Phu Quoc is famous for not only beautiful beaches with beautiful golden sand in Bai Dai (Long Beach), sparkling white sand in Sao Beach with fresh sea breezes, but also many delicious seafood dishes. If you have the opportunity to travel to Phu Quoc, you should visit Phu Quoc night market, Duong Dong town center, along 30/4 road … to enjoy the exciting seafood dishes.

1. Grilled ‘Còi biên mai’

Còi biên mai is two layers of muscle connecting two pieces of sò biên mai (pen shell). You can see how large this shell is if you keep up with the blood clams in the mainland with two muscle parts just like small bamboo toothpick, coi bien mai is large as a coin and the thick meat layer is as half of finger. The shell is large but the meat is very slippery and not delicious. All the essence of this clam is focused on two “coi”. There are many ways to process coi bien mai: fried together with mushrooms, or with onion and green cabbage. The chefs add a little bit of soy sauce to the broth to give a dark brown color of alluvial soil. The sweet taste of seafood is suitable with the gentle sweet of the fungus, sweet of the onions adding a little bit of pungent cabbage that people can be exciting.

Grilled coi bien mai

However, with gourmets wanting to enjoy the pristine flavor of the sea, nothing is better than grill coi bien mai with salt and chili. A plate of coi bien mai is marinated with pure salt and fresh red chili and grilled on the charcoal stove. This is the best way to keep the tough and crispy of coi bien mai. In small shops near Ham Ninh beach, Ganh Dau beach, Sao beach, the price for a dish of coi bien mai for two diners is from 40,000 to 70,000 VND.

2. Steamed mantis shrimp

Not strange to diners, however, steamed mantis shrimp in Phu Quoc also makes you hard to refuse because the mantis shrimp here is large and very firm, suitable for the beach parties with friends.

Enjoying the right taste of mantis shrimp is eating slowly, using the scissors to cut along the back to remove the outer shell, cleverly so that shrimp meat is not crushed. Shrimp meat is served with chili salt and freshly lemon juice. The dish has a strong sea flavor spreading in your mouth, causing you to eat more and more.

3. Herring salad

It will be a miss for your trip to Phu Quoc without enjoying this dish. Islanders often choose fatty and glistening silver fish to make salad. Fish are scaled, cleaned and then take the meat fillet. Fish salad is simple but no less delicate. In addition to fish meat, ingredients also have coconut, sliced ​​onion, purple onions and chopped chili. The sauce of this salad is quite special, made from vinegar by guava on the island with a sour taste and light aroma.

Herring salad

After preparation, the ingredients are laid out on the plate. It is served with a cup of spicy sauce with rice paper and vegetables. Herring season is in the summer months, so if you have the opportunity to Phu Quoc during this time, do not forget to enjoy the delicious salad in the fresh air of the afternoon on the island. The special feature of Phu Quoc residents is that when they eat the herring, they have to drink a little bit of sim wine, because the herring is a lot of protein and fresh, when eating raw fish, a little alcohol create the excitement, warmth in family meals after hardworking days.

4. Steamed crabs

Crabs are sold in many sea areas, but visitors to Phu Quoc beach certainly do not forget the rustic crab dish in this place. The solid and clean crabs after steamed will make you please to enjoy. In Phu Quoc, crab price is from 100,000-150,000 VND per kg depending on the size, but a mature crab in Phu Quoc is also just like a new born crab in the Central area.

Steamed crabs

You should choose the type about 6 – 7 crabs per kg. Crabs are Phu Quoc specialties but if you want to eat the best crabs, you must go to Ham Ninh Fishing Village, or you can come to buy crabs and bring back to the hotel and ask for processing.

5. Sea urchin

Sea urchin, also known as “Nhum” is also a unique dish that you should not ignore. Not just a dish, sea urchin is like the sea ginseng, very beneficial for dinners. Sea urchin usually lives in the sea in our country, most in Ca Na, Ninh Thuan and Phu Quoc, Kien Giang. They often gather in coral reefs, rock reefs and holes to eat algae and sea grass.

Grilled sea urchin

People on the island often process sea urchin in many ways such as eating raw, cooking porridge or grilling with butter and onion. To eat raw, people often choose the fresh sea urchins just caught up. The sea urchin is separated, washed out of the veins inside. Add some lemon and mustard, mix well, then enjoy the green cabbage. However, the most common way is grilled sea urchin. On the red charcoal, just grill a bit, use a spoon to take the meat with lemon pepper salt, you can enjoy the fragrant, fatty sea urchin.