A tuna eyeball nearly 10cm across sits whole at the bottom of the bowl. In Vietnamese, 'đèn pha đại dương(the sea's headlights)"-a video of an Italian man living in Ho Chi Minh City eating this dish has topped 1.5 million views since the start of July. A foreigner reaches straight for a delicacy that even locals shy away from as "scary-looking" and flatly calls it "delicious"-that reversal is what caught on.
A tasting video by Joe, an Italian resident, drew 1.5 million views
Dan Tri (July 23, 2026) reported the experience of Giuseppe Di Natale, a 42-year-old Italian known as Joe. At an eatery in Ho Chi Minh City, he came face to face with a giant tuna eyeball set in the center of the bowl. He hesitated at first, but one bite changed his mind. 'The flesh around the eye is soft and rich with fat, with a collagen-like texture. The soup is piping hot, fragrant with spices and herbs, and not the least bit heavy'—the scene of Joe saying this drove up the view count. It's not unusual for a foreigner to rave about a dish locals tend to shy away from. Recall how Can Tho's fiery noodles caught fire in overseas videosThe original tear-inducing 7-level spicy ramen was Omega in Can Thocovered it, and what they share is that 'the striking look or shock value becomes a hook for spreading on social media.' A single photo sparks conversation and makes for an easy travel story to tell.
Jujube and goji cut the smell, and you savor even the gelatinous flesh around the eyeball
The dish's proper name is "mắt cá ngừ đại dương(the eye of the bigeye tuna).' A whole eyeball is simmered slowly in a clay pot with medicinal-cuisine ingredients. Red dates (táo đỏ), goji berries (kỷ tử), ginger, and spices are added to draw out any off-smell, and the flesh and the gelatinous tissue around the eyeball are enjoyed as one. The braised eyeball is a medicinal-soup dish, so there's no need to brace for a fishy taste. Just knowing this lowers the bar to ordering. The look is striking, but eat it and the rich umami and how well it pairs with the herbal soup come as a surprise—the shared reaction among those who've tried it.
Born in Phu Yen, it became a specialty of present-day Dak Lak Province after the 2025 restructuring
Braised tuna eyeball has long been known as a specialty of south-central Phu Yen Province, especially around the port town of Tuy Hoa. Phu Yen is one of Vietnam's leading tuna longline fishing bases, and there is a food culture of turning the eyes that come out while butchering landed tuna into a dish rather than throwing them away. Only a limited number of eyes come from a single head, and they lose freshness quickly, so the closer to the source, the better they taste. Watch out for the administrative divisions: the nationwide 2025 provincial and city reorganization merged Phu Yen into Dak Lak Province. Tuy Hoa's markets and eateries are sometimes billed as 'old Phu Yen' specialties, while the current address may read 'Dak Lak Province.' Keeping both names in mind when searching a map app will save you confusion.
80,000-150,000 dong a bowl; in its home region you can easily sample and compare
Here we lay out the price range using only the figures we could confirm. Per bowl,80,000〜150,000VNDが目安で、目玉の大きさや店の立地で幅が出る。1円=162VND換算だと、およそ494〜926円にあたる。日本のマグロ専門店で希少部位を頼むことを思えば、産地でこの値段は挑戦のハードルが低い。派手な見た目の郷土料理は広告費をかけずに拡散する力を持ち、旧フーイエンのように主要観光ルートから外れた地域ほど、こうした一皿が来訪動機を作る余地は大きい。マグロの解体という一次産業の現場と、それを食べに行く観光が地続きな点も産地の強みだ。
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Dish | mắt cá ngừ đại dương (braised tuna eyeball), nicknamed the "headlights of the sea" |
| Main producing regions | Around Tuy Hoa in the former Phu Yen Province (now Dak Lak Province) |
| Price range | 80,000〜150,000VND（約494〜926円） |
| Preparation | A clay-pot stew. Prepared in a medicinal style with jujube, goji, ginger, and spices |
| Where the buzz began | A tasting video by Joe, an Italian resident, hit 1.5 million views (July 2026) |
Say 'mat ca ngu' in Tuy Hoa and you'll be understood
If you're looking around Tuy Hoa, just say "mat ca ngu" at an eatery that advertises tuna dishes and you'll be understood. Many serve single portions in a clay pot, usually paired with white rice and herbs. The eye takes time to cook through, so order expecting a wait. Some restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City that serve south-central cuisine offer it too, and that's how Joe came across it. If you'd rather try it without traveling to the source, look up city restaurants that serve it in advance. For the pleasure of tasting rare seafood cheaply at markets and fishing villages, the Con Dao exampleMoon crab and vu nang shellfish: eating Con Dao's rare seafood cheaply at morning markets and fishing villagesalso introduces it. Enjoying local dishes together with the scenery in the daytime is spreading across the country, and the food spots to visit this summer areNostalgia and grand views: daytime food spots worth returning to in Vietnam this summerwe've rounded it up. If you're building the south-central region into your itinerary, this dish—about 500 yen a bowl—is worth adding to one of your meals.
