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The chicken is rubbed with salt on its skin and then steamed.
After 25 minutes, the chicken is shredded by hand and mixed with the vegetables.
Steamed green leaves with sesame oil and some
special spices
The steamed chicken with salt here is slightly different from the Vietnamese style. The chicken is rubbed with salt on the skin and then steamed for about 25 minutes. Afterward, the chicken meat is shredded by hand and mixed with steamed mustard greens, sesame oil, and some special seasonings.
Nearly a quarter of a century ago, Mr. Ma Khang, a Chinese man of Cantonese origin, "invented" this chicken dish. He named his shop Lao Ma (Old Ma) and set it up at his private residence in alley 418/3E Tran Phu. To this day, Lao Ma's steamed chicken with salt has become a famous dish in District 5.
The Chinese who came to Saigon brought with them the renowned culinary art of Guangdong. In Guangdong culinary culture, a single chicken can be prepared in dozens of ways, such as boiled chicken, salt-cured roasted chicken, soy sauce chicken, steamed chicken, roasted chicken, and more.
Previously, there was a popular dish called steamed chicken with mustard greens; however, Mr. Ma Khang did not follow this method because he believed the smell of the 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 aromas of both could still be tasted. That is the secret to the dish's fame.
When eaten, the chicken is perfectly tender, crispy, and naturally sweet, with a subtle hint of sesame oil.
and a faint scent of mustard greens.
The dipping sauce for the chicken is also very special because it's a type of chili salt soaked in cooking oil, at first glance.
It was a bit bland at first, but when dipped in the sauce, it tasted really good.
Mixed fried rice is also very delicious.
Saigon food connoisseurs highly rate the free-range chicken used in the steamed salt chicken dish at Lao Ma restaurant. Perhaps because it's a purebred free-range chicken, the meat is very fragrant and sweet, quite different from the chicken at many other restaurants – which has dry, tough meat that isn't as sweet. The high-quality ingredients, combined with skillful preparation, make this dish incredibly appealing.
When eaten, the chicken is tender and perfectly crispy, with a natural sweetness, subtly infused with sesame oil and a hint of bok choy. The dipping sauce is also special; it's a type of chili salt soaked in cooking oil, which might look a bit heavy at first glance, but it complements the dish perfectly. The bok choy is both crispy and sweet, absorbing the chicken juices, further enhancing the dish.
Although the restaurant also offers many unique dishes such as roasted pigeon, steamed fish, stir-fried crab with fermented bean curd, shrimp with oyster sauce, Sichuan-style blood cockles, and fried rice with dried shrimp, regular customers usually only choose the steamed chicken with salt because it is the most outstanding dish.
Many people prefer to buy takeout because a half-portion of chicken here is quite large, enough for two or three people, and the alley is also cramped for parking. Just go a little way to the beginning of the alley, order your takeout chicken, and it'll be there in no time.
Cholon Market is famous for its many delicious chicken dishes such as Hainanese or Shanghai chicken rice, fried chicken rice, roasted chicken rice, steamed chicken with salt, etc. It's no coincidence that people often say "eat in District 5" as a compliment to the rich, diverse, and attractive cuisine of this area.
