IN HO CHI MINH CITY, Xoi Bat is the only sticky rice restaurant in the list of delicious and affordable restaurants in Vietnam recommended by the Michelin Guide.
Xoi Bat is located in an alley on Hoang Hoa Tham Street, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. This is the only sticky rice restaurant in the list of Bib Gourmand (delicious, affordable restaurants) in Vietnam announced by Michelin Guide in June. The restaurants on this list are said to have a cooking style. simple, easy to eat, leaving a satisfied feeling because of “good food and reasonable price”.
Huynh Phuc Thinh, owner of Xoi Bat restaurant, said that sticky rice is a familiar dish of Vietnam but not yet known to many foreigners. With the desire to “bring Southern cuisine to international friends” and “preserving the taste of the dishes his mother cooks”, he decided to open a restaurant and let his mother do the main kitchen.
The shop is simply decorated, with many trees, 5 sets of wooden tables and chairs, enough room for about 20 people. Mr. Thinh said the shop started operating in 2021, then it was more spacious. After a period of business, the shop shrunk because the owner took back half of the space.
As the name suggests, sticky rice here is served in a bowl. This causes many diners to confuse the Northern style sticky rice shop in the early days of opening, because other shops in Ho Chi Minh City often store sticky rice in foam boxes. “At that time, many people said that my restaurant imitated. However, in the South, people also often eat rice in a bowl (bowl) so I chose this way to make the food feel closer to customers,” said Mr. Thinh. explained.
Instead of just selling familiar side dishes, Mr. Thien added to the menu items that “when hearing the name, many people don’t think they can eat with sticky rice”. The restaurant currently has 9 side dishes including pate, braised pork, braised pork with pepper, shredded chicken, cinnamon rolls, kha Luc, char siu, omelet and braised eggs. The selection of dishes is also carefully considered by the owner, ensuring that when combined, they create a harmonious taste. Mr. Thinh said that except for cha, other side dishes were made by his mother every day. Each bowl of sticky rice costs from 35,000 VND to 65,000 VND depending on request, and comes with homemade kimchi and carrot soup.
According to the owner, “sticky rice bowl” is the most expensive part and is also chosen by many diners. The first impression of this part of sticky rice is a full side dish, with pate, braised eggs, shredded chicken, kha khai and char siu. The broken part is handled skillfully, eliminating the bad smell of the internal organs while still keeping the crispness. The char siu uses lean minced meat, so it’s soft, fragrant and not dry. In addition to the way of seasoning, Thinh said that the restaurant creates its own flavor thanks to the selection of quality ingredients. “If the dish can’t be made by myself, I have to find a reputable address, people who have worked for a long time will dare to import goods,” the shop owner said.
The space inside the restaurant.
Sticky rice is cooked continuously to ensure quality.
Mr. Thinh prepares a full portion of sticky rice for diners.
The space inside the restaurant.
Sticky rice is cooked continuously to ensure quality.
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However, the side dishes are not the deciding factor for the success of the bowl of sticky rice. According to Mr. Thinh, diners who chose sticky rice definitely want to find a quality sticky rice, not a place that sells delicious side dishes. The shop uses the Northern type of sticky rice, ensuring that when cooking, the sticky rice is flexible, each grain is loose, round and fragrant with coconut milk and pandan leaves. The owner of the sticky rice shop said many times that he had to stop selling for a few hours to return the sticky rice when it was not of good quality. The cooking of sticky rice “must be prepared at each stage”, “when to dig, when to open” are all researched by him.
“The sticky rice has to be cooked new so that the seeds can keep their beautiful white color, firmness and texture. Every day, I cook 15 to 20 kg of glutinous rice. I don’t cook it once, but pre-soak the sticky rice and cook it in batches. Sold. Halfway through, I’ll start a new one,” Thinh shared.
The shop sells an average of 200 bowls per day, peaking at 360. After entering the list of Bib Gourmand, the number of visitors to the restaurant is “more stable”.
Mr. Thinh said that before being introduced by Michelin, his restaurant was known by foreign customers, but the number was not much. Currently, this group of guests has increased, even some famous bloggers come to eat and introduce the restaurant. The owner said that after trying it, they all praised the sticky rice dish. Many people are also surprised to know that Vietnam has many other attractive dishes besides bread and pho. According to Mr. Thinh, this is a positive signal on the journey of introducing Vietnamese cuisine to international friends that he is pursuing.
Knowing the restaurant through the list of Michelin, Ms. Thao Nhi (Binh Thanh district) decided to try it. The female diner commented that the bowl of sticky rice was “full”, “worth the price”. Sticky rice, sweet with coconut milk, but pate is what impressed me the most because of the aroma, taste and not bitter in the aftertaste like some other restaurants.
Customers who are not used to eating sweets like Quang Anh (Phu Nhuan district) find the taste of sticky rice here “quite strange”. However, he praised the restaurant when it added kimchi and soup to it. According to male diners, these two dishes help “relieve boredom”, the salted kimchi just arrived should keep the crispness and taste “sour, spicy just eat”, the soup helps guests feel “heavy stomach”.
($1=24,000 VND)
Photo: Internet (Vinlove.net)