Hai Phong Crab Noodles

Banh da cua is Hai Phong's dish and its distinguishing element is the noodle: banh da do, a flat rice noodle dried to a dark red-brown, chewier and more substantial than the white noodles used elsewhere, made in villages around the city. It is served in a broth built from paddy crab pounded shell and all and strained, giving a sweet marine base with the crab meat set as curds on top, with fried fish cake, betel leaf, greens and sometimes pork. The dish is eaten at all hours and the city takes it seriously enough that recommendations are argued over street by street.

What you actually see

• Dark red-brown flat noodles - banh da do, made around the city.
• Broth from pounded paddy crab - shell and all, strained.
• Crab curds on top - with fish cake and betel leaf.
• A dish argued over street by street - local opinion is strong.

When to go

Year round; morning and evening are the main times. A meal.

Honest expectations

Versions sold outside Hai Phong rarely use the proper noodle. Stalls are basic, on small stools, and cash only. The crab flavour is strong and not to every taste.

Nearby

Hai Phong's old streets are around the stalls; Cat Ba is east by ferry.