Vietnam has many versions of chicken rice typical of each region, each dish has a unique and attractive flavor. Although the main ingredients are rice and chicken, the processing, marinating and dipping sauce are completely different.
Below are famous versions of chicken rice that you must explore in your culinary journey across Vietnam.
Roasted chicken rice
Roasted chicken island rice in Hanoi has a street food flavor. The special point lies in the rice island technique: white rice is roasted firmly with chicken fat until it is loose and slightly yellow. Roasted ginger chicken is rich, hot, with a harmonious spicy, warm, salty and sweet taste, often eaten with pickled mustard greens to relieve greasiness and stimulate the taste buds.
Tong Duy Tan culinary street (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi) is considered the origin of the famous roast chicken island rice. This dish quickly became popular in every corner of the Old Quarter. The price of each roast chicken island rice is about 100,000 VND.
Suggested addresses are Loan Mai restaurant, Duy Hai restaurant, Phuong Dung restaurant... on Tong Duy Tan street or Huong restaurant in Nui Truc specializing in selling from evening to 3 am. In addition to grilled chicken island rice, island rice restaurants also have stir-fried beef with pickled beef, braised fish rice, sweet and sour ribs... Side dishes include roasted birds, pickled mustard greens, sour clam soup...
Hainan Chicken Rice
Hainan chicken rice originated from Hainan Island (China) and became widely famous in Singapore before becoming popular in Vietnam.
The rice grains are cooked from chicken broth and chicken fat, so they have a fatty and fragrant taste. Chickens are usually softly boiled chickens, with golden skin, served with a bowl of rich ginger, garlic, and chili dipping sauce, helping to balance the fat content of chicken fat.
Quang chicken rice
In Quang region (Da Nang), local chicken is famous for its fragrant, sweet and firm meat, creating the foundation for two famous chicken rice brands, Hoi An and Tam Ky.
Hoi An chicken rice has become a brand for the ancient city's cuisine. The rice is cooked from delicious rice with chicken broth and fresh turmeric, adding chicken fat to make the rice grains loose, lightly fatty and fragrant. Boiled and shredded local chicken, mixed with onions, Vietnamese coriander and spices. The special feature of this dish is the rich chili and garlic fish sauce and it is often served with papaya salad or pickled cucumber.
When finished, the rice is served on a plate, covered with shredded chicken meat according to taste, served with Vietnamese coriander and cinnamon - two almost indispensable vegetables to create the right flavor of Quang chicken rice. The dish is often served with green chili and pickled vegetables to increase richness and balance fat.
Famous chicken rice addresses in Hoi An include Ba Nga, Ba Buoi and Anh Xi... Prices here are quite affordable, on average each plate of rice is only from 25,000 - 65,000 VND.
Tam Ky chicken rice is also golden brown because it is cooked with chicken broth, but chicken is usually marinated with richer spices and served with sweet and sour fish sauce. Chicken is usually chopped or torn into large pieces instead of being shredded like Hoi An chicken rice.
The difference is that the dish comes with a bowl of chicken broth cooked with giang leaves, slightly sour, along with pickled vegetables, pickled mustard greens or tomatoes, making the overall rice plate richer and easier to eat.
When setting foot in Quang land, tourists who want to enjoy authentic Tam Ky chicken rice can visit Tam Duyen restaurant, Nguyet chicken rice, Ba Minh or Ba Luan.
Phu Yen Chicken Rice
Phu Yen chicken rice (Dak Lak) has an interesting variation. Rice is briefly roasted with garlic and then cooked with chicken broth, bringing looseness and the aroma of fried garlic.
Rice is usually served with chopped or shredded chicken, pickled vegetables and Vietnamese coriander. The special feature of Phu Yen chicken rice is soaked sweet and sour onions served with and a bowl of characteristic ground garlic and chili fish sauce.
Some addresses suggested by diners include Thien Huong and Tuyet Nhung restaurants on Le Thanh Ton street.
Fatty chicken rice
Fat-soaked chicken rice is popular in Ho Chi Minh City. Chicken is fried in oil (fat-soaked) until the skin is crispy, the inside of the meat is still soft and sweet. Rice is usually fried with chicken eggs to be fluffy and have an attractive yellow color, served with soy sauce or chili sauce.
In Ho Chi Minh City, diners can mention a series of famous chicken rice restaurants thanks to unique variations such as Gáy Sớm, Su Su, quán Chín or chú Năm. Popular prices range from 40,000 - 60,000 VND.
