Making cuisine a key tourism product of Da Nang

Banh xeo is a dish that many domestic and foreign tourists want to experience in Da Nang . Photo: Ngoc Ha

Lesson 1: Culinary diversity

Da Nang cuisine is quite diverse, from traditional local dishes to special dishes of the country's regions, Asian - European dishes with all 3 segments: popular (street), mid-range (with experience) and high-end. That is the great advantage for Da Nang to become an attractive culinary cultural destination in the region and internationally.

Foreign tourists are quite interested in local cuisine. IN PHOTO: Tourists learn how to make banh xeo at the 2025 Da Nang Food Festival. Photo: NGOC HA

Currently, traditional local dishes and regional specialties are mainly popular in the popular segment (markets, food streets). According to records, the food court of Con market, which is considered a "food paradise" for tourists, especially domestic tourists, is always crowded on weekends or holidays. The food court is located in the 15A pavilion of the market with more than 75 businesses, most of which have been in business for a long time, passed down through many generations. The dishes here are imbued with local cultural identity, notably rice paper rolls with pork, Quang noodles, grilled pork vermicelli, and dishes such as banh beo, banh nam, banh xeo, banh can...; sweet dishes such as sweet soup, ice cream, smoothies...

Mr. Phan Thanh Thoai, Head of Con Market Management Board shared: “The survey shows that dishes such as rice paper rolls with pork, banh xeo, and avocado smoothies are the dishes that tourists love, along with traditional dishes such as bun bo, banh canh, banh nam, etc.

Tourists like the flavors prepared with the unique characteristics of the locality that only a long-standing market like Con Market can preserve; moreover, reasonable prices are also an important criterion. Previously, visitors to Con Market were mainly locals and people from neighboring areas, but now visitors come from all over the country, especially young people who experience the cuisine, check-in (mark destinations), review (evaluate dishes)..., in addition to foreign visitors".

In addition to Con Market, Da Nang has culinary areas with a variety of regional specialties such as: Huynh Thuc Khang culinary street, Le Thanh Nghi culinary street, K23 Tran Ke Xuong culinary alley, Pham Hong Thai night culinary street, Son Tra night market (Son Tra district), Helio night culinary area (Hai Chau district).

Da Nang has a rich system of service establishments, many restaurants, eateries from rustic to high-end, capable of serving a variety of customers. In addition, seafood restaurants take advantage of local natural advantages; many restaurants specialize in regional specialties such as specialties from neighboring provinces (Hue rice cakes, Hoi An chicken rice, Quang Ngai meat rolls), Northern and Southern cuisine such as broken rice, Phu Quoc bun quay, Hanoi bun cha, Nam Vang noodles or Chinese dishes (noodles, fried noodles, meatballs, wontons).

To meet the international tourist market, many restaurants serve imported dishes from countries with a large number of tourists coming to Da Nang such as Korea, Japan, Thailand... Some restaurants also meet the culinary needs of some typical tourist markets such as Muslim tourists in Asia (India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines), Russian tourists, Eastern European tourists, Middle Eastern tourists.

Ms. Truong Thi Hong Hanh, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the Halal restaurant system is increasingly developing, concentrated in coastal areas, city centers and near tourist attractions. Some prominent restaurants include: Family Indian Restaurant, Mumtaz Indian Restaurant, Namaste Omar's Indian, Baba's Kitchen (India), Golden Mekong (Southeast Asia); many high-end hotels add Halal dishes, poultry and beef are processed according to Halal standards.

In Da Nang, there are some famous Russian restaurants such as: Lyiv Restaurant (Eastern European cuisine); SkyLine Bistro (Russian - Ukrainian cuisine); Marina Seafood & Russian Cuisine (serving Russian guests) with a menu suitable for Russian tourists' taste, including traditional dishes such as borsch, pelmeni, shashlik, Russian vodka...

Markets and supermarkets in Da Nang import many food products from Russia and Eastern Europe to serve this group of customers. Some restaurants specialize in serving Halal cuisine, suitable for Middle Eastern tourists such as Halal-friendly restaurants in 5-star hotels such as InterContinental, Sheraton, Hyatt Regency.

According to Mr. Ly Dinh Quan, Chairman of the Da Nang City Culinary Culture Association, Da Nang not only has typical dishes of the Central region such as Quang noodles, vermicelli with fish sauce, rice paper rolls with pork... but is also a convergence of Northern and Southern dishes with a "Da Nang-ized" version - both preserving the original essence and adjusting to suit local and tourist tastes.

It is this flexibility and creativity that creates the soul of Da Nang cuisine. Moreover, Da Nang cuisine is not fussy in form but rich in flavor and sophisticated in seasoning. From street food such as rice paper rolls, snails, pancakes... to high-class dishes in restaurants, all carry the spirit of "delicious, simple and authentic".

Da Nang cuisine is truly unique because it is not only delicious but also soulful - a combination of tradition and modernity, locality and integration. That is the great advantage for Da Nang to become an attractive culinary cultural destination in the region and internationally.

What do visitors say?
* Ms. Nguyen Phuc Duyen (Da Lat tourist):
Delicious local food, reasonable prices
From the information introduced on social networking sites, during my trip to Da Nang, I took my family to experience the cuisine at Con Market. In my opinion, the food here is very delicious, full of local flavor, and cheap such as: rice paper rolls with pork, rice noodles, sweet soup, etc. After enjoying the cuisine, my family shopped at the stalls in the market, the goods are abundant, there are many local specialties to buy as gifts. All family members are satisfied and will continue to introduce Da Nang tourism to their friends.
* Ms. Court Johnson (American tourist):
Variety of dishes
I stayed in Da Nang for quite a long time and was impressed with the cuisine here. Regarding local cuisine, I like pho, banh xeo, and very fresh seafood; many restaurants have dishes prepared in a unique European style. I also participated in the local food festival and thought it was an interesting festival, giving visitors the opportunity to experience the cuisine and culinary culture of Da Nang.
* Ms. Le Thuy Vi (tourist from Hanoi):
Check-in and food review trends
Nowadays, the trend of checking in, reviewing dishes or restaurant locations is quite popular among young people. Therefore, before traveling to Da Nang, my friends and I went online to search for "hot" culinary places, usually traditional or long-standing restaurants. This time, my group chose to experience street food with bun mam, nem lui, etc. I found the cuisine to be rich, easy to find in every neighborhood, reasonable prices, enthusiastic owners, and no rip-offs. In addition, I quite enjoyed immersing myself in the bustling atmosphere of the Helio night food court, which is very suitable for young people.
* Mr. Nguyen Minh Hoang (tourist from Ho Chi Minh City):
New and unique cuisine
When I heard my friends talk about collecting culinary passports under the Da Nang Food Tour campaign, I was fascinated. After arranging my work, I planned a trip to Da Nang. Thanks to an acquaintance here, I "kidnapped" them to go with me, choosing back and forth among 50 establishments with culinary passports, and finally being suggested some places with a strong local character such as: seafood, Quang noodles, bun cha... Delicious dishes can be found everywhere, but the "culinary passport" is very new and unique.