Saigon has a few dishes that are considered "fun to eat but nostalgic," and fried rice cake is one of them. Among the countless fried rice cake stalls on the sidewalk, the name Dat Thanh at 277 Vo Van Tan, District 3 has been mentioned by Saigonese and even distant visitors for over 40 years – from when it was still a small cart on the sidewalk to when it had a two-story establishment.

Originally a family of Chinese from Chợ Lớn, Dat Thanh skillfully keeps the "Vietnamese-style" recipe: rice flour mixed with tapioca flour poured into a cake about 1.5 cm thick, cooled to harden, then cut into square pieces, fried in a hot copper pan with pork fat and rich soy sauce. When the rice cake turns golden and crispy on the edges, the owner cracks an egg, sprinkles green onions, stirs quickly, and serves it on a plate with sweet and sour shredded papaya. Taking a bite, you can clearly feel two layers: the outside is crispy, the inside is soft and chewy, with the rich fat flavor soaked in sweet soy sauce, plus a bit of spiciness from homemade satay.

What makes Dat Thanh stand out compared to other fried rice cakes is the soy sauce mixed at the stall – slightly thick, with a rich dark flavor of fermented soybeans, a bit of natural sweetness from malt syrup, and a touch of sourness from Chinese red vinegar. The stall has a casual atmosphere, with plastic chairs packed tightly, and every afternoon from 3 PM to 9 PM, it is always crowded. Besides fried rice cake, the menu also includes fried chive cakes – transparent cakes with fresh green chive filling, served with sweet soy sauce; bo bia, spring rolls, and há cảo – "side dishes" that are very characteristic of old Chợ Lớn.

Suitable for anyone trying fried rice cake for the first time, groups of friends after school, office workers after hours, or curious foreign tourists about "traditional street food." Prices range from 25,000 to 40,000 VND per plate, and for an additional 10,000 VND, you can get two eggs, filling your stomach. A small tip: order a plate with two eggs and ask for "extra crispy," and you will have the signature version of fried rice cake from Saigon.

After eating, many people stay behind, sipping the last bit of iced tea, watching the steaming copper pans behind the counter, suddenly understanding why Dat Thanh has stood strong for 40 years in the heart of a city that changes every day: they do not make "improved versions of fried rice cake," they preserve the roots and do it well.

Content generated by AI. Image source: Dân Việt, Thanh Niên, Eva, Ador, Nhà Phố Net.