Nha Trang: Tasty Escolar!!

Hi all,

Sorry for the delayed post. I've been traveling in the Mekong Delta on an organized tour so haven't had much internet time.

After Hoi An, we took yet another overnight train to Nha Trang, a beautiful beach town. More of the same. Nice hotels, good bars, beautiful beach, and some sunny days. We spent a full day at the local hot springs soaking in mud baths, mineral water and getting massages. One day we went on an island hopping tour. One day was dedicated to Vinpearl, the amusement park island. This town was so relaxing, we ended spending an entire week there. You can find the pictures under the Nah Trang section in a few days.

CAUTION: WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ IS INTENDED FOR ADULT AUDIENCES. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!!!

One Nha Trang memory will remain very vividly in my mind:

I've been very ill the past week along with two of my friends, Jo and Thomas. After some extensive internet research we have incontrovertibly diagnosed ourselves. Watch the puzzle pieces fit together!

For every town/city Lonely Planet chooses an inexpensive and tasty restaurant called "Our Pick." We always like to try one meal at this place, which is always delicious. The "pick" in Nha Trang was a fresh seafood place right off the beach. The owner was a friendly Vietnamese fellow who has been running the restaurant for 17 years. I hadn't ate any fish yet on my trip, but figured it would be a crime if i didn't eat the fresh fish at this famous restaurant. The owner insisted that we get the grilled fish. Within minutes a giant fish steak steamed before Jo, Thomas, and I. I had never seen any fish like this. It had the size and shape of a 22 pound Chinook salmon, but its skin looked like that of a ling cod, brown with orange spots.

While lifting the first the first bite into my mouth, I knew this fish was something special. I enjoyed the tuna-like texture and the unique taste. There was not butter on the fish or plate, but the fish tasted like butter throughout. I asked the waitress, what type of fish this was and she confidently told me "white-tuna" in broken English. I laughed to myself and thanked her for answering my question. I've had enough tuna to know that the fish I was enjoying was not tuna. Jo had a similar reaction to me and told us and the waitress that, "this is the best fish I've had on my trip." The food was so great, we went back the next day for lunch before heading to Saigon. I tried the steak slices, but Joe ordered the fish again. As soon as Joe finished, he went out side and joined the owner for a cigarette. The same question arose: "What type of fish is this?" The owner also insisted it was "White-Tuna" caught locally.

The next morning, let's just say I was having some very specific and unusual problems, which I do not wish to write. When I exited the bathroom, my roommates could tell by the look on my face I was a little worried. I explained an abridged description and they laughed. Joe wouldn't be laughing for long... Within minutes he exited the bathroom with a disappointed look. Soon after we found out Thomas suffered the same problem. When the problem did not fix itself after 3 days, the three of us became a bit worried. I started antibiotics.

We had computer access the next day, and entered our symptoms into the google tool bar, anxious for the results. Apparently many people have had this problem. Every problem resulted from a fish named Escolar. Look it up on wikipedia. The fish is illegal in many countries and has been deemed toxic. The fish descriptions and symptoms on wikipedia were identical to our experience. The fish is often referred to as "butter-fish" and passed as white-tuna in restaurants. The mystery is solved!

I don't understand how this restaurant can serve this fish over and over again. Escolar was "3 for 3" in making Tom, Joe, and I ill. By the way I'm back to normal and will no longer eat "white-tuna" on my trip.

More to come soon now,
Sam