Hai Ca Nha Trang Review 2026: Authentic Squid Fish Cake Pho

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Recommended Local Restaurant in Nha Trang

Hai Cá: Squid Fish Cake Pho

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Craving a bowl of pho for breakfast,

I headed over to Hai Cá.

This spot often comes up as a top pho restaurant in Nha Trang,

but it's a local eatery that serves not beef, but

Nha Trang-style squid fish cake pho.

For those curious about seafood broth pho,

I'll share my honest review.

Table of Contents

1. Restaurant Information & Location

2. Menu & How to Order

3. Review of Hai Cá's Squid Fish Cake Pho

4. Concluding My Culinary Journey

1. Restaurant Information & Location

In Hai Cá, 'Hai' means the number two,

and 'Cá' means fish, so it translates to 'Two Fish'.

On the menu, you'll even see

two fish drawn next to the name,

so it's immediately clear.

Category	Details
Restaurant Name	Bún Cá Hai Cá
Address	156 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Nha Trang
Opening Hours	06:00~21:30
Second Branch	1-2 minute walk from Branch 1
Map	📍[Google Maps Link]

Opening its doors at 6 AM, it's a great pho spot

to visit when looking for a breakfast place

in Nha Trang.

When calling a Grab, you can use the address in the link above

to go to Hai Cá Branch 1.

⭐ Hai Cá has two branches, Branch 1 and Branch 2.

The two locations are only a 1-2 minute walk apart,

so if one is crowded, it's easy to just hop over to the other.

Branch 1 has a stronger local vibe,

feeling more like a true local spot, while Branch 2

is a bit more comfortable than Branch 1.

If you want to experience the local atmosphere, I recommend Branch 1;

if you prefer a cleaner setting, Branch 2 is for you.

2. Menu & How to Order

We visited around 10:50 AM

and were able to sit down right away without any waiting.

The menu had pictures of the food, along with

explanations in both English and Korean,

making it easy to choose even if you don't speak Vietnamese.

⭐ Here's something good to know before ordering.

For each menu item, you'll see BÚN and

BÁNH CANH listed side-by-side.

This is where you choose your noodles.

BÚN refers to the thin pho noodles we're familiar with,

while BÁNH CANH are thicker, like knife-cut noodles (kalguksu).

The price is the same for both, so you can choose based on your preference.

Looking at the menu, we ordered

items #1 and #3, which were recommended,

with the thin pho noodles (BÚN).

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Menu Item	Price (VND)	Approx. USD
1. Squid Fish Cake Pho	65,000	~$3
3. Squid & Fish Fish Cake Pho	65,000	~$3
1 Plate of Fish Fish Cake	30,000	~$1
Water	10,000	~$0
Total	170,000	~$7

Two bowls of pho, one plate of fish cake,

and water came to a total of 170,000 VND,

or approximately ~$7.

At around ~$3 per bowl,

it was a very affordable and light breakfast

with no price burden.

(USD amounts are based on the average exchange rate for October 2026,

and may vary slightly depending on the exchange rate.)

3. Review of Hai Cá's Squid Fish Cake Pho

⭐ First, let me tell you about the fish cake dipping sauce.

A staff member personally showed us how to make the dipping sauce

for the fish cake.

You just mix three sauces from the table.

Source	Location	Ratio
Sweet Chili	Round bottle	1
Chili	Glass bottle	1
Hai Phong Sauce	The other container	1

You just need to mix the three in a 1:1:1 ratio, and you're done!

So, even if it's your first time, you can easily follow along.

⭐ When you order rice noodles, a vegetable basket comes out.

Lettuce, roasted onions (shallots), and bean sprouts

come in the basket. You can add as much as you like

to your noodles.

All the dishes we ordered have arrived.

Some parts are already seasoned and flavored a bit.

Taste it first, then you can mix in the condiments on the side.

When I added chili sauce at the end,

the broth became spicy and invigorating, which was great.

⭐ Here's a little tip: for the roasted onions,

add them in small amounts. If you add too much,

the broth can become oily and sweet.

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⭐ No. 1 Squid Fish Cake Rice Noodles

(BÚN CHẢ MỰC)

Curious what the broth tastes like?

It tasted like a sweet fish cake soup

with a seafood broth flavor added.

It had a subtly piquant flavor, but

wasn't spicy, so it was perfect

for a comfortable breakfast.

The squid fish cake was savory and firm,

offering a satisfying chew.

You could really taste the squid's natural texture,

and its bouncy texture made it fun to eat.

The portion was quite generous.

I liked that the noodles didn't break easily,

and adding crunchy bean sprouts made it even heartier.

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⭐ No. 3 Squid and Fish Fish Cake Rice Noodles

(BÚN CHẢ CÁ, CHẢ MỰC)

No. 3 is a dish where fish cake is

added to the squid fish cake.

The fish fish cake was a little fishy,

and unlike Korean fish cakes,

it had a denser, chewier texture.

If I had to choose just one, I'd

give my vote to the No. 1 Squid Fish Cake.

However, there were only about 4-5 pieces of squid fish cake

in one bowl,

which was a little disappointing.

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⭐ A Plate of Fish Fish Cake

(DĨA CHẢ CÁ)

We ordered a separate plate of fish fish cake

apart from the rice noodles,

and ate it dipped in the sauce we made earlier.

The fish fish cake in the broth was a bit fishy,

but when dipped in the sauce, the sweet chili flavor took over,

making it enjoyable without any hesitation.

Since it's a local restaurant, card and GLN payments weren't accepted?

We paid in Vietnamese Dong cash.

4. Wrapping Up Our Journey

We stopped by because breakfast was a little underwhelming,

but the seafood noodle soup we had for breakfast

turned out to be a surprisingly good fit.

The chewy squid fish cake in the sweet broth

was the highlight of Hai Ca.

If you've already tried beef pho

and are curious about a truly Nha Trang dish,

I recommend Hai Ca as a must-try for Nha Trang's

squid fish cake rice noodles.

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Planning a trip to Nha Trang?