Vietnam is home to pristine beaches, stunning caves, charming lakes, vibrant night markets and much more. The picturesque coastline of Nha Trang, the ancient city of Hoi An, the hills of Sapa and the scintillating nightlife of Hanoi can bowl over every ardent traveller. Having said that, if you’re a vegetarian ( or even a non-vegetarian Indian, for that matter), finding food can be a real problem in the country. But one Indian restaurant had us sorted. Read on!
We Were Desperately Searching For An Indian Restaurant!
I was on a 10-day trip to Vietnam with my husband, and halfway through the trip, we were desperately searching for Indian food. After landing in Da Nang on December 30, we spent three days in the city and then flew to Nha Trang. For five days, we had been surviving on rice cakes, sushis, dim sums, buns, sticky rice and desserts.
Picture Credits: Suchismita Pal
We had to pick items which didn’t have beef and not all pork dishes seemed consumable either. And then we were tired. The fanciest of restaurants were failing to satiate our desi taste buds. Also, mind you, many Vietnamese restaurants make Indian dishes that aren’t really authentic and non-Indian foreigners often don’t get that. I had literally tried a naan in Vietnam that tasted like pizza bread!
Vandana Restaurant Serves The Best Indian Food In Nha Trang, Vietnam
On the 2nd day of our Nha Thrang trip, we started looking for Indian restaurants nearby. And we had to trust Google. We found two options- Ganesh Restaurant and Vandana Restaurant. We opted for Vandana. It was just around 7 minutes away from our hotel by rickshaw. When we reached the spot, we were excited to find that the restaurant had a rooftop set up too, along with an adjoining bar.
Picture Credits: Suchismita Pal
I ordered a kettle of desi kadak chai and every sip of it seemed like therapy to my soul. And we treated our hungry stomachs with a delish plate of chole bhature, desi-style spring rolls and paneer masala. The restaurant owner, who is also an Indian, came up to our table to take our reviews. We realised that he is our neighbour from Delhi who now lives in Vietnam. No wonder, Delhi specialities were so impeccably prepared at the restaurant. You can try a wide range of Indian rice and roti preparations, desi curries and sweets like gulab jamun at Vandana.
Address: 73 16 Trần Quang Khải, Lộc Thọ, Nha Trang, Khánh Hòa 650000, Vietnam
We Tried The World’s Cheapest Beer In Hanoi ( And It Was Amazing!)
I must confess that Hoi An and Hanoi had many food options to cater to our Indian taste buds. While Nha Thrang was a struggle, Hanoi didn’t disappoint us with its food options. From crunchy banh mi buns, sweet taro buns and fried lemongrass chicken to steaming chicken hot pots, Hanoi has a lot of scrumptious dishes to offer. And the signature drinks of Hanoi are egg coffee and coconut coffee. The best part is that you can get the cheapest beer in the world here, priced at just ₹35. Adventurously, they are sold at roadside stalls, right out of the tap, along with other snacks. Hanoi is also home to many Indian restaurants. We relished the vegan dishes we tried at Hoi An as well.
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Pro Tip!
Before boarding the flight to Vietnam from India, we had purchased two ready-to-eat packets of dal-rice and kadhi-rice, since we had a prior idea about Vietnamese dishes. Thus, if you’re a vegetarian or someone who prefers well-cooked chicken, keep some of these ready-to-eat desi meals handy.
If you’re a nature lover with a soft corner for beaches, Vietnam must be on your bucket list.
Cover Image Courtesy: Suchismita Pal
