Buzz
The cozy little rice eatery, though somewhat cramped, maintains a commendable level of cleanliness, devoid of littered napkins or leftover food. The tables and chairs, while not brand new, are neatly arranged. Here and there, vibrant red couplets are affixed, fluttering gracefully on the walls. The proprietor, a stout figure with a balding head and a paunch, converses with the servers in a crisp, lofty language, resonating with authority.
Truyền Ký Rice Eatery is renowned for its distinctive culinary offerings such as salt-steamed chicken (the eatery's signature dish), lard-soaked chicken, Dong Giang tofu, crispy fried mushrooms, braised pork offal, steamed taro with roasted pork, pork tripe stir-fried with pickled mustard greens, ginger-spiced intestine stir-fry with chives or water spinach, Chinese-style stir-fried beef, three-color eggs, salted duck eggs with preserved meat, fish ball and water spinach soup, tamarind soup with fish balls...
Nearly a hundred dishes crafted from ingredients ranging from chicken, pork, beef, and aquatic delicacies paired with distinctive vegetables and spices like kale, mushrooms, artichokes, sesame oil, Chinese celery, and tofu will leave you dazzled when ordering.
Listen to the advice of those who have dined at Truyền Ký Rice Eatery before, you absolutely cannot miss the salt-steamed chicken dish. The secret of this dish has been carefully preserved and guarded over the years, to present a dish confidently proclaimed amidst the culinary hubbub of Chợ Lớn.
The salt-steamed chicken is prepared from local chickens weighing between 1 kg to 1.2 kg, during this developmental stage, the chicken meat is tender and sweet, the chicken skin is fatty and crispy. After being cleaned, the chicken is coated with salt on the outside, then steamed over the right heat according to the secret recipe to ensure the meat is cooked just right, the skin is plump and shiny, and golden.
After ordering the salt-steamed chicken dish, a swift command echoes, immediately the chicken is torn apart by the kitchen staff, mixed with salt, pepper, and spices. Eating salt-steamed chicken must be accompanied by a plate of salt and pepper mixed with Chinese mustard oil and chicken fat to be authentically Truyền Ký, unmatched by any other salt-steamed chicken dish elsewhere.
Truyền Ký's salt-steamed chicken stands apart from boiled or shredded chicken in the North, unlike the chicken rice in the Central region or the fragrant roasted chicken dish in Pleiku's Mountain Town enjoyed with bamboo rice. The meat of Truyền Ký's salt-steamed chicken is tender, flavorful, and chewy yet not greasy, with the skin offering a crisp crunch due to salt infusion.
In Chợ Lớn area, there's another renowned brand of salt-steamed chicken known as Lão Mã (Mã Khương) Chicken, located in an alley on Trần Phú Street, District 5. Lão Mã's salt-steamed chicken carries a strong Cantonese style, as it is steamed with sesame oil and characteristic mustard greens, historically grown in the ancient Bình Đông region when the Teochew people first set foot in Gia Định.
While awaiting the salt-steamed chicken dish, you should order a plate of crispy fried thú linh (also known as khấu linh) as an appetizer, which is also a signature dish of the eatery. Thú linh is the crispy fried tail fat of pork, bursting with fatty flavor upon bite, complemented by a sweet and savory dipping sauce, creating an irresistible dish.
If you're a hearty eater, even after finishing the salt-steamed chicken, if you still crave more, order plain rice to enjoy with three-colored eggs consisting of fresh duck eggs poured over northern-style salted eggs. The golden hue of fresh eggs, combined with the amber color of northern salted egg whites and the dark color of the yolks, creates a rich and truly enticing dish. Mixing the piping hot rice with three-colored eggs will leave you utterly satisfied. Two people can't stand up after finishing, spending over 300,000 dong.
One twilight afternoon, while sitting and waiting for the dish at Truyền Ký Rice Eatery, amidst the dimly lit space, a blend of past and present, I suddenly remembered the poem 'Trung Hoa' by the late poet Luu Quang Vu, with its haunting verses:
'The mighty Yellow River
The mountain tavern in the cold night serves hot wine
The green-collar on the riverside
The vigilant eyes of Vo Tong
The deep pools of Thuy Hu
People passing by like a river flowing through the grass
Clear in the morning and dark at night
Deep but light-hearted
Believe in everything, dare to do all
The mysterious Chinese
Sitting among turnips late at night...
The shop owner, with a chubby belly always smiling, full of sentiment, is one of the Chinese people who came to Vietnam, considering this land, patiently working to grow turnips, knead bao buns, and make soy sauce.
According to Vnexpress
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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour
MytourApril 14, 2016
