Follow your nose down almost any street in Mui Ne after 5 p.m. and it will lead you to a charcoal grill crowded with shellfish, squid, and fish hissing over the coals. Grilling is one of the most popular ways Mui Ne cooks its seafood, and a handful of dishes show up again and again on local menus. Here's what to actually order, and where to find it.
A quick honest note before we start: if you're picturing a whole grilled crab or a thick cobia steak charred over fire, Mui Ne's kitchens usually take those two in a different direction — crab here is more often steamed with beer or tossed into a tangy dragon-fruit salad, and cobia (cá bớp) tends to show up raw-marinated or in hot pot rather than on the grill. What the local grills really excel at is squid, shrimp, scallops, and smaller reef fish — and once you've tried them, you won't miss the crab.
Rang Muc Nuong — Grilled Squid "Teeth"
The single most talked-about grilled seafood snack in town is răng mực nướng, literally "grilled squid teeth." It isn't a tooth at all — it's the small, firm disc of cartilage-like meat tucked inside a squid's beak, the part most people throw away. Grilled whole over hot charcoal until it chars slightly at the edges, it turns into something genuinely addictive: chewy, smoky, faintly sweet, and completely unlike any other part of the squid.
Because each squid only yields one small piece, a plate of răng mực is a bit of a delicacy — vendors buy in bulk from the fishing boats to have enough for a single order. Look for it at grilled-squid stalls along Nguyen Tat Thanh street, at a small stall near Phan Thiet train station, or at dedicated spots such as Rang Muc Loan on Vo Thi Sau street in Phan Thiet. It's usually served with a squeeze of calamansi (tắc) and a chili-salt dip, and it disappears from the plate fast.
Tom Nuong Mo Hanh & So Diep Nuong Mo Hanh — Shrimp and Scallops in Scallion Oil
At the sit-down seafood restaurants that line Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Huynh Thuc Khang streets, two dishes show up on almost every table: tôm nướng mỡ hành (grilled shrimp) and sò điệp nướng mỡ hành (grilled scallops), both finished with sizzling scallion oil and a scattering of crushed roasted peanuts. The shrimp are split and grilled shell-on so the meat stays juicy, while the scallops are grilled in their own half-shells so the natural juices mix with the oil instead of dripping away.
These are good bets at Quan Hai San Bo Ke 86 (118A Nguyen Dinh Chieu), Bibo Seafood (191 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Ham Tien), and Quan Gia Dinh Mui Ne (19B Huynh Thuc Khang) — all casual, open-air places where the seafood is kept live or on ice and cooked to order. Portions are usually priced by weight, so it's worth asking the price before you order if you're ordering a larger size.
Grilled Fish in Lau Tha — Mui Ne's Signature Fish Hot Pot
If there's one dish that sums up how Mui Ne treats fresh fish, it's lẩu thả — a sprawling platter built around thinly sliced raw fish (usually cá suốt or cá mai), fresh herbs, green mango and banana blossom, all meant to be rolled in rice paper and dipped in a rich peanut sauce. The grilled element comes in alongside it: a portion of the same fresh fish is marinated with garlic and chili, then grilled with slivers of aged ginger, adding a smoky, savory counterpoint to the raw-fish rolls.
It's a dish best shared, and it rewards going to a restaurant that actually specializes in it rather than ordering it as an afterthought — 11 Nguyen Dinh Chieu is one well-known address for a proper lẩu thả spread, grilled fish included.
Chả Lụi — The Grilled Snack That Bridges Land and Sea
Technically a street snack rather than a restaurant dish, chả lụi deserves a mention here because it's grilled, it's everywhere, and it usually contains seafood. Finely minced shrimp and pork are wrapped in rice paper, skewered, and grilled over a small charcoal brazier until the wrapper turns golden and slightly crisp. It's served with fresh herbs like star fruit and green mango, dipped in a sweet-sour tamarind-peanut fish sauce. At under 50,000 VND a portion, it's one of the cheapest grilled seafood experiences in town — try it on Tran Hung Dao street or at Cha Lui Ham Tan on Huynh Thuc Khang.
Tips for Eating Grilled Seafood in Mui Ne
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Go where it's busy with locals in the early evening (around 5–7 p.m.) — that's when the charcoal grills are freshest and turnover is highest.
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For shellfish priced by weight, confirm the price per 100g or per kg before you order, especially for larger scallops or shrimp.
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Pair your grilled seafood with a squeeze of calamansi and the chili-salt dip most stalls offer on the side — it cuts through the smokiness nicely.
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If you want crab, ask for it steamed with beer (cua hấp bia) or in a dragon-fruit salad (gỏi cua thanh long) rather than hunting for a grilled version that most kitchens don't make.
Grilled seafood is best enjoyed as part of a bigger first taste of Mui Ne — and a Jeep tour in the morning followed by a seafood dinner by the coast in the evening is a combination most visitors end up repeating more than once during their stay.
Explore Mui Ne With Tony's Mui Ne Jeep Tour
The best way to see Mui Ne's Red and White Sand Dunes, Fairy Stream, and fishing village in one unforgettable morning is with a local expert behind the wheel. Tony's Mui Ne Jeep Tour takes you off the beaten path in an open-top Jeep, with friendly English-speaking drivers and free hotel pickup in Mui Ne.
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