What is the best food to try in Can Tho?

Can Tho’s food is delta food — built on freshwater fish, fermented flavors, and produce that arrives by boat. It is sweeter than central Vietnam, less soy-heavy than the north, and relies heavily on herbs and fermented elements. This is not the place for pho or banh mi (though both exist). This is where you eat what the river provides.

Signature dishes

Bun ca (fermented fish noodle soup)

• What: Rice noodles in broth made from fermented ca loc (snakehead fish) or ca tra (catfish), with fish cakes, herbs, and sometimes tamarind for sourness
• Taste: Umami-rich, slightly sour, fragrant with dill and scallions
• Price: 30,000-50,000 VND
• When: Breakfast or lunch (locals consider it morning food)
• Where: Bun Ca Sau Kien (303 Tran Hung Dao), Bun Ca Co Ut (15 Tran Phu)

Ca nuong (grilled fish)

• What: Freshwater fish (ca lau, ca tra, or ca song Hau) grilled over charcoal, wrapped in rice paper with herbs, dipped in mam nem (fermented fish sauce)
• Taste: Smoky, fresh, complex from herb combination
• Price: 80,000-150,000 VND per fish (serves 2-3)
• When: Dinner
• Where: Anh Ba (98 Tran Phu), Ninh Kieu street stalls

Banh cong (fried shrimp cakes)

• What: Rice flour batter with whole shrimp, deep-fried until crispy, served with nuoc mam dipping sauce and herbs
• Taste: Crispy exterior, soft interior, briny from shrimp
• Price: 15,000-25,000 VND per plate (4-6 cakes)
• When: Afternoon snack or dinner side
• Where: Ninh Kieu Wharf stalls, Banh Cong Co Chin (27A Tran Phu)

Oc (snails)

• What: Freshwater snails prepared 10+ ways — grilled with salt/pepper, steamed with lemongrass/chili, in coconut milk, with tamarind sauce
• Taste: Varies by preparation; generally briny, aromatic, textural
• Price: 30,000-80,000 VND per plate
• When: Evening (street food specialty)
• Where: Ninh Kieu Wharf (evening stalls), Oc Dao (18 Tran Phu)

Che (sweet soup)

• What: Dessert soup with lotus seeds, longan, mung beans, tapioca, coconut milk
• Taste: Sweet, creamy, refreshing
• Price: 15,000-30,000 VND
• When: Afternoon or after dinner
• Where: Che Lien (52 Tran Phu), Ninh Kieu stalls

Street food zones

Ninh Kieu Wharf (evening, 6pm-10pm):

• Setup: 20+ mobile stalls along promenade
• Specialties: Banh cong, oc, che, fresh fruit, grilled seafood
• Atmosphere: Families, couples, tourists; river breeze
• Budget: 50k-100k VND for full meal
• Payment: Cash only, small bills (no change for 500k)

Cho Can Tho (central market, morning):

• Setup: Indoor market + perimeter stalls
• Specialties: Com tam, hu tieu, banh mi, fresh fruit
• Atmosphere: Locals shopping, eating quickly
• Budget: 20k-50k VND
• Hours: 5am-6pm (best before 10am)

Tran Hung Dao Street (all day):

• Setup: Sit-down restaurants, established shops
• Specialties: Bun ca, ca nuong, com dia (rice plates)
• Atmosphere: Mix of locals and visitors
• Budget: 40k-150k VND
• Payment: Cash preferred, some accept cards

Recommended restaurants

Quan Nam (328 Tran Hung Dao):

• Specialty: Bun ca (best in city, per locals)
• Price: 40k VND per bowl
• Hours: 6am-11am (closes when sold out)
• Notes: Cash only, no English menu, arrive before 9am

Anh Ba (98 Tran Phu):

• Specialty: Ca nuong song Hau (grilled Bassac fish)
• Price: 100k-150k VND per fish
• Hours: 10am-9pm
• Notes: Family-style, order 1-2 fish + herbs + rice

Brothers Cafe (36 Ly Tu Trong):

• Specialty: Modern Mekong cuisine (fusion takes on traditional dishes)
• Price: 80k-200k VND per dish
• Hours: 7am-10pm
• Notes: English menu, AC, good for introduction to delta flavors

Food tour option:

• Can Tho Food Tour (evening, 3 hours)
• Cost: 400k-600k VND per person
• Includes: 6-8 tastings, guide, transport
• Booking: Hotels, Airbnb Experiences, GetYourGuide

What to avoid

Overpriced “tourist” spots:

• Restaurants directly on Ninh Kieu Wharf with photo menus
• Places with touts outside (commission added to prices)
• “Floating restaurants” (overpriced, mediocre food)

Food safety:

• Choose stalls with high turnover (busy = fresh)
• Avoid raw vegetables from street stalls if sensitive stomach
• Drink bottled water (not tap water)
• Peel fruit yourself when possible

Dietary notes

Vegetarian:

• Limited options (delta cuisine is fish-heavy)
• Buddhist restaurants near temples (com chay)
• Try: Chay An Lac (45 Tran Phu), open 10am-8pm

Allergies:

• Fish sauce (nuoc mam) is ubiquitous
• Fermented fish (mam) in many dishes
• Shellfish common (shrimp, snails, crab)
• Communicate: “Toi bi di ung [ca/tom]” (I’m allergic to fish/shrimp)

The verdict

Can Tho’s food is the real reason to visit. The floating market is impressive, the orchards are pleasant, but the meals you’ll remember are the bowls of bun ca eaten on plastic stools at 7am, the grilled fish wrapped in rice paper with friends, the snails picked from shells over beer at Ninh Kieu. This is delta cuisine at its most direct — and it is excellent.