Cay Su Quan Phong Cua
Whenever I come to Ho Chi Minh City, the first thing that comes to my mind is fresh seafood and crabs will be my priority.
I met up with a client and he invited me to this place call Cay Su Quan Phong Cua. It is quite a distance from District 1 (about 30 minutes by taxi) but for the good food, it is always worth travelling there.
We arrived at about 7:30pm and you would be amazed by how big and packed the place is. Do not expect high class settings with air-con because it is open concept with a huge shelter and look more like a market place. You will probably be sitting on low chairs with low tables street style. Since we are in Vietnam, then eat like a Vietnamese, to feel and embrace the true culture!
We waited for about 20 minutes for a table. Upon giving us the menu, we were also directed to catch our own crabs and other seafood. You are able to choose the style of cook such as salted egg, steam, grill, Singapore chili sauce and other cooking style.
There are large baskets of crabs on the floor and inside hold extremely big crabs. Wow! They were really big. Everyone was snatching them. The friendly waitress saw me struggling through the busy crowd and so she helped me to catch 2 pretty big crabs and helped me with the orders as well. We went for Salted Egg and Tamarind Sauce. I also ordered a plate of vegetables.
It took about 30 minutes for the dishes to be ready. The taste is so much better than it looks. Honestly, this is one of the places that served the best crabs I have ever eaten. The one that stood out to me the most was the Tamarind Crab. The sauce was tasty, and the crab meat was tender. As for the Salted Egg Crab, the sauce is a little too watery for my liking.
Generally, it is not an expensive place to dine for decent seafood. The most important thing is that everything here is fresh. I will come back again. If only it was nearer to District 1. Hahaha.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Cay Su Quan Phong Cua
1019A Binh Quoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
