On the journey of Ca Mau to conquer the southernmost land of the country, visitors will be overwhelmed by the immense space of Melaleuca and mangrove forests and will feel relaxed with the simple lifestyle of the people of the sea… But all will never be enough without Ca Mau foods & restaurants you must eat in Ca Mau. Food, in other words, eating is an indispensable activity in every travel trip. Traveling offers the perfect opportunity to try new and exciting foods from different parts of the world. You can enjoy for yourself the unique flavors that you have never tasted in your life. Ca Mau foods & drinks are the link connecting the characteristics of the cuisine of the river with the tourists who have visited.

By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Ca Mau Visitor Guide

1. Ca Mau Street Foods. Banh tam ga cay (Silkworm rice cake with curried chicken)

The silkworm rice cake with curried chicken here has two major parts, including “banh tam” (silkworm cake) and curried chicken. Besides, the cake is exactly the noodles which are quite similar to the silkworms so that’s how it’s called. Silkworm cake and curried chicken are served with bean sprouts and salad. When the dish is served, the silkworm cake is topped with steamy curried chicken and a bit of broth poured onto the rice noodles. Some veggies you can enjoy are salad and bean sprouts. Also, don’t forget to sprinkle some ground black pepper salt to add flavor to your food.

2. Grilled Vop clams with salt and pepper

The mangrove forest of this province has a unique and diverse ecosystem, in which there is a species of clam which is a rare specialty and can be processed into many delicious dishes, but the most delicious one is grilled Vop clams with salt, pepper, and lemon. The Vop clams are about 3 – 4 cm large, are washed, drained and then grilled on a charcoal grill, adding seasonings such as salt, pepper, lemon, and monosodium glutamate. Ca Mau people also often add a little onion fat, peanuts to enhance the taste, and vegetables including laksa leaves, herbs, and basil. When eating, you will feel the sweetness of the clam, the freshness of the vegetables, the sourness and saltiness blending in with the characteristic scent of charcoal… This delicious and unique dish offers the taste of the forest and the sea, attracting any visitor coming to Ca Mau Province.

3. Grilled snakehead fish

Grilled snakehead fish is a specialty that should not be missed, especially if it has to be grilled with straw, the fish meat will be fragrant and delicious. After the straw is burned, the fish is taken out and scraped off the burnt black scales on the outside to get a fresh and hot golden grilled meat, with a distinctive aroma that is hard to resist. According to our Ca Mau travel tip, grilled snakehead fish is wrapped in rice paper with some vermicelli, lettuce, herbs, … and must be dipped with thick tamarind fish sauce or fish sauce mixed with garlic, lemon, chili, sugar, etc. All these salty, sweet, sour, spicy and fleshy flavors of fish meat plus the pungent taste of a glass of alcohol are unmatched.

4. Grilled mudskipper fish

Grilled mudskippers with salt and pepper is a famous delicacy in the land of Ca Mau Cape. Despite its ugly appearance, the meat is very firm, sweet, fragrant and not fishy, and can be made into many delicious dishes that make diners praise nonstop. The fresh fishes are washed to clear the mud, marinated with a little salt and pepper, then placed on a charcoal grill over medium heat until the skin turns yellow and smells fragrant. Eating grilled mudskippers with salt and pepper is indispensable with the right dipping sauce to increase the delicious taste, served with vermicelli, rice paper and vegetables such as broccoli, salad, herbs…

5. Stone crab roast with salt

Stone crabs can be made into a variety of attractive dishes, but the most attractive is still roasted salt crabs. When the roast is finished, the crab will turn red, the meat is white, soft, slightly tough but sweet and eaten. This is considered one of the valuable specialties in Ca Mau. If you go to Ca Mau and want to eat this dish, you can enjoy the stone crab in restaurants under Ganh Hao Bridge. Or else, the Old street restaurant in 239 Phan Ngoc Hien Street, Ward 9, Ca Mau City, Ca Mau is also the best choice. This dish have the price about  US$ 7

6. Young bee salad

Young bee salad is known as the best dish of Ca Mau. Pupae salad is not eaten as a fish salad, after harvest it will be roasted with spices. When eaten with herbs, green bananas, you will feel the smell and fat of the pupae. In addition, you can also eat a few other dishes that are also made from young bees such as roasted bee noodles, fried noodles with bee porridge…Young bee salad is often served at restaurants in the U Minh Ha forest area because honey bees in the U Minh Ha forest are fat and delicious.

7. Ba Khia – A traditional food in Ca Mau

Ba Khia is one more traditional food in Ca Mau. Not only the local people but also the visitors love this food very much. Ba Khia’s shape is almost the same as the crab but the texture and texture of the meat is very different, and is more delicious. These are often eaten by salt or boiled with lemongrass. If you want to eat Ba Khia, come to Rach Goc in July, August during the lunar year. One of the best seafood restaurants is Quat Mo Seafood Restaurant in No. 14 Bui Thi Truong Street, Ca Mau.

8. Ca Mau Crab

Ca Mau crabs are actually the most typical specialty for any visitor. The crabs are big, tough and fleshy and processed in a variety of dishes such as charcoal grilled crabs, beer steamed crabs, grilled crabs, roasted crabs with tamarind sauce, crab hotpot or crab rice soup… Crab prices range from VND 450,000-550,000 / kg.

9. Good Ca Mau Restaurant to Try

Cua Thu Thiet Restaurant. Address: No.57 Ngo Gia Tu Street, Block 5, Ward 5. Price range: 39,000 – 499,000 VND / dish ($1.7 – 21.94). Opening hours: 2pm – 11pm

Quat Mo Seafood Restaurant. Address: No.14 – 16 Bui Thi Truong Street, Ward 5. Price range: 10,000 – 450,000 VND / dish ($0.44 – 19.78). Opening hours: 3pm – 12am

Hai Yen Restaurant. Address: No.210 Tran Hung Dao Street, Ward 5. Price range: 30,000 – 100,000 VND / dish ($1.32 – 4.4). Opening hours: 3pm – 12am

Pro Tips 

Here are our tips for easing your mind (and stomach) around food-handling environments that you may not be used to.

Make sure the food is freshly cooked. If you’re eating hot street food, it’s always safest (not to mention more delicious) to eat food you can see being cooked to order.

Look for lines and busy stalls. Busy street food stalls are an indicator of popularity, and their high turnover rate means the food is never sitting out for hours and developing dreaded bacteria. Yes, long lines can be discouraging when you’re hungry after a full day of exploring, but it’s not worth the risk of grabbing precooked food from the empty spot next door.

Eat when the locals are eating. The last and most important element here is when to eat. You’re likely already on a weird eating schedule while you’re traveling, but it’s important to try and adjust to the eating times of where you are. A bowl of pho might be lunch for Americans, but it’s breakfast for the Vietnamese. This ensures that you’re eating freshly cooked food and that you can find the best and most popular places to eat.

If you can’t drink the water, then you can’t eat the salad. Most people get so hung up on not drinking the water or skipping ice in drinks that they don’t think about all of the other ways in which water is used in food service. Fruits and vegetables tend to be washed with tap water in most places, rather than the filtered water that locals drink—or sometimes it’s not washed at all. If you’re really craving some produce, try fruits you can peel or cooked veggies.

Trust your gut. If you’re unsure about the food or the way that it’s being prepared, then keep moving. Eating street food all over the world doesn’t make you an expert. Every stall and every country are different, and sometimes the rules can be harder to follow. When something doesn’t look, smell, or feel right, don’t eat it! Trust your judgment. Chances are that there’s another spot close by that’s making something more delicious.

You can stay in a homestay which is near the riverside, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself. There are many local homestays in the mangrove forest near Ca Mau cape and near U Minh Ha forest. Both of these places are super green for staying and forgetting the world.

If you plan to extend your travel to Ca Mau homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.

Visit Ca Mau or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets and. Safety is a priority! Choose Ca Mau responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true. 

Ca Mau food & drink guide ranges from street food, authentic, fancy to fusion foods. As a tropical land of many fresh vegetables and homegrown gardens, which always make Ca Mau cuisines fresh, close to nature and very traditional. If you are a food lover, don’t hesitate to put other bites onto your food lists such as Banh tam ga cay (Silkworm rice cake with curried chicken), grilled Vop clams with salt and pepper, grilled snakehead fish, grilled mudskipper fish, stone crab roast with salt, young bee salad, Ba Khia – A traditional food in Ca Mau, Ca Mau crab is a must-eat…

Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral. 

Bring the raincoat if you’re planning a trip to Ca Mau in the rainy season, as Ca Mau always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.

Ca Mau tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Ca Mau City Bird Garden, Ca Mau Cape – The South Pole of Vietnam, Hon Khoai Island, Mui Ca Mau National Park, U Minh Ha National Park, Ngoc Hien Bird Sanctuary, Thi Tuong Lagoon, Ca Mau Floating Market (totally no more), Cao Dai Temple in Ca Mau, Nam Can Mangrove Forest, Quan Am Ancient Temple, Memorial Of President Ho Chi Minh, Watch the Sunrise and Sunset at Ca Mau Cape, Monivongsa Bopharam Pagoda, Thien Lam Pagoda, U Minh Forest, Hon Da Bac Island, Dam Doi Bird Sanctuary, Khai Long Tourist Area…

Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Ca Mau province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!

“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.

Thank you