Far East Seafood of Vladivostok

The waters off Primorye are cold and highly productive, and the catch is what makes eating in Vladivostok different from anywhere else in the country: Kamchatka and hair crab, scallops eaten raw or grilled in the shell, sea urchin taken by the spoon, trepang, squid, saury, and several kinds of kelp and seaweed used as vegetables. Winter is the season - crab and scallop are at their best from autumn through early spring, and summer is the weakest time. The city runs an annual food festival built around the crab and the local restaurant scene, which has grown fast and now includes places doing Far Eastern produce with Korean, Chinese and Japanese technique, reflecting who the city trades with. Markets and quayside sellers offer live and fresh catch, and prices at a market are a fraction of restaurant prices. Poaching and export of crab is a long-running enforcement problem in the region.

What you actually see

• The cold water catch - crab, scallop, urchin and trepang from the Sea of Japan.
• The winter season - the best months running from autumn into early spring.
• The kelp - several seaweeds used as ordinary vegetables in local cooking.
• The regional kitchen - Korean, Chinese and Japanese technique applied to local produce.

When to go

October to April for the best catch. A meal, or a morning at the markets.

Honest expectations

Summer is the poorest season and restaurants still charge for the name. Raw urchin and scallop carry the usual risks of raw shellfish. Live crab at markets needs cooking, which a hotel room does not allow. Prices in tourist restaurants are several times market rates.

Nearby

The Sportivnaya market and the quays are central; Russky Island is across the bridge.