Hai Phong Food Walk: Banh Da Cua, Nem Cua Be & Spicy Mini Banh Mi
Day tour
Food tour
Standard
Departure point
→
Destination
Hai Phong, Vietnam
Hai Phong
1N (Participation Duration)
Walking (Transportation)
English (Language)
Number of participants 0/10
0 booked
Tour description
Hai Phong is a working port two hours from Hanoi and it has a food identity that northern Vietnamese take very seriously. The city's dish is banh da cua: flat reddish-brown noodles made from a local rice paper, in a broth built on freshwater paddy crab, with crab paste, fried fish cake, beef, water spinach and a heap of herbs. It is heavier and browner than anything in Hanoi and people here will tell you it cannot be made properly anywhere else because the noodles come from one district.
We also eat nem cua be: sea crab spring rolls that Hai Phong rolls into squares rather than cylinders, so the crab meat stays in and the corners go extra crisp. And banh mi cay, the mini baguette about the size of a finger, filled with pork pate and a fierce chilli sauce, eaten three or four at a time for a few cents each - it was invented here and the rest of Vietnam has only recently caught on.
Then banh duc tau, a rare savoury rice pudding with pork, shrimp and fried shallot that is disappearing, and a coconut dessert from a shop the city queues at.
Small group, maximum 10 guests.
We also eat nem cua be: sea crab spring rolls that Hai Phong rolls into squares rather than cylinders, so the crab meat stays in and the corners go extra crisp. And banh mi cay, the mini baguette about the size of a finger, filled with pork pate and a fierce chilli sauce, eaten three or four at a time for a few cents each - it was invented here and the rest of Vietnam has only recently caught on.
Then banh duc tau, a rare savoury rice pudding with pork, shrimp and fried shallot that is disappearing, and a coconut dessert from a shop the city queues at.
Small group, maximum 10 guests.
Meeting point:
View on map
Cho Co Dao market, 92 Tran Nhat Duat, Hai Phong
We meet at the Tran Nhat Duat entrance to Cho Co Dao market. Your guide will have a small sign with your name.
Detailed itinerary
Stop 1 - Cho Co Dao market: The market and lanes around it, with your guide on paddy crab, the local rice noodle and why Hai Phong insists its food cannot be copied.
Stop 2 - Banh da cua: Flat brown rice noodles in a paddy-crab broth with crab paste, fried fish cake, beef and water spinach. The city's dish.
Stop 3 - Nem cua be: Sea crab spring rolls rolled into squares rather than cylinders, deep-fried until the corners shatter, with nuoc cham.
Stop 4 - Banh mi cay: Finger-sized baguettes with pork pate and a fierce chilli sauce, eaten three or four at a time. Invented in this city.
Stop 5 - Banh duc tau: A savoury rice pudding with pork, dried shrimp and fried shallot - a dish that is quietly disappearing and worth eating while it is still made.
Stop 6 - Oc or gia be xao: Snails with lemongrass, or razor clams stir-fried with bean sprouts, from a market kitchen.
Stop 7 - Dua dam: Crushed ice with coconut, condensed milk and coconut flesh - the city's dessert, from a shop with a permanent queue.
Stop 2 - Banh da cua: Flat brown rice noodles in a paddy-crab broth with crab paste, fried fish cake, beef and water spinach. The city's dish.
Stop 3 - Nem cua be: Sea crab spring rolls rolled into squares rather than cylinders, deep-fried until the corners shatter, with nuoc cham.
Stop 4 - Banh mi cay: Finger-sized baguettes with pork pate and a fierce chilli sauce, eaten three or four at a time. Invented in this city.
Stop 5 - Banh duc tau: A savoury rice pudding with pork, dried shrimp and fried shallot - a dish that is quietly disappearing and worth eating while it is still made.
Stop 6 - Oc or gia be xao: Snails with lemongrass, or razor clams stir-fried with bean sprouts, from a market kitchen.
Stop 7 - Dua dam: Crushed ice with coconut, condensed milk and coconut flesh - the city's dessert, from a shop with a permanent queue.
Tour price includes
• Small-group English-speaking local food guide
• All food and drink tastings listed in the itinerary
• One local drink at the final stop
• Bottled water and wet wipes throughout the walk
• All taxes and service fees
• All food and drink tastings listed in the itinerary
• One local drink at the final stop
• Bottled water and wet wipes throughout the walk
• All taxes and service fees
Tour price excludes
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off unless stated
• Additional drinks beyond those included
• Personal travel insurance
• Tips for your guide (appreciated but never expected)
• Meals and purchases outside the programme
• Additional drinks beyond those included
• Personal travel insurance
• Tips for your guide (appreciated but never expected)
• Meals and purchases outside the programme
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours are non-refundable. Tours run rain or shine. During a typhoon warning we cancel and refund in full.
Other notes
Runs daily, with a morning departure at 08:00 and an afternoon one at 15:30. Several of the banh da cua kitchens are morning-only and the crab spring roll stalls are best in the late afternoon, so the two departures visit slightly different shops.
Typhoons: Hai Phong is the most typhoon-exposed major city in Vietnam and the season runs roughly June to September. We monitor and will cancel and refund in full rather than run in a storm.
The city opened a weekend night food street at the City Theatre square in August 2026, running Friday and Saturday evenings. It was launched as a pilot and its continuation is not yet confirmed, so we do not build it into the published route - if it is running on your date, your guide will take you through it.
Addresses: the district tier was abolished in July 2025 and Hai Phong City now also takes in the former Hai Duong province, so an official Hai Phong address may be fifty kilometres inland. Street numbers in the city are unchanged.
Getting here: Hai Phong is about two hours from Hanoi by train or road and makes a comfortable day trip.
Dietary needs: tell us at least 48 hours ahead. This route is crab and pork heavy; a vegetarian version is possible with notice but changes most stops.
About 2 km of walking on flat streets.
Typhoons: Hai Phong is the most typhoon-exposed major city in Vietnam and the season runs roughly June to September. We monitor and will cancel and refund in full rather than run in a storm.
The city opened a weekend night food street at the City Theatre square in August 2026, running Friday and Saturday evenings. It was launched as a pilot and its continuation is not yet confirmed, so we do not build it into the published route - if it is running on your date, your guide will take you through it.
Addresses: the district tier was abolished in July 2025 and Hai Phong City now also takes in the former Hai Duong province, so an official Hai Phong address may be fifty kilometres inland. Street numbers in the city are unchanged.
Getting here: Hai Phong is about two hours from Hanoi by train or road and makes a comfortable day trip.
Dietary needs: tell us at least 48 hours ahead. This route is crab and pork heavy; a vegetarian version is possible with notice but changes most stops.
About 2 km of walking on flat streets.
Detailed price list
| Guest type | Price |
|---|---|
| 大人 | $45 |
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