1. Grilled Chicken Lôi Âm Ha Long - A Renowned Specialty of Quang Ninh
Quang Ninh cuisine has long been associated with the sea, with squid cake, horseshoe crab, geoduck, or grilled oysters with scallion oil. However, among these myriad delicious dishes, Grilled Chicken Lôi Âm Ha Long possesses a very unique identity, a flavor of the mountains and forests mixed with the salty taste of the sea.
If you have ever passed through the Dai Yen ward area, near Yen Lap Lake, you will easily encounter the scene of small eateries nestled side by side under the forest canopy, with charcoal smoke rising thickly. The smell of grilled chicken blends with the mountain wind, a hint of the scent of pine forests, and the distant chime of the Lôi Âm pagoda bell. All create a very characteristic picture, both serene and warm.
1.1. The Special Origin of Grilled Chicken Lôi Âm Ha Long
The name "Gà Lôi Âm" originates from the small eateries specializing in grilled chicken located around the foot of Lôi Âm pagoda, the ancient, sacred pagoda of Ha Long city, situated by Yen Lap Lake. During festival seasons or weekends, when tourists come to visit, the crackling of fire on charcoal stoves along with the fragrant smell of grilled meat seems to have become a familiar part of the journey.
Initially, the Gà Lôi Âm dish was just a simple meal for the local people living around this area. They raised free-range hill chickens, and when pilgrims visited, they would often invite them to share the meal. Gradually, that flavor spread, becoming a beloved dish and an indispensable stop on every spiritual tourism trip to Lôi Âm pagoda.
Not just a dish, grilled Gà Lôi Âm is also a part of the culture of the mountainous region of Ha Long, where people live in harmony with nature, knowing how to utilize the most exquisite things that heaven and earth bestow.
Loi Am Grilled Chicken, a dish with mountain flavors mixed with charcoal smoke. (Source: Dan Tri)
1.2. Highlights of Loi Am Grilled Chicken in Ha Long
The most special point of this dish lies in its ingredients. The chicken is free-range, raised on hills, completely natural, eating grass, corn, and cassava, resulting in firm meat, naturally golden and fragrant skin. Each chicken is only prepared when ordered by a customer, thus always ensuring absolute freshness and deliciousness.
After being cleaned, the chicken is marinated with a traditional spice mixture including salt, lemongrass, pepper, chili, wild honey, and lime leaves. The cook uses long bamboo or iron skewers, places the chicken over glowing charcoal embers, and continuously turns it to ensure the meat cooks evenly while retaining its sweetness. When the skin turns a chestnut-brown color and emits a characteristic aroma, the dish is ready.
The dining space is also a unique, unmissable characteristic. Not luxurious restaurants, but small eateries by the stream, near the Loi Am pagoda ferry dock. Amidst the afternoon smoke, the rustling wind through the leaves, and the fragrant smell of grilled chicken, diners sit around bamboo tables, savoring each hot piece of meat, feeling a strange sense of peace.
1.3. Reasons to try Loi Am Grilled Chicken when visiting Ha Long
If seafood is the taste of the sea, then Loi Am chicken is the soul of the mountainous region along the bay. This is not just a delicious dish but also an experience rich in local identity.
Each piece of grilled chicken is the crystallization of the hard work of the mountain people, of days raising chickens on hills amidst the forest, of meticulousness in every processing step. Enjoying this dish is not just about tasting the flavor but also about feeling the slow, authentic pace of life of the people in the mining region.
Small eateries by the stream at the foot of Loi Am Pagoda are where the rustic grilled chicken dish was born and has become associated with the people of the mining region. (Source: Collection)
2. Experience and actual feelings when enjoying Loi Am grilled chicken in Ha Long
2.1. Actual taste highly rated by tourists
What makes Loi Am grilled chicken unforgettable is its flavor. The chicken meat is tender but not mushy, the skin is crispy and golden brown, and each piece is naturally sweet. When torn by hand, smoke rises profusely, the aroma of lemongrass, pepper, and honey blends together, stimulating the taste buds to the point where you just want to keep eating.
Many tourists commented that the chicken here has a different flavor compared to ordinary grilled chicken. Perhaps it's due to the special marinating method and grilling charcoal: using dry forest charcoal, with no harsh smoke, helps the dish be perfectly cooked while retaining its natural flavor.
Golden hill chicken roasted over charcoal. (Source: Collected)
2.2. Side dishes and how to enjoy the authentic flavor
To make the chicken dish more complete, you must have a bowl of spicy lemon pepper salt, a little wild vegetables or finely chopped lime leaves, along with a plate of crispy pickled vegetables. Some people like to dip it with homemade chili sauce, which is both spicy and fragrant.
The best way to eat it is to tear it by hand right at the restaurant. The chicken is just cooked, piping hot, when torn into pinkish-white meat fibers, the aroma spreads, and the rich sweetness fills the tongue. If you are in a group, you can order Nếp nương sticky rice, boiled wild vegetables, or sour stream fish soup. These are light side dishes that make the meal filling without being greasy.
Salt, pepper, and lime, wild vegetables, and sticky rice are the perfect trio that enhances the flavor of the grilled Lei Am chicken dish. (Source: Collected)
3. Reference Prices and Outstanding Grilled Lei Am Chicken Restaurants in Ha Long 2025
3.1. Latest Prices for Grilled Lei Am Chicken in Ha Long 2025
According to 2025 updates, the average price for a grilled Lei Am chicken ranges from 300,000 - 350,000 VND/chicken, depending on the weight and quality of the chicken. Some restaurants offer combos including sticky rice, wild vegetables, and drinks, priced around 400,000 - 450,000 VND for a group of 2 to 3 people.
This price is considered quite reasonable, especially when the chicken is naturally raised, manually prepared, and enjoyed on-site. Particularly, during the Lei Am Pagoda festival season (the first lunar month), customer volume increases, so tourists should go early or book in advance to avoid waiting.
The price of the grilled Lei Am chicken will depend on the quality and weight of the chicken. (Source: Collected)
3.2. Top famous Lei Am grilled chicken restaurants to try
When you move to the foot of Lei Am Pagoda mountain (Dai Yen ward, Quang Ninh), you will easily encounter a series of famous grilled chicken restaurants concentrated along the ferry landing and the path leading to the pagoda. Here are three places highly rated by both locals and tourists:
Dam Da Restaurant Address: 09 Lei Am, Dai Yen ward, Quang Ninh
Located right at the Lei Am Pagoda ferry landing, Dam Da restaurant has a convenient location with a view overlooking Yen Lap Lake, making it very cool, and facing the airy foot of the mountain. The grilled chicken here is usually prepared over charcoal, with eye-catching golden skin and firm meat. The reference price is relatively affordable: from about 150,000 VND to 300,000 VND/chicken. The restaurant is crowded during peak hours, so you might have to wait a little for your dish.
Chuyen Phuong Restaurant Address: 176 Dai Yen, Quang Ninh.
The restaurant is considered suitable for large groups because of its spacious area and quite fast service. The chicken is well-marinated, evenly grilled, and retains the characteristic sweetness of free-range chicken. The reference price is around 300,000 - 350,000 VND/chicken.
Hue Da Restaurant Address: Upper Lei Am Pagoda Ferry Landing, Dai Yen ward, Quang Ninh
Another option not to be missed is Hue Da restaurant, highly rated by many diners for not only its attractive chicken dishes but also its spacious and airy ambiance. The common price is around 300,000 - 350,000 VND/chicken.
Each restaurant has its own marinating method, but all maintain the traditional flavor. The common point is that the chicken is always grilled as soon as customers order, served piping hot and fragrant. Additionally, the owners are usually friendly, offering guests forest leaf drinks or green tea while they wait for their dishes to be ready.
The grilled chicken restaurants around the ferry landing of Loi Am Pagoda are simple but always bustling with customers thanks to their unforgettable flavors. (Source: Collected)
3.3. Tips for choosing a Loi Am grilled chicken restaurant in Ha Long
To have a complete experience, you should note some small tips:
You should choose restaurants crowded with locals, as these are usually places with fresh, delicious chicken, continuously prepared.
Observe the grilling area: if the charcoal stove is evenly red, without black smoke, and has a pleasant aroma, it proves the chicken is grilled with clean charcoal.
Ask carefully about the chicken size and accompanying combos before ordering to avoid waste.
If traveling in a large group or during a festival, call ahead to book for faster service.
A small tip shared by many is to visit in the early afternoon after visiting the pagoda. This is when the restaurants start lighting their fires, the atmosphere is lively, and the aroma fills the air.
Choose a place crowded with locals, chicken grilled over charcoal and marinated with natural spices. (Source: Collected)
4. Suggested itinerary combining enjoying Lei Am grilled chicken in Ha Long and exploring Lei Am Pagoda
If you have a full day in Ha Long, spend the morning seeking peace at the Buddhist temple and the noon to enjoy rustic delicacies amidst the mountains and forests.
Morning: From the city center, travel to Lei Am ferry terminal, board a boat crossing the calm Yen Lap Lake. On both sides are green forests, and in the distance, the echoing sound of temple bells. The mountain climbing journey of about 30–40 minutes is not too difficult, just enough for you to feel the fresh air and the tranquility of the sacred place.
Noon: After visiting the pagoda, head straight to the grilled chicken stalls by the stream at the foot of the mountain. Order a golden-brown free-range chicken, add a plate of sticky rice and wild vegetables, sit amidst the cool breeze, the smell of charcoal smoke mingling with the fragrant chicken aroma – that alone is enough to make the lunch memorable. This is the time for everyone to chat, share, and feel the simplicity and warmth of the people in the coastal mountainous region.
Afternoon: When the sun softens, you can return to the center of Ha Long to stroll along the coast, visit Sun World Ha Long or wander through the market to buy souvenirs. A gentle yet complete ending.
Itinerary for a full day: morning visiting Le Am Pagoda, noon enjoying grilled chicken by the stream, afternoon visiting Sun World Ha Long. (Source: Collected)
Le Am Grilled Chicken of Ha Long is not just a dish, but a part of the memory of the land of Quang Ninh, where mountains and sea, people and nature converge. The smell of chicken grilled over charcoal, the rich sweet taste in every piece of meat, the sound of the stream babbling, and the distant chime of the pagoda bell… all combine to form an unforgettable culinary experience.
If you have the chance to visit Ha Long, dedicate an afternoon to Le Am Pagoda and a grilled chicken lunch by the stream. It will be a meaningful journey, both finding peace and savoring the essence of the culinary delights of the mining region's mountainside.
