Riverside Grill · Whole Fish on Charcoal

Grilled Mekong Fish (Ping Pa)

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Fishing families in the Si Phan Don (4000 Islands) stretch of the Mekong still fish these channels much as they have for generations, and the day's catch often goes straight onto the charcoal within the hour.

A whole river fish is scored, stuffed with lemongrass and herbs, and grilled over charcoal until the skin blisters and chars, then pulled apart by hand and eaten with sticky rice and a chili-lime dip. It's sold at riverside stalls throughout the braided channels of Si Phan Don.

Why it's made this way: The Mekong's braided channels around Si Phan Don have supported fishing villages for generations — roughly 95% of island families there fish for a living — and grilling the catch whole over charcoal remains the simplest way for riverside vendors to serve it fresh.