HungNguyenNB
New Member
Spent a few days around Trang An and Bai Dinh recently and did my homework on the food, so here is a guide for anyone heading to Ninh Binh. The region is famous for two things: mountain goat (de nui) and crispy burnt rice (com chay). Goats here graze on limestone karsts, so the meat is lean and firm - very different from goat elsewhere in Vietnam.
Goat dishes to try (prices from a local menu, 2026):
Practical tip: if you do the classic one-day loop (Trang An boat tour in the morning, Bai Dinh Pagoda in the afternoon), have lunch on the road between the two sites instead of going back to the city - saves a good 30-60 minutes. We ate at Thang Long Restaurant in Chi Phong hamlet, roughly halfway between Trang An and Bai Dinh - a family place that has been serving travelers for about 20 years, big enough for tour groups, set menus from 150,000 VND per person. Their English menu is at nhahangdenuininhbinh.vn/en if you want to check prices before you go. Reservations recommended on weekends (+84 975 155 458).
Boat tour tickets went up to 300,000 VND from January 2026 (many blogs still say 250,000), Bai Dinh entry is free (stupa 50,000 VND), Hoa Lu Ancient Capital 20,000 VND. Happy to answer questions if anyone is planning a trip.
Goat dishes to try (prices from a local menu, 2026):
- Goat salad with lime (de tai chanh) ~220,000 VND - thin slices, barely blanched, tossed with lemongrass, lime leaves and sesame. Eaten with green banana, starfruit and rice crackers. Start here.
- Grilled goat slab (de nuong tang) ~300,000 VND - grilled in one piece and carved at the table.
- Goat steamed with perilla ~300,000 VND - kept warm on a burner at the table, good on cooler days.
- Goat hotpot 450,000-550,000 VND - the usual finisher for groups of 4-6.
Practical tip: if you do the classic one-day loop (Trang An boat tour in the morning, Bai Dinh Pagoda in the afternoon), have lunch on the road between the two sites instead of going back to the city - saves a good 30-60 minutes. We ate at Thang Long Restaurant in Chi Phong hamlet, roughly halfway between Trang An and Bai Dinh - a family place that has been serving travelers for about 20 years, big enough for tour groups, set menus from 150,000 VND per person. Their English menu is at nhahangdenuininhbinh.vn/en if you want to check prices before you go. Reservations recommended on weekends (+84 975 155 458).
Boat tour tickets went up to 300,000 VND from January 2026 (many blogs still say 250,000), Bai Dinh entry is free (stupa 50,000 VND), Hoa Lu Ancient Capital 20,000 VND. Happy to answer questions if anyone is planning a trip.