First Market is Sanya's most established seafood market — full variety, transparent prices. Hours: market 4:00am-10:00pm (freshest delivery 4-6pm), cooking shops 11:00am-11:00pm. Buy seafood at the market first, then take it to a cooking shop. Reference prices: grouper 60-80 RMB/jin, lobster 180-280 RMB/jin, abalone 5-15 RMB/each, oyster 5-8 RMB/each, hairy crab 80-120 RMB/jin, sea urchin 10-15 RMB/each. Prices fluctuate daily — ask at 3-4 stalls before buying.
Weighing pitfalls: ① Bring a 500ml water bottle (~500g) as a reference weight and re-weigh after purchase; ② Demand seafood be drained before weighing, especially crabs and shellfish; ③ Refuse thick-bottom bags (a special heavy bag that adds 50-100g); ④ Check that the scale is zeroed and watch for extra button presses; ⑤ For lobsters, verify they're alive (whiskers/legs move when touched) — reject dead ones on the spot; ⑥ Re-weigh before handing to the cooking shop to prevent swap-outs.
Cooking shop selection: ① Refuse street recruiters (90% are touts with doubled fees); ② Look for Dianping 4.5+ stars with 500+ reviews; ③ Standard cooking fees: steamed 10-15 RMB/jin, salt-and-pepper 15-20 RMB/jin, stir-fry 20-25 RMB/jin, sashimi 25-30 RMB/jin; ④ Recommended: Linjie Xiangwei Seafood (high-rated veteran), Xiaohaitun Seafood, Alang Seafood. Budget reference: a hearty seafood dinner for two runs 300-500 RMB including cooking fees.