2 Best Restaurants in Buon Ma Thuot, The South-Central Coasts and Highlands

This is a basic metal-tables-and-chairs joint that's open to the street, serving up a delicious version of nem nuong (barbecued pork) served with platters of rice paper, herbs, pickled vegetables, fried wonton wrappers (for crunch), fresh rice noodles, sliced green banana, and star fruit, which are rolled together and dipped into a pork-and-peanut sauce. This is a Central Highlands specialty that's best washed down with a cold beer.

The standout feature of what is essentially a giant café is the beautiful replica open-air ancient house, of a type that would have housed royalty in Imperial times, which serves Vietnamese dishes, such as bo kho (beef stew) and bo luk lak (shaking beef). Try a coffee in the ancient house, in the "cave" section, reached via concrete stepping stones over a pond, or on the deck overlooking the gardens. There's also a mini coffee museum and a gift shop on site.