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Squid Banh Xeo

Rating: 4.4

Small, crisp pancakes with whole fresh squid — the Nha Trang way

North of the city

Illustrative photo · Kent Wang · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Illustrative photo · Vivian D Nguyen · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Illustrative photo · Ser Amantio di Nicolao · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Address
Clustered around Thap Ba and 2 Thang 4 street, north side of the city
Opening hours
Afternoon into the evening, roughly 15:00 – 21:00
Price range
15,000 – 35,000₫/dish
Best time to go
Late afternoon, right after visiting the Po Nagar towers
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Overview

Southern bánh xèo is plate-sized and soft. The Nha Trang version is palm-sized, fried until properly crisp in small cast-iron pans, and filled with fresh squid — sliced into rings or left whole if they're small. The shell is thin and crunchy right to the edge.

You eat it by wrapping the pancake with fresh herbs in rice paper, then dipping in sweet-sour fish sauce or the cloudier fermented kind. The squid bánh xèo places cluster around Thap Ba and 2 Thang 4 street on the north side of town — the same run as the Po Nagar towers.

What differs from the bánh xèo you may know is the size and the filling: here it is palm-sized, fried in a small cast-iron pan so it crisps to the edge, and the filling is fresh squid rather than pork, prawn and bean sprouts. At 15,000–35,000₫ each, ordering several is normal.

On logistics, this is a dish to fold in rather than travel for: the shops cluster around Thap Ba and 2 Thang 4 street in the north, the same run as the Ponagar towers and the Thap Ba mud baths. See the towers late afternoon, then eat at 17:00–19:00, and the evening is done.

What to order

  • Whole fresh squid inside the pancake
  • A thin shell that's crisp all the way to the edge
  • Small enough that you can order several fillings
  • The cloudy fermented dipping sauce — try it if you're up for it

Practical tips

  • Priced per pancake at only 15,000–35,000₫, so order in rounds and keep them hot
  • Add a shrimp or egg one to compare against the squid
  • Group it with Po Nagar and Cho Dam — all on the north side

Frequently asked

How does it differ from southern bánh xèo?

Much smaller — palm-sized rather than plate-sized — crisper, and filled with fresh squid instead of pork, prawn and bean sprouts.

Which area?

Around Thap Ba and 2 Thang 4 street, north of the centre — the same road as the Ponagar towers.

What time?

Afternoon into evening, roughly 15:00–21:00. It fits best after visiting the Ponagar towers.

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