Grilled Razor Clams

The bedrock of Vietnamese social life is nhậu culture—the ritual of gathering over snackable food and plentiful drink. These everyday celebrations take place all over the streets of Vietnam. To nhậu is to eat with your hands and wash it all down with ice-cold beers. It’s the sound of glasses clinking along with screams of “một, hai, ba, dzo!” (“one, two, three, cheers!”).

Shellfish are among the most popular nhậu dishes, from snails to mussels and clams. My dad’s personal favorite i