Quoc Trieu fried dumpling flour, authentic Cantonese flavor, fragrant with egg and scallion

Simple yet full of memories, fried dough is not only a favorite street food but also a part of the lifestyle of the Chinese community in Ho Chi Minh City.

Fried dough at Quoc Trieu restaurant is marinated in dark soy sauce, dipped in soy sauce mixed with Chinese vinegar, a plate with 2 eggs costs 32,000 VND - Photo: TO CUONG

Fried dough - a seemingly simple dish but it encapsulates the memories and lifestyle of Chinese people in Ho Chi Minh City.

From Cho Lon, this rustic dish has traveled through the years, permeating every corner of the city, becoming a familiar flavor for many generations.

For Chinese people, fried dough is not only a dish but also the scent of childhood, of afternoons spent playing around and stopping by a roadside stall to enjoy the crispy golden dough, fragrant with the smell of eggs and onions.

Quoc Trieu's strange yet familiar fried dough dish

Ms. T., owner of the Quoc Trieu Fried Rice Cake - Dumpling Shop at 19 Street 14, Tan My Ward (District 7), also carries that memory with her from District 11 - where her Chinese family of Guangzhou origin used to live.

"My mother cooked it the same way I cook it now. I don't change anything for fear of losing the old taste," Ms. T. shared with Tuoi Tre Online.

The shop's fried dough balls, although fried thoroughly, are not hard at all. Biting through the crispy crust, soaked in dipping sauce, is an attractive layer of soft dough - Photo: TO CUONG

It is the awareness of preserving memories that creates a flavor that is both familiar and very unique, something we can hardly find these days.

Unlike many fried dough shops today that prefer to fry over high heat to quickly make the whole piece crispy, Mrs. T. still patiently fries the dough over low heat.

The square dough balls are tossed evenly until the outer layer turns golden brown and crispy, while the inside remains soft and chewy.

When the flour is ready, she cracks an egg on the pan, adds some green onions, and a few crispy salted radish seeds to enhance the flavor.

The whole process was like a "popular omakase" performance: the sizzling sound was pleasant to the ears, the aroma spread, making anyone standing nearby feel hungry.

A special feature of Quoc Trieu fried dough is the pieces of xa bau - a pickled cabbage dish of the Teochew people that is extremely delicious to eat - Photo: TO CUONG

Quoc Trieu fried dough dish is served with a bowl of soy sauce mixed according to a special recipe - salty and not too sweet, add a little spicy chili and it's ready to enjoy.

Diners who want to challenge themselves with the unique spicy taste can ask the owner to add a few drops of pepper oil that will numb the tongue and the aroma will rush up to the nose.

Not only fried dough, Quoc Trieu restaurant also makes people remember by its dumplings - a dish that seems familiar but is very strange. The filling is not only minced meat but also mixed with vegetables, so the taste is light and not greasy.

In the past, Quoc Trieu restaurant only sold banh xeo on Thursdays and Fridays every week, but because customers from near and far wanted to try them, the owner wrapped a few dozen of them every day - Photo: TO CUONG

When a customer orders, the kitchen starts cooking, steaming for exactly 7 to 8 minutes, enough to make the crust thin but slightly chewy, and when you bite into it, you will see a layer of hot, full filling.

The dumplings are dipped in a special sauce mixed with a little pepper oil. When eaten, the spicy and warm taste spreads throughout the mouth, mixed with the light sweetness of the filling and the aroma of the dough - a very "Chinese" feeling, very Cho Lon.

The soft shell of the dumpling makes the filling explode in the mouth, and the spicy taste of pepper oil is enough to knock out any diner - Photo: TO CUONG

The restaurant is small, the tables and chairs are simple, but the customers are still bustling, partly because of the authentic taste, partly because of the way Mrs. T. cherishes each dish as if telling an old story. There is the salty taste of soy sauce, the spicy taste of pepper oil, and the warm taste of Chinese memories in the heart of Saigon.

Among the myriad of modern delicacies, Quoc Trieu fried dough is still a small place for people to find the old Guangzhou flavor - simple, sincere and full of love.

Back to topic

To Cuong

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bot-chien-banh-xep-quoc-trieu-dung-vi-quang-dong-thom-phuc-trung-hanh-2025100715070158.htm