Record for selling out in 1 hour.

This is the broken rice stall owned by Mrs. Phung Ngoc San (70 years old) and her husband, Mr. Pham Van Duc (68 years old), located in front of a small alley on Ly Chinh Thang Street (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City). The stall is popular with customers because of the unique pork ribs in their broken rice dish, thanks to the owners' unusual cooking method.

A "unique" plate of rice.

Every afternoon, around 5 PM, Mrs. San and her husband busily set up their stall. At this time, they help each other prepare meals for their regular customers. Due to their advanced age and health issues, they work a little slower than usual. However, customers are understanding and patient. They try their best to prepare the meals as quickly as possible to serve their customers.

Mrs. San's family had been selling broken rice dishes since before 1975. After getting married, she decided to follow in her husband's footsteps to make a living.

The food cart looks simple but appealing, with portions of pork ribs, pork skin, sausage, pickles, and cucumbers arranged on top. Around it are a few tables for customers to eat on the spot, but most people buy takeout. As evening approaches, the number of customers increases, keeping the owners working non-stop.

Sharing her story with me, Mrs. San smiled and said that her grandparents opened the stall a few years after 1975, so it's been almost 45 years now. Before, her family also sold this broken rice dish; she helped her mother sell it when she was just a teenager. After marrying her husband, she decided to sell rice herself, following the family tradition. And so, the rice cart has been present at this familiar street corner for decades.

At first glance, the couple's food cart doesn't look much different from other ordinary broken rice restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City. However, the place is packed with customers, even on weekdays, making me wonder what's so special about their dish that people love it so much.

The owner smiled kindly, saying that perhaps the customers felt sorry for the elderly couple who were still making a living, and that's why they've supported them for so many years. Ms. San said that most of them are regular customers. In addition, her cooking methods have their own secrets, unlike anywhere else, especially the way she marinates and prepares the ribs.

The couple has been selling rice from their cart for nearly 45 years.

[CLIP]: Unique broken rice dish made by an elderly couple in Ho Chi Minh City for 45 years: 'Record' of being finished in 1 hour.

"My ribs, after being marinated thoroughly, are grilled. After grilling, they are fried again when a customer orders. At this point, the ribs will be very tender and fragrant," the owner revealed the restaurant's secret.

Mr. Duc, Mrs. San's husband, who lives next door, also joined the conversation, sharing that in the past, he and his wife sold their food in both the morning and afternoon. For more than 10 years now, due to their age, they only sell in the evening. On busy days, the shop's record is that they sell out in just over an hour. Normally, with a steady stream of customers, they close their shop after 3-4 hours.

"Absolutely delicious!"

Each portion of rice sold by the elderly couple ranges from 35,000 to 50,000 VND, depending on the customer's needs. Each plate includes pork ribs, pork skin, pork sausage, egg, pickles, and cucumber. I must say the rice here is completely worth the price, as the ribs are marinated with rich, flavorful spices, tender, and aromatic, unlike anywhere else I've eaten.

The ingredients are drizzled with a little sweet fish sauce, and it's truly "delicious," as commented by Phung Ngoc Huy (24 years old), a regular customer of the restaurant. The plate of rice, in my opinion, deserves a 9/10, as its slightly sweet flavor suits the taste of Southerners like me.

The owner is elderly, so the food preparation is slower, but customers are still very understanding.

The restaurant is located in alley 148 Ly Chinh Thang (District 3).

Mr. Bui Tan Hoang (52 years old, residing in Phu Nhuan District) said that he has been eating here for over a decade. Because he likes the taste of the fried ribs and the reasonable prices, Mr. Hoang usually brings his wife to eat here every week, sometimes 2-3 days, sometimes 5-6 days.

"Generally, the rice here is delicious, I'm used to eating it. I've eaten at many places, but I still find this one the most to my liking, so I've chosen it as my go-to spot. Later, I noticed that many young people started eating here, probably thanks to social media," Mr. Hoang said, looking at the customers surrounding his food cart.

Mrs. San and her husband have four children. Thanks to this food cart, they raised their children to adulthood. Now that their children have their own lives and their circumstances are not affluent, they have decided to continue this food cart to support themselves and earn money for medical treatment. The food cart is their livelihood, so they are determined to keep selling until they no longer have the strength to do so...

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