Nha Trang Guide
← Eat

6 places for Bún đậu mắm tôm Nha Trang

Rating: 3.6 / 5 — Our own score, not an average of guest reviews

Our own score, not an average of guest reviews

A Hanoi dish in a beach town. Six shops, and the two I would order from first

City centre

Reference photo

Reference photo

Reference photo

Reference photo

Reference photo

Reference photo

Address
Dã Tượng and Vân Đồn hold most of them, with one on Đoàn Trần Nghiệp and one on Tố Hữu
Opening hours
Mostly afternoon and evening; none publishes hours on the map, so call ahead if you are crossing town
Price range
35,000 – 95,000₫/dish
Best time to go
Before 18:00. After that both Hương Vị Việt and Lee fill up and slow right down

Overview

Bún đậu mắm tôm is a Hanoi dish, and in Nha Trang it belongs to northerners who moved south rather than to the town itself. That shapes this whole page: the shops are small, most are recent, and none of them draws the crowd a bún cá or bánh căn stall does. The busiest I found is still a small room on Da Tuong. So do not expect a Hanoi bún đậu house; expect a tray with everything on it, clean, and a well-mixed mắm tôm.

The first call is Hương Vị Việt at 18 Da Tuong. The tofu stays crisp and does not taste of old oil, the mắm tôm smells right, and the chả cốm has plenty of green rice in it, but the portion is what sets it apart: customers used to other shops describe having to order three extra plates elsewhere, while here the tray defeats them. The room is airy but thinly staffed, so it slows down when it fills; before 6pm it is quick.

The second is Bún đậu tèo at 39 Doan Tran Nghiep. Trays run 35,000–50,000₫, and the shop gets two small things right that others skip: both mắm tôm and a garlic-chilli fish sauce are on hand for people who cannot take the shrimp paste, and the garlic, chilli, lemongrass and calamansi are kept cold until you use them. The owner is cheerful, the room is clean, and beyond bún đậu there is bún mắm nêm.

Two more worth knowing. Thị Nở at 42 Van Don has good mắm tôm, but what it does best is bún ốc and bún riêu with pork bone. The room is decorated like a country kitchen and plays remixes, so do not come for quiet. Bao Ngon at 24 Van Don does a tray for two with two calamansi teas for about 95,000₫, fries everything to order, and refills the herbs and rice paper free; against that, a table can be overlooked when it fills up, and the cheapest item on the menu is not always available.

The other three, and what to know about each. Bún Đậu Lee at 11 Da Tuong is cheap, generous and always busy. Milder than the two above, but it does the job if you want a filling tray near the centre, and before 6pm there is no wait. Bao Ngon at 24 Van Don is strong on everything fried to order; when it fills up a table can be overlooked. Mẹt Quán at 1g To Huu steams its mắm tôm first, which softens the smell, and if you are going late it is worth ringing, because after about 8pm a few items on the tray may have run out. Mẹt Quán has one more branch in the west of the city that is not on this list, because it is markedly worse kept than their other rooms.

Other northern dishes and quick meals: spicy noodles and cơm tấm. Meat-free: the vegetarian page.

Some shops, with addresses

  • Bún đậu mắm tôm Hương Vị Việt

    Open map →

    18 Da Tuong, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa

    4.5★ Google · 102 reviews

    At 18 Da Tuong, and the first call on this page. The tofu stays crisp without tasting of old oil, the mắm tôm smells right and is mixed well, and the chả cốm carries plenty of green rice. The portion is the real strength: customers used to other bún đậu shops describe needing three extra plates there, while here the tray beats them. The room is airy but thinly staffed, so a small crowd means a long wait. Go before 6pm.

    Reference photos from sources on the internet.

  • Bún đậu tèo

    Open map →

    39 Doan Tran Nghiep, Bac Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa

    4.4★ Google · 27 reviews35,000 – 50,000₫

    At 39 Doan Tran Nghiep in the north. Trays are 35,000–50,000₫, and the shop gets two small things right that others skip: both mắm tôm and a garlic-chilli fish sauce are on hand, so someone at the table who cannot take shrimp paste still gets a meal, and the garlic, chilli, lemongrass and calamansi are kept cold until you use them. Beyond bún đậu there is bún mắm nêm. Cheerful owner, clean room.

    Reference photos from sources on the internet.

  • Bún Đậu Thị Nở

    Open map →

    42 Van Don, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa

    4.6★ Google · 29 reviews

    42 Van Don. The mắm tôm is good, but the best thing here is not the bún đậu: the bún ốc and the bún riêu with pork bone are what people come back for, in a broth that is rich but clean. Food arrives fast and the owner is cheerful. The tray is plainly laid out, and the room is decorated like a country kitchen while playing remixes, so it is louder than it looks.

    Reference photos from sources on the internet.

  • Bún đậu Bao Ngon

    Open map →

    24 Van Don, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa

    3.8★ Google · 21 reviews

    At 24 Van Don, a few doors from Thị Nở. A tray for two with two calamansi teas comes to about 95,000₫; everything fried is cooked to order so it arrives crisp, herbs and rice paper are refilled free, and staff ask whether you want more when you are nearly through. The tray is bigger than people expect. When it fills up a table can be overlooked, and the cheapest item on the menu is not always available.

    Reference photos from sources on the internet.

  • Bún Đậu Lee

    Open map →

    11 Da Tuong, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa

    3.5★ Google · 64 reviews

    At 11 Da Tuong, a short way from Hương Vị Việt, so if you are on this street there are two options side by side, and I would take the other one. Lee is cheap, generous and filling, and it is always busy, so the peak means a wait; before 6pm it is ten minutes. In exchange the flavours are milder than at the two above, and with a takeaway it is worth checking the mắm tôm is in the bag before you leave.

    Reference photos from sources on the internet.

  • Mẹt Quán — Tố Hữu

    Open map →

    1g To Huu, Khu do thi Ha Quang 2, Nam Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa

    2.7★ Google · 23 reviews100,000 – 200,000₫

    At 1g To Huu in the Hà Quang 2 district south of the centre. The mắm tôm is pre-steamed so it is not fishy, the fried offal and the tofu are both sound, extra herbs are free, and it has its regulars. If you are going late, ring first: after about 8pm some items on the tray may have run out.

    Reference photos from sources on the internet.

Addresses come from each shop's own Google Maps listing, and the Open map button opens that shop's pin rather than running a search. 18 shops on the site have no listing we could confirm, so they have no button: the address lookup returned a different business, and a button that points at the wrong place is worse than none. A Google score appears only when Maps carries both the score and the number of reviews — a bare average cannot be weighed, so this page leaves it out. Street-food stalls change hours and close without telling anyone; call ahead if you are travelling across town.

What to order

  • Hương Vị Việt: the biggest tray, tofu that stays crisp
  • Bún đậu tèo: a garlic-chilli sauce for those who cannot take shrimp paste
  • Thị Nở is strongest on bún ốc and bún riêu
  • A tray for two is about 95,000₫ at Bao Ngon

Practical tips

  • If shrimp paste is not for you, ask for the garlic-chilli sauce, Bún đậu tèo keeps it ready
  • Go before 18:00: the two busiest shops are thinly staffed
  • For takeaway, check the mắm tôm is in the bag before you leave

Frequently asked

Where is the best bún đậu mắm tôm in Nha Trang?

Hương Vị Việt at 18 Da Tuong. Crisp tofu, a well-mixed mắm tôm, and the largest tray in the city. Second is Bún đậu tèo at 39 Doan Tran Nghiep, the better choice if someone at the table cannot take shrimp paste.

What does a tray cost?

A single portion runs 35,000–50,000₫. A tray for two with drinks is about 95,000₫, measured at Bao Ngon on Van Don.

What if you cannot eat shrimp paste?

Bún đậu tèo at 39 Doan Tran Nghiep keeps a garlic-chilli fish sauce beside the shrimp paste, so a table can share one tray. At Mẹt Quán the mắm tôm is steamed first, which smells milder than the raw mix.

This page also appears in

More in this category