Half-century-old broken rice dish, 'the most expensive in Hoc Mon': Sold out in 1 hour.

The broken rice restaurant owned by Ms. Tươi (30 years old) is very familiar to the people of Hóc Môn in particular and diners in Ho Chi Minh City in general, having been in business for over 50 years.

They sell out in an hour; if you arrive late, it's all gone.

I'd heard about this restaurant for a long time, but only now had the chance to try it. Because I traveled all the way from my home in District 8 to Nguyen Anh Thu Street (Hoc Mon District) just to eat a plate of their "most expensive" broken rice dish, which is only sold out between 7 and 8 a.m. – if you arrive late, there's nothing left – so I had to make the most of my time.

In the morning, the restaurant was packed with customers.

At first, it was just a rumor I heard from people in Hoc Mon. But when I went there to experience it firsthand, I realized the rumor was true. At 7:30 AM, I arrived at the restaurant, and the tables inside were packed with customers. In front, Ms. Tuoi, her mother-in-law, and two assistants were working tirelessly, sweating profusely to ensure customers didn't have to wait.

Some people were grilling ribs, the smoke billowing everywhere. Another person was serving customers, bringing out food. Tươi's mother-in-law was scooping rice onto plates, while Tươi put food on them, occasionally helping to grill ribs to keep up with the demand from the waiting crowd.

Speaking to Thanh Nien newspaper, the owner said that the cheapest option here is a plate of rice with pork ribs for 60,000 VND, while a full portion with ribs, pork skin, and pork sausage costs 100,000 VND. The restaurant caters to all customer needs. If customers want rice with pork skin, they also sell it for 40,000 VND.

Each plate of rice here costs between 60,000 and 100,000 VND.

Hearing that, I secretly wondered what was so special about this plate of rice that it was so expensive. Normally, a regular plate of broken rice with ribs, pork skin, and meatballs would only cost 35,000-40,000 dong at most. But looking at the number of customers at the restaurant, I believe there's a reason behind it.

Eagerly, I ordered a portion of ribs for 60,000 VND to enjoy. In no time, a plate of rice was served in front of me, steam rising from the rice along with the aroma of grilled meat. The plate looked simple with a moderate amount of food, if not... a little small, but enough for a satisfying breakfast.

Eating a spoonful of broken rice with grilled meat, scallion oil, and crispy pork cracklings, drizzled with a sweet and sour dipping sauce, the explosion of flavors in my mouth made me understand why, at that price, it attracts so many customers.

The ingredients are prepared according to a secret recipe.

The best thing here is the surprisingly delicious fish sauce and the grilled ribs, which are marinated perfectly, retaining moisture inside and a slight crispness outside. Honestly, the flavor at this restaurant is completely different from any I've eaten at before, deserving a 9/10 rating.

Mrs. Ba Lia passed it on to her granddaughter.

Agreeing with me, Mr. Ha Duc Huy (57 years old, residing in Hoc Mon District) said that he and his whole family have been eating at this restaurant for over 30 years, since they were very young. "Everyone in Hoc Mon knows this restaurant. Many of the customers come here in cars."

[CLIP]: Half-century-old broken rice dish, 'the most expensive in Hoc Mon': Sold out in 1 hour, grandmother passes the recipe down to granddaughter.

"If you try to eat here at 8:30 AM, there's nothing left, because the restaurant only sells for an hour. You have to hurry to eat here, and I'm used to the opening hours. For me, the prices are higher than average, but since I've fallen in love with the taste, I don't mind spending whatever it takes," the customer said.

Ms. Tuoi said that her family restaurant has been open for nearly 50 years, since after 1975. The prices were high from her grandmother's time, and they remained the same when she inherited the business from her. According to her, it's not expensive and is worth the effort that her family members put into preparing a plate of pork ribs with dedication for customers.

The restaurant is nearly half a century old.

My grandmother used to sell food, even when she was 80 years old. People called her "Grandma Ba Lịa," so the shop was named after her. For the past 3-4 years, because she's getting older, she passed the business on to me. I was in school back then, then I dropped out and helped her sell for many years before inheriting the business. Now, she occasionally comes to the shop to check on her grandchildren and other family members, and to see the regular customers...

Ms. Tuoi, the owner of the restaurant.

When asked why she only sells for one hour in the morning and not for longer, the owner said that her regular customers, who have been coming for decades, are used to this schedule. Her grandmother has been selling like this since her grandmother's time, so she follows suit.

"Some people complain that it's too expensive, and some people say it's not delicious. But food can't possibly suit everyone's taste. I just try my best to serve the customers who love the food at the restaurant," she confided.

The restaurant is located on Nguyen Anh Thu Street (Hoc Mon).

Ms. Tuoi is happy to inherit the restaurant that her grandmother built with her lifelong passion. She promises to preserve her grandmother's recipes and develop the restaurant to provide the best service to all the customers, near and far, who have supported her over the years.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/com-tam-nua-the-ky-mac-nhat-hoc-mon-1-tieng-het-sach-185230811105608773.htm