Local food in Port Vila

jjtravelbug03:32 UTC08 Sep 2008

Hi,

We're heading to Port Vila for 8 days, and we're hoping to sometimes be able to eat at small local restaurants serving local food, rather than only at tourist restaurants serving higher end international food.

Are there any particular areas, or restaurants anyone could suggest in Port Vila for this? Are the markets a good spot to pick up this sort of meal - the sort of place a local might eat perhaps?

Thanks for any tips!

mandja13:16 UTC08 Sep 2008

The market in Vila, as anywhere in PI is the best place to buy fresh "local foods". The Vila market is also opposite a supermarket.

celiaroger20:18 UTC08 Sep 2008

Yes, IMO the local market in Vila is the best place in Vila for local food. You will find lots of varieties of Lap-Lap and many other “strange things”. For the lap-lap take a little of care because it can be there for a long time without refrigeration. Ask the stall lady when it was done (some with chicken were made the night before when we asked, and we decided not to risk).

Inside the market, at the right back part, there are many local ladies cooking food with tables around. Each one cooks a sort of different dish. Locals eat there, especially by lunchtime. It is very cheap, something like 5 bucks and you can eat until you explode.

We ate twice there, and despite the fact the place doesn’t look like an oasis of cleanness, the food was pretty safe to eat for the simple fact they take it from the pot still boiling, and put in you plate. The food was fantastic.

Also, across the street from the supermarket Bon Marche 2 (not the one in town but the one at the end of the town) there is another great place to eat. It is not local food, but a mix of international with an Asian-local touch. Very affordable and great. We had a vegetarian pizza (very different from any pizza we had before) and a fish curry with potatoes, tomatoes, onions and rice. Both divine. The bill was around 22 bucks for 2. When we were there, the view of the place located at the corner opposite from Bon Marche wasn’t inviting, but the meal spectacular. It was so good we gave 800 vatu as tip to the kitchen staff.

Hope it helped. Have fun.

Edited by: celiaroger

Local food in Port Vila Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Vanuatu
jjtravelbug03:32 UTC08 Sep 2008	Hi, We're heading to Port Vila for 8 days, and we're hoping to sometimes be able to eat at small local restaurants serving local food, rather than only at tourist restaurants serving higher end international food. Are there any particular areas, or restaurants anyone could suggest in Port Vila for this? Are the markets a good spot to pick up this sort of meal - the sort of place a local might eat perhaps? Thanks for any tips!
mandja13:16 UTC08 Sep 2008	The market in Vila, as anywhere in PI is the best place to buy fresh "local foods". The Vila market is also opposite a supermarket.	1
celiaroger20:18 UTC08 Sep 2008	Yes, IMO the local market in Vila is the best place in Vila for local food. You will find lots of varieties of Lap-Lap and many other “strange things”. For the lap-lap take a little of care because it can be there for a long time without refrigeration. Ask the stall lady when it was done (some with chicken were made the night before when we asked, and we decided not to risk). Inside the market, at the right back part, there are many local ladies cooking food with tables around. Each one cooks a sort of different dish. Locals eat there, especially by lunchtime. It is very cheap, something like 5 bucks and you can eat until you explode. We ate twice there, and despite the fact the place doesn’t look like an oasis of cleanness, the food was pretty safe to eat for the simple fact they take it from the pot still boiling, and put in you plate. The food was fantastic. Also, across the street from the supermarket Bon Marche 2 (not the one in town but the one at the end of the town) there is another great place to eat. It is not local food, but a mix of international with an Asian-local touch. Very affordable and great. We had a vegetarian pizza (very different from any pizza we had before) and a fish curry with potatoes, tomatoes, onions and rice. Both divine. The bill was around 22 bucks for 2. When we were there, the view of the place located at the corner opposite from Bon Marche wasn’t inviting, but the meal spectacular. It was so good we gave 800 vatu as tip to the kitchen staff. Hope it helped. Have fun. Edited by: celiaroger Edited by: celiaroger	2