In the bustling high-rises and blue sea of Da Nang, there are small alleys in the late afternoon still fragrant with the smell of steamed rice flour. That is the aroma of bánh bèo, bánh nậm, bánh bột lọc – the trio of specialties from Quảng – Huế cherished by the coastal people as a part of their memories. No need for lavish dishes, just a small bamboo tray with all three items is enough to satisfy the hunger.

Da Nang's bánh bèo is usually served in small bowls the size of a palm, with a smooth white surface sprinkled with a layer of bright red dried shrimp, crispy pork fat, and a bit of fried shallots. When eating, drizzle sweet chili garlic fish sauce on top, use a bamboo stick to gently pry the bánh – the soft piece melts in your mouth carrying the rich sweetness of Mân Thái shrimp.

Bánh nậm is wrapped in thin green banana leaves in a rectangular shape, with a filling of finely ground shrimp and pork; when unwrapped, the bánh is flat and turns a light pink color. Bánh bột lọc is translucent, revealing the red shrimp and white fat inside, chewy and must be eaten while hot to be truly enjoyable. Usually, the shop will place bánh bèo in the middle, with two baskets of bánh bột lọc and bánh nậm on either side, accompanied by a bowl of pink fish sauce like the evening sky.

Suggested addresses: Bà Bé restaurant at 100 Hoàng Văn Thụ, famous for over 30 years; Cô Hoa's bánh bèo on Lê Đình Dương street and Bà Xí's bánh bèo on Thái Thị Bôi street are always crowded in the afternoon. Affordable prices: a bowl of bánh bèo for 5,000 VND, a plate of bột lọc for 20,000 VND. Just take as much as you want, at the end of the meal, the owner counts the bamboo sticks for the bill – a unique charm of the Quảng eateries.

Eating bánh bèo in the late afternoon, hearing the call “who wants bánh” echoing into the alley, you will understand why some people who leave Da Nang still remember those small white bowls.

Content generated by AI. Image: Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Reference information: Vietnamese Wikipedia, Da Nang Tourism Portal (danangfantasticity.com), and domestic travel newspapers.