Korean Food and the Korean Community in Da Nang

Korean restaurants in Da Nang are easy to find, especially around the An Thuong streets near My Khe Beach and along the main roads of Son Tra district. You can get Korean BBQ, fried chicken, tteokbokki, gimbap and hearty soups almost anywhere tourists stay, and Korean groceries are sold at Lotte Mart and a number of smaller Korean marts. Prices are usually lower than in Korea, though a good Korean BBQ dinner still costs more than a local Vietnamese meal.

Why does this matter for your trip? If you are Korean and want a taste of home after a few days of noodles, or you simply love Korean food, knowing where the good areas are saves you from wandering hungry in the heat. It also helps you understand why so many signs in Da Nang are written in Hangul.

Key Takeaways

• South Korea is Da Nang's largest international visitor market, which is why Korean restaurants, menus and signs are so common.
• The An Thuong area near My Khe Beach and the main streets of Son Tra district have the densest mix of Korean restaurants.
• Korean BBQ buffets in Da Nang often fall somewhere around 250,000 to 450,000 VND per person as of late 2026, with a la carte grills ranging widely.
• Lotte Mart on Nai Nam street is the big, easy option for Korean groceries, and smaller independent Korean marts serve the resident community.
• Many Korean restaurants have Korean-speaking staff and picture menus, so ordering is simple even if you speak neither Korean nor Vietnamese.
• Prices, hours and individual restaurants change often, so check recent reviews on a map app before you go.

Why Da Nang Has So Many Korean Restaurants

The short answer is visitors. South Korea has been Da Nang's top international source market for years. The city's official tourism site reported that Da Nang welcomed its one millionth Korean visitor of 2025 on August 1, 2025, and described Korea as the international market with the densest flight network to the city, with around 150 direct flights a week run by a dozen airlines at that time.

With that many visitors, businesses followed. Korean entrepreneurs opened restaurants, travel agencies, spas and marts, and Vietnamese owners added Korean menus to win Korean customers. Over time, a resident Korean community grew too: people who work in tourism, run businesses, teach or manage factories in the wider region.

Today, Korean restaurants in Da Nang range from cheap snack bars to premium beef houses. For a traveler, the result is a food scene that feels very familiar to anyone who has eaten in Seoul or Busan. You will see chimaek (fried chicken and beer) shops, late-night BBQ grills, convenience stores stocked with Korean ramyeon, and cafes that look like they were lifted straight from Hongdae.

Where Korean Restaurants in Da Nang Cluster

You do not need to cross the city to find Korean food. It tends to follow where Korean tourists stay, which means the beach side of the Han River.

An Thuong and the My Khe Beach area

The small grid of An Thuong streets, a few minutes' walk from My Khe Beach, is the easiest place to start. Korean BBQ restaurants, fried chicken shops and casual Korean eateries sit side by side with Western cafes and Vietnamese seafood spots. Many travel guides describe An Thuong 4 and An Thuong 8 as especially busy with Korean dining. Because it is walkable and lively at night, it suits travelers who want dinner and a stroll without booking a car.

Son Tra district main roads

North of An Thuong, the long beach roads and the streets running parallel to them in Son Tra district have many Korean restaurants, marts and agencies. Pham Van Dong street, Ho Nghinh street and Duong Dinh Nghe street come up often in local restaurant listings. This area is popular with Korean tour groups and families staying in the big beachfront hotels.

Hai Chau and the city side

On the west bank of the river, in Hai Chau district, you will find Korean BBQ buffets and Korean cafes mixed into the busy central streets. These places often serve more local Vietnamese diners, who love Korean food too, so prices can be a little lower and portions generous.

If you want to see what is near your hotel, open the map view of the directory and look around your area before you head out.

How Korean BBQ Works in Da Nang

Korean BBQ is the most searched Korean food in the city, and for good reason. It is social, filling and fun after a beach day. Here is how a typical meal works.

Buffet or a la carte

Most Korean BBQ places in Da Nang use one of two systems. A buffet means you pay one price per person and order or collect as much meat and side dishes as you like within a time limit, often around 90 minutes to two hours. A la carte means you order meat by the plate, and side dishes come with it.

As of late 2026, Korean BBQ buffets in Da Nang commonly sit somewhere around 250,000 to 450,000 VND per adult, depending on the meat quality, whether seafood or hot pot is included, and whether it is lunch or dinner. Premium beef sets and imported cuts can push an a la carte dinner well above that. Prices change often, and many places add VAT or a service charge, so ask before you sit down.

What to order first

If you are new to Korean BBQ, these are safe, crowd-pleasing choices:

• Samgyeopsal: thick slices of pork belly, the classic choice.
• Moksal: pork neck or shoulder, juicy and slightly leaner.
• Galbi: marinated beef or pork ribs, sweet and savory.
• Bulgogi: thin marinated beef, cooked fast on the grill.
• Dwaeji galbi: marinated pork ribs, great for kids who like sweeter flavors.

Side dishes and refills

Small side dishes called banchan arrive with your meal: kimchi, pickled radish, bean sprouts, seasoned greens and more. In most Korean restaurants these are refilled for free. Just raise a hand and point. Lettuce and perilla leaves are for wrapping meat with garlic, chili and ssamjang (a thick dipping paste). This wrap is called ssam.

Step by step at the table

1. Let the staff light or heat the grill. Many places use gas or charcoal with smoke extractors above the table.
2. Lay the meat flat and wait. Flipping too early makes it stick.
3. Use the scissors on the table to cut meat into bite-size pieces. This is normal in Korean dining.
4. Make a ssam: leaf, meat, a bit of garlic, a dab of ssamjang, then one bite.
5. Finish with a carb. Ask for fried rice cooked on the grill, cold noodles (naengmyeon) or a bowl of soybean paste stew (doenjang jjigae).

Other Korean Dishes Worth Trying

Korean food in Da Nang goes far beyond BBQ. If you want something quicker or lighter, look for these:

• Korean fried chicken: crispy, often double fried, served plain, with sweet chili glaze or soy garlic. Paired with beer, it is chimaek.
• Tteokbokki: chewy rice cakes in a sweet, spicy red sauce. Many snack shops serve it with fish cake and boiled eggs.
• Gimbap: seaweed rice rolls with vegetables, egg and meat. Great for a beach picnic or a day trip.
• Dakgalbi: spicy stir-fried chicken with cabbage and rice cakes, cooked on a big pan at your table.
• Sundubu jjigae: soft tofu stew, warming on a rainy day.
• Haejangguk: the famous hangover soup, popular the morning after a night in An Thuong.
• Bingsu: shaved ice dessert with fruit or red beans, perfect in Da Nang's heat.

A tip for families: Korean menus are often very kid friendly. Gimbap, mild bulgogi, egg rolls and fried rice suit picky eaters, and many Korean restaurants have high chairs and private rooms.

Korean Marts and Groceries in Da Nang

If you are staying a while, or you are a Korean resident setting up a kitchen, you will want a Korean mart. Here are your main options.

Lotte Mart Da Nang

Lotte Mart, the Vietnamese arm of the Korean retail group, has a large store at 6 Nai Nam street in Hai Chau district. As of late 2026 it is commonly listed as open from about 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, but confirm locally before a late trip. It sells Korean snacks, ramyeon, sauces like gochujang and doenjang, kimchi, frozen dumplings and rice, alongside Vietnamese products and a big souvenir section. The building also has restaurants and a cinema, which makes it handy on a rainy afternoon.

Smaller Korean marts

Da Nang also has a number of independent Korean marts, many of them in Son Tra and in central districts. These shops tend to carry fresher kimchi, Korean cuts of meat for grilling at home, Korean cosmetics and household goods. Store names and locations change, so search "Korean mart" or "siêu thị Hàn Quốc" on a map app and read recent reviews before you go.

Convenience stores and delivery

Even the regular convenience stores across the city usually stock popular Korean ramyeon, snacks and drinks. If you would rather not go out at all, delivery apps list many Korean restaurants and some marts. Our guide to food delivery apps in Da Nang walks you through ordering as a foreigner.

What to buy

If you are cooking in an apartment, a simple starter shopping list looks like this:

• A pack of short-grain rice
• Gochujang (chili paste) and ssamjang (dipping paste)
• A tub of kimchi
• Sesame oil and roasted seaweed
• Ramyeon for quick meals
• Frozen mandu (dumplings)

The Korean Community in Da Nang

Beyond tourists, Da Nang is home to a real Korean community. You will notice it in the Korean-language signs on hair salons, real estate agencies, travel offices and small shops you pass in Son Tra and Hai Chau. Many hotel and restaurant staff in tourist areas speak at least basic Korean, and Korean-language menus are common in the beach areas.

South Korea also has a consulate general in Da Nang, which serves Korean citizens in central Vietnam. If you are a Korean national and lose your passport or need consular help, check the consulate's official website for its current address, hours and emergency contact details.

For practical services like clinics, coworking spaces and useful apps, our resources page collects the essentials for visitors and residents alike.

Social life and staying connected

Korean residents often connect through online groups, community chats and local associations. If you are moving to Da Nang for work, these groups are the fastest way to find a Korean-speaking doctor, a trusted landlord or a weekend football game. As a newcomer, asking politely in these groups is usually welcomed.

Tips for Non-Korean Travelers Eating Korean Food

You do not need to speak Korean to eat well at Korean restaurants in Da Nang. These small tips make it smoother:

1. Look for picture menus. Most Korean restaurants in tourist areas have photos on the menu or the wall.
2. Check the minimum order. Some BBQ places require at least two portions of meat per table.
3. Ask about spice. Say "not spicy" in English or point to the mild items. Staff are used to it.
4. Know the time limit. Buffets usually have one. Ask when it starts.
5. Confirm the bill before you pay. Ask whether VAT and service charge are included.
6. Carry some cash. Many places accept cards or QR payments, but small shops may prefer cash. Our money guide explains ATMs and tipping.

Mistakes to avoid

• Ordering too much meat at the start. Begin with two or three plates and add more.
• Turning the meat too often. Patience gives a better crust.
• Skipping reviews. Korean restaurants in Da Nang open and close often, and a busy room full of Korean diners is usually a good sign.
• Assuming every place is open late. Some close early on quiet nights, especially in the rainy season.

Mixing Korean and Vietnamese Food on Your Trip

The best Da Nang food trips mix both. Korean food is comforting and reliable, but Da Nang's local dishes are the reason many travelers fall in love with the city. A good rhythm is Vietnamese breakfast and lunch, then Korean BBQ or chicken for dinner with friends.

Try mì Quảng (turmeric noodles with pork, shrimp and peanuts), bánh xèo (crispy rice pancakes) and fresh seafood by the beach. For your afternoon break, a Vietnamese iced coffee is a must. Our Vietnamese coffee guide explains what to order.

Korean visitors who love spicy food often enjoy bún bò Huế, a spicy beef noodle soup from nearby Hue. And seafood restaurants by My Khe Beach let you pick live seafood by weight, which feels a lot like a Korean seafood market, at much lower prices.

A simple one-day food plan

• Breakfast: a bowl of mì Quảng or a bánh mì near your hotel.
• Midday: beach time, then fresh fruit or a smoothie.
• Afternoon: coffee and a light snack like gimbap or tteokbokki.
• Dinner: Korean BBQ in An Thuong or Son Tra.
• Late night: fried chicken and a cold drink, or bingsu if it is hot.

Find Korean and Local Food Near You

Whether you are craving samgyeopsal after a long flight or hunting for the best mì Quảng, the easiest way to plan your meals is to see what is close to where you are staying. Browse all places in the Da Nang Directory to find restaurants, markets and cafes with maps and directions, or start with our first 48 hours guide if you have just landed. Enjoy the food, and save your favorites as you go.