Eat and meet

Quang Ngai

Quang Ngai does have a local speciality -- com ga. It's not much more than chicken with rice, but they do it up nicely and cheaply all around town -- just look for the signs. You'll pay a bit more if you want a chunk of quay ga, or quay heo, (roast chicken or roast pork) with your rice instead. The area at the intersection of Phan Dinh Phung and Nguyen Nghiem Sts just south of the triangular roundabout in the centre of town, is a particularly good place to go and try your luck. Trouble choosing? Com Ga Hue is a sound bet -- also try the chao (rice soup) with quay (roasted) or nuong (grilled) meat. Quan Lam, just around the corner, is another good option for rice dishes.

There's one 'fancy' place that comes highly recommended by the locals -- Cung Dinh Restaurant. It's on a stretch of road along the river that's mostly a light-industrial zone, but the restaurant itself has a very pleasant atmosphere. They have seating inside (a good bet for lunch when the sun is doing its thing outside) and some salas that overlook the river for dining in the evening. They specialise in shrimp, which comes in various sizes, from about 100- to 300,000 dong per kilo depending on what you choose -- more if you want the really big ones. They also offer dishes of rabbit, lamb, and pigeon, as well as grouper and grilled salmon. Start off with the 'Emporer Style' spring rolls.

Com Ga Hue: 370 Nguyen Nghiem St, Quang Ngai. T: (055) 817 108. Hours: 07:00 to 22:00
Cung Dinh Restaurant: South bank of the Tra Khuc river, Quang Ngai. T: (055) 818 444, 818 555. Hours: 09:00 to 22:00
Quan Lam: 134 Phan Dinh Phung, Quang Ngai. T: (055) 8181 197. Hours: 07:00 to 22:00