Saigon - Cơm Tấm

Cơm tấm (which translates as "broken rice") may well be the quintessential dish in Saigon. Elegant in its simplicity, it is rice made from broken grains served with grilled meat (usually pork or chicken), varied extras, and nước chấm.

On our first full day in Saigon, we were out looking for dinner. A couple of options I'd researched fell through, and we were left wandering the streets getting hungry. And then we came upon this little cart by the side of the road.

It turned out to be the perfect way to experience cơm tấm for the first time. The lady running the cart was very nice, and another lady who spoke a bit of English helped us through the ordering process.

We got two plates - both with sườn nướng (grilled pork chop - probably the most common item), and one with the addition of some chả (pork loaf).

It was perfect.

Mid-day is a more typical time to get cơm tấm, and one day we went out walking to find a spot called Quán Cơm Tấm Hùng.

We got one plate with pork chop and egg, and one with pork ribs and chả.

Delicous. The best food in Vietnam is always down an alley.