1Grilled stream fish in Sapa – A dish rich in the Northwest mountains and forests
If you think that Sapa is a mountain town nearly 2000m high, surrounded by mountains, forests and cliffs, then there are no fish, then you are wrong. Because of the precarious hills and mountains there, the streams flowing through it have raised delicious, meaty stream fish. These fish are not as big as farmed fish, but are only about 2-3 knuckles long, green and black in color and often hide behind moss and under rocks in the stream.
Grilled stream fish is braced with bamboo sticks and grilled around persimmon sticks
Grilled stream fish is a popular dish of the Northwest people with a unique flavor unlike other regions. Sapa stream fish are not as large as fish that live in lakes and ponds, but have firm meat, soft bones, delicious flavor and are especially not fishy.
2Instructions on how to make grilled stream fish in Sapa
Stream fish are usually quite small, but only those small fish can make you fully feel the fresh flavor of this Sapa grilled fish dish. People here will catch fish in the stream, then clean it, clamp it on bamboo sticks, and grill them on red charcoal stoves.
After being cleaned, fresh fish caught from the stream will be grilled with charcoal
Every delicious dish requires a skilled technique, the same goes for grilled dishes. To prevent grilled spring fish from burning on the outside and leaving the inside uncooked, when grilling the fish, do not rush to place the fish near the charcoal fire. You have to wait for the charcoal to be hot enough and no longer have a flame. You have to regularly rotate the stream fish on the red coals. Stream fish are quite small in size, so if you’re not careful, the fish will burn.
Fish grilled over charcoal will change color from white to light yellow, with a mouth-watering aroma. When the grilled fish turns a darker yellow color, that’s when you can enjoy this delicious grilled stream fish dish. Pay special attention, when removing the fish from the bamboo clamp, you need to be gentle to avoid crushing the fish.
Looking at the stream fish grilled golden brown next to the fire makes you eager to try it right away
After being grilled, stream fish will have a crispy crust, the fish meat will be delicious and firm, and the fish bones will be soft enough to chew. To enhance the delicious flavor, when eating grilled stream fish you should eat it with Cham Xoan dipping sauce – a typical dipping sauce here made from ginger, lemongrass, Mac Khen seeds and herbs. Besides, the people here often eat it with sticky rice and a few cups of cider and corn wine. Why don’t you try it now to feel the unique culinary culture of the Northwest high mountains.
You can camp next to the stream and enjoy grilled stream fish
Due to the characteristics of stream fish, it cannot be braised or steamed, but can only be grilled to fully enjoy its flavor. Besides the famous grilled stream fish, crispy fried stream fish is also very special. The fish fried in a pan of fat turns golden yellow and gives off a rich aroma. Not only can you eat the sweet, crispy fish meat, but you can also eat the fatty, crispy fish head, and you can chew the crispy fish bones too. Add a cup of sweet and sour fish sauce mixed with lemon and chili to eat as much rice as you need.
Crispy fried stream fish served with cham cham diagonal dipping sauce and chili sauce
3Suggest some restaurants with super delicious grilled stream fish in Sapa
If you want to enjoy authentic grilled stream fish, you should eat it right next to the stream bank, when the fish has just been caught, cleaned and grilled right on the spot. You can eat delicious grilled stream fish while enjoying spicy glasses of wine and admiring the beautiful scenery of the Northwest highlands. Besides, you can also visit a few places below to enjoy grilled stream fish:
Address: 015A Le Van Tam, Sapa, Lao Cai
Operating hours: 9:00 – 22:00
Price range: 100:000 – 1,000,000 VND
This is a famous restaurant for delicious Sapa dishes, specializing in serving dishes made from specialty fish. The grilled stream fish dish here also receives high reviews in addition to the hot fish hotpot that pleases many diners who come here.
Grilled stream fish dish is beautifully presented at Ca Salmon King restaurant
Address: No. 40 Cau May, Sapa, Lao Cai
Operating hours: 8:00 – 22:30
Price range: 100,000 – 330,000 VND
Chapa Restaurant is also a prominent name with a rich menu and affordable prices, making it the choice of many young groups when coming to Sapa. The highlight of the restaurant’s menu is the sturgeon dish along with the special mushroom hotpot here. In addition, the grilled stream fish here is no worse than other restaurants!
The cozy Chapa restaurant attracts many foreign tourists
Address: No. 34 Cau May, Sapa, Lao Cai
Operating hours: 9:00 – 22:30
Price range: 100,000 – 275,000 VND
Besides dishes rich in flavors of the Northwest mountains and forests, Sapa Lotus also serves a variety of warm and attractive local wines. The restaurant is designed in a classic, luxurious architectural style that will give you a cozy feeling in the weather in this mountainous area.
Cozy space of Spa Lotus restaurant
Address: No. 15 Fansipan, Sapa, Lao Cai
Operating hours: 09:00 – 23:00
Price range: 25,000 – 1,000,000 VND
Known to most tourists thanks to its central location and famous Thang Co specialties. However, at A Phu restaurant, Sapa grilled stream fish dishes here also receive the love of many tourists who have enjoyed them. With a quick service style, the dishes are brought up very quickly, so when you come to A Phu restaurant you don’t need to wait long.
Besides the famous Thang Co dish, A Phu restaurant also has a very attractive grilled stream fish dish
Address: 026 Muong Hoa, Sapa, Lao Cai
Operating hours: 6:30 – 22:00
Price range: 50,000 – 150,000 VND
Moment Romantic is a reasonable place to eat while enjoying the view of the mountains and forests. What could be more interesting than enjoying the specialties of this mountainous region with your family amid the cold weather of Sapa? Besides the attractive hot fish hot pot, the grilled stream fish with its sweet aroma will be a wonderful experience of this vacation.
The space of Moment Romantic restaurant
Moment Romantic restaurant and famous grilled stream fish
Address: Km12 Thac Bac Tourist Area, Sapa, Lao Cai
Operating hours: 10:00 – 22:00
Price range: 200,000 – 550,000 VND
Grilled stream fish is one of the famous dishes at Thai Bac restaurant. The stream fish at the restaurant is carefully and carefully selected from fellow people in Sapa. When enjoying, you will feel the freshness and deliciousness mixed with the special dipping sauce here.
Besides grilled stream fish, Thac Bac restaurant is also famous for grilled sturgeon with salt and chili
Fragrant grilled stream fish over charcoal is an interesting experience that you should not miss when coming to the beautiful town of Sapa. Let’s visit this beautiful land with Vietnamtravelio and enjoy these fragrant grilled stream fish together!
