Phung Hung Market is located at the intersection of two streets, Phung Hung and Lao Tu in District 5, forming a T-shaped market campus. In the 1930s, it became a popular landing zone for carts coming from nearby Binh Tay Market and Soai Kinh Lam Market, also in the area.
Thus, a market selling food and drinks emerged. Later, the market was also called Capitol Market, because it was located near the Capitol Theater.
Early in the day, the market offers fresh produce, including vegetables, meats, and seafood. Prices are higher here, earning it the nickname the market for rich people in Ho Chi Minh City.
By afternoon, the market transforms. The fresh produce stalls give way to affordable and popular food stalls, bustling with diners until around 10 p.m.
Ba Lu Cafe, a simple cart filled with drinks, coffee kettles, and tea filters, offers a cozy spot on the sidewalk. The shop's walls display photos of notable guests, including Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 H'Hen Nie.
The name Ba Lu comes from the first owner's nickname, with "Lu" meaning "stove" in Cantonese.
The aroma of black tea and coffee fills the air, especially when the owner roasts coffee on the street. Ba Lu's specialty is milk tea, made traditionally with a large mesh filter, reminiscent of Hong-Kong-style silk-stocking milk tea.
The owner, Hung, started learning the trade at 10 and took over his father's business in his 20s.
With the quantity of 1 part milk to 5 parts tea or coffee, Ba Lu's drinks are rich in flavor, needing to be drunk slowly, which also helps avoid getting “drunk” or jittery on too much tea or coffee.
Each drink, whether milk tea, black coffee, or milk coffee, costs VND25,000 ($1). Egg coffee is priced at VND30,000. Customers are always offered complimentary black tea per order.
Unlike Hanoi-style egg coffee, which uses egg cream whipped with sugar and milk forming a paste poured on top of the coffee, Chinese-style egg coffee is made by breaking eggs into a cup and then pouring hot coffee into it. Diners stir well, dissolve the eggs into the coffee, and should drink it while it's still hot to avoid the eggy taste.
One of the main dishes that make up the brand at Phung Hung Market is stuffed bitter melon and chilli soup. This is a long-standing snack of the Hakka people or He people, a subgroup of the Han Chinese.
Large red peppers, bitter melon, and eggplant are cut into pieces, stuffed with fish cakes, and then cooked with fried tofu in a peppery, chili-infused broth. It is a popular snack on rainy days.
The spiciness of chili mostly spreads into the broth, so when biting into a piece of chili stuffed with fish cake, diners can only taste a mild spiciness. Each meal costs VND45,000 ($1.70). In addition, the shop also sells other dishes such as offal stew, braised ribs, and dumpling noodles for VND40,000 to VND50,000.
The shop is always the busiest one in the market. The owner said that every day, the shop’s customers consume about 1,000 liters of bone broth. Packed with customers, the shop keeps its 6 to 7 staff on their toes, serving diners seated all the way from inside to the sidewalk.
Across the counter, diners are drawn to a steaming pot carrying the aroma of rice flour. The owner pours a thin layer of batter onto a cloth stretched above the pot. Cracking an egg over it all, he adds shrimp, ground pork, and even scallops, before steaming the mixture.
The resulting rice rolls have an opaque white exterior, soft and smooth to the touch. These thicker wrappers hold their own against the fillings, unlike their translucent Vietnamese counterparts.
Each roll, served with squid rolls, costs VND77,000 ($3) and has been a beloved dish in Chinatown for the past 40 years.
The same shop also offers southern-style banh xeo. The crispy pancake is large and filled with shrimp, boiled pork, green beans, bean sprouts, and scallions.
Banh xeo is cut into small pieces, rolled with lettuce or raw vegetables, and dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce. A portion of banh xeo usually costs VND60,000 ($2.30). With eggs, it costs an additional VND10,000.
A band apart from the dozens of sidewalk eateries in Phung Hung Market, the Tang family's banh mi stand shines at the corner of the Nguyen Trai - Phung Hung intersection, and has been popular for 56 years.
Instead of steaming, the pate here is grilled to create richness and aroma. It is estimated that the restaurant consumes about 40 kilograms of pate every day. Big, firm, and soft meatballs, with a savory sauce are also popular toppings. Additionally, slices of steamed pork belly bring a unique taste.
Besides the savory banh mi priced at VND26,000 ($1), the shop also offers a sweet version served with ca de, or coconut curd, priced at VND20,000.
The food at Phung Hung Market blends the delicacies of many Chinese immigrant groups in Vietnam with the dining style of peoples and cultures in the southern part of the nation. Throughout the market, there is a buzz of dialogue between buyers and sellers, the sound of car engines, and the sizzling of cooking sounds.
In addition to the dishes mentioned above, the market also has noodles, porridge, vermicelli, and seafood.
Desserts in the market are not too diverse, mainly tofu pudding and sweet soup desserts.
Tofu pudding drenched in sugar sauce infused with pandan leaves can be eaten just like that or served with tapioca pearls, jellies, and red beans. Depending on the size, a serving costs from VND10,000 to VND20,000 (40 cents to 80 cents).
Various types of sweet soup desserts are priced at VND12,000 per portion and are pre-packaged for takeaways or can be poured into cups to eat on the spot. They are fragrant with different ingredients, from pandan leaves to coconut milk or mung bean. All are cooked to a medium sweetness and do not need to be served with ice.
Tables, chairs, and shops line the middle of the street, and diners can buy one dish at a time and then sit together at the same shop. The price is reasonable compared to many dining areas in the city, while the taste is delicious and easy to eat. Phung Hung Market is popular with many families, couples, and groups of young people.
If a group of 5 to 6 members moves from one restaurant to another, buying a small portion to share and enjoy all the delicacies at each, the cost per person ranges from VND150,000 to VND200,000 ($6 to $7.80)
