Embarking on an overnight cruise or participating in a day tour to discover Halong Bay ensures that you will partake in onboard meals, savoring the essence of local cuisine. Let’s find out which food you will enjoy on your Food on Halong Bay cruise, the type of meals, and some typical seafood of Halong Bay in this article.
How many meals will be included in a Halong Bay cruise package?
Depending on the cruise duration, you will be served meals as follows:
- 1-day cruise: lunch
- 2 days 1-night cruise: 02 lunches, 01 dinner, 01 light breakfast
- 3 days 2 nights cruise: 03 lunches, 02 dinners, 02 breakfasts
Lunch
Lunch is typically served in a buffet style or set menu, offering a diverse selection of dishes, blending both Vietnamese and Western cuisines. Western-style options encompass delightful soups, freshly baked European-style bread, cheese, salads, and cold cuts.
For a taste of the local scene, you are encouraged to savor freshly caught seafood, featuring oysters, squid, shrimps. Meat enthusiasts can explore grilled pork, beef, or chicken among various tempting choices.
Vegetarians can relish braised tofu in a popular Vietnamese tomato sauce, vegetable curry, spring rolls, or vegetable and noodle dishes. Dessert usually comprises a visually appealing array of fresh exotic fruits, while some cruises may tempt with delectable European-style pastries.
Set Menu Lunch on Victory Star Cruise
- Spicy and Sour Seafood Soup
- Mixed Vegetable Salad
- Fried Shrimp with Salted Egg
- Stir-fried Squid with Vegetables
- Seafood Spring Rolls
- Grilled Skewer Rolls
- Vietnamese grilled pork vermicelli
- Seasonal Fruits
Dinner
As the sun descends behind the stunning karst islands of Halong Bay, the anticipation for dinner begins to build. Similar to breakfast and lunch, a variety of culinary delights awaits on most cruises, showcasing a blend of Western and Vietnamese flavors that span from savory pizzas to freshly caught shrimp, skillfully prepared right before your eyes.
While some cruises present a fixed menu, allowing you to select your preferred dishes from the offerings laid out on the table, others opt for a buffet-style dinner reminiscent of lunch. A feast for seafood enthusiasts, the spread often includes prawns, Ngan, lobster, and baked oysters.
For those seeking a sizzling experience, selected cruises provide a barbecue option, grilling delectable meals on the spot for your immediate enjoyment.
Adding an interactive element, some cruises feature a live cooking demonstration, where a skilled chef prepares a dish before your eyes. Moreover, certain cruises offer the chance to craft your own spring rolls in a cooking demonstration, turning the dining experience into a delightful, educational, and hands-on activity.
Set Menu Dinner on Victory Star Cruise
- Creamy corn soup
- Snow Fungus Salad
- Fried shrimp with Japanese sauce
- Grilled fish With Galangal And Fermented Rice
- Pan-fried chicken with five-spice sauce (served with steamed vegetables)
- Steamed coconut rice
- Sweet cakes
Menu on Victory Star Cruise
Breakfast
If you are joining a 2-day 1-night cruise, there would be a light breakfast in the early morning at 07:00, as there will be a brunch meal followed at 09:30 AM or 10:00 AM. The light breakfast will normally have bread with butter, jam fruits, and sweet cakes.
Light breakfast on Victory Star Cruise
- Croissant & grape cake
- Tea & Coffee
- Cereals & fresh milk
- Fruit juice
- Seasonal fruits
If you are joining a 2-night cruise, there will be more options with sausage, beef noodles, and seafood noodles to have enough energy for the day till lunch at noon.
Many consider breakfast to be the most crucial meal of the day, emphasizing the importance of a satisfying morning meal during your cruise. While some cruises offer a traditional Vietnamese breakfast featuring Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup with chicken or beef) and a selection of fresh fruits, others provide Western-style breakfast options. These may include a continental breakfast comprising toast, fresh fruit, pastries, jam, honey, and yogurt, or a more opulent breakfast experience with eggs, smoked ham or salmon, freshly baked bread, and butter. Your cabin’s price typically includes freshly brewed coffee and tea to complement your morning repast.
Brunch
The brunch offerings as you return to the harbor and conclude our boat excursion. The brunch service is scheduled for either 9:30 or 10:00, depending on the specific cruise. Delight in a buffet-style feast featuring a live station showcasing seafood noodles, an egg station, and an assortment of bread. Indulge in a main course selection that includes stuffed crab, grilled oysters, and succulent chicken. Additionally, savor the flavors from the hot corner, featuring options like pork, beef, chicken, and fish. Conclude your meal with delectable desserts, including sweet cakes, fresh fruits, and yogurt.
Some cruises might offer a set menu brunch instead of a buffet brunch, with less choice of dishes.
Cooking demonstration
Embarking on an overnight cruise offers the exciting opportunity to delve into the art of crafting traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Many cruises feature an optional cooking class or cooking demonstration allowing participants to discover the historical roots of various Vietnamese dishes and acquire hands-on skills in their preparation.
This culinary experience not only provides insight into the local food culture but also allows guests to appreciate the stunning backdrop of the Bay. A common highlight on these cruises is the inclusion of spring rolls on the menu. The selection of additional dishes is contingent upon the availability of local produce and seafood, curated by the chef.
Vegetarian food on the Halong Bay cruise
All cruise on Halong Bay offers personalized menus catering to various dietary preferences such as vegan, vegetarian, Islamic dietary, and more. It’s essential to make your dietary requests at least 48 hours in advance to allow the chefs ample time to prepare your preferred delicacies.
Additionally, due to potential ambiguity regarding vegan preferences, it is advisable to clearly communicate your specific vegan dietary requirements to the cruise operators before the cruise.
The vegetable set menu for dinner on Victory Star Cruise
- Corn soup and buttered bread
- Snow White Salad
- Fried mashed vegetables
- Tofu with lemon butter sauce served with stir-fried vegetables
- Stewed pepper with mushroom
- Five color rice
- Carmen
Halong Bay cruise with Indian food
As more Indian tourists visit Vietnam and travel to Halong Bay on a cruise. Some cruises feature an Indian food menu, and although vegetarian options are generally offered on all cruises, specific choices for Indian cuisine could be available. It is advisable to communicate your preference for Indian food to the cruise operators in advance. This ensures that they can provide detailed information on whether they can accommodate your request and specify the available options.
Here is the sample of Indian food served on Victory Star Cruise
- Crispy fried vegetables with spicy sauce
- Chapati bread with spicy stir-fried vegetables
- Spicy stir-fried corn
- Indian-style fried rice
Best Seafood on Halong Bay
Halong Bay boasts an extensive array of marine delicacies, including squid, prawns, crabs, seashells, fish, and more. These seafood delights are prepared through a diverse range of cooking methods, ranging from steaming, grilling, and frying to being featured in salads or soups. The incorporation of a rich variety of ingredients and spices ensures that travelers can indulge in a spectrum of distinct and varied flavors.
Cruising with Bai Tho Junks, you will be served some local seafood dishes of Halong Bay, savoring the local flavors. Here is some typical seafood of Halong Bay.
Mantis Shrimp (Be Be)
Be, also known as Mantis Shrimp, is a delectable seafood with a shrimp-like appearance and a pleasantly sweet flavor. Indigenous to tropical climates like Halong, Vietnam, this culinary delight is a rich source of protein, calcium, and various beneficial minerals.
Among the preferred preparations are steamed mantis shrimp with lemongrass, stir-fried mantis shrimp with salt or tamarind sauce, and mantis shrimp vermicelli soup, cherished by both locals and tourists alike.
Squid (Muc)
Squid is a delectable seafood delicacy that should not be overlooked by tourists exploring Halong Bay. While squid can be savored in various locations, the Halong Bay rendition is bound to captivate you from the very first bite.
Thanks to the exceptionally saline and nutrient-rich seawater, the indigenous squid boasts a larger and more succulent meat. Among the Halong squid varieties, Muc Mai stands out as the most preferred and high-quality type.
An array of tantalizing squid dishes awaits, including steamed squid, grilled squid, deep-fried squid with butter, stir-fried squid with vegetables, and grilled chopped squid (Cha muc). In addition to fresh squid, dried squid serves as an appetizing snack that pairs well with a refreshing beer.
Halong Grilled Chopped Squid (Cha Muc) stands as the iconic culinary representation of Halong, earning its distinction as a symbol of the region. While Grilled Chopped Squid can be savored in various locations, the version crafted in Halong possesses a uniquely pronounced flavor.
Crafted from finely chopped or minced fresh squid, coated in flour, and deep-fried, Cha Muc Halong elevates simplicity into a culinary masterpiece. Despite its straightforward preparation, this specialty boasts an exceptional taste and an irresistible aroma.
The choice of squid for Grilled Chopped Squid is the exclusive “Muc Mai,” sourced from the pristine waters of Ha Long Bay. To ensure optimal quality, aficionados seek out fresh, sizable, and thick squid caught in the early morning, ensuring a dish that is both crispy and delicate.
Horseshoe Crab Delight (Sam)
Offering a distinctive seafood experience in Halong Bay, the horseshoe crab is a rarity in many other cities. Indulge in the culinary allure of stir-fried horseshoe crab infused with delightful sweet and sour notes, crafted into a refreshing salad, or skillfully combined with vermicelli.
For a bolder taste, savor the stir-fried variation featuring red chili and lemongrass. Specialties such as fried horseshoe crab eggs and grilled horseshoe crab cartilage present unique and delectable options. The tender and sweet essence of the crab meat promises to captivate the palates of seafood enthusiasts.
Peanut Worm ( Sa Sung)
Peanut Worm, scientifically known as Sipunculus Nudus or locally referred to as Sa Sung, stands out as a distinctive seafood delicacy found in Halong Bay. This unique creature boasts a stout, ivory-white body measuring between 10 to 14 centimeters in length, exclusively inhabiting the Halong Sea area. Due to its rich nutritional content, Sa Sung commands a premium price, approximately US$ 170 per kilogram, attesting to its rarity and value.
Culinary enthusiasts savor this delicacy through various preparations, including stir-frying with garlic, baking as a delectable snack paired with beer, or incorporating it into porridge with herbs and sliced ginger.
Dried Sa Sung is available for purchase by tourists, either for home cooking or as distinctive gifts for friends and family. It is advisable to opt for reputable establishments to ensure the quality of the product, as the unique attributes of Sipunculus Nudus come with a corresponding cost.
Australia Corrugata (Ngan)
Ngan stands out for its delightful flavor and crisp texture, earning it a prominent place among the finest delicacies in Halong cuisine.
This shellfish variety lends itself to various culinary preparations, such as steaming, baking, grilling, incorporating into soups, and stir-frying with noodles, offering a versatile and delectable dining experience.
Oysters
Oysters are widely cherished as a delectable seafood choice, appealing to many due to their exquisite taste and nutritional value, boasting high levels of protein, calcium, zinc, iron, vitamins, and more. The waters of Halong Bay are known for their elevated salt content, providing an abundant food source for oysters and imparting a distinctive flavor to the local variety compared to those found in other regions of Vietnam.
Halong oysters are identifiable by their thin shells, and tender flesh, and are enriched with essential minerals. A popular way to savor these delicacies is by consuming them raw, accompanied by lemon, mustard, and chili sauce. For those seeking heartier options, grilled oysters with spring onion or cheese, as well as stir-fried oysters in butter with garlic, offer delightful alternatives.
Barnacle (Ha)
Belonging to the crab and lobster family, the Acorn Barnacle is a shellfish commonly found residing on underwater rocks or the hulls of ships. Its texture closely resembles that of oysters, being very soft, but it is smaller in size. This seafood variety boasts rich, fatty, and sweet flavors, coupled with numerous nutritional benefits.
Acorn Barnacle can be skillfully prepared into a delectable porridge, complemented with a medley of herbs, black pepper, and crispy fried shallots. Alternatively, it can be featured in a zesty hot soup with tomatoes and herbs, creating a delightful pairing when savored with steamed rice.
Conclusion
As you sail through the stunning landscapes, the culinary offerings become an integral part of the voyage, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to the breathtaking scenery. Whether indulging in traditional Vietnamese delicacies or savoring the freshness of the region’s seafood, each meal on the cruise contributes to the overall charm of the journey.
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