Sapa is a famous tourist town in Vietnam, home to 6 ethnic groups: Kinh, H’Mong, Red Dao, Tay, Giay, and Xa Pho. Among them, the Hmong ethnic group accounts for 50%. Therefore, the cuisine of Sapa is almost all the traditional dishes of the ethnic people. Not only that, these local dishes are highly addictive, delicious and leave an indelible impression on any indulgent foodie.

1. The best food in Sapa you should try  

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1.1. Buffalo meat upstair kitchen 

Buffalo meat upstairs kitchen is made from tenderloin and corn of buffalo. After preliminary processing, the meat will be marinated with typical spices of the northwest mountains and finally smoked. The taste of this dish has the spicy taste of chili mixed with the spicy taste of ginger, along with the unique spice of mac Khen and the smell of wood smoke.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – An Thinh service – 57, Thach Son street, Sapa, Lao Cai
    – Sapa night market – Dien Bien Phu street – Sapa, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 25.42$ to 33.90$/kilogram

1.2. Armpit Pigs 

Armpit Pigs are also known as Sapa Muong pigs; people often put them under their armpits and bring them to the market to sell. Because it is raised in the highlands, the pork is very fresh and clean. Armpit pig can be processed in many different dishes such as grilled pork, fried pork, and steamed very attractive.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – A Dung restaurant – 12 Xuan Vien, Sapa Town, Lao Cai
    – Hoa Dong Tien restaurant – 29 Cau May, Sapa, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 2.12$ to 10.59$

1.3. Bamboo – tube rice

Com lam known as Bamboo – tube rice, is an indispensable food in Sapa. People will remove the bamboo tube, bake it over the fire, and then put it in a tray on a layer of banana leaves. Each tube of lam rice is big, round, and fragrant when you enjoy it.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – Cat Cat village – Cat Cat village, Sapa town, Lao Cai
    – A Quynh restaurant – 15 Thach Son, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 4.24$ to 12.71$

1.4. Stream fish

Stream fish is considered the best food in Sapa. Stream fish is smaller than the fishes living in ponds and lakes but has the characteristics of firm meat, soft bones, delicious, and is not fishy. Usually, stream fish will be grilled and eaten with sour fish sauce.

best food in sapa

  • Addresses:
    – Thai Bac restaurant – Thac Bac tourist area, Sapa town, Lao Cai
    – A Phu restaurant -15 Fansipan Street, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 8.47$ to 23.30$

1.5. Salmon 

With a rich taste, eye-catching color, and high nutritional value, salmon is often present in the high-end menus of Sapa, such as sashimi salmon, curry salmon, pan-fried salmon, fish salad salmon, steamed salmon roe, smoked salmon, salmon salad, etc.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – Dong Nhi restaurant – Thac Bac Waterfall, Sapa, Lao Cai
    – A Phu restaurant – 15 Fansipan Street, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 4.24$ to 42.36$

1.6. Con Sui 

Con Sui is used with flat noodles like pho, also known as Pho Khan. This dish is not eaten with broth, but with a thick and fragrant sauce. Eating a bowl of Con Sui will surely make you feel warm in the cold weather of Sapa.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address: Ong Ha restaurant – 436 Dien Bien Phu Street, Sapa, Lao Cai
  • Price: About 1.48$/ bowl

1.7. Thang Co

Thang Co is a traditional Northwestern food. Initially, it was only cooked from horses, then other ethnic groups modified beef, buffalo, and pig and created many different ingredients and recipes. Eating Thang Co will be more delicious when drinking highland wine such as corn, Bac Ha, and Lan Sung wine. 

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – Lien Ton restaurant – 61 Xuan Vien, Sapa town, Lao Cai
    – Cau May restaurant – 92 Ngu Chi Son, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 4.24$ to 13.98$

1.8. Five coloured sticky rice

Five-color sticky rice has five colors: red, yellow, blue, purple, and white. It is made entirely from natural ingredients: upland sticky rice and forest leaves. This food is the specialty food in Sapa you should try. Specifically, on the occasion of Tet holidays, or there are precious guests, the villagers will invite visitors to enjoy this fragrant sticky rice with the taste of the Northwest mountains.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – Anh Dung restaurant – 6 Xuan Vien, Sapa town, Lao Cai
    – Hoa Dao restaurant – 48 Le Van Tam, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 3.39$ to 6.35$

1.9. BBQ

BBQ is a familiar culinary feast around the world, but eating BBQ in Sapa is a fascinating experience. Under the cold weather, fresh meat in the mountains will bring you a feeling of both deliciousness and mouth-watering.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – Gia Bao restaurant – 498 Dien Bien Phu, Sapa town, Lao Cai
    – Hmong BBQ restaurant – 33 Cau May, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 4.24$ to 42.36$

1.10. Chestnut cake

Chestnut cake is the best food in Sapa with reasonable price. The cake is designed to be small, made with flour, nuts and sugar, sometimes with honey. The cake has a very fragrant and delicious taste and is baked and heated before being sold to tourists.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – Sapa night market – Dien Bien Phu street, Sapa town, Lao Cai
    – Muong Hum Market – Muong Hum, Bat Xat district, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: 2.96$ / 10 pieces

1.11. Chargrilled Sapa black chicken

Unlike many other chicken breeds, Sapa black chicken weighs only about 1.2kg to 1.5kg and is quite small. Thanks to that, this is one of the rare chicken breeds. Black chicken can be processed into many different dishes, such as fried, pan-fried, steamed, and boiled, but visitors say that black chicken is best eaten when they are marinated with Northwest spices and grilled with honey.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – A Phu restaurant -15 Fansipan Street, Sapa town, Lao Cai
    – Red Dao restaurant – 4B Thac Bac Waterfall, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 4.24$ to 42.36$

1.12. Khau Nhuc

Khau Nhuc is a dish of Chinese origin, later reprocessed by the Tay people. This dish is made from pork with five spices, garlic, and chili and is very delicious with white rice. On important occasions, this is an indispensable dish on the trays offered to ancestors.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – A Phu restaurant -15 Fansipan Street, Sapa town, Lao Cai
    – Red Dao restaurant – 4B Thac Bac Waterfall, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 2.12$ to 2.96$

1.13. Pau Plau 

Pau Plau is a delicious Sapa dish that is highly suitable for people who like sweets. To make this cake, the chef must select the roundest glutinous rice grains and then grind them manually; afterward, sun exposure to sufficient. Pau Plau cake is usually filled with green beans, baked or steamed, and served with honey.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address: Sapa new market, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 0.85$ to 1.27$

1.14. Pau Co

Pau Co has ingredients, including Dao (a plant of the Northwest) and glutinous rice milled into powdered water. The finished cake has the aroma of glutinous rice; when eaten, it will have a yummy and flexible taste. This cake can be preserved for a long time, so visitors often bring it back as a gift.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address: Sapa new market, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 0.85$ to 1.27$

1.15. Men Men 

Men Men is a dish of the Hmong ethnicity, made from cornmeal. Men men have aromatic, flexible, and bold flavors typical of the mountains; when enjoyed, you need to be accompanied by pumpkin soup or chayote to taste better.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address: Highland markets in Sapa
  • Price: 0.42$ / bowl

1.16. Pho Bac Ha

Pho is a familiar specialty food in Vietnam. In particular, Pho Bac Ha in Sapa is famous for its sweet and fragrant pho flavor. You can also feel chewy meat and yummy in each bowl. In addition, Pho Bac Ha has an affordable price and is located in an easy-to-find location, so it is very popular with tourists.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address: 53 Le Van Tam, Sa Pa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 1.69$ to 2.12$/ bowl

1.17. Nem mang dang

Nem mang dang is a wonderful ingredient in the cooking style of the Tay ethnic group. Spring rolls are made from chicken, shallot leaves, tubers, and a little spice. This food, when combined with Muong Khuong chili sauce – a specialty in Sapa is tastier.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – A Quynh restaurant – 15 Thach Son, Sapa town, Lao Cai
    – Red Dao restaurant – 4B Thac Bac Waterfall, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 2.54$

1.18. Moc Com

Moc Com is a rustic dish, but it is the best food among tourists as a gift after coming to Sapa. Every autumn, the Tay people will harvest rice and process Moc Com. To make the dish, people first take a fat duck’s fat and thick skin and cut it into thin and long pieces. Next, the remaining parts of the duck, such as wings, neck, and spine, are minced and then fried until cooked to make the filling.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address: Bac Ha market – Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: 5.08$ /kilogram

1.19. Roasted chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts are a food to be noticed when coming to Sapa; nuts contain many vitamins such as C, B1, and B2. Sapa chestnuts have brown skin. You will feel the fleshy, greasy, and extremely mouth-watering taste when eating. In addition, Sapa chestnuts can also be grilled with butter and honey.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – Sapa new market, Sapa town, Lao Cai
    – Muong Hum market  – Muong Hum, Bat Xat district, Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: From 0.42$ to 0.85$

1.20. Tao Meo

Tao Meo is a favorite fruit in Sapa and can be made into many different foods, wines, and remedies. In particular, Tao Meo can be processed into a sweet and sour snack that appeals to the taste buds. Tao Meo’s benefits are liver cooling, digestive benefits, sedation, stress relief, etc. They are sold at many markets at very low prices.

best food in sapa

  • Recommended address:
    – Sapa new market, Sapa town, Lao Cai
    – Bac Ha market – Sapa town, Lao Cai
  • Price: 1.69$/ kilogram

Above are the specialty foods in Sapa listed that you can visit directly to eat or bring home packaged products as gifts for family and friends. They are sold at restaurants in Sapa town or markets, making them easy to find.

Do not hesitate to visit the restaurants and markets in Sapa to enjoy attractive, fancy, and extremely cheap ethnic food. Metta Voyage believes this is the best food in Sapa for anyone who wants to learn about Vietnamese food. Also, you can check out the Culture and Street food tour or Delight Northern Cuisine to learn more about Vietnamese culture and cuisine.

You can explore more our tours including Hoi An below:

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