Top 10 Must-Try Seafood Dishes When Visiting Quang Ninh

Oysters feature a rough outer shell and a soft, sweet interior. This popular seafood is a favorite for many when visiting coastal destinations.

Oysters are raised in clean water environments, ensuring high quality. Historically, they have been recognized for their health benefits, including boosting vitality, nourishing the body, and promoting blood circulation. Oysters are also known for their effectiveness in treating conditions such as insomnia caused by heat, dizziness, dry skin, and even for women dealing with menopause or post-pregnancy issues such as low milk supply and anemia. Common preparations include raw, grilled, stir-fried with garlic, boiled, or steamed.

Price: Ranges from 50,000 to 150,000 VND per kilogram, depending on preparation method.

Closely related to crabs and sea crabs, Cù Kỳ (also known as Cum Cum) is one of the most unique and distinctive seafood offerings in Quang Ninh. These crabs inhabit rocky crevices, wooden debris along coastal cliffs and mangrove forests. They have a brown shell and bright green eyes.

The meat of Cù Kỳ is firm and flavorful, with the best parts being the two large, strong claws, which require a hammer or crab cracker to open. The body of the Cù Kỳ is spongy and almost devoid of meat. This delicacy is rich in nutrients and is commonly served steamed with beer, boiled, grilled, or in a tamarind sauce.

Price: 230,000 VND per kilogram (about 4-5 crabs per kg). This expensive dish is best enjoyed at coastal restaurants, where the Cù Kỳ is fresh and incredibly flavorful.

Those who were born and raised near the sea can never forget the sweet, tender, and chewy texture of Tiger Shrimp. These shrimp are found only in the waters of Quang Ninh, with the highest concentration around the Van Don islands. After being caught, the shrimp are carefully selected for freshness, cleaned, and have their heads and shells removed, along with the dark vein running along their backs.

Tiger Shrimp are packed with essential nutrients such as vitamin A, protein, and calcium. Beyond the sweet, light-tasting meat, the shrimp shells can be ground or pounded, then filtered to make a broth, which is just as delicious as crab soup.

Price: Fresh Tiger Shrimp costs around 220,000 VND per kilogram.

This particular type of snail is unique both in appearance and flavor. It clings to rocks, giving its shell a rough, tough texture. Only experienced fishermen can catch these snails, and they are typically harvested between the months of March and August. The snail's round, thick lid resembles a stone, setting it apart from other types of snails.

Rock Snails are not only delicious but also highly nutritious. They have a sweet, rich, and distinctly oceanic taste, packed with calcium. The bitter taste at the tail end of the snail is believed to have blood-nourishing properties. In traditional medicine, boiled snails are used to treat jaundice, swelling, liver diseases, and hemorrhoids. These snails can be prepared in various ways, including stir-fried, boiled with spices, or steamed.

Price: Around 50,000 to 60,000 VND per kilogram.

Mantis Shrimp is also known by several other names such as pistol shrimp, spear shrimp, and thumbtack shrimp. Though they resemble regular shrimp, they have more legs. Mantis shrimp typically bury themselves in the sand or hide in rock crevices, hunting small marine creatures and even fish. They use their powerful claws to capture prey.

Mantis Shrimp is renowned for its delicious and highly nutritious meat. It contains vital nutrients such as Vitamin A, B1, iron, and a healthy amount of Omega-3 and Omega-6, which are beneficial for the immune system. Mantis shrimp can be prepared in a variety of dishes, including mantis shrimp noodle soup, salted fried mantis shrimp, lemongrass steamed shrimp, boiled, stir-fried, or used in soups.

Price: Around 270,000 VND per kilogram.

Belonging to the same family as crabs and rock crabs, Blue Crab is a popular delicacy enjoyed by many. Leading the list of the most sought-after seafood, the blue crab is regarded as the best-tasting variety in Quảng Ninh. The flesh of the blue crab is sweet, firm, and flavorful, with both the claws and body full of meat.

Blue crab meat is rich in calcium, magnesium, and Omega-3 fatty acids, which help support a healthy cardiovascular system and play a key role in brain development. It is also abundant in B vitamins, zinc, and copper, all essential for energy production, iron, and potassium to form connective tissues and synthesize proteins. Dishes made with blue crab include steamed crab with lemongrass, boiled, stir-fried with wild betel leaves, crab hotpot, and crab in sauce.

Price: Around 250,000 VND per kilogram.

The name Ridgeback Fish likely comes from their behavior: they are often found hunting at the edges of rocks or any available surface, in clear water, where schools of small ridgeback fish are seen nibbling on prey.

Ridgeback fish meat is white, aromatic, sweet, and rich. The fish that have not been gutted still have a smell of roasted rice bran. These fish need to be cleaned thoroughly, as they are scavengers and have gritty, unclean guts. Fresh ridgeback fish is full of easily digestible protein that is more readily absorbed than meat. There are numerous ways to prepare ridgeback fish, such as frying, braising, or making sour soup, all of which offer rich and distinct flavors.

Price: Around 50,000 VND per kilogram.

Nothing compares to the sweetness and freshness of Quang Ninh squid. Regardless of the cooking method, it always retains a fresh, oceanic flavor. The types of squid include: tube squid, red squid, and cuttlefish... Quality: Being from a coastal region, the squid is always fresh and caught directly from the sea. Squid offers many health benefits such as promoting blood circulation, supporting heart health, boosting kidney function, strengthening energy, aiding digestion, and easing various ailments like swelling, blood in the stool, rheumatism, and more. It’s also helpful for women with menstrual issues.

Popular dishes: boiled, steamed, hot pot, grilled, all of which are equally irresistible. One dish you can't miss is the squid cake, meticulously made to retain the perfect chewy texture, true to Quang Ninh style. There is also dried squid, sweet and flavorful, perfect for a snack with cold beer. Prices vary depending on the type of squid.

Price: Ranges from 150,000 to 400,000 VND per kilogram.

Known as the 'Golden Treasure of Quang Ninh', this seafood is exclusively found in the Minh Chau and Quan Lan regions (Van Don). The process of preparing Sa Sung is labor-intensive, involving cleaning, turning it inside out, and drying. It is also referred to as sea worms or sea larvae due to its worm-like appearance. Quality: Rich in nutrients, sweet, tender, and full of flavor.

Sa Sung is believed to have various health benefits such as boosting kidney function, enhancing vitality, and clearing internal heat. It also helps with conditions like sweating, fatigue, coughing, and digestive issues. Common dishes include garlic stir-fry, porridge, deep-fried, and roasted Sa Sung.

Price: Sa Sung can be quite expensive, reaching up to 4,000,000 VND per kilogram.

Previously, Sea Sam was not as popular as other seafood like crabs or squid, but today it has become a must-try delicacy when visiting Quang Ninh. Quality: Sea Sam can only survive in natural conditions, making it rare and highly prized.

With its fragrant, delicious, and oceanic flavor, Sea Sam requires careful preparation by chefs to avoid its potentially harmful toxins. Popular dishes include blood jelly, raw salad, stir-fried sweet and sour Sam legs, stir-fried with lemongrass and chili, crispy fried Sam eggs, Sam stuffed with leaves, steamed Sam, deep-fried Sam, grilled cartilage, and stir-fried Sam with vermicelli. As Sea Sam has a cooling effect, pairing it with hot spices enhances its rich flavor.

Price: 200-400g: 50,000 VND/each, 1-1.5kg: 250,000 VND/each.