Throughout Vietnam, chicken rice has evolved to meet the tastes of different regions.
Once
the prosperity indicator under Vietnam's subsidy period, chicken is among the
most versatile ingredients used in Vietnamese cooking, pleasing the taste buds
whether steamed, boiled or lending a meaty taste to salad. But it seems chicken
shines brightest when accompanied by rice. Different cooking methods and
different spices lead to different tastes, smells and textures.
Fried rice with
sauteed chicken of the North
In
the northern part of Vietnam, chicken is served as a separate dish instead of
being torn and mixed with rice.
Fried rice with sauteed chicken. Photo: Hoang Nhi
The
dish is a combination of chopped chicken sauteed with ginger and fish sauce,
and rice fried in a big pan over an open fire. Some restaurants add egg to the
rice to give it an attractive yellow colour and crispy texture. With this much oil and and sauce, a pickled
side dish is a must to help balance the fatty taste of both the rice and
chicken.
The
chunky all-in-one dish can be easily found along the likes of Tong Duy Tan
street, Hang Buom street, Ma May street, Dao Duy Tu street…
Quang Nam chicken
rice
Famous
for its free-range chickens, Quang Nam boasts not one but two famous chicken
rice dishes: one in Hoi An and the other in Tam Ky.
In
Hoi An, the chicken is prepared and boiled until well-done. The meat and bones
are then separated and the bones are returned to the broth to add more flavor.
The rice is coated with turmeric until yellow, then it is rinsed thoroughly and
cooked in the chicken broth with chicken fat.
The must-try chicken rice of Hoi An. Photo: Tuan Dao
Served
with Vietnamese vegetables rau ram and hung que, the sparkling yellow rice
topped with torn chicken will definitely catch your attention. Hoi An chicken
rice is no stranger to both locals and foreign tourists, and together with the
town's world-renowned banh mi, the city has earned its place on the global food
map.
Tam
Ky chicken rice, originating not far from Hoi An, shares the same method of
preparing both the rice and chicken. The chicken is chopped into bite-sized
pieces that makes the dish different from its neighbor, and side dishes are
also a big bonus that make it differ from Hoi An.
A tray of Tam Ky chicken rice with side dishes. Photo: Hong Lien
Saigon's Hainan
chicken rice with 'fat-rinsed' chicken
Originating
in Hainan, China, this dish has a number of versions under its wing, including
Singaporean, Malaysian, Indonesian and Saigonese.
Not
that different from in Hoi An, Hainan chicken rice tastes more like fried rice
thanks to the dry onions and garlic sauteed in chicken fat before they are
added to the rice.
Saigon's Hainan chicken rice. Photo: Amthucsaigon
After
the chicken is boiled through, it is rinsed with chilled water so the
just-out-of-the-pot skin shrinks under the sudden change in temperature and
gets sticky in texture.
Served
with rice and garlic/onion sauteed soy sauce, Hainan chicken leaves diners
stunned with its rich flavors and texture.
The
fat rinsed chicken is more like a slow-cooked version of KFC without the crispy
batter. The skin gets super transparent and sheer, cracking between your teeth
like thin hard candy.
Just
like the famous com tam, Saigon's chicken rice is to be found everywhere, with
the smell enticing diners to immerse themselves in the search for the best
one-course experience.
By Ngoisao