Ham Ninh Fishing Village

Ham Ninh is an old fishing village on Phu Quoc's east coast, about 20 km from Duong Dong. It is one of the places on the island that best preserves its traditional character, with seafood restaurants built on stilts along a wooden pier about 200 m long that stretches out over a calm bay backed by the Ham Ninh hills.

The experience is simple and local rather than polished: choose live seafood from the tanks, have it weighed and cooked on the spot, and eat it over the water. The pier is old and narrow, so take care with young children or anyone unsteady on their feet.

Ham Ninh crab is the local star: its shell shows flower-like spots when cooked, and the meat is firm and sweet. It is served steamed with salt, pepper and lime, in crab soup or stir-fried. Other favourites include garlic mantis shrimp, salt-grilled prawns, steamed clams and snails, grilled squid, grilled oysters with cheese and grilled sea urchin. Cooking is mostly simple steaming and grilling, so the freshness shows.

Seating is basic and open-air, often plastic chairs and wooden tables with the sea visible through the floorboards. Late afternoon into sunset is the nicest time; at midday there is little shade, so bring a hat. Restaurants nearer the end of the pier have the widest views.

Take a taxi, Grab or a hotel car; many people also rent a scooter, but take care at night and on wet roads. Ham Ninh combines well with other east- and south-coast sights for a half-day trip. Stalls along the pier sell pearls, dried seafood and pepper; bargaining is normal.

Seafood is usually sold at market price by weight. Before it is cooked, ask for the price per kg (or per 100 g) and the weight of what you picked, so the bill holds no surprises. Check whether tax and service are included and whether cards are accepted.

Hygiene varies between restaurants: busy places with clean tanks and quick turnover are a safer bet.