Top Local Specialties You Need to Try on Your Phu Quoc Tour

Must-Try Signature Seafood Dishes

Ham Ninh Crab

Ham Ninh crab is well known as a Phu Quoc Local specialty. Their crabs are fresh, firmer texture than normal crab and golden meat. Freshly caught daily from the pure waters of Ham Ninh Fishing Village, these crabs have delicious flesh. Eat it steamed with a zesty sauce of lime, salt, and pepper, or grilled to bring out the sweet in sweet crab.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Ham Ninh Fishing Village (Ham Ninh, Phu Quoc): Price ranges from 180,000 – 300,000 VND/kg.
• Ra Khoi Restaurant (131 30/4 Street, Duong Dong Town): Approx. 250,000 – 350,000 VND/kg.
• Be Ghe Seafood (Ham Ninh Pier): 200,000 – 350,000 VND/kg.

Ham Ninh Crab (Sours: nld)

Sea Urchin (Nhum Bien)

Another of Phu Quoc’s famed delicacies is grilled sea urchin, a tasty dish famous not just for its culinary lure but also for its nutritional value. The creamy, buttery texture of sea urchin melts in your mouth and is a perfect balance of sea sweetness and a hint of ocean smell. Locals love it grilled with scallion oil and roasted peanuts, cooked into a nourishing porridge, or raw with fresh lime juice for a cold bite.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Oc 343 Restaurant (343, 30/4 Street, Duong Dong): Approx. 25,000 – 40,000 VND/piece.
• Ra Khoi Restaurant (131 30/4 Street, Duong Dong): 25,000 – 35,000 VND/piece.
• Bien Xanh Restaurant (Ham Ninh Bridge): Around 30,000 – 45,000 VND/piece.
  

Sea Urchin (Nhum Bien) (Sours: vetauphuquy)

Grilled Trachurus

Perfect combination with a cooler taste, less fishy taste, and a sweet taste. One of the Phu Quoc Local Specialties, the grilled trachurus convergence, gave the above factors to create a dish that also represents the brand of Phu Quoc. Grilled on charcoal, the fish is seasoned with chili salt and has a pleasant smokiness. Encase grilled trachurus in rice paper, along with vegetables, fragrant herbs, and dunk copious amounts of Phu Quoc fish sauce, for the ultimate in umami goodness.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Ra Khoi Restaurant (131 30/4 Street, Duong Dong): About 100,000 – 150,000 VND/dish.
• Xin Chao Restaurant (66 Tran Hung Dao Street, Duong Dong): 120,000 – 160,000 VND/dish.
  

Grilled Trachurus (Sours: vietnamtrustcarrentals)

Grilled Slipper Lobster

And for a touch of luxury, enjoy some grilled slipper lobster,  a prized delicacy in Phu Quoc Local Specialties. Noted for its sweet and tender flesh that is a delightful cross between shrimp and lobster, it is commonly steamed, char-grilled, brushed with garlic butter, or grilled over charcoal for its robust taste. Served with fragrant herbs and a dollop of mouthwatering lime pepper sauce, it’s a gourmet adventure you won’t soon forget.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Su & Bee Restaurant (123, 30/4 Street, Duong Dong): Approx. 600,000 – 850,000 VND/kg.
• Bup Restaurant (108, 30/4 Street, Duong Dong): Around 650,000 – 900,000 VND/kg.
• Xin Chao Restaurant (66 Tran Hung Dao Street, Duong Dong): 700,000 – 900,000 VND/kg.
  

Grilled Slipper Lobster (Sours: tripadvisor)

Sea Cucumber

Known as the “ginseng of the sea," sea cucumber has many health benefits in addition to its deliciousness. Chewy but tender, it’s rich and savory all at the same time. Well-known dishes such as simple sea cucumber soup with sea cucumber and stir-fried sea cucumber with vegetables or ingredients boiled into a thick, nutritional porridge. It’s premium seafood and a must-try dish in Phu Quoc.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Ra Khoi Restaurant (131 30/4 Street, Duong Dong): 1,000,000 – 2,000,000 VND/dish (depending on preparation style).
• Xin Chao Restaurant (66 Tran Hung Dao Street, Duong Dong): Approx. 1,500,000 – 2,500,000 VND/dish.

Sea Cucumber (Sours: bdatrip)

Crab Blood Pudding

Crab blood pudding is an unusual and interesting food in Phu Quoc Local Specialties, with a feast of flavor for the adventurous eater. It consists of crab liquid meticulously harvested and solidified into a jelly, crab meat, along with fresh herbs, peanuts, and spices. Encase it in rice paper along with fresh vegetables, starfruit slices, and green bananas, and enjoy it dipped in Phu Quoc fish sauce. To enhance your meal, complement this with the local Sim Wine Phu Quoc that neutralizes its unique heaviness.

Recommended Restaurant:

• Ra Khoi Restaurant (131 30/4 Street, Duong Dong): Approx. 850,000 – 1,000,000 VND/dish.

Crab Blood Pudding (Sours: dantri)

Iconic Local Dishes You Can’t Miss

Ken Noodles (Bun Khen)

No tour of Phu Quoc Local Specialties is complete without a taste of the famous Ken Noodles. The term “Ken" is derived from the Khmer dishes cooked with coconut milk, and it becomes smelly, means to release a fragrance, with the definition of something that is getting overripe or has become old. Locals mix finely shredded barracuda or silverfish, stir-fried with lemongrass and pungent spices, into a creamy broth of coconut milk, bright annatto oil, and aromatic fresh herbs. Served with white rice noodles under crunchy bean sprouts, shredded papaya, and cucumber, it’s a symphony of flavors you won’t soon forget.

Recommended Eatery:

• Bun Khen Ut Luom (42, 30/4 Street, Duong Dong Town): 20,000 – 25,000 VND/bowl.
  

Ken Noodles (Bun Khen) (Sours: go2joy)

Stirring Vermicelli (Bun Quay)

A special dish of Phu Quoc Local Specialties is Stirring Vermicelli (Bun Quay), providing an interesting eating experience that is full of Phu Quoc flavor. In this hearty meal, eaters make their dipping sauce, combining raw ingredients like chili, lime, sugar, and Phu Quoc fish sauce. Freshly made rice noodles sit in bowls beneath fillings of shrimp paste, fish cakes, and minced seafood pressed in a contour along the rim. Add hot broth to the bowl and mix gently to enjoy the release of amazing smells and rich flavors.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Bun Quay Kien Xay (28 Bach Dang Street, Duong Dong Town): 30,000 – 55,000 VND/bowl.
• Bun Quay Thanh Hung (77, 30/4 Street, Duong Dong Town): 30,000 – 50,000 VND/bowl.
  

Stirring Vermicelli (Bun Quay) (Sours: phuquoctrip)

Herring Salad (Goi ca trich)

If anything is to be particularly recommended in Phu Quoc, it’s the well-known Herring Salad: to die for. This dish is a very special one in our culture; it perfectly epitomizes both the modesty and ingenuity of island food. Thinly sliced freshly caught herring fillets are mixed with fresh chili, shredded coconut, onions, and nuts,  an aromatic, pungent explosion of flavors. Dip your salad leaf wraps in the house dipping fish sauce of Phu Quoc’s premium fish sauce with the crunch of fresh vegetables and aroma of fresh herbs. This lively combination goes well with local drinks, in particular, the renowned Sim Wine Phu Quoc, adding flavor to the dish and the entire trip!

Recommended Restaurants:

• Xin Chao Restaurant (66 Tran Hung Dao Street, Duong Dong Town): 100,000 – 150,000 VND/dish.
• Ra Khoi Restaurant (131, 30/4 Street, Duong Dong Town): Around 100,000 – 130,000 VND/dish.
• Explore vibrant food stalls at the Phu Quoc Night Market for an authentic local experience.
  

Herring Salad (Goi ca trich) (Sours: vnexpress)

Mackerel Fish Cake Soup (Banh canh cha ca thu)

It’s super delicious Mackerel Fish Cake Soup, a popular local dish of Phu Quoc that captures the real taste of the island. This comforting noodle soup is made from a mix of chewy tapioca and rice flour noodles in a clear, complex broth of fresh seafood, shrimp, and pork bones. With plenty of boiled handmade fish cakes made of selected quality mackerel, they are selected for their savoury texture and uncontaminated sweet taste. Fragrant with fresh herbs and finished with a grind of pepper, every slurp is a savory, nostalgic kiss of the sea.

Recommended Restaurants:

• Banh Canh Phung (27 Bach Dang Street, Duong Dong Town): 30,000 – 50,000 VND/bowl.
• Banh Canh Hanh (27 Bach Dang Street, Duong Dong Town): 30,000 – 45,000 VND/bowl.
• You can also find this dish at local stalls near Duong Dong Market.

Banh canh cha ca thu (Sours: vinwonders)

Traditional Cakes & Snacks

Banh tet cat mat

Kicking off our joyous journey through the Phu Quoc Local Specialties is the wonderful Banh Tet Cat Mat. This cake is so meaningful to the culture of Phu Quoc, most pronounced during the lunar new year and local festivities. Contrary to the cylindrical shape found throughout Vietnam, Banh tet cat mat has a particular triangular shape, aesthetically rolled with “mat cat “palm leaves picked from the sylvan depths of the Ham Ninh mountains.

The fragrant sticky rice pairs well with mellow mung beans and delicious pork, plus an additional aroma from the pandan leaves. The leaves release a potent, evocative scent, lending a unique taste that cannot be found elsewhere on Phu Quoc.

Where to buy:

• Duong Dong Market (21 Tran Phu Street, Duong Dong): 80,000 – 120,000 VND/stick
• Phu Quoc Night Market (Bach Dang Street, Duong Dong): 80,000 – 100,000 VND/stick
  

Banh tet cat mat (Sours: taucaotoc)

Banh kheo

Next, take a sugar hit and eat the famous Banh kheo, another favourite dessert of locals, at Phu Quoc Local Specialties. The fragile cakes are an icon of local art and creativity and are made with meticulous care in moulding and decorating. Lovingly shaped into forms, such as seashells, flowers, and animals, these pretty cakes contain delectable fillings like sweetened coconut, mung beans, taro, or durian, all wrapped in a delicate, soft pastry of high-quality rice flour.

Its subtle sweetness makes it much more wonderful when paired with a hot cup of tea or even a cup of Sim Wine Phu Quoc, which upgrades your tasting experience. It is also the ideal edible souvenir to bring back the scrumptious flavors of Phu Quoc to friends and family.

Where to buy:

• Banh kheo Co Dung (43, 30/4 Street, Duong Dong Town): 30,000 – 60,000 VND/box
• Phu Quoc Night Market (Bach Dang Street, Duong Dong): 30,000 – 50,000 VND/box
  

Banh kheo (Sours: danviet)

Conclusion

Discover the colorful world of Phu Quoc Local Specialties for an unparalleled culinary journey, from tasting sumptuous fresh gourmet seafood such as Ham Ninh crab and grilled sea urchin to tasting distinctive coconut milk and fragrant fresh vegetables. And be sure that you taste delicious Sim Wine Phu Quoc, eat good meals at night, and don’t miss discovering unique things in Duong Dong Market. Hungry for more delicious adventures? Tell us your beloved dishes in Phu Quoc, and if you get the chance, go on a guided food tour or a cooking class to get the most out of Phu Quoc food!