"Eat at Cua Hoi, wade through Cua Lo"...

(Baonghean) - Cua Hoi is a fascinating addition for tourists visiting Cua Lo town. Cua Hoi now boasts a more subdued culinary scene, further enhancing the vibrant and captivating atmosphere of Cua Lo, currently considered Vietnam's "number one natural beach"...

No matter what you say, the South and North coasts are not as easily found as Cua Lo, with its gently curving beach bordered by the Cam and Lam rivers, creating a small area of ​​clean, clear water and abundant natural resources, allowing the locals to refine and create their own unique culinary delights. Visiting Cua Lo today, one finds a harmonious blend of diverse needs for tourists during their stay, from swimming to dining, partly thanks to the town's wise policy of highlighting the unspoiled beauty of Cua Hoi, offering a necessary touch of rustic relaxation. The cuisine and beach services in the central Cua Lo area delight visitors, allowing them to enjoy the blessings of nature, evoking aesthetic appreciation from the surrounding park, the seaside square, and the myriad of elaborate and thoughtfully prepared seafood dishes. So, towards Cua Hoi, where the river mouth's bathing beach is generously tossed by silver waves at high tide, you'll find seafood dishes prepared in a way that seems to retain the simple, heartfelt hospitality of the fishermen welcoming their esteemed guests!

Grilled mackerel and Cua Hoi fish sauce have created a compelling culinary experience for discerning diners regardless of the season. But if you want a unique experience at the Cua Hoi beach area today, why not try jellyfish salad and oyster salad? Jellyfish salad is usually an appetizer for tourists before they enthusiastically explore the main seafood specialties like crab, shrimp, and sea crab... of Cua Lo in general. But the hands of the people of Nghi Hai and Nghi Huong fishing villages on the Cua Lo side create a uniquely rich and flavorful jellyfish salad. The fresh, delicious jellyfish is sliced ​​into larger pieces to retain more of its original sea flavor. Besides the usual spices, the cook also adds a small spoonful of Cua Hoi fish sauce to the jellyfish salad, creating a unique aroma that evokes the feeling of the sea breeze or the lingering taste of waves in the senses of visitors, now enhanced by the crushed roasted peanuts and aromatic herbs such as mint, cinnamon, lime leaves, and chili peppers... all grown right in this land.

Although it's an appetizer, the rustic and generous presentation, with its translucent jellyfish "strands" soaked in freshly squeezed lime juice to enhance the refreshing sourness, makes it impossible for diners to nibble; instead, they have to scoop it up neatly with chopsticks. Before they can even fully appreciate the sweetness, coolness, and aroma of the jellyfish, the refreshing sourness of the garden lime and the spiciness of the chili peppers will extinguish any appetite of those who have just been immersed in the waves, allowing them to devour the dish and fully enjoy a fragrant, refreshing, and nutritious seafood meal.

Grilling clams at Cua Hoi beach. Photo: Xuan Nhuong

But the real thrill for the men is when enjoying the oyster salad from Cua Hoi. The plump oysters, about the size of an adult's hand, are shucked, the meat kept intact in one side of the shell, and placed on a plate. It's a feeling of both apprehension and excitement as the restaurant guides you in enjoying this dish made from fresh, live shellfish right before your eyes. After preparing a small bowl of freshly squeezed lemon juice and a small bowl of soy sauce with mustard for each diner, the restaurant gently picks up the oyster meat, places the whole oyster into the lemon juice, and while waiting for the meat to absorb the lemon flavor, wraps an ice cube in a napkin, then engages in conversation and comments about the oyster salad. After a few minutes, they pick up another marinated oyster, dip it into the mustard sauce, and then... well, you know. Just put down your chopsticks and pop it neatly into your mouth! Don't be afraid when the mustard fumes hit you; there are ice cubes wrapped in napkins, just apply them to your nostrils. Take a deep breath, boldly savor a bite of oyster salad, and you'll feel like you've just "swallowed" the entire ocean, full of waves and wind. Each diner only needs to eat two oysters like that to get them excited for a lively reunion feast on the beach…

Savoring some of Cua Hoi's delicious dishes is the perfect way to explain the saying, "Eat at Cua Hoi, wade through Cua Lo." Whether it's a common saying among food connoisseurs or locals, the delicious food of Cua Hoi has already captivated visitors.

Mr. Vu