Seafood - "Hai San" - Dong Xuan restaurant, Thap Ba Street

 Fresh Seafood - Hai San

There is an amazing range of fresh seafood available in Nha Trang cooked in many different ways. We like to eat seafood in a few places but the main place we like to eat if we want a reasonable amount is Thap Ba Street. We go to a restaurant called Dong Xuan. It is the first restaurant on the left hand side after you turn in from Tran Phu Street. It is north of the city over the bridge. You are out of the main tourist area but some tourists will come here.We bring many of our customers here and always bring family and friends here.

The prices are lower than in the city and it is popular with the locals so the turnover of food is good meaning it is fresh. Out the front of the restaurant is the seafood set up in baskets in water some with oxygen being pumped in to keep it alive. You can pick what you want and choose how much (by weight), normally negotiate a price and decide how you want it cooked. There is a menu for hotpots, rice and vegetable. All food is served with a great array of sauces. I don't like chilli and so they give me soy without chilli.

We like prawns (Tom), crab (Ghe) and shell (like a vongole). The shell is cooked in a broth with lemongrass and chilli, prawns are steamed as is the crab. This is finger licking good. One kg of prawns, 1 kg of shell, 4 crabs a couple of beers and soft drinks for four people cost us 762 000 VND $36 USD. You always pay for hand towels too (2 000VND each). We couldn't fit anymore in.

This is our bill for feeding 4 adults and drinks. $36.00

There is small seating out the front (local place) and inside the restaurant is big seats with tables that have tablecloths. You can choose.

While you sit here there is a large range people hoping to entertain you with music, dancing and magic. They sing or dance and their friend will come around and sell you some sugared peanuts or crackers and this is how they make money.

There is also a range of people selling many things from rice cakes, lotto, green mango, chewing gum and if you are lucky enough coconut jelly. I love this. We bought some for 6 000VND each. This one is particularly good incorporating coconut milk and well as coconut water. This little boy (who is eight) was selling green apple and chilli salt. He looked hungry so we gave him crab (which he had never had) and a coconut jelly to eat (which he loved). He would be at school all day and then out with his mother selling food trying to earn money at night.