Cơm Niêu Tam Cốc - CLAYPOT RICE RESTAURANT & COFFEE — Restaurant in Ninh Bình Province

Most delicate fish dish I’ve tasted in my life.

When I saw the photos on Google, I knew there was something special about their food.

We found out it was a family-run restaurant, which had just started a few months ago, serving dishes that have been in their family for generations. As I normally do, I asked for recommendations, and they suggested we try the goat and the fish — goat is easily found in the surroundings of Ninh Binh, but we hadn’t tried fish in the area yet.

The goat was top-notch. It was served with aromatic herbs and a tasty sweet ginger sauce that reminded me of lemongrass, soy bean sauce, and some other flavours I couldn’t recognise.

Everything was great… but the fish blew my mind. If you’re reading this, I urge you to go and try it. I don’t know if you’ll ever taste something like it — I’m sad I might not again.

The fish is a Vietnamese black carp. They cook it with a mix of mild aromatics and citrus — just enough to enhance the flavour of the fish without altering it. They slow-cook it in a clay pot for 16 hours. During this long time, the fish transforms. I can’t go into details — you’ll have to try it yourself — but I’ve never seen a fish dish treated with this level of patience and love. It was probably the best fish I’ve ever eaten.

On top of that, the owners are super nice. Their little daughter came and practised her English while taking our order, and the husband, who speaks good English, gave me some advice and tips on...

There's not many great restaurants in Vietnam that deserve all the stars, but this is definitely one of them. They've only been open for 6 months and this was truly a hidden gem.. as their location is tucked away from the busy main road. A family operated and owned business where you can see and taste the love that they put into their restaurant. We enjoyed every moment of chatting with the owners and devouring their delicious meal cooked by his wife. There were a few multi-course dinner options you could enjoy like family-style, or you could order a la carte.

We got one of the combo dinner options that fed 2-3 people and it was more than enough food. We even packed our leftovers to-go so we can continue enjoying this meal the next day. The braised fish cooked for 16-hours, you could even eat the bones if you wanted to because it would melt in your mouth. The tofu-stuffed with pork and tomatoes was also delicious and probably my favorite because I love tofu. There was also a soup with tomatoes and eggs that blew our mind and we didn't expect to also like it, but we love it! Then of course, you gotta have veggies and rice - and Vietnamese water spinach is a must try in Vietnam. We can't find this back in America, but it's one of my favorites.

We wish the family all the success and love! We hope to return to Vietnam again and will definitely come back to enjoy...

Decided to check out nearby eateries near our Lalitha hotel.

Some nearby restaurants within walking distance were either overpriced or lack varieties.

Chanced upon a cosy restaurant tucked somewhere near a residential area. A little obscure and out-of-place, with the owner greeting us with a warm smile.

Food selection was good and we ordered some lemon grass chicken, pumpkin soup (rich and thick flavors), tomato eggs, garlic kangkongs and fried tofu. Overall the taste was good and very much like home-cooked meal.

Both couple actually cooked the meals together, and their restaurant is also their residence. We can tell they have passion in crafts and they have a pair of lovely daughters running ard the house, which adds to the laidback charm.

It’s like a typical home-stay meal, and our family of 3 thoroughly enjoyed the meals and nice hospitality, with a plate of complementary pineapple thrown in.

We asked our hotel receptionist whether there are any good local restaurants nearby, but all they can said was that it’s better to get a Grab to town areas as there are no good eateries around the hotel.

I thought they should have done some promotional marketing with hotels across the street, which I am sure will help their 3.5 mths burgeoning...