Koh Lanta flavors
Saladan Seafood BBQ
Koh Lanta's purest pleasure — tiger prawns, squid, blue crab, mussels, and the day's reef fish, landed at Saladan pier and grilled to order over charcoal, sold by weight with a sharp chilli-lime-garlic sauce. Fresher and cheaper than the tourist strip.
About this dish
For many visitors, the single best meal on Koh Lanta is also the simplest: a charcoal seafood grill at Saladan, the island's main fishing village and ferry gateway in the north. Here the restaurants cluster around the pier where the boats come in, and the catch on display — tiger prawns, squid, blue swimmer crab, mussels, cockles, and whatever reef fish landed that day — is often only hours out of the Andaman Sea. You choose what you want, it is weighed, and it is grilled to order over coconut-husk charcoal, brushed with little more than oil so the natural sweetness leads, then served with steamed rice and the indispensable nam jim talay, a fierce dipping sauce of pounded green chilli, garlic, coriander root, lime, and fish sauce. Locals know the Saladan pier grills are noticeably fresher and cheaper than the prettier restaurants along the tourist beaches — the seafood simply hasn't travelled. It is Koh Lanta eating at its most honest.
Allergen information
Preparation methods may vary by restaurant. Always confirm with staff if you have severe allergies.
Where to try
Lanta Seafood and the boat-fresh restaurants around Saladan pier; the high-season night market