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This very ordinary looking eatery has been dishing it out for 80 years on Co Giang street and its vicinity. Amply built Ut says: “It was my grandma who started it, selling congee on shoulder poles around the Cau Muoi and Ong Lanh markets. Later, my dad inherited the business. Now I sell this congee wherever I am allowed to.” A bit of an exaggeration considering Ut operates out of a restaurant. The shoulder pole, though, is still in vogue. |
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A huge stainless-steel pot stands tilted on one of the shoulder pole baskets. Beside it is a tray full of pork tripe. As soon as she receives an order, Ut places some tripe into a bowl; then, before ladling the congee, she slightly stirs the pot to blend the broth and the rice together. |
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The tray with various pork organs: heart, liver, Vietnamese sausage, etc. |
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The bowl of hot congee, which turns brown with the addition of pork blood, is handed over after adding a dash of pepper and laksa leaves. |
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Raw rice is fried before it is made into a porridge, which allows the grains to swell without being crushed and retain its appetizing smell. A full bowl of pork tripe congee costs VND40,000 ($1.75). If you are hesitant about any of the ingredients, just remind the owner to exclude it. |
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Ut says she only picks fresh ingredients and uses no frozen meat to get the tripe. The preparation process, from shopping for raw ingredients to cooking the rice porridge, starts at 1 a.m everyday. |
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Bean sprouts and a dash of lime add useful nutrients, texture and flavor to the dish. |
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A serving also includes a small bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce. If you want it spicy, add extra chili slices placed on the table. |
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The restaurant is open from 6 a.m to 2 p.m, and is usually most crowded early in the morning. Parking lots nearby allow you to enjoy this delicious, filling hot bowl of pork tripe porridge at leisure. A first time customer, Tran Quan (District 8, Ho Chi Minh city): “A friend of mine recommended this place. The taste is pretty bland, but the tripe is softly cooked and no smelly odor remains.” Hai, a long-time patron: “I come here at least once a week. Now that I am used to the taste here, I cannot eat this elsewhere.” |