Cơm tấm: Saigon's broken rice, explained

How to order

“Cho tôi một dĩa cơm tấm sườn bì chả.”

One plate of broken rice with pork chop, shredded pork skin and egg meatloaf. Saigon says dĩa for plate; in the north you’ll hear đĩa. Both are understood.

Useful add-ons: thêm trứng (add a fried egg), thêm cơm (more rice), không hành (no spring onion) and ăn ở đây (I’ll eat here). Many places also list a dĩa đặc biệt – the “special” with everything on it. Just want the pork chop? Ask for cơm tấm sườn.

What’s on the plate

The base is cơm tấm: rice grains that broke during milling. They were once the cheap leftovers of the rice trade. Cooked, they turn soft and a little fluffy, and soak up sauce far better than whole grains.

Sườn nướng, the grilled pork chop, is the star. It is usually marinated with fish sauce, sugar, garlic and shallot – some cooks add lemongrass or honey – then grilled over charcoal until the edges caramelise. The smoke from the grill is often how you find the stall.

Bì is thin strips of pork skin and pork tossed with toasted rice powder (thính). It is chewy, nutty and quite dry – that is how it should be. Chả trứng is a steamed meatloaf of egg and minced pork, often with glass noodles and wood ear mushroom, finished with a golden layer of yolk.

Around them: spring-onion oil (mỡ hành), pickled carrot and daikon (đồ chua), cucumber and tomato, and a small bowl of sweet, diluted fish sauce (nước mắm). Many shops also bring a little bowl of clear broth on the side.

How to eat it

Spoon some fish sauce over the rice – a little at a time, not the whole bowl at once. Saigon eats cơm tấm with a spoon and fork: cut a piece of pork, then take rice, pork and a bit of pickle in each mouthful.

Iced tea (trà đá) is the usual drink and is often free or very cheap. The packaged wet towel on the table usually costs a few thousand dong; leave it unopened if you don’t want it.

When to go

Cơm tấm is an all-day dish. Breakfast stalls open early, lunch is the busiest time, and night stalls (cơm tấm đêm) serve until late. For pork straight off the grill, go when the place is busy – food turns over quickly.

Where to find it

You don’t need a famous name. Every Saigon neighbourhood has cơm tấm, from pavement stalls with plastic stools to family restaurants. Walk a few streets away from the main tourist areas – residential districts such as District 3, Phú Nhuận and Bình Thạnh have plenty of places where locals eat.

Signs of a good stall: a charcoal grill working, pork chops grilled in batches rather than reheated, a glass cabinet with trays of chả and bì, and a steady stream of local customers.

What it costs

At local places a plate usually costs around 30,000–70,000 VND. A plain pork chop plate sits at the lower end; a special with pork chop, bì, chả and egg sits at the top. Air-conditioned restaurants and tourist areas can charge more. Prices change, so check the menu board or ask “Bao nhiêu tiền?” (How much?).

Vegetarian and allergies

Standard cơm tấm is built on pork and fish sauce, so it is not vegetarian. Vegetarian restaurants (quán chay) often make cơm tấm chay with tofu, mushrooms and soy-based “pork”. Say “Tôi ăn chay” (I’m vegetarian).

Chả contains egg, bì contains rice powder and the sauce contains fish. With an allergy, say “Tôi bị dị ứng …” (I’m allergic to …) and add the ingredient: trứng (egg), cá (fish), đậu phộng (peanuts). Street stalls share boards and utensils, so ask and decide carefully.

Eat it with less plastic

Takeaway cơm tấm usually comes in a foam or plastic box, with the fish sauce, pickles and broth in separate little plastic bags. Eating in avoids all of it. If you need takeaway, bring a box and say “Cho vào hộp của tôi nhé” (please put it in my container), and “Không lấy ống hút” (no straw) for your iced tea.