Pho could also be one among Vietnam’s most iconic dishes, but for Ho Chi Minh City native Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien, it’s the standard plate of com tam that wins her heart.
Pho could also be one among Vietnam’s most iconic dishes, but for Ho Chi Minh City native Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien, it’s the standard plate of com tam that wins her heart.
The dish translates to “broken rice,” referencing the rice grains left from the milling process during harvest. Broken rice grains were considered inferior, making them harder to sell, so farmers would feed them to their families as an alternative of throwing them away.
Over time, this “poor man’s rice” has evolved into an iconic Vietnamese dish, especially in Ho Chi Minh City.
The dish brings back fond memories of childhood, Thuy Tien, who was crowned Miss Grand International in 2021, told CNBC Travel’s Downtime.
“Once I was a toddler, I at all times ate com tam on my solution to highschool,” the actress and wonder queen shared.
Com tam is her first meal when she returns to Vietnam after a protracted trip aboard, she added.
Thuy Tien recommends visiting these places in Ho Chi Minh City:
- Trung Nguyên Legend Coffee World is one among Vietnam’s leading coffee brands, and its G7 easy coffee is exported to many countries. Thuy Tien, who’s a brand ambassador for Trung Nguyên Legend, shares how coffee meditation may be practiced. 07 Nguyễn Văn Chiêm, Bến Nghé, District 1
- Quán Cơm Tấm Hồng Calmette offers among the finest com tams in Ho Chi Minh City, in accordance with Thuy Tien. The enduring staple will likely be served with grilled pork. 134 Đường Hoàng Diệu, Phường 9, District 4
- Đoàn lô tô Sài Gòn Tân Thời is a troupe made up of LGBTQ+ cabaret performers fusing songs and a type of bingo of their shows.1 The sport show performance is analogous to a kind of folk art within the south, and there are different performing troupes across Vietnam. 141 Bắc Hải, Phường 14, District 10
- Quán Ốc Sáu Nở is one among quite a few no-frills stalls selling seafood and snails along Vinh Khanh Food Street (Phố ẩm thực Vĩnh Khánh). Here, you possibly can experience Vietnam’s nhậu culture, which is all about feasting and being merry. 128 Vĩnh Khánh, Phường 8, District 4
Watch the video above for Thuy Tien’s guided tour.
