Mentioning to pha lau, we think of the extremely popular food in Saigon. The material is similar to Thang Co of the North but it seems more suitable to everyone’s taste. Southern pha lau is made the internal organs of cows including liver, stomach, spleen, etc. prepared before cooking.
Cooking this dish is not simple, but in Saigon, it is a very popular dish. You can find it at the popular sidewalk restaurant or luxury restaurants. The pha lau is so popular in Saigon because of the people’s like or because of its unique flavor? Here are some popular pha lau shops that visitors on Vietnam food tour cannot ignore when visiting Saigon.
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Pha Lau shop of Mrs. Oanh
This restaurant is extremely famous for grilled pha lau and boiled pha lau. Spacious and clean space is a plus point for the shop.
Pha lau served with bread is a similar dish in other shops. However, there is a different feature that it serves especially serves grilled and boiled pha lau, creating a new taste for customers. Especially, the customers on food walking tour who like party of eating with friends really like this shop.
Address: Pha Lau shop of Mrs Oanh, 20/20 Xom Chieu road, Ward 14, District 4. The restaurant is usually open from 14:00 to 23:00.
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Pha lau shop of Mr. Ba
The shop of Mr. Ba is located on a small road of Duong Dinh Nghe on the side of the supermarket Vinatex (Lanh Binh Thang) in District 11. The shop formerly is a Chinese tea shop that has been open for nearly 20 years, then nearly 10 years ago shop created more pha lau bo and fish meatball soup which are quite unique. The plus point in the shop is the pot of pha lau as well as the fish meatballs that are placed high and covered with glass carefully.
The bowl of hot and fresh pha lau has the smell coconut milk with a little of cinnamon and five spice powder. The taste of pha lau will be more great if dipped through a bit of tamarind sauce. And also do not forget to eat with bread because of the fatty taste of the soup when infused into the bread is much more charming.
When you are quite full, visitors on Vietnam food tours can order 1 cup of sweet soup of the next shop (also belong to Mr. Ba) to eat as a dessert. The sweet soup here is also very rich and affordable.
Address: 22 Duong Dinh Nghe, Ward 08, District 11. Open hour: 9h -19h
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Pha lau on Dang Van Ngu Street
This restaurant has seniority not less than two above shops, the owner of the shop is a chef for more than 14 years, opening the shop from 13:30 to 23:00. In addition to the familiar pha lau, the menu serving guests of this restaurant is very diverse
In addition to pha lau with bread, this shop also has a stir-fried pha lau with tamarind, which is very strange. The taste is different from the normal, it brings a sweet and sour taste.
Address: Previous Apartment 141A Dang Van Ngu Street, Phu Nhuan District.
For more information/details: Hanoi street food, Hanoi traditional food, Vietnam food tours, food walking tour, Vietnam cooking class
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Pha lau of Mrs. Lien
This restaurant has existed for a long time. Food of the restaurant is so delicious that the generations of Ba Dinh school students would like to try it again and again. That is pha lau of Mrs. Lien (No. 102 Phan Van Tri Street, District 5) opened over 10 years. Pha lau here is not different from other shops about brown color which is typical of the dish, but the broth is very special.
The special sauce is blended with the sweetness of the organ’s broth, fresh coconut juice, the fatty taste of coconut milk, the spicy, the aroma of cinnamon and five spices powder, also the light sour taste, making this dish is really attractive and easier to eat. The main ingredients that is always full and rich which are liver, stomach, honeycomb, star fruit, sugar cane leaves, meat … The sour and salty taste mixed with each other, making the dish more and more attractive. It is also great to enjoy pha lau served with bread or use as soup for noodles.
Address: Mrs. Lien Restaurant, No. 102 Phan Van Tri, District 5, Saigon.