The food: Oc Toi or Garlic Snail with Onion

Where to find it: Oc Ut Lien Seafood Restaurant, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Note: Listen to this song while reading this post.¹ 

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These ain’t your simple, remote-island clams presented last week. No, these bad boys grew up from the sloshes of the South China Sea to hit the big city. They’ve stomped onto the scene to match the cocoon of noise that is Ho Chi Minh City. Seriously, this city buzzes like an A-1 Skyraider—guns blazin’ and motorcycles roarin’.

A cacophony of sensations explode when these beauties bust out of their scorching, roadside grills.

First you hear the crackle crescendo as the plate zooms to your table. The snail’s horn-like body acts as a standalone amplification system. A diner hears the garlic and onion sizzle and dance within the shell while the sea snail meat almost screaches, “Help! Help! It’s too damn hot in here.” And when the plate finally crashes onto your table, for a moment, just one moment, Ho Chi Minh City’s motorcycle soundtrack yields to the firecracker orchestra that blasts out of each hot sea snail.

As the heat tempers, the snails hush and then waft a sweet aroma of garlic, onion and the sea. Again, for a moment, just one moment, the stench of the city’s exhaust and soot gives way to the sea snails.

With your bear mitts, you dare to pick up one of these hotties. The outside of the snail might not scald you, but locals know better than to stuff their fingers inside to dig up the meat. Armed with a chopstick or metal skewer, you wrestle out the hidden treasure buried in each shell. Pop the garlic and onion-infused snail meat into your mouth too soon and your tongue will begin playing a game of hot potato. But, then again, just like motorcycling the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, what’s the point of eating here if it’s not done dangerously?

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¹ George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone.” Painfully cliché, but delightfully appropriate here.
² JOB OPPORTUNITY: The above picture comes straight out of another scene from my travel & food web series I’m shooting in Asia. Longa Productions is currently seeking (documentary/trailer) editors for post-production. If you’re interested in learning more, then please send an email to [email protected].