In Vietnamese culture, eating and drinking is an art, it not only meets the basic requirements of people but also has a close relationship with the lifestyle and national traditions, which is very clearly shown through the tools used in the meal, how to behave with people while eating. Therefore, eating and drinking also proves the history and formation of the culture of Vietnam. The dishes through each stage speak to the life and people of that period and of the land – where each dish was born.

Food, in other words, eating is an indispensable activity in every travel trip. Traveling offers the perfect opportunity to try new and exciting foods from different parts of the world. You can enjoy for yourself the unique flavors that you have never tasted in your life. Hau Giang foods & drinks are the link connecting the characteristics of the cuisine of the river with the tourists who have visited. Not only famous for its fruit-laden orchards, but this land also has countless delicious dishes that delight people to enjoy.

By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Hau Giang Visitor Guide

1. Like Coffee Shop in Hau Giang

The coffee shop on Le Hong Phong street, Nga Bay city, is decorated with more than 700 film cameras, hanging on the wall of the shop. Photography lovers can visit Like coffee & tea Coffee Shop to admire the collection of film cameras through the periods. The shop has spacious and airy space, featuring the main gray and black tones. On the ground floor, film cameras are displayed everywhere, from the bar counter to the shelves, even hanging on the walls. The shop owner, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Nam, 34 years old, who has collected more than 700 film cameras in 10 years, shared: “My passion for cameras started when I was a child, I saw the photographers holding the camera very interested. When I grow up, I have money, I accumulate to buy each one. I opened the shop a year ago, at that time there were 500 pieces, now I have bought about 200 more.” Mr. Nam added that film cameras have deep image colors, not too colorful like modern cameras today, the color of the image has its own and classic quality, so he loves it. In addition, each camera also keeps memories and stories of the owner attached to them. Mr. Nam’s collection includes branded film cameras such as Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Mamiya, Minolta, Ricoh, Yashica… Most cameras are several decades old, the highest in more than 10 years old. 80 years and some are still in good use. The cafe is open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with parking, a diverse menu with coffees, smoothies, yogurt, milk tea, soda… priced from 17,000 to 38,000 VND/cup, without Air-conditioner, only the first floor has many trees, the shop is crowded in the morning and afternoon from 3 pm onwards.

2. An Coffee Shop in Hau Giang

An Coffee shop is always crowded with nostalgic spaces with ancient objects. Coffee An on Trung Nhi Street, Ward 1, Vi Thanh City of Mr. and Mrs. Dang Thi Nghe is a familiar meeting place for many tourists who love ancient space coffee. The patrons informally call the shop owner Mr. and Mrs. Tu. The shop is about 50 m2 wide, located in the house built in 1985 by the owner. The shop has deep tones, open space, and no air conditioning. The space displays antiques collected from many places such as dial-up phones, black and white TVs, typewriters, storm lights … and many antiques from the 50s-60s. In it, old family items such as bookshelves, amplifiers, cassettes are also decorated. Mrs. Nghi said that she and her husband both like antiques, but in the past, they did not have the conditions to collect like others. When the children are older and have common interests, the whole family comes up with the idea of ​​designing a family cafe to look after and create joy for grandparents in old age.

3. Hau Giang Street Foods

Offering traditional Vietnamese food and Mekong favorites like fresh fish and fruit, some of the best restaurants in Vi Thanh can be found around the local market. More formal places to eat with dine-in options include Tiger Food, Quan Oc Say, Hu Tieu Nam Vang, Quan Doi Chung, and the Oc Trang.

4. Thac Lac Cuom Fish

Traveling to Hau Giang without eating Thac Lac Cuom fish is considered as not going. Served in most restaurants here. And people have long considered this dish to be a unique specialty in Hau Giang. The most popular dish from this fish is the fried lettuce. The sweet and spicy sweet taste makes the king never fade.

5. Vermicelli Chicken Salad

The food at first glance is very simple like a fish sauce dish. But the taste inside them is not simple at all. Vermicelli chicken salad cooked with tamarind, giving sweet and sour taste to eat forever without getting bored. When enjoying this dish, you must eat it with shrimp, water spinach, banana flower, the new flavor is perfect. This is the soul of Hau Giang cuisine.

6. Ngat Fish

Its delicious dishes, especially in Hau Giang, are very cunning. They only live in deep water where there are up to 2-3m. So catching them is very difficult. But contrary to the difficulty of catching, the taste of Ngat fish is very delicious. Fresh fish is processed into a lot of dishes. But the most delicious and attractive is still the Ngat fish on the banana peel, grilled on a charcoal stove. With this method, the fish retains its natural sweetness.

Pro Tips

Here are our tips for easing your mind (and stomach) around food-handling environments that you may not be used to.

Make sure the food is freshly cooked. If you’re eating hot street food, it’s always safest (not to mention more delicious) to eat food you can see being cooked to order.

Look for lines and busy stalls. Busy street food stalls are an indicator of popularity, and their high turnover rate means the food is never sitting out for hours and developing dreaded bacteria. Yes, long lines can be discouraging when you’re hungry after a full day of exploring, but it’s not worth the risk of grabbing precooked food from the empty spot next door.

Eat when the locals are eating. The last and most important element here is when to eat. You’re likely already on a weird eating schedule while you’re traveling, but it’s important to try and adjust to the eating times of where you are. A bowl of pho might be lunch for Americans, but it’s breakfast for the Vietnamese. This ensures that you’re eating freshly cooked food and that you can find the best and most popular places to eat.

If you can’t drink the water, then you can’t eat the salad. Most people get so hung up on not drinking the water or skipping ice in drinks that they don’t think about all of the other ways in which water is used in food service. Fruits and vegetables tend to be washed with tap water in most places, rather than the filtered water that locals drink—or sometimes it’s not washed at all. If you’re really craving some produce, try fruits you can peel or cooked veggies.

Trust your gut. If you’re unsure about the food or the way that it’s being prepared, then keep moving. Eating street food all over the world doesn’t make you an expert. Every stall and every country are different, and sometimes the rules can be harder to follow. When something doesn’t look, smell, or feel right, don’t eat it! Trust your judgment. Chances are that there’s another spot close by that’s making something more delicious.

You can stay in a homestay which is near the riverside, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself and I hope you have an amazing Mekong Delta river sunrise.

If you plan to extend your travel to Hau Giang homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.

Visit Hau Giang or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets and. Safety is a priority! Choose Hau Giang responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.

Hau Giang food & drink guide ranges from street food, authentic, fancy to fusion foods. As a tropical land of many fresh vegetables and homegrown gardens, which always make Hau Giang cuisines fresh, close to nature and very traditional. If you are a food lover, don’t hesitate to put other bites onto your food lists such as Cau Duc pineapple…

Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral.

Bring the raincoat if you’re planning a trip to Hau Giang in the rainy season, as Hau Giang always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.

Hau Giang tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Lung Ngoc Hoang Forest, Nature Reserve & Bird Sanctuary, Kittyd & Minnied Amusement Park, Truc Lam Zen Monastery Hau Giang, Vi Thanh Outdoor Farmers Market, Bo Tum Vong Say Khmer Pagoda, Like Coffee Shop in Hau Giang, Phung Hiep Bamboo and Rattan Craft Village, Tu Sang Bamboo Garden Hau Giang, Cau Duc Pineapple Fields, Tam Vu ecotourism area, Long My Stork Garden,Ba Bai base…

Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Hau Giang province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!

“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.

Thank you