Tasty Rice Dishes in Vietnam and Where to Try Them

Have you ever thought that rice looks quite... plain and boring? If so, let these tasty rice dishes in Vietnam change your mind. We can promise that at least one of them would be an unforgettable experience of your trip to Vietnam.

Com Tam - Broken Rice

Com Tam is one of the tasty rice dishes in Vietnam originated from the South. It has become a symbol of Saigonese cuisine, so it is a must-try for you when visiting this city or going on a Saigon Food Tour.

Com Tam is a suitable dish to eat at any time of the day, whether it is breakfast, lunch, dinner, or late-night snack. Its name takes after the main ingredient, broken rice. The texture of this rice is quite different from the one that Vietnamese use for their daily meals.

The delicious Com Tam 

Although broken rice can go perfectly with many meat dishes, the most common combo is broken rice with a huge slide of grilled pork, sunny-sided up eggs, shredded pork skin, a special Vietnamese side dish called “chả”, pickles and/or vegetables. And finally, a well-mixed bowl of Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce) weaves everything together.

A full-option serving of Com Tam

Com Tam can be found in many corners of Vietnam, from sidewalks to luxury restaurants. Here are some places you can have your first experience with it in Vietnam.

Where to try Com Tam - Broken Rice in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon

Com Tam Muoi

Address: 294/35 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Binh Thanh District
Opening hours: 7 PM - 12 AM (midnight)
Price: VND 30,000 - 50,000

Com Tam Ba Rom

Address: 55 Phan Dinh Phung, Ward 17, Phu Nhuan District
Opening hours: 3 PM - 9:30 PM
Price: VND 35,000 - 50,000

Read more in Saigon’s Classic: Broken Rice

Hanoi

Com Tam 36

Address: 17 Ngo Gach, Hoan Kiem District
Opening hours: 10:30 AM - 2 PM, 5:30 PM - 9 PM
Price: VND 40,000 - 71,000

Com Tam Hang

Address: 12, Alley 16, Huynh Thuc Khang Street, Dong Da District
Opening hours: 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM, 4:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Price: VND 35,000 - 50,000

Hoi An Chicken Rice

Hoi An Chicken Rice was first served in very modest food stalls along the streets of this ancient city. Nowadays, you can find it even in fabulous restaurants, but don’t miss out on the chance to try it at some of the most old-established stores when coming to Hoi An.

Com Ga Hoi An is a specialty of this romantic city

A dish of Hoi An Chicken Rice may not look too fancy but every single ingredient needs a meticulous cooking process and unique recipe specialized by each cook. The rice in this dish is usually cooked with boiled chicken broth and turmeric to create an appetizing yellowish color. The boiled chicken is shredded and usually have the organs served alongside. The vegetables in this chicken rice dish are sliced onions, Vietnamese coriander, and pickles. It goes well with different types of sauces: fish sauces or soy sauce. Some restaurant may also have their secret sauce to make their food stand out from one of the others. If you can eat spicy food, you should add some chilly peppers to the dish and create a more exciting taste.

Where to Try Hoi An Chicken Rice in Vietnam

Hoi An

Com Ga Ba Buoi

Address: 22 Phan Chu Trinh, Hoi An City
Opening hours: 11 AM - 9 PM
Price: VND 35,000

Com Ga Ba Van

Address: 21 Phan Chu Trinh, Hoi An City
Opening hours: 7 AM - 10 PM
Price: VND 35,000 - 50,000

Ho Chi Minh City

Com Ga Hoi An 95 Nguyen Trai

Address: 95/1 Nguyen Trai, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 8 AM - 1 AM
Price: VND 65,000

Hoi Pho Quan

Address: 152/22 Nguyen Trong Tuyen, Ward 8,  Phu Nhuan District
Opening hours: 7:30 AM - 2 PM, 4 PM - 9 PM
Price: VND 40,000

Hanoi

Com Ga Hoi An De Faifo

Address: 98 Trieu Viet Vuong, Bui Thi Xuan Ward, Hai Ba Trung District
Opening hours: 7 AM - 9:30 PM
Price: VND 68,000

Com Lam - Bamboo Rice

Com Lam, glutinous rice cooked in a bamboo tube, is a common folk dish in Northwest Vietnam. 

Before cooking, the rice needs to be soaked in water for 4-6 hours. It is then stuffed in a bamboo tube which is neither too young or old, and grilled with charcoal until it is ready to eat. During the cooking process, the tubes should be rolled from time to time so that they and the rice inside would not be burnt. The final product would have an appealing mixture of scent from the bamboo and rice.

Bamboo tubes that are used to cook Com Lam

The best dish to try with Com Lam is charcoal-grilled meat like chicken or wild boar. The locals in Northwestern Vietnam, where the supply of food can be not so diverse sometimes, even eat it with salty sesames.

Com Lam is the best when eating with grilled meat or salty sesames

Com Lam can be quite hard to find in other parts of the country, but in provinces of Northwest Vietnam, it is frequently available in local restaurants’ menus.

Where to try Com Lam - Bamboo Rice in Vietnam 

Ho Chi Minh City

Ga Nuong Com Lam Muong Thuong

Address: 29/281 Song Hanh, Highway 22, Tan Hung Thuan Ward, District 12
Opening hours: 10 AM - 10 PM
Price: VND 15,000/tube of Com Lam

Dalat

Thung Lung Xanh

Address: Ankroet, Ward 7, Lac Duong District (500 meters away from Lam Dong Water Supply Plant)
Opening hours: 7 AM - 7 PM
Price: VND 20,000/tube of Com Lam

Thao Nguyen Quan

Address: Ankroet, Ward 7, Lac Duong District
Opening hours: 7 AM - 9 PM
Price: VND 25,000/tube of Com Lam

Com Nieu - Rice in Earthenware Pot

Com Nieu is one of the rice dishes in Vietnam you can enjoy with any Vietnamese family meals. It used to be quite popular for families in rural Vietnam years ago. But these days, it can be considered as a luxurious option in some places.

Com Nieu is a great rice dish to experience a Vietnamese-style family meal

Nieu is the Vietnamese word for earthenware pot. It was a useful tool to cook rice before other types of modern cookers were invented. It brings an exceptional taste, but it is also a challenge for cooks since, without proper techniques, the rice can easily be uncooked or too burnt. Before eating, you should also fluff the rice with bamboo chopsticks for its best texture.

Where to try Com Nieu - Rice in Earthenware Pot in Vietnam 

Ho Chi Minh City

Com Nieu Sai Gon

Address: 27 Tu Xuong, Ward 7, District 3
Opening hours: 6 AM - 10 PM
Price: VND 35,000/pot of Com Nieu, not include main dishes

Gao Restaurant

Address: 33 Le Quy Don, District 3
Opening hours: 7 AM - 9 PM
Price: from VND 89,000 depending on your main dishes

Hanoi

Thuy Nga

Address: 29 Nguyen Chi Thanh, Ba Dinh District
Opening hours: 8 AM - 10 PM
Price: VND 50,000 -270,000 depending on your main dishes

Coconut Rice

There are two types of Coconut Rice in Vietnam, one from Ben Tre, and the other from Hue. Both of them are worth a try!

The same things between the two versions are that they are both cooked with coconut juice and served in a coconut. The cooking processes, however, are quite different.

Coconut Rice of Hue - a land which has always been famous for elaborate cuisine - is believed to have been a dish for kings and the noble. After being cooked, the rice would be seasoned and mixed with shrimps, pork, Vietnamese sausage, peas, and Hue cold cuts; all are cut into bite-size. Right before being served, it would be put into a coconut and steamed to make the coconut aroma absorbed into the rice.

Coconut Rice in Hue

On the other hand, in Ben Tre - the Land of Coconut, the way people cook it is somehow similar to Com Lam - Bamboo Rice. The rice is filled inside a coconut and steamed until it is cooked. The process may sound simple but still requires a skillful and experienced chef to do and assure the deliciousness of the rice. The best dish to eat with Ben Tre Coconut Rice is roasted riverine shrimps, another stale dish of the Vietnamese countryside.

Coconut Rice in Ben Tre

Where to try Coconut Rice in Vietnam

Din Ky Restaurant

Address: 137C Nguyen Trai, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Opening hours: 6 AM - 2 AM
Price: VND 129,000

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Clam Rice

Hue seems to appear a lot in the tasty rice dishes in Vietnam! Clam rice is another dish coming from this romantic city. If you would like to try an exotic recipe but not too adventurous, it could be a nice choice.

Clam Rice is surprisingly inexpensive and has an irresistible taste

A bowl of clam rice would be served with boiled newly-caught baby clams, vegetables, roasted peanuts, and crunchy fried pork skin. It also goes with a small bowl of soup made from clam broth mixed with satay to enhance the flavor.

Where to try Clam Rice in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City

Am Thuc Hue Thanh Ha Noi

Address: 43 Hien Vuong, Tan Phu District
Opening hours: 7 AM - 9 PM
Price: VND 25,000

Hue

Com Hen Ba Cam

Address: 2 Truong Dinh, Vinh Ninh Ward, Hue City
Opening hours: 6 AM - 1:30 PM
Price: VND 10,000

Com Hen - Bun Hen - Chao Hen

Address: 17 Han Mac Tu, Vy Da Ward, Hue City
Opening hours: 7 AM - 9 PM
Price: VND 10,000

Summary of Tasty Rice Dishes in Vietnam and Where to Try Them

Several rice dishes in Vietnam you should take a chance to try out are Broken Rice, Hoi An Chicken Rice, Bamboo Rice, Rice in Earthenware Pot, Coconut Rice, and Clam Rice. Each of them has very own alluring characteristics, which might make you cannot help but eat more.

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