There’s no shortage to the dining options available in Da Nang when this Central city is grounds for combining the fresh, vibrant flavours of the South and the peppery, richer flavours of the North. Even in our short week there we had barely the time to sample all of the varied local cuisine, unwillingly foregoing some dishes in favour of some select others.

Still, one of the dishes that isn’t mentioned so much on Google searches and blog listicles compared to bánh xèo or mì quảng is bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo. Translating roughly to “rice paper pork rolls”, it is very much as it sounds. Pork, lightly seasoned, steamed to tender perfection, and very thinly sliced, are served alongside your usual fresh salad and herb selection, raw rice paper sheets for rolling, and a salty, funky fermented fish sauce called mắm nêm for dipping completely different to the usual nước mắm.

It’s arguably fair that this dish isn’t hailed as much as the seafood dinners you can indulge yourself in along Da Nang’s coastline, but it does also have its own charms. In any case, we’re firm believers in eating local, which means that for us in Da Nang, tasting bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo was a must.

Đặc sản Hoàng Tín

There are many restaurants around Da Nang that offer this local specialty. You can simply search Foody for bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo, or even a quick Google search for a list in your area. Like many other restaurants we’d eaten in, we chose this one because of its good reviews, and its proximity to our accommodation.

Besides that, this is a very established restaurant, its restaurant boasting a TV screen playing its own advertisements, and its own website, where you can even make online reservations.

Menu

You can view Hoàng Tín’s menu on their website. Though it is all in Vietnamese, there are images of each dish to help. The restaurant also has English menus with photographs for reference. Essentially, we were after their bánh tráng cuốn thịt, of which they offer several cuts of pork. These start at đ79,000 (US$3.50), with larger platters becoming more expensive. They also offer a beef version, Bò tơ Tây Ninh, at đ119,000 (US$5.15) per portion.

We went for the phần đặt biệt (“extra special”), which included slices of each of the cuts of pork on offer. One portion, when eaten wrapped up with rice paper and copious amounts of salad vegetables, was just enough to feed the both of us. However, it is likely suited only for one person. Otherwise, they do also offer other Da Nang specialities such as mỳ quảng (also stylised as mì quảng) and bún mắm, which we’ll discuss later.

The Pork Rolls

Eating bánh tráng cuốn thịt is one of those fun Vietnamese experiences which involves some light labour. Again, there isn’t one particular rule in eating it but with not too many pork slices and a mountain of salad vegetables it’s generally recommended to make rice rolls for each slice. Layer the steamed rice noodle sheet, salad vegetables, herbs, and a slice of pork, wrap it up, and dip it in a touch of the mắm nêm.

As per usual, the textures and flavours contributed by the sheer amount of ingredients makes for a delightful combination in the mouth. Crispy, crunchy, succulent, and meaty, delicious. Oddly, the sheet of steamed rice batter (like one blanket of noodle rather than strips), imitates the smooth, bouncy texture of meat collagen more than we’d expected, adding moisture and texture to the dish.

One must be warned that mắm nêm is exceptionally strong in flavour. Besides the saltiness, the best way to describe the flavour of the thick, brown sauce is the strong savoury of fermented shrimp paste, the pungent smell of your typical fermented fish sauce, and the overall punchy funk that you might find from a durian. In short, it is an acquired taste, and not for the faint of heart or the unprepared. Jos liked it. Noms, perhaps not so much. It really depends on the person.

As for the differences between the meats… we’ll be honest. Despite the selection of pork cuts on the extra special platter, the cuts are all pretty similar once you’ve rolled it up for eating. Some have a little more fat than the others but even that is barely distinguishable once it’s wrapped amongst the crunchy salad vegetables. We would personally recommend sticking to ordering the plates with just one kind, which is generally cheaper than the mixed platter, but again, do as your heart so desires.

In Conclusion

For those looking for more than one dish, restaurants that sell bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo often also have bún mắm on the menu. Bún mắm is another Da Nang dish involving vermicelli noodles topped with vegetables and meat, and dressed with the same mắm nêm dipping sauce used for the pork rolls.

While they are both a Da Nang specialty, mắm nêm is such a particular flavour that it’s understandable if many people would give it a pass in favour of seafood or other specialties. In either case, for people who like strong flavours, and are up for fermented fish, it’s a delicious, fresh meal and a great way of sampling Da Nang’s unique cuisine.

Đặc sản Hoàng Tín
12 Lê Hồng Phong, Phước Ninh, Hải Châu, Đà Nẵng 550000
Mon-Sun 6am-10pm
http://dacsanhoangtin.com/