By Gary Lee (@garyleecious + @divers_eat_y)
Locals know best! My Vietnamese friend has long raved about this joint, but I didn’t get a chance to visit until she literally dragged me there.
Tan Thanh Loi, a little corner shop on Nicholson Street, Footscray, is always busy, so much so that they have plastic crowd-control stands to loosely manage queues, particularly in the late mornings and at noon.
This place is famous for many dishes, but for their cơm tấm, or broken rice, in particular.
Broken rice refers to rice grains that have been fractured during the milling process, resulting in smaller, uneven pieces. This sort of grain produces a more sticky texture once cooked. The stickiness absorbs flavours very well and are particularly good for dishes such as congee, rice cakes and of course, the dish that bears its name, broken rice.
There are many combinations for broken rice at Tan Thanh Loi but we went with the lot, cơm tấm bì chả sườn nướng; grilled pork chop, pork skin shreds, steamed pork meatloaf, fried egg and pickled bean shoots. Don’t worry about the intimidating name, they have a menu with photos and what ingredients are included. The dish is completed with a sweet and savory fish sauce-based dressing, which ties all the elements together.
They even offer a clear chicken soup with subtle flavours to help refresh your palate before you start eating.
The succulent ‘suon nuong,’ or grilled pork chop is the main highlight. It’s well-marinated, tender and juicy. They also offer a generous assortment of condiments for you to tweak the dish to your liking, including soy sauce, fish sauce, chilli oil, salt, pepper and Srirarcha.
The atmosphere of this restaurant is vibrant and bustling. Expect to share tables. In fact, we were seated then requested to move later for them to reconfigure the arrangements for maximum seating. Customers sip tea from communal tea thermos and the wait staff can be seen shuffling between the front and back of the shop, enthusiastically repeating orders and directing guests to their seats.
The entire experience truly evokes the essence of Vietnam; go check them out yourself!
Tan Thanh Loi
73 Nicholson Street, Footscray
