Can Tho Food Guide: What to Eat in the Mekong Delta
Can Tho’s food scene runs on what the Mekong Delta grows and fishes — rice, coconut, freshwater fish, and a wide range of fresh produce sold straight off the boats at Cai Rang. The two dishes most associated with the city are banh xeo (a large, crispy turmeric crepe) and banh cong (a smaller deep-fried fritter), alongside the fermented-fish hotpot lau mam that shows up across the wider Mekong Delta.
What Should You Eat in Can Tho?
Four dishes cover most of what makes Can Tho and the wider Mekong Delta distinctive. Banh xeo is a large, crispy turmeric-yellow rice-flour crepe filled with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts, torn apart and wrapped in lettuce and herbs before dipping in nuoc cham. Banh cong is smaller and less commonly found outside the Mekong Delta — a deep-fried fritter of mung bean, shrimp, and rice batter, considered a genuine Can Tho street-food specialty. Lau mam, a pungent fermented-fish hotpot loaded with vegetables and fish, is a distinctly Southern Vietnamese dish you will find across the delta, including in Can Tho. Fresh Mekong Delta produce — pineapple, dragon fruit, coconut, and river fish — is less a single dish than the backdrop to everything else, and it is most visible at Cai Rang floating market itself.
| Dish | What It Is | Where to Try It |
|---|---|---|
| Banh Xeo | Crispy turmeric crepe with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts, wrapped in lettuce and herbs | Dedicated banh xeo restaurants around the city center |
| Banh Cong | Deep-fried mung bean and shrimp fritter, a Can Tho street-food specialty | Street stalls near the Ninh Kieu night market |
| Lau Mam | Fermented fish hotpot with vegetables, a Southern Vietnamese/Mekong Delta staple | Local hotpot restaurants, best shared among 2 or more people |
| Fresh produce & river fish | Pineapple, dragon fruit, coconut, and freshwater fish sold boat-to-boat | Cai Rang floating market, early morning |
TTC Verdict: eat banh xeo and banh cong on the same day if you can — they are easy to mix up by name, and trying both side by side makes the difference between the two crepes obvious in a way a menu description will not.
Cai Rang Floating Market: Vyacheslav Argenberg / CC BY 4.0
Where Should You Eat in Can Tho?
The Ninh Kieu night market is the easiest single stop for trying several Mekong Delta dishes in one evening, with stalls selling everything from grilled seafood to sweet che desserts. For a sit-down meal, look for restaurants specifically advertising banh xeo or lau mam by name rather than a generic tourist menu — both dishes are regional specialties that a dedicated kitchen will do noticeably better Confirm current specific restaurant recommendations before travel..
Banh xeo is a large, flat, crispy crepe you tear apart and wrap in lettuce and herbs. Banh cong is a smaller, thicker, deep-fried fritter eaten more like a street snack. Both use shrimp and a turmeric-tinted batter, but they are different dishes with different textures.
Lau mam is a fermented-fish hotpot loaded with vegetables, meat, and seafood — a distinctly Southern Vietnamese dish with a strong, pungent flavor that some travelers love and others find intense. It is worth trying at least once, ideally shared, as a genuine taste of Mekong Delta home cooking.
Yes — some boats sell hot food and drinks, including coffee and simple noodle dishes, directly on the water during the market’s early morning hours. It is a limited, cash-only experience, not a full meal stop, but worth trying as part of the visit.
One Comment