Buzz
Nam Du Island, an untouched gem awaiting exploration, offers not only tranquility and pristine nature but also a bounty of seafood. Indulge in these Nam Du delicacies, guaranteed to impress even the most discerning palate.
Nam Du boasts a plethora of specialties primarily crafted from seafood. (Photo: ST)
Explore the Famous Delicacies of Nam Du Island
Savor the Delight of Grilled Bonefish Wrapped in Banana Leaves
A tantalizing dish from Nam Du, the Bonefish boasts a slender body with a pointed snout. When fully grown, it can weigh up to 2-3 kg. Despite not being a high-value delicacy, it is immensely popular for its low bone content, white flesh, and sweet taste. Bringing home the Bonefish, one can prepare it by removing the gills and guts, ensuring a clean and unique culinary experience.
A Common Yet Delectable Fish Dish in Nam Du (Image Credits: ST)
The process of preparing this fish is simple yet yields incredibly delicious results. Select the freshest and finest fish, clean them thoroughly, remove the scales, and wrap them in banana leaves before grilling over a charcoal fire. Grill until the banana leaves dry out, indicating the fish is cooked through. The flesh of the Bonefish is fragrant, sweet, and firm, best enjoyed with wild herbs such as basil, coriander, or raw vegetables. Apart from grilling, Bonefish can also be served raw with lime or cooked with banana blossoms.
Indulge in the Aroma and Flavor of Grilled Bonefish with Banana Leaves (Image Credits: ST)
Savor the Exquisite Broth of Barramundi Hotpot
Barramundi hotpot is a delicacy commonly found on island menus. The flesh of Barramundi is white, tender, and naturally sweet. While it can be prepared in various delicious dishes like frying or cooking in bamboo shoot soup, the most unique and easy-to-make option is still Barramundi hotpot.
Experience the Heavenly Deliciousness of Barramundi Hotpot (Image Credits: ST)
The broth of the hotpot retains a subtly tangy and slightly sweet flavor, complementing the barramundi to create the distinctive taste of this dish. Typically served with fresh vermicelli, various raw vegetables such as banana blossoms, shredded water spinach, fresh bean sprouts, and a bowl of pure chili fish sauce.
Barramundi from Nam Du (Image Credits: ST)
Delight in Grilled Sea Cucumber with Scallion Oil
The sea cucumber is a spiky, spherical creature with hard spikes akin to porcupine quills. However, the grilled sea cucumber with scallion oil from the Nam Du archipelago is an extraordinary dish, both visually and gustatorily unique and intriguing.
Nam Du is abundant with sea urchins (Photo by ST)
The most delicious grilled sea urchins are when they are cooked to perfection or slightly rare. Fresh sea urchins, with spines trimmed around the shell and split in half, grilled briefly over charcoal, sprinkled with a little scallion oil and peanuts, then enjoyed with salt and pepper lime dip. This dish has a sweet and slightly chewy taste of sea urchins, the rich flavor of scallion oil brings a gentle fragrance to the palate.
Grilled sea urchins with scallion oil and a touch of dipping sauce are absolutely delicious (Photo by ST)
4. Fried fish cakes
Là is an excellent choice for those who love fish cakes. The cakes are made from finely ground fresh fish mixed with spices, then fried to a golden brown, releasing a fragrant aroma.
Fried fish cakes from Nam Du (Photo by ST)
Holding a hot piece of fried cake and eating it right away is wonderful, if you wish, you can dip it in chili sauce or fish sauce and enjoy it with various fresh vegetables. You can also buy fish cakes to bring back to the mainland as gifts.
Deliciously fragrant fish cakes (Photo by ST)
5. Ginger Steamed Cuttlefish Eggs
Cuttlefish eggs are found in any coastal area. However, when visiting Nam Du Island, this ingredient is transformed by the locals into various delicious dishes, from spicy grilled cuttlefish eggs, to lemongrass grilled cuttlefish eggs, crispy fried cuttlefish eggs with fragrant sauce, fried with butter, fried with chili, etc.
Ginger steamed cuttlefish eggs (Photo by ST)
Among those dishes, the specialty of Nam Du Island that must be mentioned is ginger steamed cuttlefish eggs - a simple dish, easy to make with the most common ingredients, combined together, retaining the sweet fragrant taste of cuttlefish that makes diners never get tired of it. Ginger steamed cuttlefish eggs are perfectly cooked, chewy, crispy, and filled with the aroma of ginger. When served with ginger dipping sauce, it becomes even more delicious.
Feast your eyes on the delightful sight (ST image)
6. Grilled Scallop with Scallion Butter
The Grilled Scallop with Scallion Butter stands out as one of the renowned delicacies from Nam Du Island. Grilled Scallop with Scallion Butter – a dish that merely mentioning its name conjures up images of succulent, crispy scallops infused with the fragrant aroma of grilled scallions and the rich, nutty flavor of roasted peanuts laid out before you.
Visual of Grilled Scallop with Scallion Butter (ST image)
The succulent scallops here, with their ivory-white flesh, appear even more mouthwatering. Apart from the classic grilled scallops with shallot oil, the residents of Nam Du can transform scallops into various other delicacies such as salt and pepper fried scallops or steamed scallops wrapped in vermicelli. All these dishes are cherished specialties of Nam Du island, adored by tourists.
Succulent and crispy scallops (image ST)
7. Grilled mantis shrimp with galangal and turmeric
The grilled mantis shrimp with galangal and turmeric is exceptionally aromatic and delicious. The firm and fragrant mantis shrimp, grilled with the perfect combination of galangal and turmeric, offers a memorable taste experience. The galangal adds a subtle spice, while the turmeric contributes a mild tanginess, complementing the natural sweetness of the shrimp, resulting in a uniquely flavorful dish.
Moon snails, also known as moon eyes, have a delicate yet sweet flesh reminiscent of abalone. Moon eyes can be prepared in various ways such as steaming, boiling, or stir-frying, but the most prominent and simplest method is grilling. On the island, many people often grill them without marination, then enjoy them with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and a hint of lime, while some even grill them with butter for a rich and creamy taste.
The tender and sweet flesh of moon snails (Photo by ST)
