Top 7 Cheap Eats of Da Lat

The chilly air makes the taste of hot food in Da Lat more enjoyable and memorable, leaving you full at stomach and at heart.

January 18, 2022 | 08:48

In the chilly evening air, Da Lat appears translucent, shimmering under the flower-shaped lights. Along small streets, many street stalls fill the air with sweet-smelling odors of food. With just a small amount of money, you can single-handedly do a massive food tour with simple, idyllic dishes with unforgettable taste. The best part is, all the food can be found at the Da Lat market at the city center.

Vietnamese BBQ skewer

Photo; Mia

Vietnamese BBQ skewer is a popular dish at Da Lat night market.

The BBQ stalls which attract diners with colorful display of sticks offer a dozen of different grilled dishes from pork, seafood, chicken wings, thighs, pork intestines, chicken intestines, sausages, beef rolls with guise leaves.

The price starts from VND 15,000 per skewer (US $0.66). Grilled pork is a favorite dish of many tourists. Thinly sliced lean meat seasoned with roasted sesame seeds grilled on charcoal make the meat soft and savory. The grilled meat is served with sour food and laksa leaves.

Vietnamese Pizza

Don't you just wish your pizza is pocket-sized, quickly made and cheap? Look no further. Banh Trang Nuong (grilled rice paper with toppings) is a must-try dish in Da Lat. It is called Vietnamese pizza because it looks like a Western pizza but is thinner.

Photo: Vietactivity

Each rice paper is sold at VND25,000 to 30,000 (US $1.1-1.3)with topping like cheese, sausages, and salted shredded pork.

You can easily recognize Vietnamese pizza stalls at Da Lat market with low stools. Sitting on the chairs around a cooking pan, seeing the stall owner heating charcoal, breaking eggs, making pizzas, adding green onions, dried shrimps, and all kinds of fillings and then sitting and waiting for the rice paper to be cooked are a favorite experience of many visitors.

Right after the pizza is cooked, tourist can enjoy the crispy hot rice paper and feel the warmth from the stove in a Da Lat cold night.

Soy milk

Soy milk is a favorite drink in the ‘romantic city’ and it seems to taste more delicious when it is night time in Da Lat. While taking a walk near the lake, you can spot many vendor stools selling hot soy milk.

Tang Bat Ho Street is famous for crowded milk shops that serve all kinds of milk such as soy milk, mung bean milk, corn milk, black sesame milk, peanut milk. The price of each cup is affordable, ranging from VND 15,000.

Cakes and breads with hot milk is a great combination to try. Photo: VNE

Crab soup

Photo: Vietactivity

If you want to have a meal that warms up you body, try crab soup. It is like a buffet in a cup and only costs VND 20,000 VND (US $ 0.98).

It is a simple dish that combines cassava starch with sweet broth from the bones, chicken breast, crab meat, quail eggs and fresh Da Lat vegetables such as corn, mushrooms, carrots.

Avocado ice cream

Avocado ice cream is considered a must-try dish for sweet-tooth. Avocado is blended with condensed milk and eaten with coconut cream. You can order durian to boost the taste. Ice cream is mixed well before eating or served in each scoop.

Photo: Vietactivity

Fruit shake

Da Lat’s strawberry shake is also a well-known snack. Strawberries grown in Da Lat are mixed with salted dry plum products or xi muoi. The sour taste of strawberries mixed with the sweetness of salt from xi muoi gives the dish a unique taste.

Photo: Nu Cuoi Me Kong

Fruit shake is fill of vitamins from only VND25,000 for each glass.

From snacks, main dishes, to desserts, this list shows all the things you can eat in Da Lat for cheap. What is your favorite food to try in Da Lat?

Quail Egg

The quality of duck eggs here is top-class compared to the small price of VND 20,000 you have to pay. Eggs are cooked just right, not too old, served with salt and pepper, spices.

Hot quail egg is the right comfort dish for the winter weather of Da Lat.