Phan Dang Luu rice cake is delicious depending on the palate, but 'the seller's attitude is a bit cold'!

The entrance to Phan Dang Luu Banh Duc restaurant is a small, simple alley. Although the atmosphere is a bit quiet, there are times when this restaurant can be heard with loud laughter and the sudden joy of someone returning.

A full bowl of banh duc costs 30,000 VND - Photo: DANG KHUONG

The small banh duc shop located at 116/2/3 Phan Dang Luu, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, has been selling for over 40 years in Saigon.

Looking through the menu, besides banh duc, Phan Dang Luu banh duc shop also has banh it tran, Singapore cold tofu, Da Lat cheese yogurt... But according to long-time diners, banh duc is a must-try dish when coming here.

A bowl of banh duc looks simple but you can't stop eating it

A bowl of banh duc at the restaurant only has the ingredients of rice flour, fried onions, scallion oil, green beans and minced meat. All are layered on top of each other, the seller "bathes" in it with a few spoons of fish sauce, which is the soul of the dish.

Fried onions are the highlight in Phan Dang Luu's rice cake - Photo: HO LAM

Holding it in hand, the faint aroma of fried onions immediately "seduces" the eater.

The onions are fried until golden brown. Crispy, fragrant, and especially not too floury.

This is almost the "key" ingredient that brings out the aroma of the rice cake.

So it is common for customers to ask for more fried onions.

On Facebook, a gourmet even said: "This rice cake would not be as delicious without fried onions."

Underneath the fried onions is a thick layer of minced meat mixed with black fungus. The meat is tender and not mushy, combined with the crunchy texture of the black fungus, it is a perfect combination.

The cake flour is the bottom ingredient. The flour layer is thick, smooth and white. When you roll the spoon down, the flour is still soft and smooth, almost returning to its original shape when the eater takes the spoon out of the bowl.

Phan Dang Luu rice cake shop is located deep in a small, simple alley - Photo: DANG KHUONG

When the fish sauce is poured over the food, it can be said that the bowl of banh duc is a picture that is not too diverse in color, but unique in flavor.

The fragrant feeling of fried onions combined with the sweetness of fish sauce makes it hard to resist and "rest your mouth".

The fish sauce is rich, sweet but still a bit salty. However, thanks to the bland meat and flour, it blends well with the fish sauce, not causing too much discomfort. However, many people complain about the saltiness when tasting this dish.

A bowl of banh duc consists of ingredients such as flour, fried onions, scallion oil, green beans and minced meat - Photo: DANG KHUONG

80 years old and still remember Phan Dang Luu's rice cake

That day, around 3pm, an elderly customer walked into Phan Dang Luu Banh Duc restaurant. It was Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nhung, who was 80 years old this year. She happily greeted the owner, asked about the family of the restaurant owner, and bragged that today her son took her to eat Banh Duc.

Confiding with Tuoi Tre Online , Ms. Nhung shared that she has been eating here for a long time because she always misses the old flavor of this small banh duc shop:

"I have been eating at this restaurant since the 1980s. At that time, the banh duc restaurant was still located on the street front. Every afternoon, I often stopped by the restaurant.

The taste of the banh duc is so special and delicious that I still remember it even though I am 80 years old this year. In the past, I often took my son here and now it is my son's turn to take his mother to eat it."

On the Google Maps review page for this restaurant, Thai Uyen Ngo shared that she has been eating and loving banh duc here for 15 years: "The restaurant is small but like a hidden gem in the heart of Saigon. The flavor of the restaurant has not changed over the years, still rich and delicious as ever."

The restaurant uses bricks to make tables for customers - Photo: DANG KHUONG

However, besides the taste, many customers think that Phan Dang Luu rice cake shop is also "famous" for... the owner's attitude.

Thao Trinh commented on Foody: "This restaurant has always been famous for the attitude of the sellers, but luckily I didn't have any problems when I came to eat, there must have been improvements...".

Nga Tran commented: "The famous hot rice cake shop that I just came to eat. It's located in a house at the end of the alley with a beautiful flower trellis. But the seller is a bit cold. Those who want to buy take-out have to stand in line, those who want to eat there have to sit on a chair in the yard...".

Although it has received many mixed opinions, perhaps in the minds of many Saigonese, especially those in Phu Nhuan district, Phan Dang Luu rice cake shop is not simply a restaurant, but also a place of memories and reminiscences...

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/banh-duc-phan-dang-luu-ngon-con-tuy-mieng-nhung-thai-do-nguoi-ban-hoi-bi-lanh-lung-20241029162941867.htm