Cơm Niêu Sài Gòn (Sài Gòn Clay Pot Rice) offers frugal yet high quality Vietnamese cuisine.
For Vietnamese people, irrespective of where they live around the world, nothing can beat a home-cooked meal with a steamy-hot rice pot and other traditional foods.
A traditional Vietnamese meal, usually consisting of a savoury dish paired with a bowl of hot soup and a plate of vegetables, has long been instilled in the ‘cuisine’ of each Vietnamese household.
For overseas Vietnamese returning to the homeland and wanting to search for the familiar taste of home, or simply those who want to explore traditional cuisine, I would be remiss not to suggest Cơm Niêu Sài Gòn (Sài Gòn Clay Pot Rice), a 25-year-old dine-in restaurant that offers authentic Vietnamese cuisine.
Built mainly from wood and surrounded by shady trees, the restaurant has an inexplicable calmness and peaceful ambience that contradicts the hustling life of District 3 in central HCM City. Traditional wooden tables and chairs are scattered outside the garden for those who want to immerse themselves in nature and enjoy live music at night.
The inside brings a more home-like atmosphere, with warm, yellow lights, antiques as decorations, and paintings adorning the walls, giving it a traditional Vietnamese vibe.
Apart from their delicate dishes, what makes Cơm Niêu Sài Gòn stand out is its unique way of cooking white rice. As its name suggests, Cơm Niêu Sài Gòn still maintains the traditional method of cooking rice in a clay pot, which helps bring out the flavour and texture of the rice.