Top 20 Must-Try Specialties When Visiting Phu Quoc Island - Kien Giang

Grilled herring salad stands out as one of the top delicacies in the beautiful Phu Quoc coastal region, always captivating visitors who come here and cannot resist. Travelers can find this specialty dish at any eatery on the island. Grilled herring salad is made from the freshest and most delicious fish found here.

This salad is always accompanied by fresh, clean vegetables and a must-have dipping sauce with a very distinct flavor. Adding some peanuts to it gives it an even more savory and sweet taste. A plate of grilled herring salad costs around 60,000 - 150,000 VND.

When you come to Phu Quoc Island, you will easily find and definitely have to indulge in the special tuna noodle soup here. The highlight of this dish is the delicious pieces of local tuna, which are wonderfully fragrant and flavorful, mixed with chewy and delicious noodles, and especially complemented by the rich and sweet broth made from bone marrow and minced pork. The price of tuna noodle soup is only from 25,000 to 35,000 VND per bowl!

Triangle clam is a large, triangular-shaped sea clam that is deeply embedded in the sea. People here use triangle clam to create many unique dishes, but mainly they use the meaty part of the clam to cook. Grilled triangle clam is also used to make porridge, or it can be grilled directly with fat and onions, but the best is still the grilled triangle clam dish.

Locals grill the triangle clam along with peanuts. The fragrant grilled triangle clam dish is being sold in many places on the island for 40,000 - 70,000 VND, enough for two people to eat. If tourists want to explore more when coming to Phu Quoc, they can take a diving trip to admire the coral reefs and then catch these unique seafood by themselves!

This is an extremely special dish that can only be found in Phu Quoc. Because only in Phu Quoc does the unique tram mushroom appear, which is one of a kind. Under the skillful processing of the locals, a harmonious combination of rare tram mushroom with fresh seafood such as squid, shrimp,... on the island creates an excellent and unique tram mushroom soup. The tram mushroom soup has a delicious, attractive, and sweet flavor, enhanced when served with Phu Quoc anchovy fish sauce.

Tram mushroom also has a slightly bitter taste, but that is one of its characteristics. Not only used to make soup, tram mushroom is also used to prepare other simple dishes, with prices starting from only 40,000 VND for one dish! Tram mushroom is sold from 100,000 - 150,000 VND per kilogram.

Honeycomb Sticky Rice Cake in Phu Quoc Island is a type of sticky rice cake that is very different from those in other regions. This cake is wrapped in a leaf used to make a hat called the honeycomb leaf. The unique highlight of honeycomb sticky rice cake here is that the cake is not wrapped in a round shape like other types of sticky rice cakes but instead has a triangular shape. Glutinous rice is mixed with bitterleaf water and pandan leaves to wrap the cake. Therefore, honeycomb sticky rice cake has a green color and a flavor unique to Phu Quoc. Honeycomb sticky rice cake is sold in units depending on the size and can range from 5,000 to 10,000 dong per unit.

Skillful Cake in Phu Quoc is a delicacy made by locals from wheat flour combined with delicious flavors of fillings such as coconut, mung beans, taro... Skillful Cake has a mild sweetness, low fat content, and does not feel greasy for consumers.

Skillful Cake in Phu Quoc comes in various shapes, sometimes molded into small round cakes like mini buns, sometimes shaped like hedgehogs with spikes around, and sometimes in rectangular or spiral shapes... all of which are very unique and eye-catching. Travelers can buy Phu Quoc Skillful Cake for 120,000 VND per kilogram at the famous Thai Binh bakery!

Abalone, also known as sea ear, is one of the special and delicious seafood delicacies of the island. Grilled abalone is a dish that captivates tourists when they come here to travel and enjoy perfect fresh seafood. Abalone is brought from deep seas and through the familiar processing skills of the locals, a very attractive grilled abalone dish is created.

Not only limited to delicious grilling, abalone can also be boiled, stir-fried, cooked into porridge, etc. This is a highly nutritious dish and you can also buy dried abalone as a gift. Originally a dish dubbed for the 'rich', so the price is relatively high. The average price of dried abalone is about 550,000 - 600,000 VND per kilogram, some markets even reach more than ten million VND depending on the type.

This is a special and rare rustic dish that attracts tourists when they come to the pearl island of Phu Quoc. Trumpet Noodle Soup here has the crispiness of papaya, the sweetness of fish, and the incredibly delicious broth. The sea fish in the bowl is finely ground, then seasoned with various ingredients such as lemongrass, chili, and a bit of coconut milk. In Phu Quoc, there are only 2 places that serve this special trumpet noodle soup: a stall at the Dinh Cau night market and another stall on the sidewalk run by Ms. Ut Luom. The price of a bowl of trumpet noodle soup is only 20,000 VND.

Sea cucumber, also known as sea ginseng or sea hedgehog, is a specialty of Phu Quoc with a golden hue. They seem to be crafted from the essence of the sea, hence they carry a distinct flavor compared to all other seafood commonly found here. Sea cucumbers have a rich, savory taste that entices tourists to indulge in one after another.

Cucumbers are prepared in many special ways, such as grilling, and can also be made into sausage or cooked into porridge, all of which are delicious. Tourists can also sign up to catch sea cucumbers and enjoy their fresh taste right after they're caught, which will enhance the experience even more. The price ranges from 20,000 to 25,000 VND per sea cucumber.

When visiting the beautiful island of Phu Quoc with its stretches of blue sea, white sand, and golden sunshine, you cannot miss out on seafood delicacies. One such unique and delicious dish you shouldn't overlook is mantis shrimp. Mantis shrimp, also known as stomatopods or mantis prawns, have 10 legs and mainly inhabit warm seas. Divers can easily identify them by their large pair of appendages resembling oversized boxing gloves, hence the name mantis shrimp.

Mantis shrimp have tender, sweet, and flavorful meat, making them one of the most enticing seafood options for tourists due to their delicious taste. Mantis shrimp can be prepared in various ways such as steaming, boiling, or grilling. Each cooking method brings out different flavors, but the sweet and firm texture of the shrimp remains intact. However, locals in Phu Quoc particularly enjoy grilled mantis shrimp with lemongrass and chili. Before grilling, the mantis shrimp is cleaned, split in half, marinated for about 10-20 minutes with a mixture of minced lemongrass, salt, pepper, and chili, then placed in a charcoal grill for about 5 minutes until the shrimp shells turn golden and emit a fragrant aroma.

Soursop Kernel and Trôm Sap Drink sounds intriguing and captivates the curiosity of visitors when they arrive here. It's a refreshing beverage with great hydrating properties. Trôm sap is a type of sap extracted from trees, known for its liver benefits. When mixed with soursop kernels and a hint of hạt é, it delivers a delightful sweetness. This beverage is widely available throughout Phu Quoc, priced around 15,000 - 30,000 VND depending on the location.

True to its name, sea snails have a very distinctive aroma, especially when cooked. The enticing scent of sea snails after being cooked is irresistible to diners. Sea snails can be prepared in various ways such as steaming, boiling, making salads, or in a spicy and sour sauce, but perhaps the most appealing is still grilled sea snails with its delightful aroma.

Many local fishermen on Phu Quoc island consider sea snails as a precious delicacy that is being harvested and farmed to serve tourists and for export. Sea snails in Phu Quoc waters are easy to farm, grow fast, and require little food.

When it comes to crabs, none are better than those from Ca Mau; and for cuttlefish, none are more exquisite than Hàm Ninh cuttlefish - Phu Quoc. Hàm Ninh is a fishing village on the coast of Phu Quoc island, about 20km from the center. Cuttlefish is the specialty of this area, almost always available.

Hàm Ninh cuttlefish has a fresh red color, firm and fragrant flesh. There are many ways to prepare it, but the best is still to steam it and dip it in salt, pepper, and lime juice to preserve its original flavor. You can enjoy this type of cuttlefish at restaurants, hotels... on the pearl island. However, if you want to choose the best quality, you should visit Hàm Ninh fishing village. Additionally, this specialty can also be purchased as a gift.

Grilled cuttlefish eggs is one of the delicious dishes in Phu Quoc that you must try when visiting this 'pearl island'. Cuttlefish eggs are larger than the thumb of an adult, almost as long as a glove, and are abundant in the seas around Phu Quoc.

The period from February to May in the lunar calendar is the peak season for cuttlefish eggs. Cooking this dish is not difficult. You have to choose fresh cuttlefish eggs, which have a sweet and fatty taste. Clean the cuttlefish eggs, marinate them with chili salt, cooking oil for about 15 minutes to absorb the seasoning evenly. Then, place the marinated cuttlefish on the grill and grill over charcoal. Grill evenly on both sides until the cuttlefish body becomes firm, tightens up, turns golden, and emits a fragrant aroma. Serve hot with fish sauce or salt and lemon pepper, accompanied by a few slices of cucumber and cilantro.

Sea cucumber, known as 'Don Dot' or 'Dot ngau' by the people of Phu Quoc, is a cuisine loved by many because of its high nutritional value, a premium type of food. Especially, the specialty sea cucumber dish is a premium dish that many people want to try once when visiting Phu Quoc for tourism.

Sea cucumber is one of the famous 'four great delicacies' known for its high nutritional content, salty taste, and warmth, which are very good for health. As this is a relatively rare specialty, its price is quite high and it is caught at night. Phu Quoc sea cucumber can be cooked into various delicious dishes such as stewed sea cucumber with quail eggs, stir-fried sea cucumber with vegetables, stir-fried sea cucumber with Chinese kale, sea cucumber soup with papaya, etc. But the most special dish is still sea cucumber porridge. Although it is not a budget-friendly dish, if you visit Phu Quoc, you should try it once!

Grilled snakehead fish is dubbed as the 'number one' dish in the waters of Phu Quoc. The snakehead fish is the most delicious when it grows to the size of an adult's wrist and must be alive or fresh. There are various dishes made from snakehead fish like grilled snakehead fish, sweet stewed snakehead fish, sour preserved vegetable snakehead fish, braised snakehead fish,... but the most delicious seems to be only grilled snakehead fish dipped in salt and lime pepper.

It's not difficult to explain why grilled fish dishes are popular because the simpler the cooking method, the sweeter the taste of the fish remains. Grilled snakehead fish eaten with raw vegetables, salted lime chili dip, and sim wine will leave you speechless. In the cool, romantic atmosphere with friends gathering around to grill fish, waiting for it to be cooked and enjoying it while it's still hot will bring unforgettable experiences.

Phu Quoc Grouper is already a nutritious fish, with firm flesh, rich flavor, and notably soft cartilage in its head, making it a delight to chew. But in the clean, unpolluted waters of Phu Quoc Island, the grouper seems to be even more delicious. Phu Quoc Grouper is one of the premium and distinctive seafood delicacies of this paradise island, contributing to the exquisite dishes of Phu Quoc.

The grouper can be prepared in various mouthwatering ways. There are many methods to cook the grouper such as grilling with chili salt, frying with fish sauce, garlic, and chili, or making it into a hotpot. Regardless of the cooking method, Phu Quoc Grouper always delivers a fragrant, delicious taste, with tender and sweet flesh that is never fishy.

Just the name sounds strange, doesn't it? Before, you might have tried blood pudding, but have you ever heard of jellyfish blood pudding? When we talk about the 'unique and exotic' specialties of Phu Quoc, we cannot overlook jellyfish blood pudding. It's essential for the blood pudding to be made from sea jellyfish, so choose ones with plenty of roe to make your jellyfish blood pudding tasty and nutritious.

One needs to cut the crab's legs to let the clear moonlit blood flow out and patiently wait until it all trickles down. Typically, a small plate of jellyfish blood pudding requires a few large crabs. One will be boiled, and then its meat will be seasoned and placed on a plate. The remaining crabs will have their blood taken, and then their roe will be poured onto the plate with the meat, waiting for it to solidify into blood pudding.

Indulging in jellyfish blood pudding – a delicious Phu Quoc specialty, may taste a bit peculiar but is exceptionally unique. The tender crab meat mixed with crab roe, along with the sweet and fatty taste of the crab roe, creates a savory and slightly sweet mixture that's irresistibly delicious.

Despite its unattractive appearance, leather jacket fish is a delicious dish in Phu Quoc that many tourists choose to enjoy. The fish meat is incredibly flavorful, with a texture similar to chicken. The grilled leather jacket fish dish is prepared quite simply. After cleaning the fish and seasoning it, it can be wrapped in foil and grilled directly. The leather jacket fish can be dipped in spicy lime salt or lime pepper salt, ensuring that you'll savor this flavor for a long time.

Thorny snails are nature's gift to this beautiful land. This type of seafood is quite rare, so thorny snails are not commonly found in seafood stores like many other types of snails. To make delicious and unique thorny snails, there are various cooking methods such as boiling, stir-frying with garlic, steaming with ginger, mixing in salads, but the most popular ones are still grilling or boiling.