Goi ca mai (Mai fish salad)

Vung Tau is not home to Mai fish salad but when talking about Vung Tau cuisine, people can't not remember about this dish. And Mai fish salad becomes one of the most attractive dishes in Vung Tau. 

Mai fish is quite like anchovies, white body, small less fishy so that people often use it to make salad. For locals, the best goi ca mai is when selecting the freshest alive Mai fish – the fresher it is, the more delicious the salad will be.

After being caught, Mai fish will be shaved off all flakes. It need to be boneless to be very absorptive marinated.

 

The ingredients to marinate are quite simple such as vinegar, garlic, lemon and chili. When fish is medium-rare, it will be mixed with some “bột thính” (a kind of brown rice flavor), peanuts to raise the smell.

This salad is served with fresh vegetables and rice papers. The sauce of this dish includes garlic, minced chili, sugar, lemon, vinegar, fish sauce, crushed peanuts, soda or shrimp sauce.

 

Pick up a handful of salad and some vegetables to a thin rice paper, roll up, dip into sauce, diners will feel the unique taste, along with fish’s sweetness is sauce’s light salty, spicy chili, sour lime, fat taste of roasted peanuts and rice paper.

Although the ingredients seem simple, making a delicious sauce or not is all about the art.

See more

  • Bun Bo Hue

    As the name suggests, this dish is a noodle soup that comes from Hue —the former capital of Vietnam and bun bo Hue is one of the most famous food in the...

  • Halong Prawn

    Halong is not only proud for being one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, but also one of the most famous destinations for high quality seafood. Among all, the most...

  • Ta Hien's Beer

    Drinking beer, chatting with friend in the corner street in Hanoi  is the most greatest feeling when you come and enjoy the atmosphere here. 

  • Tarpon Hotpot (Lau ca khoai)

    Quang Binh cuisine has been well-known for a long time throughout the country by the delicious and rustic food. And tarpon hotpot has satisfied the most discerning...

  • Bo la lop

    Vietnamese go gaga over two things: grilled meats and wrapping said meats. Bo la lop combines these two things in a harmonious flavourful package.

  • Quang noodle (My Quang)

    Quang noodle (Mỳ Quảng) is one of the most famous specialties of Hoi An food. This dish’s ingredients include rice, vegetables and met but the way of cooking and...

  • Com Chay (Burned Rice)

    Com chay (burned rice) is a simple but very crispy and yummy dish of Ninh Binh province. It is one of the most famous food in Ninh Binh . 

  • Grilled fish in Ba Be Lake

    Ba Be lake is the largest fresh water in Vietnam so it provides a huge source of fresh fish. And grilled fish is the most famous dish and become a specialty of  Ba Be...

  • Khau Thuy Cake

    Khau Thuy cake is a specialty food of  Bac Kan and an indispensible food in Long Tong festival to worship the gods and hope for good weather and harvest.

  • Chinese Black Mushroom

    Sapa has cool temperature which is the invaluable resources that heaven has given to this place. Sapa is the place where Chinese black mushrooms hidden in the forests. Come to...

Most popular tours

Business info

  • Vietnam Local Guide

  • Address: 18th Floor, VTC Online Tower, 18 Tam Trinh Str.,Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi, Vietnam
  • Email: info@vietnamguider.com
  • Phone: (+84) 0904989890
  • Hotline: (+84) 0904989890