Vung Tau Cuisine - A Paradise For Seafood Lovers

Vung Tau is not only well-known by its stunning coastlines, but also a paradise for any seafood lovers. If you are seeking distinct food cultures of Vietnam, then Vung Tau is definitely an ideal destination for you to visit and try out all tasty local dishes around here.

Mai fish salad

This perhaps is considered as one of the most favourite dishes amidst the top of most tourist coastal destinations such as Nha Trang. Mai fish has a similar look with anchovies, white body, small and less fishy, as a result, they are often used to make the salad. In order to serve the best dish, the most vital part is when opting for the Mai fish, the fresher it is, the tastier the salad will be.

The flakes and the bones will be taken off, then the fish can be soaked into a marinade including vinegar, garlic, lemon and chilli. Subsequently, they will cook the fish medium-rare, and mix with some brown rice powder, peanuts, which enhances the smell. You can eat the salad with fresh vegetables, and rice papers, along with a special sauce consisting of garlic, minced chilli, sugar, lemon, vinegar, fish sauce, crushed peanuts, soda or shrimp sauce.

Sawfish hot pot

If you have a chance to visit Vung Tau, do not miss out this iconic dish, the sawfish hot pot. Sawfish is of popular and have many ways to cook like grill, stir-fry, and yet hot pot is mostly believed to be the best way to enjoy.

The fish will be cut into several medium pieces after being rinsed with salt and alcohol to ease its fishiness. Next step, they season with some spices, adding tamarind juice, sour bamboo shoots, cilantro and coriander finely chopped. You can eat with vermicelli, and a small bow of fish sauce and some slices of chilli. 

Vung Tau mini pancakes

There are numerous places that sell Banh Khot lying throughout Vietnam, however, the locals in Vung Tau have their own method to make their mini pancakes become the most popular and favourite one. Most tourists travel to Vung Tau without waiting in hungry for their Banh Khot to be served in such an overcrowded restaurant like “Banh Khot Goc Cay Vu Sua”.

It has round-shape made from mixed flour, curry powder, and topped with seafood like shrimp, squid, or minced meat and green onion and shrimp powder. The dish is served in a combo of 8 – 10 units with a lot of herbs and greens. You just need to warp them all up, dip into the fish sauce and enjoy!