Grilled Street Food:
If you visit Sapa but don’t spend an evening enjoying grilled snacks in the chilly air near the night market, you haven’t truly experienced the charm of this mountain town. In the cold climate of Sapa, almost everything can be grilled—and everything tastes delicious. Popular choices include mushroom-wrapped meat, grilled chicken wings, eggs, and sweet potato cakes.
Prices are very affordable, with most items starting from around 10,000 VND per dish. Photo: Jase Wong.
Cold-Water Salmon Hotpot:
Cold-water salmon in Sapa is known for its firm texture, low fat content, and high nutritional value. Visitors coming to this mountain town often find it hard to resist a steaming pot of salmon hotpot, featuring a rich and naturally sweet broth simmered from salmon bones.
The hotpot is usually served with local vegetables such as cải mèo (mustard greens) and fresh chayote shoots, which add a crisp and refreshing taste when dipped into the bubbling broth.
You can enjoy this specialty dish at many local restaurants in Sapa, with prices around 500,000 VND for a hotpot serving about four people. Photo: Dulichsapa.
Thắng Cố:
This dish is not easy to eat for first-timers, but it is a traditional specialty of the H’Mong people. Thắng cố is prepared through a rather complex cooking process. In addition to horse or beef offal, the dish includes 27 different spices such as cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, and various aromatic herbs.
At traditional highland markets, thắng cố is cooked in a large pot and slowly simmered for several hours until tender. When served, it is ladled into small bowls for diners to enjoy.
In restaurants, thắng cố is usually prepared in a simpler and milder version, making it easier for visitors to try. The price is around 30,000 VND per bowl. Photo: hmongcoc.
