Joanna James
It's not only the idyllic seaside of Mui Ne that awaits your indulgence, but also the beach town's cuisine that treats you to its local dishes. Come, taste your way through an assortment of authentically Mui Ne dishes and let your taste buds savour the tantalising tastes of Southeast Vietnam.
The combination of yellow egg noodles and flat rice noodles of mi quang not only makes for the indulgence of your taste buds but also your eyes. Joining the two variations of noodles in a steaming bowl of mi quang are thickly sliced pork belly and a few other ingredients — shrimp, fish, boiled eggs, roasted peanuts, fish crackers, and fresh herbs and vegetables such as banana blossoms, lettuce, scallions, cilantro, and coriander. Quảng Nam Province in Central Vietnam may claim the title of being the home to mi quang, but the delectable noodle dish is enjoyed throughout the nation, including Mui Ne in the southeast.
While the westerners' idea of a pancake may involve a stack of soft pancakes with sugary syrup poured over, pancakes in Mui Ne and all other parts of Vietnam are anything but the same. The Vietnamese like their pancakes crunchy, crispy, savoury, and stuffed. Banh xeo is the closest alternative to the typical pancake back at home (in the west), but the relish is far from different and would treat you to something rather surprisingly savoury. The delectable Vietnamese delicacy gets its name from the sound the rice batter makes when it is poured into the hot skillet — undeniably an aptly named moniker.
Those seeking a truly authentic Vietnamese experience and courageous enough to put your taste buds at risk, grab yourself a couple of grilled lizards. Yep, you read that right, lizards. Dong, a species of lizard found in sandy desert areas of Mui Ne, is the lizard one could find being served at street food stalls that line the streets of Mui Ne. You'd be surprised to see that it is the tourists who mostly line up to get a taste of this authentic delicacy. After all, you wouldn't fly all the way to Mui Ne just to leave with only some local garden salad under your belt.
No Vietnamese experience would be complete without some classic Vietnamese dumplings under your belt and Mui Ne is no exception. Vietnamese pork or shrimp dumpling — or Banh Quai Vac, as it is known locally — is one of the most favoured of the bunch by locals and tourists alike. Hit the vibrant street food stalls of Mui Ne and there would be no shortage of tantalising Banh Quai Vac.
Another unmissable classic Vietnamese delicacy is Rang Muc Nuong — popularly known as grilled squid teeth by tourists to Mui Ne. Those seeking to get a taste of this authentic experience could get their cravings satisfied at many Mui Ne restaurants, including the likes offered by Anantara Mui Ne Resort.
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