Ninh Binh is not only famous for tourist areas such as Tam Coc, Trang An, Bai Dinh – the largest pagoda in Southeast Asia, and historic places, ecotourism area… but also another special thing about this place is specialties food in Ninh Binh. Here are some places in Ninh Binh we would like to introduce to you:

1. Goat Meat – Famous Ninh Binh Specialties

One of the most delicious dishes suggested when traveling to Ninh Binh is goat meat. People have to use fresh goats grazing near the rocky mountain to make amazing food. That is the reason why goat meat in Ninh Binh is soft, not too tough. You should try such famous dishes from goat meat, such as steamed goat meat, grilled goat, or goat with ginger sauce. This kind of meat is not only delicious but also nutritious and very good for our health. 
Best restaurant to enjoy goat meat:

# Thang Long Restaurant: Trang An, Truong Yen, Hoa Lu

# Duc De Restaurant: No.29/ 458 Nguyen Hue, Doan Ket, Ninh Phong

# Luong Thuong Restaurant: Le Lai, Nam Son, Tam Diep

# Truong De Restaurant: Ninh Xuan, Hoa Lu

2. Com Chay (Ninh Binh Rice Crust) – Yummy Crunchy Crust

Cơm cháy is one of the specialties of Ninh Binh. To make this dish, the locals cook the rice and then slice it into many round-shaped pieces. After cooling those pieces of rice down, people soak them into hot oil pan until they turn into yellow. Cơm cháy is often served with onion leaves, chilly and pork meat. Ninh Binh burned is crispy, yummy and not greasy at all. Cơm cháy is put in small pouches, therefore you can buy several pouches and give them as presents for your friends and your family.

Great places to buy rice crust:

# 593 Thien Son, Hoa Lu

# Xich Tho, Nho Quan

# 446 Nguyen Hue, Ninh Binh

# 465 Tran Hung Dao, Ninh Binh

3.  Oc Nui (Moutain Snails) – The dish only found in Ninh Binh

Ốc Núi is a must-try food for you when visiting Ninh Binh. (Mountain snails). Ốc Núi appears abundantly during the rainy season, especially from April to August. Limestone mountains in Tam Diep Town form an ideal habitat for Ốc Núi. The main food of the snails is the plants that grow wildly in the mountains including a lot of valuable medicinal plants. Therefore, Ốc Núi is fresh and really good for health. Mountainous snails’ meat is chewy, crispy and sweet which can be processed into many dishes: steamed with ginger, stir-fried with chili, salad.

Where to eat Oc Nui Ninh Binh:

# Quoc Quan Restaurant: Trang An, Truong An, Hoa Lu

# Vu Bao Restaurant: 37 Nguyen Hue, Ninh Binh

# Van Bao Ngoc Restaurant: 86 Luong Van Tuy, Tan Thanh, Ninh Binh

4.  Eel Vermicelli – The tasty low-calorie dish

The other food must try in Ninh Binh is eel vermicelli. To cook delicious eel vermicelli, eel used to cook vermicelli must be field eel (eel living in rice fields) but not fed eel in popular. People soak eel meat into stir-fried spices and fry them in hot oil and stew eel’s bones. The fried onion and many local herbs on vermicelli face enhance consumers’ taste. Squeezing a little lemon, seasoning with a little fish sauce, and sprinkling a little pepper are to fit your mouth. Eel meat pieces are very delicious, sweet. Vermicelli made totally from the plant is longer and a bit tougher than simple noodles. Therefore, this dish will be a good choice for people those are on diet.

Where to eat eel vermicelli in Ninh Binh?

# Manh Toan eel vermicelli: 995 Tran Hung Dao, Ninh Binh

# Dung Huong eel vermicelli: 997 Tran Hung Dao, Ninh Binh

# Dung Thanh eel vermicelli: 999 Tran Hung Dao, Ninh Binh

5.  Nhech Fish Salad – Very Fresh and Healthy Dish

Gỏi cá nhệch is a special dish for Kim Sơn, Ninh Bình. Nhech is a type of fresh-water fish which looks like water snake but thinner. To make gỏi cá nhệch, people use a sharp knife to around the neck and peel the skin. Then cut off the head, gut and fillet the fish. Fish meat is marinated in fresh lemon juice squeeze and seasoned with some special spices. Such as garlic, ginger, salt and especially “thính”. Thính is made from rice or corn which was roast and grind to dust.

Where to eat goi ca nhech Ninh Binh?

# Tinh Goi Restaurant: 248 Ngo Gia Tu, Van Gia

# Hoang Cat Restaurant: 350-432, ĐT477, Me Town, Gia Vien,

#  Vu Bao Restaurant: 6A, Phat Diem Dong, Kim Son

6.  Sticky Rice with Ant’s Eggs

This food is not only popular in the northern mountainous area, but it is also the specialty of Nho Quan in Ninh Binh province. It is a nutritious food which tastes very yummy. To make a dish of Sticky rice with ant’s eggs, people have to wash the ant’s eggs and use different spices to season them. Then, the ant’s eggs will be fried and eaten with sticky rice and fried onions. Along Highway 12B in Nho Quan, many restaurants are serving this food. You can visit and enjoy not miss one of the best and most unique specialties in this area.

7. Braised fish with Gao fruit

Braised fish with Gao fruit is the specialty of Ninh Binh. The most important ingredient is Gao fruit. The chef has to wash Gao fruits from the trees near rivers or streams, cut them into small slices, and put them in the bottom of the pot. After lining the fish inside, he has to cover it with a layer of Gao fruit and simmer it down. Braised fish with Gao fruit is a bit sour and acrid.

Restaurant for the food:

# Lien Dong restaurant: 94 Hoang Dieu, Thanh Binh, Ninh Binh

# Three-Door restaurant: Truong An, Hoa Lu, Truong Yen

# BS Sea: No.4, 1 Street, Khanh Thanh, Tan Thanh

8. Roasted field crab with guise leaves

Roasted field crab with guise leaves is a very famous dish in Ninh Binh. It has a strong flavor and is very crunchy. The food crabs caught in the rice field are crunchy, sweet, and substantial. Nutritious crabs roasted with guise leaves are very yummy with amazing taste. The food can be used with chili garlic fish sauce to make it better.

Places to visit for this specialty:

# Three-Door restaurant: Truong An, Hoa Lu, Truong Yen

# BS Sea: No.4, 1 Street, Khanh Thanh, Tan Thanh

# Vu Bao Restaurant: 37 Nguyen Hue, Ninh Binh