{"id":4028,"date":"2026-07-28T11:12:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T02:12:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/news\/tuna-eye-phuyen\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T08:13:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T23:13:29","slug":"tuna-eye-phuyen","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/tuna-eye-phuyen\/","title":{"rendered":"Braised tuna eyeball, the \u201cheadlights of the sea\u201d: a resident Italian's tasting video hits 1.5 million views"},"content":{"rendered":"

A tuna eyeball nearly 10cm across sits whole at the bottom of the bowl. In Vietnamese, '\u0111\u00e8n pha \u0111\u1ea1i d\u01b0\u01a1ng<\/strong>(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.<\/p>\n

A tasting video by Joe, an Italian resident, drew 1.5 million views<\/h2>\n

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'\u2014the 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 Tho<\/a>covered 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.<\/p>\n

Jujube and goji cut the smell, and you savor even the gelatinous flesh around the eyeball<\/h2>\n

The dish's proper name is \"m\u1eaft c\u00e1 ng\u1eeb \u0111\u1ea1i d\u01b0\u01a1ng<\/strong>(the eye of the bigeye tuna).' A whole eyeball is simmered slowly in a clay pot with medicinal-cuisine ingredients. Red dates (t\u00e1o \u0111\u1ecf), goji berries (k\u1ef7 t\u1eed), 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\u2014the shared reaction among those who've tried it.<\/p>\n

Born in Phu Yen, it became a specialty of present-day Dak Lak Province after the 2025 restructuring<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

80,000-150,000 dong a bowl; in its home region you can easily sample and compare<\/h2>\n

Here we lay out the price range using only the figures we could confirm. Per bowl,80,000\u301c150,000VND<\/strong>\u304c\u76ee\u5b89\u3067\u3001\u76ee\u7389\u306e\u5927\u304d\u3055\u3084\u5e97\u306e\u7acb\u5730\u3067\u5e45\u304c\u51fa\u308b\u30021\u5186=162VND\u63db\u7b97\u3060\u3068\u3001\u304a\u3088\u305d494\u301c926\u5186\u306b\u3042\u305f\u308b\u3002\u65e5\u672c\u306e\u30de\u30b0\u30ed\u5c02\u9580\u5e97\u3067\u5e0c\u5c11\u90e8\u4f4d\u3092\u983c\u3080\u3053\u3068\u3092\u601d\u3048\u3070\u3001\u7523\u5730\u3067\u3053\u306e\u5024\u6bb5\u306f\u6311\u6226\u306e\u30cf\u30fc\u30c9\u30eb\u304c\u4f4e\u3044\u3002\u6d3e\u624b\u306a\u898b\u305f\u76ee\u306e\u90f7\u571f\u6599\u7406\u306f\u5e83\u544a\u8cbb\u3092\u304b\u3051\u305a\u306b\u62e1\u6563\u3059\u308b\u529b\u3092\u6301\u3061\u3001\u65e7\u30d5\u30fc\u30a4\u30a8\u30f3\u306e\u3088\u3046\u306b\u4e3b\u8981\u89b3\u5149\u30eb\u30fc\u30c8\u304b\u3089\u5916\u308c\u305f\u5730\u57df\u307b\u3069\u3001\u3053\u3046\u3057\u305f\u4e00\u76bf\u304c\u6765\u8a2a\u52d5\u6a5f\u3092\u4f5c\u308b\u4f59\u5730\u306f\u5927\u304d\u3044\u3002\u30de\u30b0\u30ed\u306e\u89e3\u4f53\u3068\u3044\u3046\u4e00\u6b21\u7523\u696d\u306e\u73fe\u5834\u3068\u3001\u305d\u308c\u3092\u98df\u3079\u306b\u884c\u304f\u89b3\u5149\u304c\u5730\u7d9a\u304d\u306a\u70b9\u3082\u7523\u5730\u306e\u5f37\u307f\u3060\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nDetails<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Dish<\/td>\nm\u1eaft c\u00e1 ng\u1eeb \u0111\u1ea1i d\u01b0\u01a1ng (braised tuna eyeball), nicknamed the \"headlights of the sea\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Main producing regions<\/td>\nAround Tuy Hoa in the former Phu Yen Province (now Dak Lak Province)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Price range<\/td>\n80,000\u301c150,000VND\uff08\u7d04494\u301c926\u5186\uff09<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Preparation<\/td>\nA clay-pot stew. Prepared in a medicinal style with jujube, goji, ginger, and spices<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Where the buzz began<\/td>\nA tasting video by Joe, an Italian resident, hit 1.5 million views (July 2026)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Say 'mat ca ngu' in Tuy Hoa and you'll be understood<\/h2>\n

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 villages<\/a>also 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 summer<\/a>we've rounded it up. If you're building the south-central region into your itinerary, this dish\u2014about 500 yen a bowl\u2014is worth adding to one of your meals.<\/p>\n

Sources<\/h3>\n