Phu Quoc - Day 4 (Chợ Dương Đông Phú Quốc - Công Viên Bạch Đằng (Dinh Cậu))

On our fourth day in Phu Quoc, we made our way down for breakfast around 9.10am. The morning felt extra special because it was my partner's birthday. His buddy surprised him with a chocolate cake and a thoughtful gift, a training glove to support his year-long fitness journey. The thoughtful gesture touched him deeply and brought out some emotion.

He had hoped for a laid-back birthday, and that's exactly how the day unfolded. We enjoyed a slow breakfast until 11am, then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in our hotel room, as it was simply too hot to be outside. Meanwhile, his buddy and his wife rented a motorbike and headed out to explore Khem and Sao Beach.

Stir-fried seafood with satay sauce and fried pork with garlic and chili sauce

Zangchou fried rice flavour and braised vegetarian food

Pork dumplings and stick rice with peanut

Sweet & sour tofu and vegetables

Glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables and grilled duck with lemongrass & galanga

Bacon stir-fried potatoes

Fruits section

Pastries section

Pastries section

My breakfast

My breakfast

My breakfast

My breakfast

Freshly cut dragon fruits

Birthday cake and gift from my partner's buddy

We finally headed out at 12.50pm and took the VinBus to Bún quậy Kiến-Xây (A-C noodles). We got off at the Holiday Sense stop and walked about 260m (around 4 minutes) to reach the shop. This branch is from the same chain as the one we visited on our second day in Phu Quoc. We ordered the same bowl of full toppings and a sugar cane drink. The noodles and broth were not as flavourful as the first shop we tried. Perhaps they used less MSG compared to the previous shop. The sugarcane drink also had less lime, making it less refreshing. Overall, the first shop definitely stood out in terms of taste.

Khu nghỉ dưỡng Salinda VinBus stop

Bún quậy Kiến-Xây (A-C noodles)

Shop ambience

Shop ambience

Sugar cane - 10,000 VND

Full toppings - 90,000 VND

Full toppings

Noodles in the making

Address:

Bún quậy Kiến-Xây (A-C noodles)

71A Đường Trần Hưng Đạo,

Dương Đông, Phú Quốc, Kiên Giang,

Vietnam

Opening hours: 7am to 9.30pm

We walked to Hao Binh Resort and took the VinBus to Chùa Sùng Hưng Cổ Tự (Chợ đêm). Ann Cafe is just a 3-minute walk (230m) from the bus stop. I chose this cafe because of its impressive 5.0 rating on Google Reviews. The cafe had a cozy atmosphere, and the waiter was very friendly even though he spoke little English. Thankfully, there was a small air-conditioned section inside, which was a welcome escape from the intense afternoon heat. I ordered a slice of chocolate cheesecake and a cup of coconut coffee. They also offered complimentary drinking water, which was a nice touch.

The coconut coffee wasn't too sweet and had a slight hint of sourness from the coffee itself. It was topped with a mildly sweet coconut foam, and once mixed together, the flavour balanced out nicely. The sourness of the coffee was no longer noticeable. It was also garnished with coconut flakes, which added a pleasant texture. Overall, it was a great choice.

The chocolate cheesecake was more like a mousse cake with a layer of chocolate on top. While the chocolate had a slightly chewy texture and tasted decent, the cheesecake was barely noticeable. I couldn't really taste any cheese. Nonetheless, it was a satisfying treat.

Phu Quoc Night Market

Ann Cafe

Cafe ambience

Complimentary drinking water and Coconut coffee - 50,000 VND

Chocolate cheesecake - 45,000 VND

Narrow street to Ann's Cafe

Address:

Ann Cafe

7 Đường Lê Thị Hồng Gấm, Khu 1,

Phú Quốc, Kiên Giang 92500,

Vietnam

Opening hours: 12am to 11pm

We walked back to the Chùa Sùng Hưng Cổ Tự (Chợ đêm) stop and took the VinBus to the Siêu Thị Điện Máy Chợ Lớn stop. Unfortunately, there was no shade at the bus stop, so we had to stand directly under the hot sun while waiting. Fortunately, the bus was punctual and arrived right on schedule (every 15 minutes). From the Siêu Thị Điện Máy Chợ Lớn stop, we continued on foot to Chè CÔ TIÊN PQ.

The menu at Chè CÔ TIÊN PQ was entirely in Vietnamese, so I used Google Translate to communicate with the staff, as she did not understand English. Upon her recommendation, we tried the chè bơ. It's a dessert made with avocado, jelly, sago, water chestnut, and yam balls. It came with a separate bowl of ice to mix in. The dessert wasn't overly sweet and had a creamy, smooth texture. Overall, it was quite enjoyable. They also provided us with complimentary butterfly pea flower tea.

Phu Quoc street

Chè CÔ TIÊN PQ

Cafe ambience

Complimentary butterfly pea flower tea

Chè bơ - 39,000 VND

Address:

Chè CÔ TIÊN PQ

10 Đường Hoàng Văn Thụ,

TT. Dương Đông, Phú Quốc,

Kiên Giang 920000,

Vietnam

Opening hours: 9am to 10pm

Today was all about satisfying our sweet tooth. After enjoying our first dessert, we walked to another spot, Chè Nhà Jun, and ordered Chè Thái, which comes with tapioca pearls, grass jelly strands, jelly cubes, Thai jackfruit, peanuts, durian seeds, and water chestnut in a coconut milk-based mix. The dessert wasn't too sweet, which made it pleasant. It came with a separate bowl of ice to mix in as well. The shop was small with no air conditioning. Basically you sit outside the shop on low stools and a tiny table. Overall, we still prefer the chè bơ from Chè CÔ TIÊN PQ.

Phu Quoc street

Chè Nhà Jun

Chè Nhà Jun

Che Thai Sau - 35,000 VND

Address:

Chè Nhà Jun

Huyện, Số 9 Đ. Lý Thường Kiệt,

Khu Phố 5, Phú Quốc, Kiên Giang,

Vietnam

Opening hours: 11.30am to 10pm

Then we walked to Chợ Dương Đông Phú Quốc, the island's main wet market. Google Maps directed us through a small back road, which turned out to be a narrow path winding between tightly packed houses. About halfway through, a dog started barking at us, and another gave us a long, unsettling stare. Not wanting to risk it, I decided to turn back and stick to the main road instead.

When we finally reached the market, it was quite dirty with wet, slippery floors and strong smells from the fresh produce and seafood. The market offered a wide variety of items, including fresh seafood like fish, squid, crabs, and prawns, as well as fruits, vegetables, and dried goods such as shrimp, anchovies, and herbs. We only made it about halfway through before deciding to leave.

Chợ Dương Đông Phú Quốc

Hung Quoc Tu Pagoda

Chợ Dương Đông Phú Quốc

Chợ Dương Đông Phú Quốc

Chợ Dương Đông Phú Quốc

Chợ Dương Đông Phú Quốc

Chợ Dương Đông Phú Quốc

Công Viên Bạch Đằng (Dinh Cậu)

Công Viên Bạch Đằng (Dinh Cậu)

VinBus

From the market, we walked back to the Chùa Sùng Hưng Cổ Tự (Chợ đêm) stop and took the VinBus to the Long Beach stop. We met up with his buddy and wife for dinner at Tiểu Nhị Quán. They had visited Sanato Beach earlier and mentioned that it wasn't really worth the visit.

This was our first seafood dinner in Phu Quoc, and my partner ordered a variety of dishes: grilled shrimp, steamed prawn mantis, crab fried rice, fried squid with fish sauce, grilled lemongrass fish, stir-fried morning glory with garlic and smoked tofu. The fried squid with fish sauce was slightly salty, but the squid itself was soft and tender. The crab fried rice was okay but didn't wow us. The smoked tofu didn't have much tofu in it and tasted so-so.

Our favourite dish of the night was the steamed prawn mantis. It was fresh and delicious. The grilled lemongrass fish was flavourful, so we decided to order a second serving. However, the second order wasn't charred enough for our liking.

The total bill came to 1,400,000 VND, and it wasn't until we returned to our country that I realized we had been charged 120,000 VND for the grilled octopus with salt and chili, which we never ordered. My partner did glance through the bill at the time, but not in detail. Lesson learned: always double-check the bill carefully before paying, especially when dining in unfamiliar places.

(Total bill - 1,400,000 VND)

Tiểu Nhị Quán

Restaurant ambience

Mineral water -10,000 VND

Condiments

Red chili

Stir-fried morning glory with garlic - 50,000 VND

Steamed mantis shrimp - 450,000 VND

Smoked tofu - 150,000 VND

Smoked tofu

Mantou

Crab fried rice - 100,000 VND

Grilled shrimp - 110,000 VND

Grilled lemongrass fish - 130,000 VND

Grilled lemongrass fish - 130,000 VND

Fried squid with fish sauce - 140,000 VND

Address:

Tiểu Nhị Quán

Cửa Lấp, Phu Quoc,

Kien Giang,

Vietnam

Opening hours: 3pm to 1.30am

It's always good to take a walk after a heavy dinner. Since his buddy and wife had rented a motorbike, they headed into town to pick up some dessert. We returned to our hotel around 9pm, and my partner was surprised by a sweet gesture from the hotel staff with a "Happy Birthday" decoration on the bed made from pandan leaves, along with a small chocolate cake, the exact same one his buddy had surprised him with earlier this morning. It was a lovely and thoughtful touch that truly made his birthday feel extra special. My partner ended the day by pampering himself with a relaxing leg massage, then spent some quiet time with his buddy at the beach...

Note: 1,000 VND = RM 0.18

Happy Birthday deco from Dusit team

Birthday cake from Dusit team