Eat and meet

Dien Bien Phu

Though there's no longer any place to stay here, the best places to eat are in the centre of Muong Thanh Ward, which can be reached by turning off 7-5 Road at the cemetery or the Dien Bien Phu Hotel.

There are three restaurants, all very Vietnamese in style. At the end of Hoang Cong Chat (which starts at 7-5 Road right next to the Dien Bien Phu Hotel) is Vinh Thom Restaurant, which specialises in ethnic minority dishes, such as ca nuong, (crispy fried fish), thit goi la nuong (minced pork wrapped in leaves and fried), and goi ca (a fishy version of the same).

Just around the corner on Hoang Van Thai is Hung Hai (also the title of an old Clint Eastwood western), which specialises in river fish. While shellfish from rivers in Vietnam should probably be avoided by foreigners who don't wish to spend their two-week vacation running to the bathroom, anything that swims and has a backbone should be fine to eat.

Though, a safer bet is Lien Tuoi Restaurant, which serves Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, and is the only one of the three with English menus.

There are plenty of places to eat Com and Pho along Nguyen Chi Thanh, which is within walking distance of most hotels. It's also a great place for coffee -- there are several lovely little cafes serving the traditional, strong, pungent brew, and also make for a good place for a relaxing drink in the evening.

 

Cafe Window is one of our favourites, and popular with locals, but there are several good options as you continue to to the intersection to the road that leads to the Muong Thanh Bridge. Also, at that intersection, if you're lucky, you might find a guy grilling up whole chickens and pork kebabs at a cart on the street.

Chicken is expensive in these parts for some reason -- 30,000 VND for just a thigh and a wing -- but that doesn't deter locals from lining up at the cart every day from about 16:00 'til he runs out of birds.

Hung Hai: 153 Hoang Van Thai, Dien Bien Phu. T: (0230) 831 035, (0917) 622 768. Hours: 07:00 to 23:00.
Lien Tuoi Restaurant: Hoang Van Thai Street, Muong Thanh Ward, west of Tran Can Street, Dien Bien Phu. T: (0230) 824 919.
Vinh Thom Restaurant: No. 68 Hoang Cong Chat, Dien Bien Phu. T: (0230) 824 291. Hours: 08:00 to 24:00, closed Sundays.