Finding Vietnam's best seafood

'Twas the night before Christmas... and we were famished. My partner and I had abandoned the bright lights of Mui Ne’s shiny resorts in search of an authentic festive feast. We’d gorged on Ho Chi Minh’s pho offerings, but this was the coast, thus seafood seemed imperative.
At the main road we turned left. A right turn, we knew, meant Russian luxury shops, kitesurfing rentals and watered down resort fare. A left turn, we knew, meant mystery.
We hadn’t scoured web reviews or guidebooks, we were relying on gentle optimism and an inkling that amazing food was nearby. As we pottered down the coastal road, hotel signs dwindled and English words grew scarce. Eventually, we hit a lengthy strip of open-air eateries, one after the other, stark and concrete, empty except for a few locals nursing beers. What exactly was on offer remained a mystery, but the hand-painted signage offered clues: goat, rabbit, ostrich, snake. Alas, I spotted fish! “Bo ke”, the signs read.
Below each aquatic banner lay a spattering of makeshift tanks, brimming with the day’s live catch. There was snapper, grouper, shrimp, crab, lobster, octopus, cuttlefish and a plethora of unidentified brine-drenched delights. After careful inspection, we made our selection: a fat red snapper, a pile of juicy king prawns and a mound of Vietnamese greens for good measure. It was immediately jostled off to the barbecue.
We sipped beers and marveled at the ocean. A myriad of bamboo basket boats bobbed on the horizon, mirroring the night sky. The city-dweller I’d become had forgotten the life-affirming majesty of a twinkling canopy. As waves crashed below, I inhaled the salt air, invitingly humid and thick with the scent of grilling seafood.
It was ready in minutes. Effortlessly seared prawns came slathered in decadent butter sauce, a welcome nod to French colonialism. The fish, cooked to moist perfection, was loaded with fragrant herbs, chilli and zingy ginger.
It was the start of a long (well, nineteen day) and beautiful (if not slightly one-sided) relationship. Bo ke became our go-to dinner. With each new coastal town came new bo ke experiences. We never quite replicated the first – perhaps it was the thrill of finding it, perhaps it was the Vietnamese vodka to finish – but each was delicious and distinct.
Bo ke barbecues are rarely listed on travel sites but they litter the coasts of Vietnam. Venture beyond mediocre and overpriced resort fare to find the country’s best seafood, fresh from ocean to plate.