What it is
Cơm tấm is a plate of broken rice — grains that fractured during milling — under a grilled pork chop, with pickled vegetables, cucumber and a small bowl of sweetened fish-sauce dressing called nước chấm. It began as a cheap Saigon breakfast made from rice that could not be sold whole, and it is now the defining rice dish of southern Vietnam.
What makes a good one
The chop is the test. It should be marinated with lemongrass, garlic and enough sugar to lacquer over live coals, and it should have real char on the edges without being dry through the middle. Gas grills cannot do this properly. The rice should be dry and separate so it takes the dressing, and the dressing should be poured over the rice by you, not by the kitchen — which is why good places send it on the side.
Regional variation
Cơm tấm sườn is the plain pork chop version. Sườn bì chả adds shredded pork skin and a steamed egg-and-pork cake, and is the full plate most regulars order. A fried egg on top is standard and worth the two dollars.
Common questions
- Is cơm tấm good for delivery?
- Yes — it is one of the best travellers in the cuisine. Nothing on the plate is soggy to begin with, and with the nước chấm packed separately it arrives essentially as served.
- What does 'broken rice' mean?
- Literally fractured grains. They cook softer and absorb sauce better than whole grain, which is the whole point of the dish rather than a defect.