Dai Mansion is for those seeking a quiet environment and selection of fine musical recordings.

Entertainment

Make your vacation complete with, at least, one night of Karaoke. Don't worry if you can't sing on tune. It's more fun when everyone is an amateur. Most hotels have their own karaoke bar. They often are crowded with younger folks during the tourist seasons, so make sure you book your room in advance. The price for one karaoke room is VND 40,000 per hour during the daytime, and VND 50,000 during nighttime. Below are some popular karaoke spots:

- Quynh  Huong, Quang Trung, Tel: (063) 825522
- Dang Nguyen,  3S Bui Thi Xuan, Tel: (063) 828702
- Nhat  Quang, 33/19 Phan Dinh Phung, Tel: (063) 831391
- Minh, 94 Nguyen Van Troi, Tel: (063) 824815
- Da Vang, 4S Bui Thi Xuan, Tel: (063) 828702
- Bich Dao, 8 Trieu Viet Vuong, Tel: (063) 822753
- Quan 007, 242C Phan Dinh Phung, Tel: (063) 827903