The porridge shop has existed for more than 80 years in the middle of Saigon, always crowded with customers

Over the past 80 years, in the heart of Saigon, there is a porridge shop that is still regularly open for sale, even though it has been passed down through generations, overcoming many ups and downs of the times. According to many diners, this restaurant has changed location no less than 5 times, but they still stick with it because despite changing owners, the taste of the porridge bowl here is still as strong. And no matter what, Ba Ut’s heart porridge restaurant still retains the same taste from the past until now. Perhaps because of this, many regular customers of the restaurant still come back here often.

Although the restaurant has changed places a few times, it is still only located on Co Giang Street (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) and the owner is Ms. Ngoc – also the fourth generation to follow this famous family porridge. The porridge shop was opened by her grandmother, then passed on to her father. In the 3rd generation, it was passed on to Miss Ngoc’s aunt Ut. The shop has been called Ba Ut heart porridge since then.

First of all, the space is quite large and clean. Porridge is cooked in a pot with a strange shape, like two bowls facing each other. Before selling to customers, the owner will stir the porridge pot evenly. There is a little fried onion inside, so the porridge is very fragrant

Each portion of porridge includes all the ingredients of sausages, pho, heart, liver, tongue, stomach, blood, some vegetables, bean sprouts, fish sauce, served with banh quai. In particular, the fried sausage here is considered a “specialty that cannot be found elsewhere”, because the owner has a very own recipe for seasoning in minced meat.

According to the owner, the broth is so sweet because it is stewed from bones, adding broth and liquid blood. You have to buy liquid blood because ready-made blood is often very bad, people mix a lot of powder. Rice to cook porridge must also choose good quality, then roasted. Roasted rice will have a more fragrant aroma, when cooked again, it will not swell much, the porridge will not be plastic.

The fishy smell of the food is handled extremely well. Liver, blood, young intestines, sausages, stomach especially longan… no more fishy smell. Besides minced meat, spices, sausages at the restaurant are also stuffed with crispy minced cartilage.

The most famous is probably the restaurant’s fried sausage. Doi must choose the softest part of pork, add a little cartilage, season with spices according to his own recipe and steam it thoroughly, then deep-fry in oil to have a beautiful aroma, golden brown color. That famous heirloom fried sausage is so delicious that you only need to come to eat it once to keep coming back.

Porridge in the heart of Mrs Ut

Address: 201 Co Giang, Co Giang Ward, District 1

Operating hours: 06:00 – 20:00