10 Best & Most Popular Seafood Dishes You Can Find In Any Vietnam Beaches

Crab

Crab continues to be a favorite seafood choice for beachgoers, especially in Vietnam's coastal regions. On menus at seaside restaurants, crab dishes are often front and center, and you can easily find street vendors selling fresh crabs at local markets or supermarkets. Freshly caught crabs are delivered directly from fishing boats to various vendors, ensuring they are fresher than in other areas. Visitors have the opportunity to savor crab dishes or buy live crabs to take home, making for perfect gifts for family and friends.

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There is a diverse range of crab dishes available, including steamed crab, salt-roasted crab, tamarind-roasted crab, crab salad, crab soup, and crab hot pot. Enjoying a splendid crab dish while watching the sunset is an unforgettable experience and a must-try for anyone visiting Vietnam's beaches.

Sentinel Crab

The sentinel crab remains a popular seafood choice in Vietnam, readily available at marine tourist destinations nationwide. This species resembles traditional crabs, leading to some confusion. Sentinel crabs have a mossy color and white spots, while typical crabs exhibit a coppery yellow hue. The pincers of sentinel crabs are smaller and elongated, and they possess a lighter, stiffer abdomen. Notably, their flavor is less sweet and has a strong aroma.

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Sentinel crabs are more affordable than their traditional counterparts, making them highly favored by locals. They are commonly found in seafood markets and supermarkets. Their distinctive scent evokes memories of the sea, attracting visitors seeking to enjoy authentic coastal flavors. They can be prepared in various ways, such as boiled or steamed sentinel crab with beer and lemongrass, sweet and sour fried sentinel crab, and spicy fried sentinel crab.

Mantis Shrimp

Mantis shrimp are a popular delicacy in Vietnam, especially along the coast. Their elongated bodies and unique milky white markings appeal to seafood enthusiasts. Known for their chewy and sweet flavor, they offer a distinct aroma not found in regular shrimp or lobster. Fresh mantis shrimp can be found at seafood markets or roadside vendors. Like crabs and sentinel crabs, mantis shrimp are a beloved seafood choice for both locals and travelers due to their rich and unique taste.

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Mantis shrimp can be prepared in numerous styles while still preserving their natural flavors, including boiled or steamed, salt-roasted, in soup, or grilled with chili sauce. If you're visiting central coastal provinces, be sure to try the local specialty of fried mantis shrimp with tamarind, which perfectly balances the shrimp's sweetness with the tartness of tamarind.

Shrimp

Shrimp is a staple of Vietnamese seafood and plays a vital role in the country’s thriving export industry. With a coastline stretching over 3,260 kilometers and a tropical monsoon climate, Vietnam offers an ideal environment for diverse shrimp species such as sugpo prawns, white shrimp, lobsters, and pink shrimp. These are caught by local fishermen and sold fresh at restaurants, seafood markets, or directly to consumers. While shrimp might be a common dish in daily life, enjoying the freshest shrimp by the clear blue sea is a must when visiting Vietnam's beaches.

Photo: @haisan_hoanggia

Thanks to the direct supply chain, shrimp are available at reasonable prices in coastal areas. Many visitors choose to buy the freshest shrimp to cook themselves or as gifts for loved ones. The cooking methods for shrimp are also incredibly varied, including steamed shrimp, shrimp salad, fried shrimp with garlic and butter, and dried shrimp.

Squid

Due to favorable conditions, squid remains a prominent seafood species in Vietnam. The squid available includes popular varieties such as squids, which are abundant in markets and supermarkets at reasonable prices, bigfin reef squid, which is often used in gourmet dishes, and dried squid, along with squid egg—considered a delicacy. The best squid is typically harvested from March to May when they are flavorful and abundant.

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When you travel to Vietnam’s coastal provinces, you will find squid featured prominently in restaurants, often appearing in multiple dishes, or sold in markets and supermarkets. Some squid dishes have even become local specialties, such as Ha Long squid cakes, Ca Mau cuttlefish egg cakes, Da Nang fried squid with tamarind, and dried squid from Binh Thuan. These make for excellent gifts to bring back for family and friends after your beach trip.

Hard Clam

Hard clams are another beloved seafood in Vietnam that should not be overlooked. These bivalves feature light yellow or white shells and thrive in tropical waters, making Vietnam’s coast an ideal habitat. Hard clams are available almost year-round, and you can find them easily at seafood markets.

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Hard clams are known for their sweet, chewy consistency, and their pleasant broth makes them a favorite among locals and tourists alike. They can be used in a range of dishes, including steamed hard clams with pineapple, stir-fried hard clams with garlic and butter, clam soups, and hot pots. The affordability of hard clams makes it easy to enjoy them while unwinding at the beach.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish are found along the coasts of Vietnam from north to south, particularly flourishing during the summer months when their season peaks. Characterized by their translucent, trailing tentacles, jellyfish can often be spotted drifting along the shore. Due to their potential toxicity, proper processing of jellyfish is crucial before they can feature in local cuisine.

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With a crisp and slightly sweet taste, jellyfish are commonly used in salads such as jellyfish salad with meat and shrimp, plain jellyfish salad, jellyfish cucumber salad, jellyfish noodle soup, jellyfish hotpot, and stir-fried jellyfish with beef. As a distinct and affordable seafood option, pre-processed jellyfish are readily available in seafood markets and supermarkets. If you ever feel the urge to enjoy jellyfish, you can easily find bags of processed jellyfish or prepared jellyfish salad at supermarket stalls.

Razor Clam

The razor clam is notable for its elongated, nail-like appearance, making it an unforgettable seafood option for visitors. This delicacy, richly flavored with a distinct aroma, is especially prevalent in coastal regions. Razor clams are harvested throughout the year, but their flavor peaks during the rainy season around May to June, making it the ideal time to enjoy them. Due to their popularity, razor clams are available in markets and roadside stalls and featured on menus in both high-end and casual restaurants.

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Razor clams can be prepared in various ways, including steamed, fried with tamarind, in salads, or stir-fried with perilla leaves. You shouldn't miss this unique and affordable dish during your beach vacation.

Sweet Snail

Sweet snail is a must-try seafood when visiting Vietnam's beaches. Known as the "Queen of Snails," they are often regarded as a premium dish that leaves a lasting impression on those who taste them. The snails have an appealing yellow and brown-speckled shell and exude an enticing aroma. When steamed without additional spices, they give off scents reminiscent of pandan and galangal. Their unique texture is crunchy and sweet, leading to a higher market price; however, customers enjoy their refreshing taste. Sweet snails are cultivated extensively to meet both culinary and export demands, making them widely available in seafood markets and stores.

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With their distinctive aroma and rich flavor, sweet snails can be prepared in several ways, including steamed, stir-fried with tamarind, sautéed with salt, and stir-fried with corn, lemongrass, or chili. Be sure to try this unique seafood dish during your time in Vietnam, especially in Phu Quoc, known for its remarkable sweet snail offerings.

Scallop

Vietnam's scallops are a nutritious seafood that is beloved in many coastal areas, particularly in Phan Thiet and Phu Quoc. Their distinctly fan-shaped shells house soft, milky-white flesh rich in flavor. Scallops are known for their sweet, buttery taste and milky aroma, and they can be enjoyed fresh or frozen. Consequently, fresh scallops are commonly found at seafood stalls or markets, while frozen ones are available in supermarkets.

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Scallops are often enjoyed raw as sashimi or in various dishes, including stir-fried scallops with butter, grilled scallops with onion or cheese, scallop porridge, and stir-fried scallops with vegetables. There's nothing quite like indulging in a plate of scallops, savoring their vibrant sea flavors, while sipping a glass of wine and taking in the sunset over the ocean.