Best of 5 Street Foods in Halong Bay

Not only does Halong Bay boast mesmerizing scenery, but Halong also offers a great diversity of tasty local food. There’s so much excellent gastronomy for foodies to explore the wonders of cuisines in Halong Bay. Here are the best of 5 street foods that every newcomer shouldn’t miss in Halong Bay.

Favored by Mother Nature, Halong Bay is either gifted with incredible natural landscapes or rich in natural resources of numerous seafood species. That’s the reason why Halong Bay is best known for fresh and tasty seafood, ranging from crab, prawn, squid, and snail to oysters. What a shame if you miss out on this amazing thing to do in Halong Bay at night. Let's feast on the following top 5 must-try Halong Bay street foods!

1. Chả Mực (Squid Sausage)

Chả Mực, also called deep-fried suid ball, is the most worth-trying street food in Halong Bay, which is considered one of the top specialties of Vietnam. What makes Chả Mực Ha Long extraordinary is the freshly high-quality squid from the Halong Bay area. Chả Mực is best prepared by grinding up squid meat by hand and then being fried at medium heat until it turns an attractive golden brown.

Squid Sausage is the most popular specialty in Halong Bay

Once you bite into Chả Mực, you first feel the crunchy exterior and before savoring the juicy squid meat inside. The elegant texture and attractive aroma of Chả Mực are perfectly combined with Xôi (boiled and sticky rice) or Bánh Cuốn (a kind of thin and steamed rice cake). All have made the incredible Halong Bay’s street food sold at any store and stalls around Halong City, especially at the local market.

Banh Cuon Cha Muc is must-try street food in Halong Bay

For more details: Top 5 Best Shopping Places in Halong Bay

2. Sam (Horsehoe Crab)

Sam, known as Horseshoe Crab, is a distinctive kind of crab that lives primarily in a shallow ocean environment like Halong Bay. Unlike many other shellfish species, Sam cannot be farmed and it’s much cheaper but equally delicious compared to the others. With the endless menu of horseshoe crab, you can fill your stomach with a wide range of dishes such as crab salad, sweet and sour crab, pudding crab, steamed crabs, fried crab, fried crab’s cartilage, stir-fried crab and glass noodle, etc.

Horseshoe crab in the sweet and sour version is one of the most favorite street foods in Halong Bay, which is characterized by a sharp and relatively spicy taste with a sweet and salty aftertaste. Sam dishes can be covered with frying flour and mixed with sweet-and-sour sauce, then decorated by talented chef staff. Sam has become a scarce dish in Halong Bay since only a few places serve this specialty.

Horseshoe Crab is one of the most favorable street foods in Halong Bay

3. Ngán (Austriella Corrugata)

Ngán is a type of krill living in mangrove estuaries, which is popular in the northern Vietnam coastal area, particularly in Quang Ninh Province. In Vietnamese, Ngán means tasteless; but in fact, extremely delicious and has a delicate and pleasant aftertaste. Come and try this unique seafood only found in Halong Bay. You will have a chance to savor different dishes of Ngán: grilled, steamed, cooked porridge, stir-fried with vegetables or noodles.

Grilled Ngán in Halong Bay

Among various products made from Ngán, the most famous and unique one is Ngán wine which is favored by most male tourists. This kind of wine is made from a strange combination of Ngán blood and rice wine. Unlike Western drinks, Ngán wine offers a special delicacy with an indescribable flavor. You can easily find products of Ngán in Cai Ram or Vuon Dao markets. Ngán dishes are available anywhere from street foods to seafood restaurants in Halong Bay.

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4. Sá Sùng (Sipunculus Nudus)

Sá Sùng is the weirdest dish on the list of Halong Bay street foods. Sipunculus is a kind of sea worm living deep in the sand around the coastal dunes of Quan Lan Island and Van Don Island. Sá Sùng is such a kind of very rare seafood that it costs quite expensive at around 3 – 4 million VND per kilo (approx. 2 pounds). Since ancient times, it had been exploited to make tributes to Kings and Mandarins.

Today, Sá Sùng is widely served to everyone although it’s still hard to find in Halong Bay. However, it’s worth trying this little creepy kind of street food in Halong Bay. Sá Sùng can be dried into dark brown then grilled or fried with garlic spikes to go well with flavors of chili salt and mustard. It is one of the best must-try things to do in Halong Bay. Don't miss out on this Halong specialty!

Dishes made from Sá Sùng in Halong Bay

5. Gật Gù Cake

Another strange name of the top 5 Halong Bay street foods is Gật Gù Cake, a special cake tasting like a steamed rolled rice pancake or Phở. The main ingredient is rice powder which is used to make Phở, but the cake has its own flavor to the local cuisine in Quang Ninh. In Vietnamese, Gật Gù means nodding repeatedly since the cake is so appetizing that everyone can’t help nodding.

Gật Gù Cake is best served with fish sauce, minced pork, fresh chili, fried onion, and a meat storage vessel. When tasting the cake, you could feel the softness of bread and the greasy aroma of meat pie. Definitely, you shouldn’t miss the chance to savor this specialty in Quang Ninh province, especially the most famous in Tien Yen. If you want something challenging and interesting, you should try once to make your own Gật Gù Cake on your trip to Halong Bay.

Gật Gù Cake is only found in Halong Bay

Besides these 5 suggested street foods in Halong Bay, you should fill your stomach with a wide range of prawns, lobster, white pearl shrimp, tiger shrimp, oysters, and other more. Both fresh seafood straight from the sea and then onto your plate and high-quality seafood served on Halong Bay cruises will satisfy you to the fulfillment. Please check the top Halong Bay cruises here for the most delightful foodie experience.

In conclusion, it is always an amazing experience to enjoy either stunning beauty pots or tasty street foods in Halong Bay. You’d better make your vacation unforgettable by trying the top 5 street foods in Halong Bay. Let’s take joy in your Halong Bay trip with BestPrice Travel!

Hong Nhung

(Images source: Internet)