This popular iconic Vietnamese dish came to popularity over half a century ago, and was formerly known as the “poor man’s meal”.
This meal consists of a marinaded pork chop/chicken leg grilled over fiery hot coals on a bed of rice. The dish can be accompanied by a fresh fried egg, shredded pork skin, and an egg and pork frittata. The caramelized fish sauce is meant to be used as a dressing over the entire dish and this meal is an absolute flavor bomb. Let’s get right into where you can get some of the best com tam in Saigon!!
List:
Cơm Tấm Dì Út
Cơm Tấm Mai (district 4)
Late night:
Cơm Tấm Hồng (District 4)
Higher End:
Cơm Tấm Sa Bi Chương
Cơm Tấm Nguyễn Văn Cừ
Things to know:
Average cost of Com Suon is 35k – 40k a plate at your local street-side vendor to 65k plus at a place that serves larger chops. Add an egg for about 5-10k. Some of the best places are your street-side vendors.
Cơm Tấm Dì Út
https://maps.app.goo.gl/rF1FJ4gdSzf53MyaA Cơm tấm dì út
This place grills their pork chops BONE IN which results in a juicy cut of pork. The marinade permeates deep into the meat so the flavors come through in every bite. This is a little off the beaten path and not as well known so you’re not going to have to wait too long for a plate of com suon hopefully, though they have recently become very popular on the Grab app. I highly recommend getting a fried egg and asking them to have the yolk a bit runny. This elevates the dish even more than it already is. Keep in mind that the pork ribs are more expensive than the pork chops, though both are worth trying at some point.
Why is Com Tam considered the “Poor Man’s Meal”?
The dish gets its signature name “com tam” through the type of rice it uses. Through the process of milling rice, some of the rice grains become broken. Once the rice is sifted through, the farmers would have two piles of grains, those that were whole grains and those that were broken. The whole grains retained a higher value than those grains that were broken and sold at a higher price. Com Tam exclusively uses broken grains and was hence considered the poor mans rice. Broken rice grains are sold for a much cheaper price in the local markets and carry a different texture when cooked.
The dish evolved to include the key components that make up what we see today. Broken rice with a grilled pork chop, fried egg, and shredded pork skin.
Our next recommendation that has incredible Com Tam is:
Cơm Tấm Mai (district 4)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/juhG9rAYuUBWa91T6
This place has been around for over a decade, and has some of the best marinaded meats out there. I recommend hitting them up at around lunch time or around dinner time when they have the meats freshly grilled up. Their eggs are fried slightly runny as preferred by most people so if you prefer your egg thoroughly cooked, do tell them. Serving size is good. This is just over the bridge, and straight down the alley on the left hand side. It’s worth the journey and the streets in district 4 are worth exploring as well.
Listing a few Cơm Tấm places that are a bit over hyped.
Don’t get me wrong, they are still very tasty, however they are geared towards tourists and you lose some of the local Vietnamese vibes when going to these places. Plus they are double the price of a local street-side vendor. You should try one of these places and then try one of the local vendors and compare the difference.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/9JoPoytka6SAXedA8 com tam moc
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2eyhLBdVuvhnJ7R46 com tam cali
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7hJdkmUh2yY6dwHo9 com tam bui
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xaZHKTykLasu7pVZ7 com tam ba ghien *Michelin
The Michelin spot in particular is an example of a place that just keeps grilling their pork chops and thick cut pork chops are not brined, leading to a potentially dry piece of meat. They do indeed have the biggest cuts out there however.
This next place however is a local place that used to be located at tran huu trang market, but decided to open up their own little shop due to their popularity over the years.
Cơm Tấm Bà Chị Hai
https://maps.app.goo.gl/urGWYXnRg8TCKDRg8 com tam ba chi hai
This place does a fantastic pork chop. Their cuts are on the slimmer side, but as a result the meat comes off the grill with a different punch and they put care into every product they make. The guy who serves here probably lifts a bunch of weights cause he’s ripped, and as a result makes a good pork chop? Just a theory. Their brine is the real likely reason for why they have pork chops. They also have a wonderful salted egg and pork frittata you should try with the chops. They’re in district 3 and if you find yourself in this area, definitely swing by for a lunch time bite.
Late night Cơm Tấm in Saigon
Cơm Tấm Hồng (District 4)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Nor1R2MVzZiv9nTz9
This is the mecca of where locals go to get their fix of late night Pork chop and rice. The meat is so flavorful and tender that it’s hard to describe in accurate detail the taste of it all. This is also the definition of a super local streetside vender. They set up shop in front of a motorbike repair shop on a dirty street, you sit on stools low to the ground, and it’s PACKED to the gills, especially after 8 pm, but the food makes it all worth it. This place is close to Com Tam Mai, and is arguably just as good. I would still recommend Com Tam Mai for daytime eats, but this place is an absolute must if you’re awake and it’s late and pork chops is what you’re craving. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!
Tip: Get a piece with some fat to it. The Vietnamese are not shy about eating some fat, and nor should you be in your short time here. You only live once right?
Need a clean setting plus air-conditioning with your Cơm Tấm?
If it’s super hot outside, and you need to escape the heat, then there are two places that I would recommend. Yes, one of them was on the touristy over hype list, however that doesn’t mean that it isn’t tasty. I’m talking about:
Cơm Tấm Sa Bi Chương
https://maps.app.goo.gl/KzAzLkZeJbo4ZoT58 (This place is a chain and this location is nice)
This place also has a branch up in Ha Noi and both places do a lovely cut of pork. If you’re traveling with family and they are a bit higher maintenance, then this is the spot for you. They have a good selection of extra goodies, the pork chop AND the pork ribs are very tasty, and this might be more suitable if you’ve got kids and need a more controlled environment. Also being an establishment that has good service and amenities, the base price for the basic pork chop and rice isn’t too bad.
Michelin rated Cơm Tấm
Michelin guide rolled through Vietnam and gave out some questionable awards when they were staying in town. One of which is Com Tam Ba Ghien.
This place is famous for its very large pork chop and affordable price. They’ve been around for decades and have been serving up this dish for awhile, however one can’t help but feel that they were simply awarded this due to size rather than quality as the chops aren’t brined properly and tend to dry out before they ever reach your plate.
If you’re after a big porkchop, I’d recommend:
Cơm Tấm Nguyễn Văn Cừ
https://maps.app.goo.gl/hs3XzKV4K1g1rKaW8 Cơm Tấm Nguyễn Văn Cừ
Yes, they are expensive (7 USD) however you really do get a thick cut bone in well marinated pork chop over rice here. Most of the negative reviews come down to the fact that they get over crowded, and they charge 4 dollars more than your average local com tam place. If you can look past the 170k cost of the plate, then you’ll be able to appreciate the quality that they serve up.
If you decide to get the grilled chicken, it’s also very delicious, HOWEVER make sure you order the grilled chicken and not the steamed chicken. The steamed chicken is a free range variety and is very good and is an acquired taste, however it isn’t tender. Free range chickens are prized for their flavor, and offers a different experience to be had in a more traditional Vietnamese family style setting instead of a com tam place.
Break Down
Cơm Tấm is one of the must eat dishes in Saigon served primarily for early morning risers and night owls. Again, there are just so many delicious pork chop places in HCMC that it’s impossible to list them all (or rather just way too time consuming). If you’re down some random alley and you see someone grilling up some fresh chops, don’t be afraid to stop and grab a quick bite. Could be the best meal you’ve ever had for under 2 bucks. Happy food questing people!!!
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