Lesson 2: Da Nang cuisine "reaches" out to the world

Indian Aroma Restaurant (Ngu Hanh Son District) is on the list of Michelin Selected Restaurants and Eateries Worth Trying in 2024. Photo: NGOC HA

Cuisine is a cultural story

Over the years, the city has gradually developed a culinary model associated with tourism and cultural experiences. Not only delicious food, visitors also get to hear stories about the food, the people and the land.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Quynh, Chairman of the Danang Hotel Association, said that in the past, hotels and resorts were mainly considered as accommodation - a stopover for tourists after their journeys of discovery; however, today's tourism trends have changed significantly.

Tourists, especially international visitors and those with a taste for high-end experiences, are increasingly interested in culture, including culinary culture. They not only want to “eat well” but also want to “understand” what they are enjoying - from the ingredients, the preparation method to the cultural meaning behind each dish. Understanding that, hotels and resorts in Da Nang have proactively exploited the culinary element not only as a service, but have turned it into a highlight of the experience.

“Furama Reo ort Da Nang is a typical example. We have restored and put into operation a nearly 100-year-old ancient house from the Northwest region, creating a traditional, rustic space to serve Vietnamese vegetarian cuisine. Here, visitors can not only enjoy exquisite vegetarian dishes but also have the opportunity to participate in cooking classes, learn about the philosophy and culinary culture of the Vietnamese people. This is a form of experiential tourism that is loved by many international visitors.

In addition, many hotels in Da Nang also have very creative and unique culinary exploits such as InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, which combines the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine with international-class service style. Naman Retreat organizes cooking workshops with local chefs, where visitors can learn to make banh xeo, goi cuon or sweet and sour fish sauce - traditional dishes with strong Vietnamese identity.

TIA Wellness Resort focuses on healthy cuisine with organic ingredients and a macrobiotic diet, combining traditional Vietnamese dishes with modern cooking techniques. All these efforts are aimed at a common goal: turning cuisine into a vibrant cultural journey, helping visitors not only relax but also understand the place they are visiting,” said Mr. Quynh.

Ms. Do Thi Yen, Director of the Draff Beer & Veranda Restaurant Chain, believes that cuisine has proven to play an important role in tourism. Not only is it a regular dining service, many interesting stories and cultural aspects of local life can also be vividly conveyed through the dining table, or during the interaction between the cook, the vendor and the diners.

“Building a story for a dish is very important so that when enjoying it, customers feel the dish is more delicious, more knowledgeable and more poetic. In addition to Da Nang's typical dishes, other popular seafood dishes, Da Nang people still have their own way of preparing them. That is how we bring culture into cuisine, creating a difference that attracts tourists to the city,” Ms. Yen expressed.

Spreading value

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Da Nang is one of the localities actively using many forms to promote cuisine as a tourism product, a bridge for tourists to know more. To introduce and promote local dishes, the city's tourism industry organizes many major culinary activities and events such as the Da Nang International Food Festival 2019; Da Nang Food Festival is part of the annual Enjoy Summer Festival; "Standard Quang Noodles" contest, Quang Da Tet Culinary Culture Festival"...; promoting on social platforms; typically, the city chose Quang noodles to introduce to delegates attending APEC 2017.

In addition, the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center and the Da Nang Culinary Culture Association coordinate to organize annual culinary festivals, competitions between chefs, and produce content about Da Nang delicacies posted on YouTube, TikTok, etc.

From long-standing traditional culinary businesses such as Han Market, Con Market, food streets specializing in Tran Thi Ly Bridge, Huynh Thuc Khang Street, Le Thanh Nghi Street... to new shopping, entertainment and dining centers such as Son Tra Night Market, Helio also created a good impression, loved by tourists and shared reviews on social networking sites. However, Ms. Truong Thi Hong Hanh, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that Da Nang cuisine has received more attention from the media and domestic and international tourists since June 2024, when the world-recognized culinary guide Michelin Guide listed Da Nang as the third culinary destination of Michelin Guide in Vietnam.

There are 36 restaurants in Da Nang listed in the Michelin Guide, including 1 restaurant with 1 Michelin star, 16 Bib Gourmand (good quality restaurants and eateries with reasonable prices) and 19 Michelin Selected (restaurants and eateries worth trying). This is the basis for Da Nang cuisine to be recognized and known more widely; on the other hand, it is the motivation for businesses to continuously build their culinary brands.

As one of the restaurants and eateries awarded the Michelin Selected award, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam (60 years old, owner of Quang noodles 1A) could not help but be surprised. Speaking to us, Ms. Tam said that her family has been selling Quang noodles for a long time, passed down from her grandmother to her father, and then she took over for several decades. From the Quang noodles stall along Bach Dang river wharf to the restaurant address on Hai Phong street (Hai Chau district) today, it still carries the typical characteristics of Quang people: shrimp noodles, meat noodles and chicken noodles. "We have had a long-standing customer base; then, thanks to the development of tourism, more tourists came.

When I heard that our restaurant became one of the restaurants selected by Michelin as a restaurant worth trying, I was quite surprised because I didn't know who they were or when they came to survey. But since being given the Michelin Selected sign, many people know about our restaurant because they search on social networking sites. We are also more aware, investing more in service methods, maintaining the quality of dishes to contribute to promoting the city's cuisine to a large number of tourists," Ms. Tam shared.

To date, La Maison 1888, the most special restaurant in the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, is the only restaurant in Danang to be awarded 1 Michelin star. According to culinary experts, La Maison 1888 not only offers a premium culinary experience, but also organizes wine and Vietnamese food evenings for guests who want to explore the cultural exchange between East and West. Mr. Seif Hamdy, General Manager of InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort said: “Since its opening, La Maison 1888 has always strived to bring the perfect culinary experience to diners.

Receiving this prestigious award is an important milestone in our journey of efforts”. In addition to La Maison 1888, in 2024, Nén Danang - a Michelin-awarded restaurant, Selected will be awarded the first Michelin Green Star in Vietnam for its commitment to the restaurant's culinary and sustainability. According to the owner of Nén Danang restaurant, chef Lê Hạ Uyên (Summer Le), the Michelin Green Star helps Nén reach more people interested in sustainable cuisine. However, regardless of this award, Nén must continue on her unique path, because it is a long-term mission. With this award, she is more confident in telling Vietnamese stories to diners through ingredients and culinary creations, helping them see the cultural depth of the country, honoring Vietnamese culture and traditions.

Ms. Truong Thi Hong Hanh said that 36 restaurants and eateries in Da Nang honored by Michelin Guide Vietnam 2024 are an opportunity for the city's cuisine. In 2025, Da Nang was listed in the list of 10 culinary destinations to visit in 2025 by Michelin Guide, along with cities around the world such as Austin and Miami (USA), Mexico City (Mexico), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Bangkok (Thailand), Fujian (China), Osaka (Japan), Bath (UK) and Vienna (Austria). "This is a golden opportunity for the tourism industry to promote and spread the experiential values, the unique values ​​of Da Nang and Vietnamese cuisine to the world; at the same time, it poses many challenges in the strategy of developing cuisine into a unique tourism product," Ms. Hanh said.

NGOC HA

Source: https://baodanang.vn/kinhte/202505/dua-am-thuc-thanh-san-pham-du-lich-mui-nhon-cua-da-nang-bai-2-am-thuc-da-nang-vuon-ra-the-gioi-4006415/