Spear Fishing off the Coast of VietnamLocation: Phu Quoc, VietnamThere are a few activities in this

Spear Fishing off the Coast of Vietnam

Location: Phu Quoc, Vietnam

There are a few activities in this world that I really feel I was born to do, but uni spear-fishing is one of them. On my recent trip to the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc with Chopt’s Executive Chef Aneesha Hargrave, we had the chance to realize our full potential in the hunter-gatherer realm. Using nothing more than a long wooden stick with a crude metal spike fastened to its tip, we set out to fill our dingy with as many spiny crustaceans as it would hold.

Compared to traditional line fishing, uni hunting is a breeze; if you can swim, glory in the the open water is yours for the taking. Cuong Pham, the owner of Red Boat Fish Sauce, served as our trusty captain, along with a couple of his childhood buddies who came along for the ride. These guys were no strangers to this kind of lo-fi, high-reward adventure. We zipped out into the bay, whose depths were surprisingly shallow and crystal clear – perfect for the task at hand. Following their lead, I suctioned my goggles to my face, stuffed my feet into a set of rubber flippers, and descended into the perfectly temperate waters. These lazy living pincushions move very, very slowly along the ocean floor, so if you spot one lurking in the shadows of  a coral formation, it’s yours. Wielding a spear that is less Poseidon more enormous fish fork, we bobbed above our prey, plunging metal prongs into the center of each shell. I must have caught 30 of them myself.

As the sun began to set, we returned to shore to prepare and enjoy our catch. With thick rubber gloves as armor, we watched as our hosts trimmed the spines with rugged shears, cracking the shells to reveal delicate little orange gonads. Yes, the coveted, orange uni flesh is nothing more than the animal’s reproductive system, but I suppose it’s best not to dwell on that. They popped open the shells and laid them open-faced onto a smoldering charcoal grill. Once cooked, we drizzled a bit of fish sauce inside, and administered a healthy garnish of crushed peanuts, fish sauce and freshly sliced green onion to each one. Catch it yourself, and it just tastes better. We’re not afraid to adventure for our food, and work for it either.