Food is what can distinguish between a mediocre trip or an amazing island vacay so its important that you do it right the first time! Being a foodie who's mum is a Vietnamese cooking teacher, food technologist and former chef, you will definitely benefit from my recommendations. #foodie
As it is an island, trying the seafood at Phu Quoc is a MUST! Half the restaurants will cook fresh fish, crabs, prawns and squid right outside the front of the restaurant. However, Phú Quốc Island is a tourism hot spot so naturally the prices tend to be a lot higher than the rest of Vietnam. Having a medley of restaurants offering Vietnamese and international cuisine, from ice cream shops to expat-owned local bistros to traditional markets, it can be difficult to know where to start. Therefore, I've put together just 3 top places that are cheaper than the rest but still provide the top quality seafood that international travellers come from afar for! #seafood
Every morning between 7 and 8am, the local fisherman arrive at Dương Đông port with their fresh catch of the day to sell to beachfront restaurants and resorts. The best place to see this spectacular arrival is from Long beach (definitely recommend staying at or near here). If seafood isn't your jam, fear not! The island offers a large variety of eating options and international cuisines including Russian, Italian, Spanish, French, American, Indian, German, American and more! #catchoftheday
After browsing through a number of pricey menus from the beachfront resorts and wondering why they were all empty, we turned to the roadside and found where the party was! Don't waste time like us and head straight there. You will find an endless array of roadside restaurants with never-ending menus. #hittheroadjack
1. 'Khẩu vị bắc':
Translating to 'Northern taste', right opposite the newly constructed Dusit Princess Moonrise Hotel. We were drawn there immediately by the fresh seafood being cooked by the jolliest man in Vietnam! He farmed all his seafood from home and brought it to cook for guests at the restaurant. His secret trick to growing plump prawns was to feed them a special vegetable but that's his secret so no more was revealed!
We ate here 3 times because of the massive range of options, comparably cheap prices and top quality food. Try the lemongrass and chili chicken, mango papaya salad, tofu and vegetable curry and any of their seafood dishes. #winnersaregrinners
2. Dương Đông Night Market:
A super fun atmosphere with at least a dozen of those Thai ice cream stalls where they bang utensils as fast as they can to make delicious ice cream rolls in any variety of flavours you choose. I chose mango, kiwi, nutella and oreo! However, before we skip to dessert you'll come across a small seafood restaurant with all the fresh shellfish laid out for you at the front so you definitely won't miss it! You simply MUST eat at this cosy place as it features egg and mussel specialties (served in the shell), mini crispy seafood pancakes, scallops and more. The best part is that each plate only costs 30,000 dong per plate ($1.30USD) and you only need to share about 3 plates to fill you up. Never tried sea urchin before? Here's where to do it! #yolo
Try the Bò lúc lắc (beef wrapped in betal leaf) for 20,000 dong (80c US) found as grilled skewers on multiple barbecues as you meander through the buzzing market. And desserts, what a selection! If you're not already sold on the Thai ice cream rolls, there are crepes, mini rainbow rice flour buns and a whole lot of nuts (which are forced into your hand for free as you walk past - candied nuts, coffee covered, cacao, chili, you name it!). The Dương Đông night market was so fun we went back twice. Here, you will also find multiple stalls selling real Phú Quốc pearls in the form of jewellery for very reasonable prices! They make great gifts. #pearly
3. Legken:
This is the name of a great restaurant with reasonable prices, friendly staff and located nearby Long beach, a little further north from Khẩu vị bắc restaurant (see point 1). Do beware of the sign at the front of the restaurant. It can be misleading as it says '20,000 dong special' (in Vietnamese) with pictures of different dishes. However, we found out when the bill came that the deal applied only to the top picture (those sneaky Vietnamese!) However, still so cheap and delicious so it was worth the few extra dong anyway! Try the Gỏi cá chích which is fresh herring that you use to make your own fish rolls, a Phú Quốc delicacy! Rolling your own summer rolls is a traditional Vietnamese specialty that you should definitely try when in Vietnam. #onaroll
VIETNAM'S SECRET INGREDIENT:
What makes Vietnamese food so unique is Nước mắm - fish sauce - and Phú Quốc's fish sauce production is equivalent to Italy's olive oil or Mexico's tequila. This island is where Vietnam gets their special secret ingredient! There are a number of fish sauce factories on the island to visit on tour if you'd like to know how the natural ingredients are sourced locally. Khai Hoan, Phùng Hưng and Hung Thanh are a few worth visiting. #thesecretingredient
TOP DISHES TO TRY:
If you want the true Phú Quốc experience you simply MUST try the following street food:
- Nước Mía: Sugar Cane Juice is one of the most popular non-alcoholic drinks on the island ~ 5000-10,000 dong
- Bánh Mì Trứng: Omelette in a baguette (also pork, beef ball, prawn, chicken & veg options) for 10,0000 dong (45c US)
- Bánh Canh: Pork or chicken Noodle soup with 2 types of noodles (egg and rice varieties) ~ 30,000 dong per bowl
- Bún Riêu Cua: tangy crab soup ~ 30,000 dong per bowl
- Phở, of course! Did you even go to Vietnam if you didn't slurp a Phở with the locals? Beef or chicken options ~ 50,000 dong
- Dừa: Fresh young coconut! You can find an endless supply of these all over the island for 30,000 dong. Drink the coconut water to replensih electrlytes and stay refrehesed (and for the ultimate #instapicoftheday #vacaymode ) then they will always cut it open for you so you to eat the yummy flesh too! #doublewhammy
IS THE LOCAL FOOD SAFE?
Phú Quốc island has been the one and only destination in South East Asia where I (aka Miss World's weakest stomach) have not had Asia belly...Hanoi belly, Bali belly, you name it...belly. Due to the high flow of westerners on this island every year, the locals create fresh ice and use clean cooking methods to avoid any food poisoning. Perhaps because it's close to the ocean, the air is also fresher and cleaner than other parts of Vietnam so you don't need to worry about the ice or lettuce. However, due to my terribly weak stomach I always bring 'Travelan' with me whenever I visit Asia just in case! #bettersafethansorry
So I hope you can now visit Phú Quốc island with a hungry stomach (and leave with a full one!) and can benefit from the experiences of a budget traveller but keen foodie!