Saigon in the late afternoon, the rain falls lightly, is a time that makes people's hearts waver. The sudden rains, not heavy but gentle, drizzling as if someone accidentally brushed away the turmoil in their hearts, leaving behind a little taste of peace. At rush hour, the stream of people hurriedly blends into the bustling rhythm of the streets. But amidst all that hustle and bustle, there is a small, peaceful corner where people can find a little peace in the rain - the kerosene lamp and meatball stalls on the side of the road.
In the middle of that wet afternoon, there was a simple yet extremely attractive dish that captivated many diners: oil lamp meatballs.
Just step through the small corner on Hai Ba Trung street, where the golden streetlights shine on the sparkling rainwater, you will see simple tables, a few plastic chairs arranged around a cart. The cart is nothing special, but it contains a simple yet attractive dish - kerosene lamp meatballs.
Oil lamp meatballs, a strange name but has easily become familiar to the people of Saigon in recent times. The plump meatballs, steamed in a small bowl, are just enough for one meal. The thick brown sauce, fragrant with the smell of onions and garlic, imbued with the natural sweetness of the meat, is the soul of the dish. Sometimes just a bowl of meatballs and a hot, crispy loaf of bread is enough to dispel the chill of the afternoon rain.
The flickering oil lamp in the middle of the table has created a special brand for this meatball shop.
The food is just bread and meatballs like any other shop, but it is the flickering oil lamp in the middle of the table that has created a special brand for this meatball shop. Then, at rush hour or on rainy Saigon afternoons, people hear somewhere the familiar invitation: "Hey, want to eat meatballs with an oil lamp?".
The space of the kerosene lamp meatball stall is not fancy. A few tables and chairs are neatly arranged on the sidewalk, under the pale yellow light of small kerosene lamps. That dim light, when combined with the smoke rising from the hot bowls of meatballs, creates a very special picture, which can only be found on rainy afternoons in Saigon.
Sitting next to the simple tables, biting into a piece of crispy bread, dipping into a bowl of sweet and fragrant meatballs, you will feel the intersection between the noise of the streets and the tranquility of the soul. That is the moment when the hustle and bustle of Saigon seems to slow down, giving way to deep emotions filling the heart.
Plump, fragrant meatballs next to a plate of crispy bread warm up a cold rainy afternoon.
After work, gather with friends over familiar food.
Saigon is always a city of change and development, but still maintains its peaceful corners, where people can find the simplest things. The kerosene lamp meatball stall along the roadside is one of those places. Every time you stop by, in the afternoon rain, sit down and enjoy a simple but rich dish, you will feel your heart calm down, as if you have found a temporary shelter from the hustle and bustle of life.
Watching the street after the rain...
The rain will eventually stop, and the streets will become crowded again. But perhaps the warm, intimate feeling that the kerosene lamp meatballs bring will remain in everyone’s memory, as an unforgettable part of a rainy afternoon in Saigon.
