Hot pot is a dish loved by Vietnamese diners because of its diverse ingredients and rich flavors. In addition to familiar hot pots such as chicken hot pot, beef hot pot..., tam tinh hot pot - a Chinese specialty, is also very popular and sought after by diners in Ho Chi Minh City.
"Tam tinh" in Chinese means "three stars", symbolizing the three main ingredients in hot pot: stuffed tofu, fish cake and especially Chinese spring rolls. This is a dish with minced meat wrapped in bean curd skin and then fried until crispy, completely different from other spring rolls in the South.
The hot pot broth is simply pork and chicken bone broth, combined with familiar vegetables and fruits such as radish, chayote... Although the hot pot is not too sophisticated, the natural sweetness helps this dish satisfy many different tastes.
When customers order, the restaurant will put 3 main toppings into the pot, add some fried garlic, green onions and hot broth and you can enjoy. The soft, fatty taste of stuffed tofu, the chewy, sweet taste of fish cakes combined with the crispy taste of spring rolls create an irresistible symphony of flavors.
Tam Tinh hotpot is usually served with dried vermicelli, Chinese spinach, enoki mushrooms, tofu skin, dipped in fermented bean curd or satay sauce depending on the customer's preference for a richer flavor. In addition, diners can also order other toppings such as Chaozhou yellow tofu, pork heart, kidney, shrimp or pork belly... The most important thing that makes Tam Tinh hotpot delicious is the fresh ingredients, carefully selected and processed.
Currently, the rare place selling this special Chinese hot pot dish in Saigon is Huy Ky Hac Gia hot pot restaurant located on Vo Truong Toan street, District 5.
A small tam tinh hot pot costs 230,000 VND, a large hot pot costs 310,000 VND. Side dishes such as vermicelli, vegetables, enoki mushrooms, tofu skin... cost from 20,000 VND/plate, additional dishes such as shrimp, meat... cost 70,000 VND/plate.
Many people think that this is too high a price for a hot pot with only simple toppings. In fact, this price is as expensive as other more filling hot pots such as beef hot pot, chicken hot pot, frog hot pot... Even so, many diners are still willing to spend a lot of money to taste this special traditional Chinese dish.
In addition to tam tinh hotpot, customers coming to the restaurant can also try other types of hotpot such as pig's feet hotpot, fish head hotpot, goat hotpot... extremely diverse.
Vuong Ngoc, a vlogger in Ho Chi Minh City, commented that Tam Tinh hotpot has a flavor that is not too special but is very easy to eat, suitable for many diners' tastes. "The spring rolls here are not mushy, have a strange taste, and are chewy with a homemade flavor. The tofu and meat are also soft and fatty but not too special... The hotpot broth is clear, light, and easy to eat," said Vuong Ngoc.
In terms of food prices, she affirmed that Chinese dishes in Cho Lon area are relatively expensive. Therefore, most diners who love Chinese cuisine know the prices in advance and are "happy" to spend money to enjoy them.
