Lost in seafood paradise at Con Dao night market

Con Dao night market.

It is not difficult to find Con Dao night market because the area is located right in front of the traditional market, with bright lights from afar. The market space is open, although the main gate is on Pham Van Dong street, we approached the market from the side. That day was the April 30 and May 1 holidays, so there were many tourists coming to Con Dao and of course the night market was busier than usual. The market area is quite large but almost full even though the vendors had added tables and chairs to increase the service capacity.

Tourists often whisper that Con Dao seafood is the most famous. At Con Dao night market, there are all kinds of seafood for sale. Crabs, snails, squid, shrimp, fish of all kinds, sea urchins... are fresh on baskets, stalls and in glass cabinets. Tourists can choose the seafood themselves, weigh it and the staff of each stall will prepare the dishes according to their requests.

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Mai is always busy making burnt rice to sell to customers.

We chose the simplest way to prepare prawns and crabs, steamed and grilled to enjoy the typical freshness. There were too many customers so the waiting time was a bit long, but the quality of the seafood was worth the money, rich in sweet and fatty flavors, fresh. The staff was also polite and courteous. The market did not have a single sound of haggling.

In addition to the main seafood products, Con Dao night market also sells grilled skewers in the style of street food , corn, potatoes, grilled rice paper, burnt rice... I was especially impressed with the burnt rice with fish sauce stall named Anh 7. Three pans of rice with 3 eye-catching colors including natural white rice, pandan green, purple purple are rotated evenly on a blazing stove. Mr. Nguyen Tuan Mai, the stall owner, continuously spreads the rice, watches the fire so that the rice is burnt evenly, sprinkles with scallion oil, and pork floss. In front of the stall, customers stand and sit in long lines waiting.

Con Dao Night Market is located right in the center of town, on Vo Thi Sau and Pham Van Dong streets. The market opens at 5pm, but the busiest time is from 7pm to 10pm every day. During peak tourist season and weekends, the market operates all night to serve the late-night snacking needs of tourists, but usually closes before 2am.

Mr. Mai said he has been doing business at the night market since the end of 2023. Each tray of burnt rice costs 100,000 VND. Whether there are many customers or not, he still keeps the same price. Seating is limited, so customers mainly buy to go. "This season, there are many tourists, the purchasing power is very good, but each night I only make about 60 portions to ensure quality," said Mr. Mai.

At Con Dao night market, vendors and waiters are all cheerful and polite, although they are busy serving, there is not a single argument. In particular, the prices of seafood and other food and drinks are clearly listed, at reasonable levels. Vendors also support each other with seats for customers when it rains.

Our dinner that night included grilled tiger prawns, steamed crabs, steamed snails with lemongrass, seafood hotpot and fried mantis shrimp with garlic. Five people were full for 1.2 million VND. Everyone was satisfied with the quality and price.

Grilled dishes typical of street food sold at Con Dao Night Market.

Con Dao has entered the rainy season. The market has no roof so it is quite inconvenient when it rains. That day, while we were in the middle of a meal, it started to rain and we had to move our seats. However, that did not bother us, on the contrary, the impression we left was of community cohesion and healthy competition through product quality. Con Dao night market is like a "lens" promoting the coastal culture, civilization, and friendliness of the complete and full tourist island.

Article and photos: DANG KHOA

Source: https://baobariavungtau.com.vn/du-lich/202505/lac-loi-thien-duong-hai-san-o-cho-dem-con-dao-1042688/