The chicken is rubbed with salt on the outside of the skin and then steamed for about
25 minutes, then the chicken is shredded by hand and mixed with the cabbage.
steamed green leaves with sesame oil and some herbs
specialty spices
The salted chicken here is a little different from the Vietnamese style. The chicken is rubbed with salt on the outside and steamed for about 25 minutes. The chicken is then shredded by hand and mixed with steamed green mustard, sesame oil and some special spices.
Nearly a quarter of a century ago, Mr. Ma Khuong, a Chinese man of Cantonese origin, "invented" this chicken dish. He named his shop Lao Ma and opened it in his private home in alley 418/3E Tran Phu. Up to now, Lao Ma's salt-steamed chicken has become a famous dish in District 5.
The Chinese who came to Saigon brought with them the famous Cantonese culinary art. In Cantonese culinary culture, a normal chicken can be prepared in dozens of ways, such as boiled chicken, salt-roasted chicken, soy sauce chicken, steamed chicken, roasted chicken, etc.
Previously, there was a popular dish called steamed chicken with mustard greens, but Mr. Ma Khuong did not make it this way because he thought that the smell of mustard greens would overpower the aroma of the chicken. He steamed the chicken and mustard greens separately and then mixed them together, so that when eaten, the aroma of both could still be tasted. That was also the secret to the reputation of this dish.
When eaten, the chicken is soft enough, crispy enough, naturally sweet, with a hint of sesame oil.
and the faint scent of green cabbage
Chicken dipping salt is also very special because it is a type of chili salt soaked in cooking oil, at first glance
a bit greasy but when dipped in it, it tastes great
Mixed fried rice is also very delicious.
Saigon gourmets highly appreciate the local chicken chosen to make the salted steamed chicken dish at Lao Ma restaurant. Perhaps because of the purebred local chicken, the chicken meat is very fragrant and sweet, completely different from the chicken in many other regular restaurants - the meat is dry and not as sweet. The delicious source of ingredients, combined with the skillful preparation, has made this dish extremely attractive.
When eaten, the chicken is soft and crispy enough but naturally sweet, with a faint smell of sesame oil and mustard greens. The chicken dipping salt is also very special because it is a type of chili salt soaked in cooking oil, which looks a bit greasy at first but tastes great when dipped in. The mustard greens are crispy and sweet, and soaked in chicken juice, making this dish even more delicious.
Although the restaurant also has many unique dishes such as roasted pigeon, steamed fish, fried crab with fermented bean curd, shrimp with oyster sauce, Sichuan blood cockles, fried rice with dried shrimp... regular customers usually only choose the steamed chicken with salt because it is the most outstanding dish.
Many people like to buy take-out because the half chicken portion here is quite large, enough for two or three people to finish, and the alley is also cramped for parking. Just go a little bit into the alley entrance and order take-out chicken and you will have it right away.
Cho Lon area is famous for many delicious chicken dishes such as Hainanese or Shanghai chicken rice, fried chicken rice, roasted chicken rice, salted steamed chicken, etc. It is not by chance that people often say "eat in District 5" as a compliment to the rich, diverse and attractive cuisine of this area.
