What to eat in Can Tho – Top unique dishes to try in 2024

Being the tourist hub in the Mekong Delta, Can Tho attracts many visitors annually to places of interest such as Ninh Kieu Wharf, Binh Thuy Ancient House, Con Son Islet, etc. Besides, tourists also enjoy taking part in the food tour to explore the diverse cuisine of the Mekong Delta in Can Tho. Let’s explore what to eat in Can Tho with our recommended list of dishes here!

What to eat in Can Tho – Top unique dishes to try 

Rice noodle pizza

If you don’t have any idea about what to eat in Can Tho, you can try rice noodle pizza. When trying the dish, you will feel the crispy pizza with the fat and salty coconut milk. Besides, the rich taste of meat and eggs makes it even more attractive to visitors.

*If you need a well-organized food tour which eats like the local, you can consider this one: Can Tho street food tour 

Rice noodle pizza originates from the Sau Hoai rice noodle factory. He uses a special recipe and rice noodles as the main ingredient of this unique pizza. Moreover, a lot of tourists give compliments to the special and delicious taste of rice noodle pizza. That’s why the dish is usually on the list of what to eat in Can Tho.

Our what to eat in Can Tho suggests some places to try rice noodle pizza in Can Tho.

• Sau Hoai rice noodle factory: 476 Lo Vong Cung Street, An Binh Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City
• Chin Cua rice noodle factory: 474c/14a, Area 7, An Binh ward, Ninh Kieu district, Can Tho city

Cylindrical glutinous sticky rice cake with magenta leaf

Cylindrical glutinous sticky rice cake is made on special occasions such as the Tet holiday, death anniversary, weddings, etc. Normally, the cake is wrapped with banana leaves but people in Can Tho created a new way of making it.

The new recipe came from the Huynh family and has been passed down from generation to generation. Ms Huynh Thi Trong made the very first Cylindrical glutinous sticky rice cake with magenta leaf, which then became famous around the region. The cake includes many ingredients such as glutinous rice, coconut cream, mung bean, pork belly, pork fat, salted duck egg yolk, magenta leaves, and so on.

The uniqueness of this cake is the natural purple colour, thanks to the magenta leaf outside. When we look at the magenta leaves, they are green like other leaves. If we boil them, the water will turn purple. This water will be used to dry the sticky rice. There are also sweet cakes for those who are vegetarians.

Places to buy Cylindrical glutinous sticky rice cake with magenta leaf.

• Tu Dep: No. 102, Hai Ba Trung Street, Tan An Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City.
• Chin Cam: No. 14, Phan Dinh Phung Street, Tan An Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City.
• Mrs. Huynh Thi Trong: No. 56, Thai Thi Nhan Street, An Thoi Ward, Binh Thuy District, Can Tho City.

Hammock-shaped Fine rice vermicelli

Because of the sophisticated making process, the hammock-shaped Fine rice vermicelli has the natural saltiness, sweetness, and chewiness of rice flour. On top of it, there are pieces of grilled meat with an attractive fragrance. Hammock-shaped Fine rice vermicelli is usually served with Kim Tien grilled pork. To enjoy the dish completely, we will eat it with herbs and traditional Vietnamese fish sauce.

The grilled meat has an eye-catching golden brown colour with fat inside to make it soft. Normally, Vietnamese people roll the meat into buns, add some herbs, and dip into the sweet and sour fish sauce. This creates an interesting dish and doesn’t lose your appetite. You can feel the wonderful taste of fine rice vermicelli, grilled pork, herbs, and the dipping sauce.

You can try the dish at Ut Dzach restaurant, located at 509 Provincial Road 61B, Nhon Binh Hamlet, Nhon Ai Commune, Phong Dien District.

Banh Tam Bi (Thick Noodles and Creamy Coconut Milk)

Banh Tam is a typical dish in the what to eat in Can Tho list because it only exists in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The name ‘Bánh tằm’ comes from the shape of the rice noodles that resemble the silkworms (con tằm in Vietnamese). Banh Tam has many variations based on the taste of each region.

Banh tam is made from rice powder. People will steam them before kneading them so that they are chewy and soft. The “bì” is processed from pork skin which is cut into thin threads and mixed with julienned pork and powdered grilled rice. In Can Tho, banh tam is served with pork skin, coconut milk, blanched beansprouts, fresh cucumber, herbs, and Vietnamese fish sauce.

You can try the dish at the following recommended places.

• Hoi Do: No. 4 Tran Binh Trong Street,  An Phu Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City.
• Dinh Tien Hoang: Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Thoi Binh Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City.

Xeo cake

Xeo cake is a kind of pancake that is a traditional dish in Can Tho and is one of the most popular dishes in what to eat in Can Tho. The name “xeo” originates from the sound when the chef pours the powder into the pan to make the cake. A typical Southern pancake has a thin and crispy crust with a beautiful yellow colour from the turmeric powder.

The main ingredients of the cake are pork belly, green beans, cake flour, coconut milk, and others. Local people will eat xeo cakes with local herbs, vegetables, and Vietnamese fish sauce. The vegetables will range from garden to wild depending on the taste.

In addition, Can Tho is also famous for Xeo cakes with minced duck meat and coconut tubers. Although the duck meat is usually smelly, they know how to remove the bad smell of duck meat. The dish fulfils many visitors’ tastes with its tasty flavour and fragrance.

Where to eat Xeo cakes in Can Tho:

• 7 Toi restaurant: No. 45 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, An Binh Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho
• Ngoc Ngan restaurant: No.74 Le Loi Street, Cai Khe Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho

Vietnamese grilled pork sausages

Vietnamese grilled pork sausages are an ideal dish to recommend in the What to eat in Can Tho list. The grilled pork sausages here are both crispy and chewy with a perfect combination of fat and flesh. The sausage is strung with small bamboo sticks and then grilled over the charcoal.

The charcoal slowly makes the meat turn golden brown with an appealing aroma. People usually eat it with rice noodles, rice paper, some herbs, and a special dipping sauce. For the side dish, there are some slices of pineapple, young bananas, pickles, and others.

What to eat in Can Tho recommends where to eat Vietnamese grilled pork sausages

• Dau Do: No. 34 Luong Dinh Cua, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City
• Thanh Van: Address: No. 98 De Tham, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City

Grilled banana wrapped in sticky rice

Grilled banana wrapped in sticky rice is a popular street food in Southern Vietnam. It is a kind of snack for those who love the sweet taste of bananas and the chewiness of sticky rice.  The key ingredients of the dish are bananas, banana leaves, and sticky rice.

Ripe bananas are wrapped in a layer of glutinous rice and wrapped in banana leaves. Then, grilled over the charcoal. It is often served with coconut milk and crushed peanuts. The dish is a popular type of street food in Can Tho so you can easily find the food stalls selling this.

Fermented fish hotpot

Referring to what to eat in Can Tho, we cannot miss the Fermented fish hotpot, a popular dish in the What to eat in Can Tho list. The dish is cooked based on a special recipe. Although the fermented fish can make many tourists afraid of its smell, the taste of the hot pot is incredible. The hotpot is usually enjoyed with other types of seafood such as fish, shrimp, crab, and squid.

Vegetables such as water spinach, sesbania, water lily, water lily, bean sprouts, banana flowers, and others are indispensable parts of the fermented hot pot in the Mekong Delta. The main ingredient is Vietnamese fermented Oncorhynchus sauce. Local people will boil the fermented fish with water, and filter to remove the fish bone. Next, to increase the aroma, they add stir-fry garlic, lemongrass and chillies with some common spices.

Places to enjoy fermented hotpot in Can Tho

• Da Ly fish sauce hot pot, Can Tho: No. 89, 3/2 Street, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City.

• Can Tho Lakeside fish sauce hotpot: No. 47, Huynh Cuong Street, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City.

Vietnamese Fried Shrimp Cake

The dish is called “Banh Cong” by local people because they use this object to cook it. The Vietnamese fried shrimp cake is made with rice flour, keeping the outer shell crispy. The filling is mainly ground pork, shrimp, and carefully seasoned green beans.

Banh Cong is always served with sweet-sour fish sauce and raw vegetables to balance the taste. And what to eat in Can Tho list will recommend some popular restaurants serving the dish in Can Tho.

• Co Ut: No. 86/38 Ly Tu Trong Street, An Cu Ward, Ninh Kieu District
• Hue Vien: No. 22 De Tham Street, An Cu Ward, Ninh Kieu District
• Cai Rang: 3/2 street, Xuan Khanh Ward, Ninh Kieu District

Duck Cooked with Fermented Bean Curd Hotpot

If you are looking for what to eat in Can Tho, why not try Duck Cooked with Fermented Bean Curd Hotpot? Also, the speciality is one of the top 100 most typical Vietnamese dishes, recognised by the Vietnam Records organization. With a unique flavour, the dish appeals to many foodies from other regions. Its main ingredient is Siamese duck, having a lot of meat and less fat.

Before cooking, people need to marinate the duck meat carefully and thoroughly to make sure that each fibre of meat is soaked in spices and bean curd. The hot pot broth made from red bean curd has a fatty and sweet taste, the bean curd flavour is not too strong so it is quite easy to eat.  Side dishes including tofu, herbs and vegetables will be added while people are enjoying the hot pot.

Here are some recommended places to enjoy the special kind of hotpot.

• Thanh Giao: alley 1, No.1/8 Ly Tu Trong street, An Phu ward, Ninh Kieu district, Can Tho city
• Cam Tu: alley 1, Ly Tu Trong street, An Phu ward, Ninh Kieu district, Can Tho city
• Huong Lua: No. 80, Vo Van Kiet Street, An Hoa Ward, Ninh Kieu district, Can Tho city