You can find Cơm tấm (com tam), Vietnam’s broken rice with grilled pork, on almost every street in Ho Chi Minh City. It’s cheap, comforting, and part of everyday life.
But there’s one place that turns this humble dish into something special. A spot so well-known that locals call it the most expensive Com Tam in Saigon. And yet, the seats are never empty.
That place is Cơm Tấm Nguyễn Văn Cừ
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Com Tam Nguyen Van Cu has been selling broken rice since 1989, starting from a small street corner in District 5 near the foot of Nguyen Van Cu Bridge.
Back then, the area was home to Nancy Market, but the market was later removed to make way for the bridge. Even so, the smell could still guide you there, with sweet, smoky pork floating through the air and clouds of charcoal smoke rising above the traffic. You did not need to know the name of the place. Just follow your nose and you would find it.
It was only open from morning until early afternoon, and the tables were always full.
Today, the restaurant is just across the street from its original spot, closer to the intersection of Nguyen Van Cu and Nguyen Trai. The location may have changed, but the aroma and the loyal customers are still the same
Address: 74 Nguyen Van Cu Street, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1, HCMC
Hours: 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM daily
Price Range: Cơm sườn (pork chop rice): 75,000 VND
It’s pricey for street food, but one look at your plate and it all makes sense.
This is why people come here: the biggest grilled pork chop in Saigon.
When the plate lands in front of you, the chop takes up nearly two-thirds of the surface. Thick, bone-in, and glistening from the grill, it completely covers the rice and sides.
The meat comes from the best cut of pork loin, carefully chosen. It’s marinated in lemongrass, garlic, sugar, and fish sauce until the flavor seeps deep inside. Then it’s grilled slowly over coconut husk charcoal, cooked through without drying, caramelized at the edges, and with a strip of soft fat along one side that melts in your mouth.
It’s the kind of chop you’ll pick up with your hands at the end, just to gnaw the bone clean.
Sure, the pork chop is the star, but the extras complete the meal. Order the full combo and you’ll get:
• Bi: shredded pork skin with toasted rice powder for a nutty chew.
• Cha trung: soft steamed egg loaf with minced pork and glass noodles.
• Trung op la: a sunny-side-up egg with a runny yolk that drips into the rice.
• Pickled vegetables: crisp carrot and daikon for freshness.
• A side soup: light, clear broth with green onions, perfect between bites.
Every bite is a mix of chewy bi, creamy egg, crisp pickles, fluffy rice, and smoky pork
Some locals also love the suon khia, braised pork shoulder slices with a little fat, marinated in garlic, sugar, coconut caramel, and soy sauce, then simmered slowly until tender.
It is rich and sweet, but for me, the grilled pork still wins. Charcoal smoke adds a depth of flavor that braising cannot match, and the sight of that grill is half the joy
Yes, 75,000 VND for a basic plate is steep. Add bi, cha, or soup, and it goes higher. That is double or sometimes triple the cost of a regular com tam in Saigon.
But here, you are paying for:
Most people leave thinking it was worth every dong.
Tips Before You Go:
Com Tam Nguyen Van Cu is not just another street food stop. It is the premium version of a Saigon classic, smoky, juicy, and unapologetically generous.
From the first whiff of charcoal smoke to the last spoon of soup, it is a meal you will remember. Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.
If you are in Ho Chi Minh City and love pork, this is one stop you cannot skip.
