Chinese-Origin Woman Selling Fried Flour for 43 Years in Saigon Alley

Ms. Kim Ngoc's fried flour cart continues to attract numerous customers with its 'authentic' flavor of the dish over the past 40 years.

Chinese-Origin Woman Selling Fried Flour for 43 Years in Saigon Alley

Situated at the beginning of a small alley on Nguyen Thien Thuat Street (District 3), Ms. Kim Ngoc's fried flour cart has been intertwined with the city since 1974. In the afternoon, her old cart bustles with customers, some dining in while others opt for takeout. Although it's a dish of Teochew origin from China, no one knows precisely when fried flour 'made its way' into Saigon.

Every day, Ms. Ngoc personally goes to the market, preparing the ingredients early in the morning. By 3:30 in the afternoon, she sets up her stall, selling until 11 at night before taking a break.

She reveals that to achieve a delicious, soft yet non-sticky piece of fried dough that remains fresh, the flour used is sourced from a Teochew-origin production facility. The dough benefits from a traditional recipe ensuring it meets these standards.

Besides the two main ingredients of eggs and flour, the plate of fried flour is also enticing with the green color of scallions, the fragrant aroma of homemade lard. The success of this dish cannot be separated from a bowl of well-blended soy sauce, with either chili sauce or fresh chili according to individual preferences, and pickled radish.

According to Ms. Ngoc, due to the taste preferences of Saigonese, the dish has been modified differently from the original version. Teochew people would eat fried flour with salty soy sauce, without any preparation, just adding a little vinegar, and not served with shredded papaya or pickled carrots.

Currently, Ms. Ngoc has not yet married and lives with her nephews and nieces, the children of her younger brother. Despite her old age and suffering from cervical spondylosis for many years, she still pushes her cart to the end of the alley every day and starts preparing her stall.

'She has been selling since 1974, only in this alley. She feels happy selling, never gets tired because every day there are people to chat with,' Ms. Ngoc said.

The routine goes on for all these years, but she never thought she would quit her profession. 'Some have followed and liked it, but perhaps fate has not come yet...' the two-tone haired woman quickly flipped the dough while sharing more about her love life.

Customers who stay to eat at her place will sit on plastic chairs placed in front of the cart, with an additional table sometimes placed next to it when crowded. This might also be a drawback of the stall because customers have to watch over their own vehicles while eating, and sometimes the streets are crowded and dusty.

According to Di Vy/Vnexpress

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Reference: Travel handbook Mytour