Crab noodle soup
A Hai Phong signature dish, crab noodle soup is served throughout the day. Featuring red flat noodles known for their chewy texture, it comes adorned with an array of toppings. From pork wrapped in betel leaves to fried tofu, shrimp, and fish rolls, each spoonful presents a blend of flavors and textures. Some places also offer additions like pork kidney and mantis shrimp. Accompanying this dish is a sweet broth infused with the essence of crab.
Crab noodle soups are available at various locations in Hai Phong, including 195 Cau Dat Street, 48 Lach Tray Street, 173 Hang Kenh Street, Dung Hong crab noodle soup at 143 Ly Tiem Alley, Da Lieu crab noodle soup at 140 Tran Phu Street, and within Co Dao Market.
Photo by Nguyen Chi
Spicy fish noodle soup
This dish features a seafood broth with a mix of sweetness and richness, along with a hint of tangy pineapple and mild spiciness. A portion of the fish noodle soup features fried fish, stir-fried basa fish intestines, fish sausage, and fish rolls, served with chili sauce and herbs.
Recommended locations for this dish include 66 Le Loi Street, 49 Lach Tray Street, 156 Van Cao Street, 153 Le Lai Street, Lane 55 Lach Tray, and various branches of Doanh fish noodle soup throughout the city.
Photo by Nguyen Chi
Spicy breadsticks
These petite breads, roughly the size of two fingers, have a thinly spread layer of pate, often accompanied by a touch of chili sauce. Tourists often buy them to bring home as gifts.
Well-known breadsticks brands like Khanh Nap at 192 Hang Kenh Street, Pate Cot Den at 1 Chua Hang Street, Ba Gia (Old Lady) at 57A Le Loi Street, and Ong Cuong at 184 Hang Kenh Street.
Photo by Nguyen Chi
Banh duc Tau
Considered a discerning choice even among residents of Hai Phong, this dish features a steamed rice cake with diced papaya, annatto oil for color enhancement, shrimp, roasted pork belly, wood ear mushrooms, and a fish sauce broth.
Recommended spots include Ms. Chuyen at 159 Hai Ba Trung Street, as well as vendors within Co Dao Market, Luong Van Can Market, and May Da Market.
Photo by Nguyen Chi
Stir-fried mollusk
A culinary delight with a loyal following in Hai Phong, gia be is a type of mollusk found in the sea, characterized by its soft shell and a leg protruding about 4 to 5 centimeters, offering a crispy texture. They are cleaned, marinated with sugar, turmeric, fish sauce, and flour to achieve a thick consistency, along with a chili sauce. Despite its small serving size, many people enjoy this sweet and crunchy flavor.
You can find stir-fried gia be at various locations, including 47 Chu Van An Street, 103 Du Hang Street, 166 Luong Khanh Thien Street, 112 Hang Kenh Street, as well as vendors within Cat Bi Market, Luong Van Can Market, and Hang Market.
Photo by Nguyen Chi
Snail dishes
Known for offering delicious food at affordable prices, snail restaurants in Hai Phong cater to both southern and northern tastes, with dishes like stir-fried snails with salted egg sauce or steamed snails.
Recommended snail restaurants include Hoa's snail eatery at 69 May To Street, Ha's snail eatery at 47 Chu Van An Street, and Thuong's snail eatery at 269 Le Loi Street and 276 Hang Kenh Street.
Photo by Nguyen Chi
Banh beng
This unique specialty in Hai Phong is likened to banh tieu or hollow donuts commonly found in the southern region of Vietnam. Banh beng is a large cake, soft, and spongy on the inside, typically enjoyed by breaking it into small pieces and dipping them in condensed milk.
You can find banh beng at 208 To Hieu Street.
Photo by Nguyen Chi
Coconut dessert drink
Despite not being a long-standing traditional dish, this treat has gained recognition in Hai Phong cuisine recently. It consists of coconut milk, grated coconut flesh, coconut jelly, milk, condensed milk, and homemade tapioca pearls, all mixed with shaved ice.
A recommended location to try this treat is Hien Beo at 124 Lach Tray Street.
Photo by Nguyen Chi
Banh beo
Unlike the small round steamed rice cakes from Hue, Hai Phong's banh beo version is bigger and wrapped in banana leaves. It is filled with meat and wood ear mushrooms, topped with fried shallots.
Recommended addresses for this savory snack include 294 Lach Tray Street, 64 Chu Van An Street, 147 Hang Kenh Street, 22 Lan Ong Street, 278 Tran Nguyen Han Street, 189 Phan Boi Chau Street, and stalls within Co Dao market and Luong Van Can market.
Photo by Phong Kieu
Hai Phong crab spring rolls
Also known as square spring rolls, these contain ingredients such as crab meat, chicken eggs, ground pork, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and vegetables.
Recommended locations to try them include 323 To Hieu Street, Phuong Mai Restaurant at 87 Cat Cut Street, and Ba Cu at 179 Cau Dat Street.
Photo by Phong Kieu
Desserts
This historic port city boasts a variety of dessert options to satisfy sweet cravings, including black bean sweet soup and black sesame sweet soup served with fried dough sticks.
During winter, local sweet shops are bustling with customers gathering to enjoy a dessert called sui din, small cakes made of rice filled with ingredients like black sesame, crushed roasted peanuts, and grated coconut.
Recommended locations for these desserts include various street vendors throughout Hai Phong.
Photo by Phong Kieu
Chrysanthemum tea
Highly popular in Hai Phong, chrysanthemum tea can be found in numerous shops throughout the city. It features a slightly sweet and bitter taste from the chrysanthemum, sweetness from licorice slices, and bitterness from the tea leaves. Once accustomed to its full flavor, chrysanthemum tea becomes an excellent choice for a cold day.
Photo by Phong Kieu
