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Jellyfish Noodle Soup

Rating: 4.5

The specialty you won't easily find elsewhere — crunchy jellyfish in a clear fish broth

City centre

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

Address
Small shops in the central district, clustered around Cho Dam market and To Hien Thanh street
Opening hours
Morning to midday, until sold out
Price range
35,000 – 55,000₫/dish
Best time to go
March to July is jellyfish season. Go in the morning
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Overview

If there's one dish to eat in Nha Trang that you can't get in Saigon or Hanoi, it's bún sứa. Carefully prepared jellyfish comes out crunchy and cool, with almost no fishiness, sitting in a clear fish broth alongside fish cake and herbs.

It's seasonal — jellyfish is most abundant from around March to July. Outside that window shops still open, but you may only get the fish-cake version. This is small-shop food in the central district, not restaurant food.

If the jellyfish gives you pause: it is well prepared, so it eats crisp and cool with almost no smell, closer in texture to cartilage than to seafood. It is a light, cooling bowl, which is why it suits a hot morning.

On season: jellyfish is most plentiful from about March to July. Out of season the shops still open but may only have fish-cake noodles, so if you come between October and December, do not build the trip around this bowl. Because this is a dish rather than an address, this page carries no pin and no street number. Choosing is simple: sit where the locals are, because a busy stall means constant turnover and nothing sitting around. Skip an empty one during the rush, however large its sign.

What to order

  • Jellyfish that's crunchy, cool and not fishy
  • A completely clear fish broth
  • Springy fish cake on the side
  • A dish you'll essentially only find on the Khanh Hoa coast

Practical tips

  • Ask for half jellyfish, half fish cake if it's your first time
  • Out of season (August to February) they may be out of jellyfish — ask before you sit
  • Eat it with ground green chilli and a touch of shrimp paste if the shop has it

Frequently asked

Does bún sứa taste fishy?

No. The jellyfish is well prepared, so it is crisp, cool and almost odourless, and the fish broth is clear and light rather than rich.

When is it in season?

Roughly March to July. Outside that the shops still open but may only have fish-cake noodles.

Where do I eat it?

Small shops in the centre, concentrated around Dam market and To Hien Thanh. Go in the morning, because they close when it runs out.

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