Cơm Tấm (Broken Rice)
Nothin’ broken ‘bout THESE bad boys!
Cơm tấm, broken rice, is such a special Southern Vietnamese dish that I have FOUR spots I want to share with you today! Broken rice is so called because it is, ahem, broken during transport or milling, and that lends a wonderful couscous-y texture to these simple, but flavor-packed, plates.
In addition to a meat (usually a grilled pork chop) on top, shops regularly offer fried eggs, chả trứng (a kind of pork and egg cake), bì (thin strands of cooked pork and pork skin), cucumbers, tomatoes, pickled daikon and carrot, scallions, and a little bowl of nước mắm (mixed fish sauce). Certain shops set themselves apart by offering different meat options or more varied toppings, as several of my picks today do (pork chops are not my favorite meat in the world).
Cơm tấm is a dish to be eaten anytime, so go check these out and let us know what you think in the comments!
Cơm Tấm Tài
Hours: 6am-10pm everyday
Address: 1 Nguyễn An Ninh, Phường 14, Bình Thạnh
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tCosL5kSjTEzqNVA9?g_st=ic
A very popular all-day shop with my favorite cut, ba roi (pork belly)! Perfectly prepared. I wasn’t too hungry on this trip so I didn’t get much in the way of toppings, but the simple rice plate was tasty and enough for me.
Cơm Tấm Ba Ghiền
Hours: 7:30am-8:30pm everyday
Address: 84 Đ. Đặng Văn Ngữ, Phường 10, Phú Nhuận
https://maps.app.goo.gl/esR8mAaCUDeobaME7?g_st=ic
This was my first introduction to cơm tấm, and it’s still probably the most consistently excellent shop I know. One counter-intuitive tip is I recommend you come during a mealtime (and it WILL be busy, but seat yourself and they’ll get to you quickly), as you’ll get the freshest cut of grilled meat possible. The meat itself is just perfection - I prefer the chicken, but the pork is also fantastic, so you do you, and you won’t regret it. If you have time in Vietnam for only one plate of rice, make it this one.
Cơm Tấm Cô Phượng
Hours: 4am-9am everyday
Address: 241/8 Đ. Bến Vân Đồn, Phường 5, Quận 4
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zBZjVuzzrVDDryWe9?g_st=ic
Directly from the unofficial home district of com tám, this is a VERY early morning gem and I can’t resist sharing it. Absolutely phenomenal broken rice with delectable toppings, including chà bông cá (fish floss, similar to pork floss but softer), which is, frankly, a crazy thing to find. Mainly takeaway but there are a couple stools - but don’t worry, there are plenty of cafes along BVD street (go west from here a couple blocks) to sit and eat your breakfast with a drink. This one is open for early birds and I recommend coming before 7am for your best options.
Cơm Tấm Chả Cua
Hours: 6am-1pm everyday
Address: 113 Đ. Nguyễn Phi Khanh, Tân Định, Quận 1
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tXrRLmixLNHunxQJ8?g_st=ic
I’ve got to start this one off with: avoid the pork chop. You can get better suôn elsewhere. However!! They have crab cake, pork patty sausages, and some other delightful toppings! Get those - they’re very good. While it’s slightly more expensive than a typical plate, it’s a nice way to mix up the broken rice experience. Takeaway and seating available but it’s very small and can get busy in the mornings.
Thanks for reading and if you’ve got a favorite cơm tấm place, please drop it in the comments! Always looking for something new!
Happy eating out there and be sure to hydrate!
-Ben
i very much appreciate a pork chop review that tells me to get the crab cake instead of the pork - this is the out-of-the-box thinking that keeps me coming back from more! Will have to check these out (but avoid the pork belly - bottom tier food, for me).