3 RECOMMENDED VIETNAMESE FOOD RESTAURANTS IN PHU QUOC ISLAND

I. ANNA’S NHA CUON RESTAURANT (187 Đường Trần Hưng Đạo, Cửa Lấp, Phú Quốc)

A typical Vietnamese restaurant located on the beautiful island of Phu Quoc, Anna’s Nha Cuon Restaurant is a different destination among the many places to eat and visit in Phu Quoc. The house sells familiar rolls, typical of Vietnamese family meals, besides there are Western European dishes created by the owner himself. The restaurant is very close to Salinda Phu Quoc Resort and Dusit Moonrise resort so if you stay at these two beach resorts, it’s very convenient to drop by for dinner.

We would vote Anna’s Nha Cuon as top one of Vietnamese food restaurants in Phu Quoc for three big highlights: 

+ Cleanliness: To be honest, Food hygiene and safety in restaurants in Phu Quoc is average. We appreciate the clean air-conditioned dining space and organized food presentation of Anna’s Nha Cuon and their clean kitchen which is kind of really rarely-seen in Phu Quoc. Many of our guests had to cancel our snorkeling & diving tours last minutes due to being encountered food poisoning problems after dining at some restaurants in the center of Phu Quoc, thereby we understand & appreciate the issue of food hygiene and safety whereas many food and beverage businessmen in the island still underestimate this issue.

 

+ Very simple yet elegant interior decors. They bring Old Classics to a Modern Setting by showcasing Gốm Bát Tràng products (Bat Trang Ceramics of Northern Vietnam) in the restaurant. They also use Bat Trang dinnerware at different sizes and shapes to serve small portions of dishes.

+ Friendly and attentive staff: Staff are almost all around 20 years old but well-trained with attentiveness and cleverness.

Beside 3 big highlights from our experience, they deliver great options of rolls (which means “Cuốn”) and skewers, very typical dishes in Vietnam. Rolls and skewers come with slightly fancier options: pork rolls, beef shanks, sugar cane shrimp, grilled lemongrass pork, crispy spring rolls. All items are served with unlimited refills or lettuces & herbs, and big highlights which are some types of sauces that are tasty.

Tips/ Side notes

• Grilled fish is too fast, so you shouldn’t choose this dish.
• Some dishes are quite pricey, if you dine as a couple, 2 dishes with drinks are fine, budget of around 500,000 VND for 2.
• The menu is exclusive of the 5% service charge
• Plan to stay: 1,5 –2 hours 

Note as of 20 June 2024: Recently, we have seen that there are some negative feedback on their Google business profile, make sure you check some updates from recent customers before you decide to come.

II. NHÀ XƯA 68 (68 Lý Thường Kiệt St., Phu Quoc)

With a bold Southern and Vietnamese space and many Western delicacies (Mekong Delta), Nha Xua 68 is an “expensive” address for those who like to eat cozy country rice when coming to Phu Quoc.

Back to the simplicity, this restaurant reminds Vietnamese 80s people about their childhood.

The restaurant has 3 separate serving zones:
1. The outside zone – airy – close to the roadside – gives the feeling of closeness like Vietnamese street food style, although this area is quite clean.
2. Main zone inside the house with fan and no air conditioner
3. An enclosed zone with air-conditioning & more private: a little extra fee, about 60,000 VND/ hour

Some signature Southern Vietnamese foods people should try are canh chua (sweet and sour soup), thịt luộc mắm tép (boiled pork served with sour fermented shrimp), and khổ qua xào trứng (bitter melon stir-fried with eggs), Lẩu mắm, a traditional hotpot which is common throughout the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, consists of a broth made from fermented fish and is served with a variety of pork, seafood, and vegetables.

• The quality seems to vary a lot, not constantly every time we dine
• The staff hardly speaks English but they are helpful and you can manage with Google Translation
• The location is not too close to the city center
• Some dishes are quite sweet in the Mekong Delta style, which may not be suitable for the masses. However, if you’re in the Mekong Delta City, why not try this time? 🙂

3. THE SPICE HOUSE- CASSIA COTTAGE (100C/ 12 Tran Hung Dao, Duong Dong, Phu Quoc)

Housed in a charming open pavilion with pool & sea views in Cassia Cottage – a very first 4-star resort in the centre of Phu Quoc., the Spice House is one of the must-try bucket lists of foodies.

The dishes take advantage of fresh local ingredients and a deep knowledge of Vietnamese spices. All are completely free from MSG, preservatives or colouring. The result is a menu that blends Vietnamese dynamism with Mediterranean sensibilities; complemented by an impressive wine selection from France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, America and Chile, as well as imported spirits and cigars.

Some great Vietnamese dishes you should try here are the Vietnamese pancake (Banh Xèo), spring rolls (gỏi cuốn), the green mango and shrimp salad, and of course, the chocolate lava cake! More expensive than other restaurants in the area but it is part of the hotel and quite luxe.