Da Lat sits at 1,500 meters, and after dark the chill is real — sometimes down to 12°C in December and January. That cold is exactly why the food at the night market works so well. Everything here is built for warming up.
Where the Market Is
The Da Lat (달랏 / 大叻 / ダラット) Night Market runs along Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street in the center of town, spilling down toward the Xuan Huong Lake end of the main square. It opens around 5:30 PM and stays busy until 11 PM most nights. The stalls are tightly packed, mostly covered, and get crowded on weekends. Weeknights after 7 PM are the sweet spot — busy enough to be lively, calm enough to actually eat without being jostled.
Hot Soy Milk
This is the thing to start with. "Sua dau nanh" — fresh hot soy milk — is sold from small carts and fixed stalls throughout the market, poured into paper cups for around 10,000–15,000 VND. Da Lat versions tend to be slightly thicker and less sweet than what you'd find in Hanoi or Saigon. Some stalls add a pinch of salt, which rounds it out. Look for the stalls with large aluminum pots wrapped in insulating fabric — usually near the market entrance on the Nguyen Thi Minh Khai side. Drink it while you walk.
Banh Trang Nuong
"Banh trang nuong" — grilled rice paper — is Da Lat's most-claimed street food, and the night market has a dozen stalls doing it. The base is a thin rice paper sheet laid directly on a charcoal grill, spread with egg, green onion, dried shrimp, and a streak of chili sauce, then folded in half once it crisps up. Done well, it's brittle at the edges and slightly chewy at the center. Price is 15,000–25,000 VND depending on toppings. Some vendors pile on pate and quail eggs; others keep it minimal. The minimal version is better.
What to watch for: stalls that pre-cook and stack them are less good. The point is eating it hot off the grill with the egg still just set. If there's no one actively grilling, move on.
Photo by Quyn Phạm on Pexels
Grilled Corn
"Bap nuong" stalls are scattered across the market and easy to find by smell. The corn in Da Lat is noticeably different from coastal lowland varieties — smaller cobs, denser kernels, genuinely sweet without being starchy. It's grilled over charcoal and brushed with a mixture of butter, spring onion oil, and sometimes a little condensed milk. One cob runs 15,000–20,000 VND. Don't skip the condensed milk version at least once — it sounds odd and tastes right.
The same vendors often sell "khoai lang nuong" (grilled sweet potato) and roasted chestnuts in season. Both are worth having alongside the corn.
Banh Mi Xiu Mai
"Xiu mai" are small steamed pork meatballs served in a light tomato broth, eaten with a toasted "banh mi" roll on the side for dipping. It's a Da Lat specialty that doesn't get as much attention as banh trang nuong, which is a mistake. A bowl with bread is 25,000–35,000 VND. The broth is mild, slightly sweet, nothing aggressive — the kind of thing that makes sense at 9 PM when you've been walking for two hours in the cold. Several fixed stalls near the center of the market do this well; look for the ones with ceramic bowls rather than disposable containers.
Grilled Meats and Skewers
The back section of the market has a row of stalls running charcoal grills with skewered meats — pork, chicken, mushrooms, and what gets labeled generically as "dac san Da Lat" (Da Lat specialties), which sometimes means grilled venison or wild boar depending on the vendor and the season. Skewers run 10,000–30,000 VND each. The mushroom skewers — often using locally grown king oyster or shiitake — are consistently good and more interesting than the pork. Eat them with the small dish of salt, chili, and lime that comes alongside.
Photo by HONG SON on Pexels
Artichoke Tea
"Tra atiso" — artichoke tea — is a Da Lat institution. The artichoke industry here goes back to the French colonial period, and the tea made from dried artichoke flowers and stems is slightly bitter, slightly sweet, and genuinely soothing on a cold night. Sold hot in styrofoam cups for 10,000–15,000 VND at the market, or in small plastic bags of dried flowers you can take home. If you're spending more than a day in Da Lat, it's worth buying a bag — it brews well in a thermos.
What It Costs Overall
A full circuit of the night market — soy milk, one banh trang nuong, corn, a bowl of xiu mai, a skewer or two, and tea — runs about 100,000–130,000 VND per person (roughly 4–5 USD). Bring small bills; most stalls don't have change for 500,000 VND notes.
Practical Notes
The market is walkable from most central Da Lat accommodation in under 10 minutes. Dress warmer than you think you need to — the temperature drops fast after sunset and standing around eating is not the same as walking. Weekends bring tour groups and the prices on some stalls quietly tick up by 20–30%; the food doesn't change, but if you're going back multiple nights, weekdays are cheaper.
Last updated · May 26, 2026 · independently researched, never sponsored.
