Pleiku specialities: eat here, buy to take home

Bún cua Chi

We recommend Bún cua Chi for a first bowl: it is a long-running shop in the Chợ Nhỏ (“Small Market”) area, at 2 Phùng Hưng. It is open 11 am to 7 pm daily, so aim for a late lunch or an afternoon snack.

Order the bún cua thối first, then add nem chua, chả bò (beef roll), chả ram, prawn crackers and raw bean sprouts. The bowl is small, with bamboo shoots and fermented paste, eaten with herbs, roll and nem. The smell is strong, but if you can handle fermented paste you will like it: the broth is grey, fairly pungent and tastes very good, and a few people find it only a little fishy.

If fermented paste puts you off, the smell can feel heavy when you are new to it. Parking for a car is a little awkward, so take Grab or a taxi.

11 am to 7 pm daily · 2 Phùng Hưng · Open in Maps

Tip: it closes at 7 pm, so arrive a little early to be sure of a seat.

Cơm lam gà nướng Bazan

Bazan is down the alley at 480 Lê Duẩn, An Phú ward. It serves Bazan roast chicken at 300,000 VND a bird and grilled local chicken at 250,000 VND a bird (March 2026). The local chicken has golden skin and firm, sweet meat. The chicken can be packed to carry on a plane, so tell the staff when you order if you fly the next day (the third line of the card below). There is also a gong-themed space and outfits to rent for photos. It opens only at 10 am, so it is not a morning stop.

10 am to 10:30 pm daily · alley 480 Lê Duẩn, An Phú ward · Open in Maps

Gà Nướng Cơm Lam Plit

Plit is in alley 39 Đào Duy Từ, Biển Hồ ward, close to the lake, so it fits well after a visit. It serves charcoal-grilled chicken with cơm lam and stir-fried cassava leaves with bitter aubergine, at about 100,000 to 200,000 VND per person (October 2026). The grounds are large, with separate wooden houses for each group and a stilt house at the back. You can rest in a hammock in the huts, and there are private rooms in longhouse and wooden-house style for a group that wants its own space. It closes at 10 pm, so it is no use for a late supper.

8 am to 10 pm daily · alley 39 Đào Duy Từ, Biển Hồ ward · Open in Maps

Tip: in a big group, order the cơm lam together with the chicken when you book, because the sticky rice has to cook on the charcoal at the same time as the bird.

Phở khô Hồng

Hồng is at 22-24 Nguyễn Văn Trỗi. It makes phở khô with rare beef: fine noodles tossed in minced-pork sauce, fried shallots and pork crackling, with tender rare beef, a lightly sweet broth and blanched bean sprouts, at about 55,000 VND a bowl (October 2026). Parking is limited, so go by Grab rather than driving.

5 am to 2 pm daily · 22-24 Nguyễn Văn Trỗi · Open in Maps

Phở khô Minh

Minh is on Nguyễn Lương Bằng street. The noodles come in a dark soy-style sauce with chilli, plus a bowl of bone broth, at about 35,000 to 45,000 VND a portion, and 40,000 VND a portion on some days. It is an easy for a first-timer: the owner shows you how to eat and mix it, even mixes it for a child (August 2026), and is friendly.

Running late? Hồng is open until 2 pm.

5:30 am to noon daily · Nguyễn Lương Bằng street · Open in Maps

Prices and where to buy

The shop is Đặc sản Minh Hương, 575 Lê Đại Hành. A jar of golden-ant salt is 40,000 VND; one-sun beef is 170,000 VND for a 250 g pack and 340,000 VND for 500 g (prices from October 2026). A pack of beef comes with the salt, so skip the extra jar if you only want a taste.

The beef is 98% grass-fed Krông Pa beef loin. At home, pan-fry it, or cook it in an electric oven or air fryer; grilling tastes best. Golden-ant salt goes with the beef or other meats.

One thing to plan for: the beef is sold frozen. The shop ships it with a foam box and medical dry ice all the way, and producers in Krông Pa vacuum-seal it and keep it in the freezer before handing it over. Buy it on your last day, and bring a cool bag if you have a long journey.

Keeping it

Keep one-sun beef in the freezer, and do not use it if it smells off. Keep golden-ant salt somewhere dry, cool and out of direct sun, with the lid closed after each use. Quality is only guaranteed while the pack is sealed, so open it just before eating.

Tip: one-sun beef is a typical gift for festivals and Tết (Vietnamese New Year), so if you need gifts for several people, buy the 500 g pack and split it at home.

Cà phê Baka

Baka sells pure Robusta ground coffee in a 500 g box at 160,000 VND, Luxury ground coffee in a 250 g jar at 88,000 VND and Moka ground coffee in a 250 g box at 96,000 VND (October 2026). It is ground coffee made from 100% pure Gia Lai coffee, with no additives, flavouring or preservatives, for phin brewing, daily use or gifts. Keep it somewhere dry and cool. The shop closes at 10:30 pm.

6 am to 10:30 pm daily · 527 Phạm Văn Đồng · Open in Maps