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Phu Quoc Night Market

The Phu Quoc Night Market (Chợ đêm Phú Quốc) in Duong Dong is an open air market where tourists can shop for souvenirs, Phu Quoc pearls, eat fresh BBQ seafood, have a drink, as well as sample a variety of Vietnamese style street food. Once the sun has set the Phu Quoc Night Market comes alive and provides a welcome reprieve from the daytime sun.

Phú Quốc Night Market

Region: Duong Dong | Vietnamese name: Chợ Đêm Phú Quốc | Directory | Rating: 2.5/5

One of the most popular “Things to do” while vacationing on Phú Quốc is to visit the Phu Quoc Night Market at least once. This market is a “made-for-tourist” destination — one of many found in Phú Quốc District. It is a very popular place to visit at night and one that is extremely busy. Most people come here to sample the islands seafood, take pictures of exotic creatures being displayed in giant fish tanks, shop for cheap souvenirs, or to simply soak in the atmosphere.

With everything from seafood to pearls, the Phú Quốc Night Market offers visitors a great shopping atmosphere and a great place to visit for the entire family at least once while you vacation on the island.

what to expect

the scene

Streets lined with seafood restaurants and street food carts, lots of foot traffic mixed with the odd motorbike zooming in between, a variety of aromas, and a good mixture of local and international patrons.

WHAT WE LIKE

Piles and piles of fresh seafood — from a gourmet dish of grilled scallops, a plate of fresh steamed ginger squid served with the famous Phu Quoc fish sauce, boiled sea snails, oysters, flower crabs cooked with noodles, grilled sea urchin, shrimps galore, lobster, as well as shark! If you look carefully at the squid on display, you will see that it is changing colors.

WHAT WE DON'T LIKE

Some of the vendors market their seafood as "fresh" when in fact it is quite old. Anything that doesn't sell gets refrigerated. It is also hard to distinguish between what is "wild caught" and "what is farmed/imported". Most of the shrimp, lobster, salmon, abalone, and a few others are imported. If you want to try fresh seafood caught from the surrounding seas, then try the tuna, cobia, herring, squid, octopus, and most shell-fish.

HOW MUCH

The Phu Quoc Night market is not a local wet and dry market like the Chợ Dương Đông but rather a tourist market so expect to pay a fairly large premium on everything you buy here.

WHAT TO BUY

The Phu Quoc Night Market is a great place to buy cheap souvenirs like fake pearls, hand made goods, and typical souvenir t-shirt. There are a number of pop-up bars as well, most of which have a cross-continental tavern kind of vibe and affordable prices.

WHO GOES THERE

Mainly tourists, both international and Vietnamese. Locals go there mainly to watch the tourists, but only a rare few will actually eat here as the prices are higher than other local places.

⊕ If you are an animal rights activist, you will find this market quite troubling. The seafood at the Phu Quoc Night Market is all visible and most of the animals are kept alive in giant fish tanks until they have been sold — then dropped on a grill.

Night Market Tour

What To Try At The Phú Quốc Night Market

Seafood

Oysters, shrimps, lobsters, sea snails, urchins, even sea snakes can all be found on the menu. We recommend trying the squid as it is a local specialty and it is most likely to be fresh.

Street Food

Ice cream rolls, Sticky coconut candy (Kẹo Chỉ), banana crepes, deep fried pastries and more can be found at the night market.

Did you know....

That the popular ice cream rolls (Kem cuộn) found at the Phu Quoc Night Market originated in Thailand? They are not only popular in Phu Quoc but at almost every major city in Vietnam. Cream, fruit syrup, and other toppings are added to a cold metal plate where its quickly mixed using metal scrapers. Once all ingredients are mixed, the mixture is flattened, curled into rolls and then served in a bowl with a variety of toppings.

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