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Bun Ca Co Ba

Rating: 4.6

One of the most name-checked fish noodle shops in Nha Trang

City centre

Illustrative photo · Ron Diggity · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Address
105 Hoang Hoa Tham, Loc Tho ward, Nha Trang
Opening hours
From morning until it sells out — usually before early afternoon
Price range
40,000 – 60,000₫/dish
Best time to go
Before 9:00
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Overview

Fish noodle soup is the dish you have to eat in Nha Trang, and Co Ba is the address locals and visitors mention most. What makes the bowl is the broth: simmered from fish bones, clear and cleanly sweet rather than rich — nothing like the heavy stocks of southern noodle dishes.

The standard bowl comes with fried fish cake, chunks of fish and a few herbs. In jellyfish season they add sứa — that's the most distinctly Nha Trang version of it. The bowl of ground green chilli on the table is worth using, but taste as you go.

On timing: it opens in the morning and closes when the pot is empty, usually before early afternoon. Arrive after nine and you take what is left; arrive at lunch and it has probably gone. If you have one morning in Nha Trang, put this first in the day rather than after a swim.

A bowl is 40,000–60,000₫, on a plastic stool, and you leave when you finish — this is a breakfast shop, not somewhere to linger. For comparison, Hai Ca on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai runs 6:00–22:00 and also does bánh canh, which is easier on hours but a heavier, more central-coast broth. Co Ba is the one people praise for how clear and clean the stock is.

What to order

  • A clear, clean broth simmered from fish bones
  • The fried fish cake — order an extra plate of it
  • Jellyfish fish noodle soup, in season
  • The house ground green chilli

Practical tips

  • Go early. They close when the pot's empty, not at a set hour
  • Seating is tight — expect to wait during the morning rush
  • If you've never had jellyfish, order a bowl that's half fish cake, half sứa

Frequently asked

What time should I go to Bun Ca Co Ba?

Before 9:00. They close when the pot is empty rather than at a set hour, and seating is tight so expect to wait in the rush.

How much is a bowl?

Around 40,000–60,000₫ a bowl.

What is jellyfish fish noodle soup, and should I try it?

Carefully prepared jellyfish, crunchy and cool with almost no fishiness — it's the most distinctly Nha Trang version. If it's your first time, order a bowl that's half fish cake, half sứa.

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