Delightful dishes for Saigon's rainy nights

Sticky rice, white porridge, noodles, broken rice... are the comforting dishes that Saigonese diners often choose to warm their stomachs late at night, especially on cold rainy days.

Delightful dishes for Saigon's rainy nights

When it comes to comforting dishes for rainy nights in Saigon, broken rice cannot be overlooked. Broken rice is so popular that even in the wee hours of the morning or midnight, when the number of people on the streets can be counted on one's fingers, running on many streets in Saigon can still 'catch' the scent of fragrant grilled meat from afar. There are countless places serving broken rice at night in Saigon, but mention must be made of Cao Dat broken rice stall (District 5); Tu Quy broken rice stall in front of Tan Dinh market, or several broken rice stalls along Truong Chinh Street (Tan Binh District) from Ba Queo to Hoang Hoa Tham market.

The billowing smoke from charcoal stoves, the aroma of large grilled ribs arousing the senses, make late-night diners unable to resist. Deciding to stop by the roadside stall, sitting next to the warm charcoal stove, enjoying a plate of freshly boiled hot rice, adding fish sauce, pickles, crispy fat, fragrant ribs, you will surely not... regret.

In rainy Saigon nights, porridge is also a suitable choice for people to temporarily escape the cold breath. There are countless delicious porridge varieties, but when it comes to late-night porridge, white porridge must be mentioned first. This seemingly 'plain' type of porridge is actually extremely enticing with dozens of side dishes, from snakehead fish, braised fish, peppered beef, boiled shrimp, braised fish, duck eggs, pickled vegetables, three crabs, salted duck eggs, northern duck eggs, minced pork, pork floss...

White porridge is often sold until 2-3 am at many spots. Notable ones include the white porridge shop at the corner of Hang Xanh intersection (Binh Thanh District), Nam Quoc Cang white porridge (District 1), Út Bông white porridge on the sidewalk of Nguyen Thuong Hiền (District 3), Nguyen Tri Phuong white porridge near the roundabout...

Aside from rice, porridge, and sticky rice, late-night snacks also have a pull for Saigonese during cold rainy nights. Names like chicken sticky rice at Ba Chieu market, 'corpse house' sticky rice on Tran Phu Street (due to its proximity to the funeral home), Nguyen Trung Truc chicken sticky rice, Cô Giang lotus leaf sticky rice... are quite familiar to diners. Chicken sticky rice, barbecued pork sticky rice, fragrant and chewy, topped with delicate sauce, rich in flavor at Ba Chieu market; mixed sticky rice with peanut filling, salt, dried shrimp, fried shallots, shredded pork, and Chinese sausage at Tran Phu Street... are sold from late afternoon until midnight at quite cheap prices, ranging from 10,000-20,000 VND per serving.

Cold weather calls for proper soups, but for late-night warmth, perhaps only Chinese noodles suffice. Late-night noodle shops in districts 5, 6, 11 are the go-to spots for indulgence. Few can resist the flavor of chewy, sweet noodles submerged in fragrant, sweet, and hearty broth crafted by experienced noodle artisans.

If you're near or passing through Tân Bình, Tân Phú districts late at night, you can drop by the mixed noodles shop at the corner of Mũi Tàu intersection between Âu Cơ and Trường Chinh. This three-generation small noodle shop is quite famous for its homemade noodles, thinly sliced pickled chili, steeped sourly, immersed in a rich, substantial broth with slices of meat, barbecued pork, offal...

As per Phunuonline

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour