Phu Quoc, also considered the Pearl Island, attracts domestic and ham international tourists, not only by its golden sand or clear blue sea but also by its cuisine.
Plenty of famous local food in Phu Quoc that makes diners remember and praise this island as one of the top tourist destinations in Vietnam to spend their time.
Please check the list of local disks below! And, you can also find the addresses to taste each dish, which Vietnamdrive suggests in the article as well.
1. Bun Ken (Ken Vermicelli)
In addition to familiar specialties such as crab cakes, fish sauce, etc. another special local food in Phu Quoc that you cannot ignore is Bun Ken (Ken vermicelli).
Although rarely mentioned in the list of Vietnamese cuisine, Bun Ken is a common dish in the meals of Phu Quoc families.
Bun Ken is cooked from noni fish or silverfish and then deep-fried. After that, the chef adds coconut milk, boiled fish juice, papaya, herbs, and red peppers mixed together to create a bowl of Bun Ken typical in Phu Quoc.
One of the famous places to taste Bun Ken is Ut Luom Restaurant at 87, Road April 30, Duong Dong town, Phu Quoc Island.
>>> Please read to find more things in Duong Dong Town on Phu Quoc Island.
2. Phu Quoc Forest Chicken
When discovering culinary in Phu Quoc, diners often mention the famous delicious forest chicken. Soft, sweet, aromatic meat of chickens can be boiled or processed into many other dishes such as chicken with green chili, shredded chicken salad, boneless chicken legs, etc. All are delicious!
To try the flavorful forest chicken, you should visit restaurants such as Xin Chao restaurant or Pho Tho restaurant, which specializes in cooking these types of chickens to serve tourists.
Where to eat Phu Quoc forest chickens:
- Xin Chao Restaurant: 66 Tran Hung Dao Street, Duong Dong Town, Phu Quoc
- Pho Tho Restaurant: 77, Road 30, Duong Dong Town, Phu Quoc
- Ngu Uyen Restaurant: 336 Nguyen Trung Truc Street, Duong Dong Town, Phu Quoc
3. Phu Quoc Herring Salad
Phu Quoc herring salad is a famous local dish with a strange taste. The harmonious combination of fresh fish meat is taken from the flanks on both sides to mix the salad, and the other ingredients of grated coconut, thinly sliced onion, shallot, and sliced chili. All this mixture creates a sweet, spicy, and moderate sweetness.
If you want to enjoy the famous Phu Quoc herring salad, visit Vuon Tao Restaurant – 1 Tran Hung Dao Street, Duong To, Phu Quoc Island.
4. Melaleuca Mushroom
Melaleuca mushrooms are one of the specialties in Phu Quoc Island with various flavors and health benefits.
Mushrooms often grow on hillsides, on decaying leaves in Melaleuca forests. After picking, mushrooms are often used to make soup when they are fresh or dried.
Many visitors buy this kind of food as a gift to their relatives when traveling to this Island. It is because these mushrooms are very effective in treating colds, headaches, and physical supplements.
If you come to Phu Quoc in April or July, you can buy fresh melaleuca mushrooms. In Dong Duong Market is where you can buy the freshest mushrooms.
5. Bo Cake With Jaggery
One of the activities in Phu Quoc, you should participate in when traveling to this island on your own is going to the Phu Quoc night market.
You will have the opportunity to enjoy almost all the different snacks, such as Bo Cake with Jaggery, garlic toast, grilled corn with onion and fat, etc.
Evenings are cool, holding in your hand a packet of sweet, brown jaggery cakes, what is a wonderful taste! Only about 10,000 VND is enough to taste few cakes.
6. Kheo Cake
You must have heard of Kheo Cake (Kheo means skillful) which is one of the well-known snacks of Phu Quoc.
The reason people call it a skillful cake because, in order to make beautiful little cakes with attractive colors, the molder must be skillful and meticulous in every detail.
Kheo Cake has a lovely shape, the inside is filled with coconut, green beans, taro… The cake has a sweet taste, low in fat, and many people like to eat it while drinking tea. Also, plenty of guests buy it as a gift.
You can go straight to Co Dung restaurant, at 43 Road 30 April, Duong Dong Town to enjoy it right away.
7. Crab-blood Soup
The strange name of this dish becomes a specialty of the people on pearl island. The crab used as blood pudding must be alive sea crabs with plenty of tomalleys (crab fat) to ensure its sweetness and nutrition.
This food is elaborately prepared. White crab blood is taken from its legs, eaten with its meat, marinated with spices to create a salty and sweet mixture of crab meat and tomalley.
The unique taste is extremely difficult to describe, you have to experience it yourself to understand.
You can try this dish at Ra Khoi restaurant, 133 Road 30 April, Duong Dong Town, Phu Quoc Island.
8. Sea Ginseng
Sea cucumbers are often called by the people of Phu Quoc as “Dun Dot” or “Dot Ngau”. Many people like this specialty of Phu Quoc because it contains lots of nutrients.
This Phu Quoc specialty is considered a high-class food that many tourists try to hunt when coming to the island.
You can also buy dried Sea Ginsengs as gifts for your relatives. And of course, you have to note its price that is not cheap.
To enjoy tasty Phu Quoc sea ginsengs, you can come to Com Bac Restaurant 123 at 60 Road 30 April, Duong Dong town, Phu Quoc.
9. Ham Ninh Crab
About 20km from the center of Duong Dong Town, Ham Ninh fishing village is a place where you can find lots of kinds of fresh and delicious seafood at a fairly soft price.
The most unique can be mentioned is the famous Ham Ninh crab dish. The crab is not too big but very thick and sweet.
Ham Ninh crabs are simply cooked like boiled or steamed with salt, pepper, and lemon, but they also make you feel savory.
10. Thorn Sea Snails
Thorn Sea snails in Phu Quoc are typical seafood that cannot be ignored. It because plenty of thorns on the snail’s body, so people call it the thorn snails.
These sea snails are fleshy, milky white, chewy and crunchy, very sweet and fatty. The most delicious and fragrant way to cook these snails is to bake.
To try this famous dish, you can come to Song Bien Restaurant, 161 Road 30 April, Duong Dong Town, Phu Quoc.
11. Sea urchin
Sea urchin is a dish that male tourists especially loved in the journey to discover Phu Quoc delicacies. Nhum, also known as sea urchin, is often to cook porridge or bake them with salt.
The most popular way is probably grilled urchin with salt, Phu Quoc pepper, and lemon, which is super tasty and nutritious.
Remember to go to Blue Sea restaurant at Ham Ninh Bridge, Ham Ninh town to enjoy sea urchin and many other attractive Phu Quoc specialties. In addition, Oc 343 restaurant at 343 Road 30 April, area 1, Duong Dong Town is also a place to eat sea urchin.
12. Grilled Grouper
Favored by nature for a rich source of seafood, Phu Quoc possesses a variety of flavors. Among them, grilled grouper must be mentioned, which is the most delicious and attractive dish on this island.
Fresh grouper is cleaned and grilled in embers. When the meat is cooked, the ecstatic aroma is hard to resist.
What’s more poetic than enjoying grilled grouper while sipping flavorful Sim wine while relaxing in Phu Quoc!
To try the grilled grouper, you may visit:
- Song Xanh Restaurant: 217 Road 30 April, Duong Dong Town, Phu Quoc
- Trung Duong Marina Restaurant: 136 Road 30 April, Duong Dong Town, Phu Quoc
13. Mackerel Noodle Soup
In Phu Quoc, many shops are selling Banh Canh (noodle soup), including fish cake soup, pork cake soup… but Phung restaurant near Dinh Cau is the most famous, specifically with Banh Canh Ca Thu (Mackerel Noodle Soup).
Phu Restaurant only uses fresh mackerel caught by island fishermen. In addition to being cooked fresh, mackerel is also made fried fish cake, all of which will be in a bowl of flavorful and heart-pleasing cake soup.
Addresses to eat mackerel noodle soup in Phu Quoc:
- Banh Canh Phung: 27 Bach Dang, Duong Dong Town, Phu Quoc
- Le Giang restaurant: 289 Tran Hung Dao, Duong Dong Town, Phu Quoc
14. Coi Bien Mai Grilled with Salt and Chili
Coi Bien Mai grilled with chili, salt, and pepper is one of the most famous Phu Quoc specialties. Coi Bien Mai is a type of triangular sea scallop with the size of three fingers, and lying deep on the seabed.
The islanders cook this food into many dishes such as sweet and sour stir-fry, steamed one, soup, or hot pot.
If you are addicted to the rich taste of the sea, the grilled Bien Mai with salt and pepper is perfect. Remember to taste it with a cup of beer.
Come to Song Xanh Restaurant at 217 Road 30 April to enjoy this food right away. Or, The 343 Oc restaurant at 343 Road 30 April, Duong Dong Town is also worth considering.
15. Wild Sim Wine
When checking for delicious Phu Quoc dishes, don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the scrumptious sim wine.
Phu Quoc sim wine is made from ripe myrtle fruit, picked from Ham Ninh myrtle forest. This wine is a very special one only available in Phu Quoc Island, often bought by tourists as gifts.
Where to buy myrtle wine in Phu Quoc:
- Apple Garden Restaurant: 1 Tran Hung Dao Street, Cua Lap Hamlet, Phu Quoc Island
- Ruou Vang Sim Bay Gao: 124 Road April 30th, Duong Dong Town, Phu Quoc Island
>>> You may want to see the famous breakfast dishes in Phu Quoc.
Rich specialties in Phu Quoc are a big attraction for domestic and foreign tourists. Besides, the friendliness and professional service of the locals in Pearl Island contribute to the attractiveness of this beautiful island.
Grab your backpack to fly to Phu Quoc right away! If you are a foodie, please save the local food mentioned above to taste when you come there.
Besides, do not forget to book a private car to explore the island better or come to the restaurants to enjoy the local food.
And, after tasting great local food, you can visit the famous Phu Quoc attractions to enrich your holidays on this island.