Mrs. Hung’s grilled pork
Mrs. Hung’s restaurant opened in 1996, and since then its typical grilled dish has been a favorite with locals. Situated at 254 Phan Dinh Phung Street, in the Central Highlands resort town of Da Lat, the restaurant serves nem nuong (grilled pork).
The cook grinds meat, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, and spices into a paste. The paste is shaped into round pieces around bamboo sticks and grilled on charcoal. There needs to be fat in the paste to make the pork greasy and soft.
To balance the grease, the restaurant offers sour pickles, fresh greens and a unique dipping sauce made from pork bone broth and ground soybean paste, fish sauce and sesame. A serving costs VND45,000 ($2).
Ms. Lan’s crab noodles
Ms. Lan’s eatery on Mac Dinh Chi Street is an ideal place to enjoy a light meal at the town center. For 20 years the stall has managed to keep bringing patrons back for its crab.
Each bowl also contains the pieces of pork blood and pork bones. A piece of tomato adds a nice touch to the flavor by easing the dominant crab flavor.
Customers can choose a normal bowl for VND25,000 ($1.1) or a special bowl for VND35,000 ($1.5). The dish is always served with a plate of fresh sliced vegetables.
Anh Sang hamlet beef noodle
The eatery nestles behind a flower garden in Anh Sang hamlet. The noodles are quite large and firm. The dish has the taste of meat mixed with the slightly spicy flavor of satay. It has a clear broth with slices of meat on top.
Foodies can order some pork sausage and poached vegetables to eat along with the dish.
The price of a dish is VND30,000 ($1.3). People can also enjoy Quang noodles (Quang Nam Province is the birthplace of the dish) and cheese yoghurt at the place.
Tao Ngo chicken hotpot with basil leaves
The restaurant, situated on 3/4 Street, was one of the first in Da Lat to serve chicken hotpot with basil leaves.
Basil, an herb used to treat ailments such as cold and cough, is a unique addition to the chicken pot. It is a sought-after dish at night, and in the chill weather the town enjoys year round, it becomes even more appetizing.
In its early days, the restaurant was only known to locals. Gradually, thanks to the unique flavor of the dish, it has begun to attract many tourists.
A pot costs around VND250,000 ($11) for half a chicken, a plate of fresh noodles, some mushrooms, and a bowl of basil leaves.
