What to eat in Phu Quoc? Top specialty you should try

What to eat in Phu Quoc? This is probably a question not just for you but for many tourists when coming to Phu Quoc. So, let’s explore top famous specialties in Phu Quoc in this article!

What to eat in Phu Quoc? Top specialty you should try

Seafood and dried goods

Ham Ninh crab – Phu Quoc specialty

Ham Ninh crab is one of the most delicious and attractive seafood dishes that no visitor to Phu Quoc can ignore. Particularly, if you want to eat or buy fresh and affordable seafood, according to my Phu Quoc travel experience, you should visit Ham Ninh fishing village, which is famous for its fresh, inexpensive crabs that are firm and full of roe.

Ham Ninh crab is best when simply steamed and dipped in salt and lemon pepper – “best” delicious!

Reference price: from 180,000 VND/kg

Recommended places to eat:

• Bien Xanh Restaurant, Group 8 – Ham Ninh – Phu Quoc
• Ham Ninh Crab – Salt Pepper at 112 Bach Dang, Phu Quoc
• Ham Ninh fishing village
• Duong Dong Market
• Vinpearl Phu Quoc Restaurant System: Bai Dai – Ganh Dau – Phu Quoc City

Sea cucumber

Sea cucumber is a nutritious and luxurious seafood. In Phu Quoc, locals often call sea cucumbers “don dot” or “dot ngau.” They are crunchy, tasty, and quite rare, making them expensive. However, the delicious taste of this dish in Phu Quoc still urges diners to try it at least once.

Recommended places to eat:

• Vinpearl Phu Quoc Restaurant System: Bai Dai – Ganh Dau – Phu Quoc City
• Ham Ninh fishing village

Phu Quoc sea urchin

Sea urchin is a dish particularly loved by men during their culinary exploration of Phu Quoc. Sea urchin, also known as “cau gai,” is usually scooped out to make porridge, grilled, or eaten raw with lemon. The most popular way might be grilling and eating with salt and lemon pepper, which is extremely delicious and nutritious.

Reference price: 20,000 – 25,000 VND/piece

Recommended places to eat:

• Oc 343 at 343 April 30th Street, Area 1
• Duong Dong Market
• Bien Xanh, Ham Ninh Bridge, Ham Ninh Town
• Vinpearl Phu Quoc Restaurant System: Bai Dai – Ganh Dau – Phu Quoc City

Grilled Bien Mai scallops

“Bien Mai scallop” – sounds quite strange, right? Bien Mai is a type of large sea scallop buried deep in the seabed, about the size of an adult’s hand. The meat of Bien Mai is quite soft, so people usually only eat the round part. Bien Mai scallops can be cooked into many delicious dishes like soup, porridge, steamed, or sweet and sour stir-fried.

However, the best is still grilled Bien Mai scallops. The scallops are marinated with salt and chili and grilled over charcoal. The chewy, sweet, and salty taste melts in your mouth, fragrant with grilled salt and chili, which will definitely captivate you!

Reference price: About 200,000 VND/kg

Recommended places to eat:

• Song Xanh Restaurant: 217 April 30th Street, Phu Quoc
• Bai Dai
• Oc 343 Restaurant: 343 April 30th Street, Phu Quoc
• Dinh Cau Night Market

Grilled grouper fish

Blessed with a rich source of seafood, Phu Quoc possesses many delicacies. Among them is the grilled grouper fish, a unique and attractive dish in this island district.

Freshly caught grouper fish is cleaned and grilled over hot coals. When the meat is just cooked, the aroma is irresistible. Enjoying grilled grouper fish with a sip of spicy forest sim wine is truly delightful.

Recommended places to eat:

• Song Xanh Restaurant: 217 April 30th Street – Duong Dong – Phu Quoc
• Trung Duong Marina Restaurant: 136 April 30th Street – Duong Dong – Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc grilled mackerel

Phu Quoc grilled mackerel is sweet, not very fishy, firm, and slightly chewy. If you’ve been to some coastal areas like Phan Thiet, Vung Tau, or Long Hai, you might have tried grilled or cooked mackerel. However, tasting grilled mackerel in Phu Quoc will reveal a uniquely delicious flavor.

• Reference price: 120,000 VND/kg depending on size
• Recommended place to eat: Xin Chao Restaurant, 66 Tran Hung Dao – Duong Dong – Phu Quoc

Grilled slipper lobster – Phu Quoc specialty

Slipper lobsters have 10 legs and can be easily recognized by their large disc-shaped antennae, reminiscent of “mu ni” (a traditional Vietnamese hat), hence the name. The meat is soft, sweet, fragrant, and especially nutritious.

Recommended places to eat:

• Oc 343 at 343 April 30th Street, Area 1, Phu Quoc
• Bien Xanh, Ham Ninh Bridge, Ham Ninh Town, Phu Quoc

Grilled spiny snails with scallion oil

Grilled spiny snails have a unique and delicious flavor. Before eating, choose freshly grilled snails, use a sharp bamboo stick to pick out the meat, and the aroma will stimulate your taste buds. The snail meat is white, plump, and chewy with a rich taste different from snails, clams, or mussels.

Recommended places to eat:

• Ra Khoi Restaurant: 131 April 30th Street – Duong Dong – Phu Quoc
• Ot Ngot Seafood Restaurant: 129 Tran Hung Dao – Duong Dong – Phu Quoc

Grilled egg squid Phu Quoc

Egg squid is slightly larger than an adult’s thumb, about the length of a hand span, found in central coastal areas but most abundant in Phu Quoc. 

Egg squid is cleaned, marinated with chili salt, and oil, then left for about 15 minutes to absorb the seasoning. The marinated squid is then grilled over charcoal. Grill both sides evenly, and when the squid’s body tightens and turns golden with an aromatic fragrance, it’s cooked. Eat hot with fish sauce or lemon pepper salt, accompanied by cucumber and coriander for an excellent taste!

Recommended places to eat:

• Oc 343 at 343 April 30th Street, Area 1, Phu Quoc
• Bien Xanh, Ham Ninh Bridge, Ham Ninh Town, Phu Quoc

Grilled abalone Phu Quoc

Grilled abalone is a relatively expensive dish in Phu Quoc. However, if you visit here, don’t miss this delicacy as it is not only delicious but also very nutritious.

Recommended places to eat:

• Vuon Tao Restaurant: 1 Tran Hung Dao Street – Duong To – Phu Quoc
• Nghêu So Oc Hen Restaurant on April 30th Street, Duong Dong, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang
• Vinpearl Phu Quoc Restaurant System: Bai Dai – Ganh Dau – Phu Quoc

Cakes and snacks

Banh Kheo

This is a unique snack in Phu Quoc that you should try. These small Banh Kheo are made from wheat flour with various fillings such as mung beans, coconut, and taro, which have a mildly sweet taste, low in fat, and not greasy. This is perfect for light snacking.

Reference price: 120,000 VND/kg

Recommended places to eat:

• Co Dung Bakery: 43 April 30th Street – Duong Dong Ward
• Thai Binh Bakery: 195 Ngo Quyen – Area 8 – Duong Dong Ward
• Phu Quoc specialties

Banh Tet Mat Cat

Bringing home a Banh Tet Mat Cat from Phu Quoc as a gift is priceless. In Can Tho, people use cam leaves to wrap the cake, but in Phu Quoc, they use Mat Cat leaves. The cake filling includes premium glutinous rice, mung beans, fatty pork, and the rice must be mixed with pandan leaf and leafy greens juice for a natural aroma, not coconut water like in other places.

Reference price: 10,000 VND/small cake, 20,000 VND/large cake

Recommended places to buy:

• Duong Dong Market
• Dinh Cau Market

Some Meaningful Phu Quoc Specialties as Gifts

Sim Wine

Do you think wild sim is a Phu Quoc specialty fruit? Not really. When exploring Phu Quoc delicacies, don’t miss the chance to taste high-quality sim wine. Phu Quoc sim wine is made from ripe sim fruits picked from Ham Ninh forest. This unique wine is only found in Phu Quoc and is often bought by tourists as a gift.

Recommended specialty shops:

• Vuon Tao Restaurant: Cua Lap Hamlet, Duong To Commune
• Bay Gao Sim Wine: 124 April 30th Street – Duong Dong – Phu Quoc

Tram Mushroom

Tram mushrooms are a delicious and versatile Phu Quoc specialty with many health benefits. They usually grow on hillsides, on decaying leaves in the tram forest. After being picked, they are used to make soup, eaten fresh, or dried.

Tram mushrooms are often bought by tourists as a gift. They are effective in treating colds, headaches, and physical exhaustion. If you visit Phu Quoc in April or July, you can buy fresh tram mushrooms.

Reference price: 100,000 – 150,000 VND/kg

Recommended places:

• Duong Dong Market
• Dinh Cau Market

Tamarind Squid

Tamarind squid is the top snack among all Phu Quoc specialties. Tamarind squid is meticulously prepared, with a sweet, chewy taste from the squid, spiciness from the chili, and sourness from the tamarind.

Tamarind squid is a meaningful gift for friends who love snacks. When buying tamarind squid in Phu Quoc, choose boxes with a long expiration date and evenly sized squid pieces with a honey-yellow, slightly red, shiny appearance, as these indicate good quality!

Recommended places:

• Convenience stores in Phu Quoc
• Duong Dong Market
• Dinh Cau Market

Phu Quoc Pepper

The cuisine in Phu Quoc is incredibly diverse, from delicious dishes to famous spices. Phu Quoc pepper is particularly popular because it is more fragrant and tasty than in other regions, making it an excellent gift for loved ones. Your mothers and grandmothers at home will surely love this gift from you.

Reference price: 200,000 – 250,000 VND/kg

Recommended places:

• Phu Quoc Night Market
• Dinh Cau Market

Phu Quoc Fish Sauce

Phu Quoc fish sauce has long been famous both domestically and internationally, not only for its high protein content, distinctive color, aroma, and taste but also for the long-standing tradition of fish sauce making by the locals. Just one taste and you will always remember the unique flavor of this premium fish sauce.

Recommended specialty shops:

• Thinh Phat Fish Sauce: April 30th Street – Area 1 – Duong Dong – Phu Quoc
• Khai Hoan Fish Sauce: 289 April 30th Street – Duong Dong – Phu Quoc
• Phung Hung Fish Sauce: Nguyen Van Cu Street – Area 4 and 69 – 71 Tran Quoc Toan, Area 1, Phu Quoc

In addition to the specialties of Phu Quoc that can be bought as gifts, you can also buy Phu Quoc souvenirs such as keychains, engraved wooden paintings, woven bags, and especially the famous Phu Quoc pearls for your loved ones and friends!

Apart from the recommended dining places mentioned above, there is another super attractive destination in Phu Quoc. Here, you not only have the chance to enjoy Phu Quoc specialties and international cuisine but also immerse yourself in an endless entertainment paradise, which is none other than the “sleepless city” Phu Quoc United Center. Enjoying gourmet food at Phu Quoc United Center will surely be an unforgettable experience for you.