Short answer
Try steamed or grilled grouper, crab with tamarind, mantis shrimp and clams. Check prices per kilo and the weight before cooking. For breakfast, look for Hai Phong crab noodle soup and spicy mini bánh mì.
01Seafood the Cat Ba way
Choose
Point at the creatures in the tanks: fish, crab, prawns, clams, snails or squid.
Weigh and agree
Ask the price per kilo, watch it being weighed and confirm the total before anything is cooked.
Pick the cooking style
Steamed with ginger, grilled with salt and chilli, stir-fried with garlic, or in a hot pot.
Add sides
Rice, morning glory with garlic and a cold beer.
02Dishes to try
- Grouper (cá song). Steamed or in hot pot, the fish of the floating farms.
- Crab with tamarind. Sweet and sour, messy and delicious.
- Mantis shrimp (tôm tít). Steamed or salt-fried, a regional favourite.
- Tu hai. A large local clam, best between September and March.
- Sour barnacle soup. Unusual, tangy and very local.
- Bánh đa cua. Hai Phong's red rice noodle soup with crab broth, great for breakfast.
- Bánh mì cay. Mini spicy baguettes with pâté, a Hai Phong snack.
- Forest honey and fish sauce. Local products to take home.
03Night markets
In the evening, stalls along the harbour sell grilled skewers, seafood and snacks. A large seaside night market and entertainment complex near the central bay has dozens of food kiosks and live shows in season. Prices range from cheap snacks to full seafood platters.
04Eating responsibly
- Avoid dishes made from wild animals or protected species
- Skip shark fin and turtle products
- Choose restaurants that keep tanks clean and fish alive
- Use your own bottle for water where possible
?Questions people ask
How much does a seafood dinner cost on Cat Ba?
Roughly 250,000–700,000 VND per person, depending on what you choose and the restaurant.
Is the seafood safe to eat?
In busy restaurants with live tanks, generally yes. Eat shellfish cooked and avoid food left out in the heat.