What makes Nha Trang's "banh uot long ga" different
"Banh uot" is a dish built on simplicity: soft, barely-cooked rice flour sheets folded or rolled around a filling. In Nha Trang (냐짱 / 芽庄 / ニャチャン), the local version centers on "long ga" — chicken gizzard and liver — chopped fine and sometimes mixed with pork. The rice sheet itself is thinner and more delicate than the southern banh uot, almost translucent when fresh. What sets the Nha Trang style apart is the filling's texture: locals prefer their offal minced almost to paste, not chunky. The sauce is usually just fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, and chili — no peanut sauce involved.
You'll rarely find this dish on restaurant menus here. It lives in the market, in family shops, and in a handful of dedicated stalls that open early and close by lunch.
Where to find it
Banh Uot Trang (early morning, Cho Dam Market area)
A small stall run by an older woman near Cho Dam Market (Dam Market), just off Yersin Street. No sign in English. Locals call it by the owner's name. She starts rolling at 5:30 a.m., sells out by 8:30 or 9 a.m. One order is 3–4 rolls (roughly 80–100 grams), wrapped in plastic. Cost: 25,000–30,000 VND per order. The filling is chicken liver and gizzard, finely ground with a touch of pork fat. The sauce comes on the side. Eat it standing or take it to go; there's no seating.
How to order: Point and say "banh uot long ga", or just nod. Cash only.
Banh Uot Hang Trai (market stall, Hang Trai Street)
On Hang Trai Street (near the seafront), there's a morning stall (open 5:30–9 a.m.) that sells "banh uot long ga" alongside "banh cuon" (shrimp and pork rolls) and "banh hoai" (Hoi An-style crispy pancakes). The "banh uot long ga" here is slightly sweeter in sauce and comes with a small dish of additional fish sauce and chili on the side. Cost: 30,000 VND. The rolls are thicker than the Cho Dam version — more forgiving texture, less delicate.
Best time: 6–7 a.m., before the tourist crowds arrive.
Banh Uot at Local Pho Shops (lunch-time option)
Several small pho shops in the Old Town (around Biet Thu and Tran Phu streets) make "banh uot long ga" as a side dish or breakfast special. It's not their main draw, so ask first: "Co banh uot long ga khong?" (Do you have banh uot long ga?). If they do, it's usually available until 11 a.m. Cost: 25,000–35,000 VND. Quality varies — some shops use more gizzard, others more liver. The best ones balance both, with a slight tang from rice vinegar.
Banh Uot at Cho Dam Market (direct from maker)
Inside Cho Dam Market itself, near the prepared-food section, there are 2–3 vendors who specialize in rice rolls. "Banh uot long ga" is a made-to-order item here; you might wait 10–15 minutes while they prep it fresh. Cost is similar (25,000–30,000 VND), but the rolls are still warm and the rice sheets have that just-cooked softness. This is the most reliable option if you're visiting mid-morning.
What to expect when you order
You'll get a small plastic bag or paper container with 3–4 rolls and a small packet of dipping sauce. The sauce is dilute fish sauce with lime juice, sugar, and minced Thai chili — not thick or sweet. Some places give you extra sauce; others make it mild. Taste before you add more chili.
The texture should be: soft, almost slippery rice sheet on the outside; fine, almost paste-like offal filling inside. If the rolls feel dry or the filling feels lumpy and chunked, it's not fresh or not made the traditional way. The best rolls have a faint sweetness from the pork fat and a slight mineral tang from the gizzard.
Photo by DUONG QUÁCH on Pexels
When to go
Early morning (5:30–9 a.m.): This is the window. Most stalls shut down by mid-morning because the rice sheets dry out and the filling oxidizes quickly. You'll see locals eating "banh uot long ga" before work, before school. This is peak season for the dish.
Lunch (11 a.m.–2 p.m.): A few pho (쌀국수 / 越南河粉 / フォー) shops might still have it, but it's not guaranteed. If they do, it's left-over from morning prep, so freshness is lower.
Dinner: Forget it. The dish doesn't exist on dinner menus in Nha Trang.
Cost and portions
A single order (3–4 rolls) costs 25,000–35,000 VND. Most locals eat one order as a quick breakfast or snack, not a full meal. If you're hungry, pair it with a coffee or a bowl of "com tam" (broken rice) from a nearby stall. Total breakfast: 50,000–60,000 VND.
Photo by Sergey Guk on Pexels
How to ask for it
"Banh uot long ga, vui long." (Banh uot long ga, please.) Or point and say "cai nay" (this one). English rarely helps here; these are old-school vendors.
If a stall doesn't recognize "long ga," try "banh uot gan" (banh uot with liver) — some vendors use those terms interchangeably. If they say "het" (sold out), you're either too late or it's the wrong time of day.
Bottom line
Nha Trang's "banh uot long ga" is a working-person's breakfast, not a tourist dish. You have to know the stalls, go early, and accept that some mornings you'll miss it. That's also what makes it worth the hunt. The flavor — offal, rice, vinegar, chili — is cleaner and sharper than the sweeter, peanut-sauce versions you'll find farther south. Get there before 8 a.m., eat it while it's still warm, and move on.
Last updated · May 19, 2026 · independently researched, never sponsored.
