Plan - diet

Eating on Phu Quoc with restrictions

Island food is built on fish sauce and the sea, which makes Phu Quoc a harder place than most to eat vegetarian or with a seafood allergy. Harder, not impossible. This page says plainly what each of our three experiences can adapt, and what it cannot.

Plan my trip See the classes

fully vegetarian-friendly: 2 of 3
raw egg dish: 1
common hidden allergens: 4
experiences covered: 3

The short answer for each experience

	Vegetarian	Seafood allergy	Egg	Peanut
Scooter Bites food tour	Limited - ask before booking	Morning possible with care; night very hard	Usually avoidable	Grilled sea urchin often has peanuts - avoidable
Roll & Brew class	Yes - tofu and mushroom version	Yes - shrimp left out	Egg-free coffee available	Tell us; avoidable
Pass It On Kitchen class	Yes - tofu, mushroom kho quet	Yes	Tell us	Tell us; avoidable

Whatever you need adapted has to be in the booking form, so the teacher or guide can plan before the day rather than improvise on it.

Fish sauce: the hidden ingredient

Fish sauce is to Vietnamese cooking what salt is to European cooking. It goes into dipping sauces, marinades, stir-fries and dressings, and it is often in food that looks vegetarian - a plate of greens, a bowl of rice noodles, a salad. Shrimp paste plays a similar role in some dishes.

In a cooking class this is easy to manage: the teacher makes a separate dip with soy sauce, salt, lime and sugar, and nothing hidden goes into your bowl. On the street it is much harder, because the broth in a noodle pot or the marinade on a grill was made hours before you arrived. That is why we describe the food tour as "limited" for vegetarians rather than pretending otherwise.

Seafood allergies

If you have a serious shellfish or fish allergy, the two classes are the safe choice. You cook your own food, your portion can be made without shrimp, and a dip without fish sauce replaces the usual one.

On the food tour, Night Bites is built on seafood - herring, sea urchin, crab, grilled shellfish - and shares grills and utensils, so we do not recommend it for anyone with a severe allergy. Morning Bites is easier but not risk-free: many breakfast broths are seafood-based. Tell us the details and we will say honestly whether it is sensible.

Severe allergies

If an allergy is severe enough to need an adrenaline pen, choose a cooking class, carry the pen, and tell the teacher at the start.

Eggs, peanuts and gluten

Egg. Egg coffee in Roll & Brew uses raw yolk; an egg-free version is offered to pregnant guests, young children and anyone who asks. Some fillings can contain egg.
Peanuts. Crushed peanuts are a common topping - on grilled sea urchin, on some salads and in some dipping sauces. Usually easy to leave off if you say so first.
Gluten. Rice paper and rice noodles are naturally free of wheat, but soy sauce often contains it, and so do some bought sauces. Mention it and the teacher can check labels.
Coconut. The dessert in Pass It On Kitchen is coconut jelly, and coconut milk appears in several dishes.

Phrases that help

Shown on a phone screen, these work better than spoken attempts at the tones.

English	Vietnamese
I am vegetarian	Tôi ăn chay
No fish sauce, please	Không nước mắm
I am allergic to seafood	Tôi bị dị ứng hải sản
I am allergic to peanuts	Tôi bị dị ứng đậu phộng
No egg, please	Không trứng

Buddhist vegetarian restaurants, usually signed "chay", are the safest places to eat meat- and fish-free on your own around the island.

How to tell us

Use the "Diet and allergies" box in the booking or enquiry form, or write it in the note. Be specific: "no fish sauce and no seafood" is more useful than "vegetarian", because some people who call themselves vegetarian eat fish. If you are unsure whether an experience can work for you, ask before paying - we would rather answer a question than refund a bad evening.

Common questions

Questions travellers ask most

Is the food tour suitable for vegans?

Not really. Street broths and grills use fish sauce, shrimp paste and animal stock. A cooking class with the vegetarian version is the better choice.

Which food tour session is easier with a mild seafood allergy?

Morning Bites. Breakfast broths are often seafood-based, but there are more choices without seafood at breakfast than at an evening grill. Tell us first.

Can the egg coffee be made without egg?

Yes. There is an egg-free alternative, offered as standard to pregnant guests and young children and to anyone who asks.