At 100,000 VND per serving, the place is still crowded with customers.

A dish that nourishes the whole family.

At 6:30 PM, I visited Mr. Vinh's family's fried oyster and egg stall, tucked away in a corner of Hai Thuong Lan Ong and Phung Hung streets (District 5). At this time, Mr. Vinh's four brothers were just beginning to set up their stall and welcome the first customers. Even though they had just opened, the stall was already crowded with customers eating in and taking away.

Mr. Vinh's siblings all inherited their father's restaurant.

Mr. Vinh assisted his father from a young age.

Mr. Ta Vinh, the second of five siblings, recounted that his father opened this restaurant in 1967 to make a living. Originally a chef at a well-known Chinese restaurant, his father noticed that this fried oyster with egg dish was delicious, had a unique flavor, and was not sold anywhere else in the area, so he decided to stick with it.

Thanks to their excellent cooking skills and knack for business, their fried oyster cart was very popular with customers at the time. The childhood of the five siblings consisted of going to school and then helping their father run the stall. The image of the eatery gradually became deeply ingrained in their subconscious and became an unforgettable part of the memories of these Chinese-Vietnamese siblings.

The fried oyster and egg stall is open from 6:30 PM to 11:30 PM.

Fresh, delicious oysters.

His father is elderly and in poor health. More than 40 years ago, his siblings also began to inherit the restaurant that their father had passed down to them, and it continues to this day. Watching the four siblings busy with the restaurant as dusk falls, Mr. Vinh recounted:

"My sister stays at home taking care of the work, preparing the ingredients and handling the post-production, she doesn't come out to sell. My four siblings and I come here, dividing up the tasks: one fries the oysters, another makes the batter, another prepares the vegetables and dipping sauces to serve customers, and another greets and serves customers." That's how it's been for decades; all of us siblings have become accustomed to this work.

Mr. Ta Cuong (47 years old, the third youngest in the family), hearing his older brother's words, smiled kindly and confided that this restaurant is both a labor of love left by their father and the source of income for the whole family, so it holds a very special meaning for him. That's why he is proud and strives to inherit and develop the restaurant, bringing the most heartfelt meals to customers.

Besides the main dish of fried oysters, the restaurant also sells fried batter for 40,000 VND per serving.

“Five siblings run this stall together, so how do we divide the money?” I asked Mr. Cuong. While frying oysters, the man smiled genuinely and said they would divide the daily income equally, as all five siblings work just as hard. However, money and income aren't the most important things; it's the shared business and the shared experience of welcoming customers that brings them happiness and motivates them to stick with it for decades.

Despite the hefty price tag of 100,000 VND per serving, why are there still so many customers?

This dish is quite simple to prepare. Mr. Cuong puts plump, juicy oysters into a small bowl, adds two chicken eggs, seasonings, chopped scallions, and then mixes everything well. He adds a little oil to a concave pan, uses a ladle to scoop the batter and sprinkles it all over the pan, creating a crispy, golden-brown batter mat.

After waiting a while for the batter to harden, the oyster and egg mixture is poured on top. Mr. Cuong continuously stirs to ensure everything sticks together. In a moment, the golden-brown, crispy fried oyster pieces are transferred to a plate and garnished with lettuce and cilantro.

The dish is simple to prepare, but delicious.

This dish has a crispy batter crust, while the inside is soft, creamy, and rich with oysters and eggs. When serving, the owner never forgets to include a sweet, sour, and spicy dipping sauce that's perfectly seasoned, creating a truly explosive flavor experience for diners.

According to Mr. Cuong, he only starts preparing the dish when a customer orders, ensuring that the fried oysters with egg are served piping hot and crispy. This accounts for half the dish's success. Mr. Vinh, on the other hand, says the other half is the secret batter and seasoning recipe passed down from his father; customers won't find this flavor at any other restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.

The meal costs 100,000 VND.

Oysters fried with egg are served with fresh vegetables and a flavorful dipping sauce.

Accordingly, each serving of fried oysters here costs 100,000 VND. The price is steep, but Ms. Diep Ngoc Bao (54 years old, residing in District 5) doesn't complain; in fact, she's been a regular customer of the restaurant for over 30 years. She confided that from the first time she tried the fried oysters with egg at this restaurant, she was immediately impressed by the flavor and became addicted to it without even realizing it.

"The shop is open from 6:30 PM to 11:30 PM. Sometimes I skip dinner and bring my children and grandchildren here to eat. Sometimes, when I'm hungry in the middle of the night, I'll run out to buy some to take home. If I'm craving it, I'll eat it! The price is high, but it's worth it. My family will definitely continue to support them for a long time," she said, then quickly took the two portions she had bought home.

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