Life at Latitude 10: Gift From The Sea

Nha Trang is famous in Vietnam for its seafood. Everywhere you look, fish, shrimp, crabs, and yes ... even eel, are being sold. Women march up and down the beach selling fresh steamed crab. Every eating joint seems to have "seafood" in the title. Fish, on a menu, is most affordable than chicken or pork. Yes, consuming seafood here is not a treat but a right.

Last night we found a recommendation for a "good restaurant" online. We asked the staff at our hotel and they confirmed it was good. When our cab pulled up to drop us off, the place looked empty and lacking any real Vietnamese character. So, Heidi quickly asked the driver if he had ever eaten there. He said, "No it's too expensive and the food is too long and not hot." He then mentioned he could take us to a better place which was much cheaper. We don't think that he realized that to Adam and Heidi "cheaper" is a holy word.

We ended up at a very traditional Vietnamese seafood restaurant where your dinner choices are all still very much alive and swimming. You point to what you would like, they weigh it in front of you, you tell them how you would like your choices cooked, and then you sit and wait for the seafood to arrive in all it's glory. Amidst the giggles from the staff as we practiced our Vietnamese and they practiced their English we were able to consume the following: one 3 kilo white fish from the ocean, one kilo of scallops, one kilo of clams, one half kilo of salt-water snails, 2 kilos of the largest prawns we had EVER seen, one plate of garlicky water spinach, one plate french fries, one large pot of rice, and 11 beers between four people. When the check came and our grand total was $50 USD, we waddled away happily knowing we had made a great dinner choice.