Buon Ma Thuot, also known as Ban Me Thuot or Buon Me Thuot, is the capital city of Dak Lak Province, Vietnam. This city was once home to the indigenous Ede people, with influences from French cuisine. As a result, Buon Ma Thuot’s culinary scene has developed its own unique characteristics that persist to this day.
Buon Ma Thuot is a region with red soil and a diverse range of ethnic minorities. Consequently, the area boasts an array of intriguing and exotic dishes that pique the curiosity of visitors, compelling them to indulge in these culinary delights during their stay.
1An Introduction to Buon Ma Thuot Tourism
Buon Ma Thuot is an intriguing and relatively untouched tourist destination in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. If you’re planning a trip to this region, don’t miss out on visiting the following well-known Buon Ma Thuot attractions: Buom Ma Thuot Coffee Museum, Khai Doan Pagoda, Lak Tented Camp, Trung Nguyen Coffee Village, Ko Tam Tourist Area, Dray Sap/Dray Nur Waterfalls, Yok Don National Park, and many more. While you’re there, be sure to indulge in the region’s delectable specialties.
Introduction to Buon Ma Thuot Tourism
2Top 15 Buon Ma Thuot Specialties to Try
Must-Try Buon Ma Thuot Delicacies
Banh uot thit nuong (Grilled Meat with Wet Cake)
Banh uot thit nuong is a popular breakfast dish among the locals in Buon Ma Thuot.
Banh uot thit nuong
This dish is a harmonious combination of wet cake, grilled pork, and various vegetables such as cucumbers and pandan leaves. It is typically served with a savory fish sauce dip. The key to this dish’s deliciousness lies in the well-marinated meat, which is neither too tough nor too soft, and the perfectly balanced sweet and salty fish sauce.
Estimated price: A serving of banh uot thit nuong costs around 20,000 to 50,000 VND.
Suggested places to try:
+ Banh uot thit nuong 45: 45 Tran Nhat Duat Street, Tan Loi Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
+ Banh uot 90A: 90 Le Thanh Tong Street, Tan Loi Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
Goi ca dang ca com (Bitter Melon and Dried Fish Salad)
Goi ca dang ca com is a simple yet delightful dish commonly served at parties and to guests in the Central Highlands.
Goi ca dang ca com
The main ingredients of this salad are bitter melon and dried fish. Bitter melon, known for its bitter taste, is a familiar fruit in the daily lives of the locals. Thinly sliced bitter melon is mixed with dried fish, lime juice, garlic, sugar, chili, and fish sauce, resulting in a flavorful and stimulating dish.
Estimated price: A serving of goi ca dang ca com typically costs between 30,000 and 70,000 VND.
Suggested places to try:
+ A Ty Family Restaurant: 12 Hung Vuong Street, Tu An Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
+ Buon Me Thuot Delicacies: 51 Tran Phu Street, Thang Loi Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
Ga nuong ban Don (Grilled Chicken in Ban Don Style)
When visiting the Central Highlands, you must include a stop at Ban Don and indulge in their renowned grilled chicken.
The chickens in Ban Don are free-range, resulting in meat that is neither too tough nor too soft. The chicken is marinated with a unique blend of salt, chili, lemongrass, and, most notably, forest honey, imparting a delightful aroma.
Ga nuong ban Don
The marinated chicken is then grilled over red-hot charcoal. This dish is typically served hot, with the chicken torn into bite-sized pieces and dipped in a spicy lime sauce or a mixture of salt, chili, and lemongrass. It is commonly accompanied by rice cooked in bamboo tubes and various types of forest vegetables.
Estimated price: A grilled chicken in Ban Don style costs approximately 200,000 to 250,000 VND.
Suggested place to try: Chicky Grilled Chicken: 13 Nguyen Van Troi Street, Thang Loi Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
Bun do (Red Noodles)
At first glance, bun do, a specialty of the Central Highlands, may resemble the banh canh of southern Vietnam. However, upon tasting it, you’ll discover a distinct difference.
Bun do is prepared with a variety of ingredients, including river crabs, shrimp, shrimp paste, pork bones, quail eggs, and, most notably, thick noodles.
Bun do
The broth of bun do has a subtle sweetness derived from pork bones and river crabs, with a hint of richness from the shrimp paste. It is commonly served with water spinach, bean sprouts, and thick noodles. On a chilly day, there’s nothing quite like a bowl of bun do to warm you up.
Estimated price: A bowl of bun do typically costs between 15,000 and 25,000 VND.
Suggested places to try:
+ Bun Do Restaurant: 65 Tran Phu Street, Thang Loi Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
+ Bun Do Thuy: 1 Phan Dinh Giot Street, Tan Tien Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
Lau ca Lang (Lang Fish Hot Pot)
The Serepok River, which flows through Buon Ma Thuot, is abundant in ca Lang, a type of fish that can be prepared in various ways, with the hot pot being the most delectable.
Lau ca Lang
The hot pot broth is prepared by simmering ca Lang fish with tomatoes, flattened lemongrass, pickled bamboo shoots, and other ingredients. The broth has a pleasant sweetness from the tomatoes and bamboo shoots, along with a subtle sourness. The fish meat is firm and flavorful. This hot pot is typically accompanied by various vegetables and fresh noodles.
Estimated price: A Lang fish hot pot for two people costs approximately 150,000 to 250,000 VND.
Suggested places to try:
+ Phuong Dung Lang Fish Restaurant: 126, Village 7, Hoa Phu Commune, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
+ Phu Lam Seafood Restaurant: 104 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Tu An Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
Ca Bong thac kho rieng (Striped Catfish Stewed with Ginger)
While striped catfish is commonly found in lowland regions, it is also caught in the waterfalls of the Central Highlands.
Striped catfish stewed with ginger is a familiar dish in Buon Ma Thuot. The fish is cooked with salt, chili, onion, lemongrass, and, most importantly, ginger. The soft and flaky fish meat blends perfectly with the spicy and pungent flavors of chili and ginger, along with the aroma of lemongrass and onion. This dish is best enjoyed with plain white rice.
Estimated price: A serving of ca Bong thac kho rieng costs around 60,000 to 100,000 VND.
Suggested place to try: Phu Map 6 Restaurant: 115 Y Ngong Street, Tan Tien Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
Lau rau rung (Forest Vegetable Hot Pot)
The forest vegetable hot pot originated with the Ede people and has since become a popular dish in Buon Ma Thuot.
Lau rau rung
This hot pot is a harmonious blend of ten different types of forest vegetables, each contributing its unique aroma to the dish. It is commonly served with shrimp and meat. Although it is called a hot pot, it more closely resembles a vegetable soup.
Estimated price: A forest vegetable hot pot for four people costs approximately 200,000 to 500,000 VND.
Suggested place to try: My Lan Restaurant: 112 National Highway 14, Tan Thanh Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
Bun chia Buon Me Thuot (Buon Me Thuot’s Bun Chia)
Bun chia Buon Me Thuot bears a resemblance to bun bo Hue (Hue beef noodles). However, the people of the Central Highlands use the hind leg meat of pigs instead.
They simmer the meat until it becomes tender, then set it aside to cool. When a customer places an order, they add the meat, some onion, scallion, and a bit of shrimp paste to the bowl and pour in the hot broth.
Bun chia features a sweet broth made from pork bones, tender meat, and a subtle aroma of shrimp paste.
Estimated price: A bowl of bun chia typically costs between 60,000 and 80,000 VND.
Suggested place to try: Bun chia Co Chua: 222 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, Tan An Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
Bo nhung me (Beef in Tamarind Sauce)
Bo nhung me is a unique specialty of Buon Ma Thuot. Thinly sliced beef is dipped into a boiling pot of tangy and sweet tamarind sauce.
Bo nhung me
This dish stands out due to its tangy and sweet flavors, making it hard to resist. Bo nhung me is typically served with French bread.
Estimated price: A serving of bo nhung me costs around 100,000 to 200,000 VND on average.
Suggested place to try: Ca Te Quan: 140 Le Thanh Tong Street, Tan Loi Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
Buon Ma Thuot Coffee
When in Buon Ma Thuot, you must not miss out on sampling the local coffee, a renowned specialty of the Central Highlands.
Buon Ma Thuot Coffee
Buon Ma Thuot coffee is roasted and ground using a special recipe. The coffee is brewed using a traditional Vietnamese drip filter, resulting in a robust and flavorful brew. The locals typically enjoy their coffee hot, savoring each sip alongside a cup of hot tea and relishing the cool morning air of the Central Highlands.
Estimated price: A cup of Buon Ma Thuot coffee costs around 20,000 to 50,000 VND.
Suggested place to try: Paradise Cafe Mehyco: 159/3 Nguyen Van Cu Street, Tan Lap Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province
Buon Ma Thuot Specialties to Buy as Gifts
Coffee Flower Honey
Coffee flower honey is one of the most popular special
Frequently asked questions
Buon Ma Thuot, also known as Ban Me Thuot or Buon Me Thuot, is a city in Vietnam’s Dak Lak Province. It is known for its unique cuisine, influenced by the indigenous Ede people and French colonialists. The city also boasts a diverse range of ethnic minorities and is a relatively untouched tourist destination in Vietnam’s Central Highlands.
Popular attractions in Buon Ma Thuot include the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Museum, Khai Doan Pagoda, Lak Tented Camp, Trung Nguyen Coffee Village, Ko Tam Tourist Area, Dray Sap and Dray Nur Waterfalls, and Yok Don National Park.
Buon Ma Thuot offers a variety of unique dishes such as banh uot thit nuong (grilled meat with wet cake), goi ca dang ca com (bitter melon and dried fish salad), ga nuong ban Don (grilled chicken in Ban Don style), bun do (red noodles), lau ca Lang (Lang fish hot pot), and ca Bong thac kho rieng (striped catfish stewed with ginger). Each dish showcases the region’s diverse and exotic flavors.
Banh uot thit nuong is a popular breakfast choice among locals. It consists of a harmonious combination of wet cake, grilled pork, cucumbers, pandan leaves, and a savory fish sauce dip.
Ga nuong ban Don, or grilled chicken in Ban Don style, is unique due to the free-range chickens used, which results in meat that is neither too tough nor too soft. The chicken is marinated with a blend of salt, chili, lemongrass, and forest honey, imparting a delightful aroma.
At first glance, bun do may resemble banh canh, but the taste reveals a distinct difference. Bun do is made with river crabs, shrimp, shrimp paste, pork bones, quail eggs, and thick noodles, creating a sweet and rich broth.
The lau rau rung, or forest vegetable hot pot, originated with the Ede people and has become a popular dish in Buon Ma Thuot. It is a blend of ten different types of forest vegetables, often served with shrimp and meat.
Bo nhung me, or beef in tamarind sauce, is a distinctive dish from Buon Ma Thuot. Thinly sliced beef is dipped into a boiling pot of tangy and sweet tamarind sauce, creating a combination of flavors that is hard to resist.
Buon Ma Thuot coffee is renowned in the Central Highlands. It is prepared using a special recipe for roasting and grinding the beans. The coffee is brewed with a traditional Vietnamese drip filter, resulting in a robust and flavorful cup.
There are several suggested restaurants and eateries to try these specialties, including Banh uot thit nuong 45, A Ty Family Restaurant, Chicky Grilled Chicken, Bun Do Restaurant, Phuong Dung Lang Fish Restaurant, Phu Map 6 Restaurant, My Lan Restaurant, Bun chia Co Chua, Ca Te Quan, and Paradise Cafe Mehyco.
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