Rich and delicious dishes of Phu Yen

Give me a jar of "lighthouses"!

I froze for a few seconds when I heard the locals ordering food at a restaurant near the Tuy Hoa City Square intersection. After asking the owner, I realized that "Lighthouse" was actually tuna eye. My travel companion eagerly ordered two jars just like the ones at the next table. Five minutes later, the jars were brought to our table, still warm.

Tuna eyes, a specialty dish of Phu Yen province. Photo: PV

For diners whose fish heads aren't a favorite, the sight of the large, round fish eye peeking out from beneath the goji berries, jujubes, and scallions in the earthenware jar might evoke some apprehension. Carefully asking the waiter, I added some chopped herbs and perilla leaves to the jar before enjoying it. I spooned the broth, jujubes, goji berries, and then the fish eye, savoring the rich, nutty flavor of the eye, the subtle sweetness of the broth, and the savory taste of the onions, pepper, chili, and garlic. Finally, a lingering spiciness from the Chinese herbs and the tingling sensation of red chili remained on my tongue.

Although the tuna season in Phu Yen falls in the fourth lunar month, you can enjoy delicious dishes made from this flavorful fish at any time of year.

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You can enjoy this dish at restaurants on Le Duan, Le Loi, and Tran Hung Dao streets. Most restaurants have large signs that say "Ocean Tuna Specialty".

Depending on the size of the tuna eyes, a jar can hold one or two tuna eyes. The price is approximately 20,000 VND per jar.

+ In some restaurants, they will bring out the entire jar with a lid on a small plate, with a lit piece of alcohol placed on the side of the plate to keep the dish warm. Under the flame of the alcohol, the jar of fish eyes looks like a lighthouse.

Enjoy Vietnamese-style sashimi.

Those who are captivated by Japanese sashimi will be extremely pleased after trying Vietnamese-style sashimi in Phu Yen. This dish consists of raw tuna served with mustard (locally known as "bo tat").

We ordered a plate of tuna to balance the rich, fatty taste of the tuna eyes we had earlier. As a raw dish, the tuna must be prepared and preserved immediately after being caught to maintain its freshness. Large, bright red chunks of fish are cut into pieces about 4cm long, 2.5cm wide, and 0.5cm thick, then refrigerated. When served, the chef arranges the cool, pinkish pieces of tuna on a plate, along with a dipping sauce of soy sauce and mustard, and various herbs such as mustard greens, sawtooth coriander, Vietnamese coriander, basil, and mint.

Diners can eat the fish raw or wrapped in cabbage leaves, served with herbs. Photo: PV

When enjoying this dish, diners simply pick up pieces of raw fish, dip them into the soy sauce to coat the surface, then sprinkle with finely chopped roasted peanuts, and eat with herbs, chili, and garlic. Diners can eat the fish raw or wrapped in cabbage leaves, along with fresh herbs. Each piece of fresh raw fish offers a delicate sweetness and perfect tenderness without any fishy smell, combined with the aroma of fresh herbs and the pungent spiciness of mustard... all blending together and melting in the mouth, truly refreshing.

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+ Ba Tam Restaurant - 289 Le Duan Street, and other restaurants on Le Duan, Le Loi, and Tran Hung Dao streets... Price: 100,000 VND/serving for two people.

Besides tuna eyes and fresh tuna, other delicious tuna dishes you shouldn't miss include: stir-fried tuna offal, tuna stomach salad, tuna porridge, steamed tuna roe, steamed tuna offal, etc.

Banh beo chen (steamed rice cakes in small bowls) - The essence of rice

Banh beo chen (steamed rice cakes in small bowls) is a dish found on many streets and alleys in Phu Yen province, perfect for a light afternoon snack or a casual evening treat. I discovered this dish after visiting Ms. Mai's stall following an afternoon stroll along the streets at the foot of Nhan Mountain. The vendor nimbly placed 10 steamed rice cakes on a tray, then sprinkled shredded pork floss, crispy fried bread, and scallion oil on top of each, bringing them out to us along with a small bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce. Just a drizzle of the sauce and a bite is all it takes to experience the chewy texture of the rice cakes and the delicious aroma of the shredded pork floss and scallion oil – an irresistible combination.

Each bowl of steamed rice cakes is fragrant with shredded pork floss, crispy fried bread, and rich, savory scallion oil. Photo: PV

Reference addressSome eateries are located right at the foot of Nhan Mountain, such as Co Mai's shop and shop 92. Price: 20,000 VND/tray of 10 small rice cakes.

Enjoying sun-dried beef with yellow ant salt

As one of the specialties of the fertile land of Phu Yen, sun-dried beef with ant salt dip is enjoyed by many as a snack during meals or chosen as a gift for loved ones after a trip away from home. The name "sun-dried beef" comes from its preparation method. The dish is made from the tenderloin and thigh meat of the cow, sliced ​​thinly, and lightly marinated with spices such as sugar, salt, seasoning powder, crushed chili peppers, and sesame seeds. The meat is then sun-dried for one day, hence the name "sun-dried beef". The dried beef is stored in bags and, when ready to eat, is grilled over hot charcoal until golden brown and fragrant. Once cooked, the meat is placed on a cutting board, gently pounded with a mallet to soften it, and then torn into bite-sized pieces.

Sun-dried beef has a special dipping sauce made with yellow ant salt. Photo: dacsanbomotnang.com

Sun-dried beef is served with cucumber, unripe banana, various herbs, and a special dipping sauce: yellow ant salt made from ants and ant eggs along with a flavorful mixture of salt, lemongrass, and chili. Each piece of beef is fragrant, sweet, and chewy, with the distinctive sour and spicy taste of the ant salt, truly captivating many diners.

Reference address:Chuc Chuc restaurant and several other eateries along the Bach Dang embankment. Price: 90,000 VND/plate.

The blood cockles of O Loan Lagoon are famous.

Besides the list of famous scenic spots in Phu Yen, don't forget to spend time exploring O Loan Lagoon and enjoying the local specialties, especially blood cockles, which have long been a culinary trademark of this region. O Loan Lagoon is a brackish water lagoon located next to National Highway 1A, at the foot of Quan Cau Pass, 22km from Tuy Hoa city, with blood cockles and oysters being very famous specialties. The blood cockles here are famous for their thick, sweet, and delicious meat, prepared in many ways: grilled with scallion oil, grilled plain, steamed with lemongrass, tamarind sauce, stir-fried with salt and chili, or in porridge… When a plate of grilled blood cockles is served hot, each one plump and juicy, you simply pick one up, split the hard, fan-shaped shell in half, take out the meat inside with its bright pink blood mixed with dark yellow brick-like color, savor the sweet juice, and enjoy.

Blood cockles, with their thick, sweet, and delicious meat, are prepared in various ways, such as grilled with scallion oil or grilled plain... Photo: PV

Reference address:You can enjoy blood cockles at O ​​Loan Lagoon, specifically at the An Hai Bridge food court with floating restaurants. Tuan's restaurant serves this dish quite well. Price: 240,000 VND/kg.

During your exploration of Phu Yen, you can easily create a varied menu with dishes like chicken rice, banh hoi with pork offal, banh canh with chives, rice cooked in an earthenware pot, and various seafood dishes such as king crab, jumping snails, long snails, grouper, etc. Each dish reflects the unique characteristics of this simple and hospitable coastal region of South Central Vietnam.

Lan Vu

The Thanh