Sea food paradise - Phan Thiet

Phan Thiet Banh Can

In Phan Thiet, banh can is a familiar breakfast and afternoon dish. The tiny cakes are molded in a hot clay mold, with eggs, squid or fresh shrimp inside. Banh can is served with sweet and sour fish sauce, meatballs, shredded green mango and crispy pork rinds, creating a very unique flavor. One morning, walking around town, stopping at a banh can shop by the roadside, enjoying hot cakes while listening to the sound of waves echoing in the distance, that feeling is unforgettable.

Banh quai vac

Banh quai vac is a simple snack, often sold on carts in the market or on the roadside. The cake has a clear shell made from tapioca flour, and a filling of braised shrimp. When eaten, the cake is drizzled with fish sauce, sprinkled with fried onions, peanuts and a little pork fat, making it fragrant. Every time you visit Phan Thiet market, you only need a few tens of thousands of dong to have a small box of cakes to enjoy while walking.

Phan Thiet Quang noodles

Unlike Quang noodles in Quang Nam or Da Nang, Quang noodles in Phan Thiet have thin noodles, are eaten dry and are often served with a bowl of spicy fish sauce. A bowl of noodles has braised pork belly, boiled eggs, raw vegetables, peanuts, etc. All mixed together, fragrant and rich in the taste of the sea. This is a dish that Phan Thiet people often eat early in the morning or afternoon, and is easy to find in popular restaurants and small markets.

Grilled squid teeth

In the evening in Phan Thiet, walking through the snack shops, you will see grilled squid teeth is a "national" dish. The squid teeth are small, crunchy, marinated with strong flavors and grilled fragrantly. This dish is served with Vietnamese coriander, dipped in green chili salt, simple but fascinating. Sitting in the cool sea breeze, sipping a few skewers of squid teeth with friends, is truly an experience not to be missed.

Mai fish salad

Mai fish is a small fish with clear, naturally sweet meat and very little fishy smell. Mai fish salad is made from fresh fish, mixed with onions, Vietnamese coriander, green mango, peanuts, etc. Wrapped in rice paper, dipped in tamarind fish sauce or fermented fish sauce is the best. "If you come to Phan Thiet and haven't eaten banh can, fish salad or squid teeth, it's like you've only done half the trip," said Nguyen Anh Khoa - tour guide of Saomaituor Company, based on Pham Thi Ngu Street, Binh Thuan Ward, with many years of experience leading Mui Ne - Phan Thiet tours, smiling and talking as he led the group of tourists to the center of Phan Thiet Ward for sightseeing and eating.

Hot pot

Hotpot is a typical dish of Mui Ne - Phan Thiet. A hotpot tray will have all kinds of colors: anchovies, fried eggs, boiled meat, raw vegetables, green mango, cucumber... decorated like a brilliant flower. When eating, roll the ingredients in rice paper, dip in fish sauce with garlic, chili and fatty peanuts. The sweet and sour taste is light, very harmonious and delicate. This dish is both delicious and beautiful, and very suitable to eat with family or friends.

It can be said that Phan Thiet cuisine has many dishes, most of which are not sophisticated or luxurious, but it is the simplicity and authenticity that makes people remember forever. Each dish is a part of the memories of the people here and is also a great bridge for tourists to better understand the culture and people of the coastal region. "I often tell guests: "When going to Phan Thiet, you must be hungry, leave your heart a little empty to eat, to feel, to love this land more..." - Mr. Khoa's words are like a warning, a gentle ending to the culinary journey full of flavors when visiting Phan Thiet.