Ho Chi Minh City Com Tam & Rice Dishes: 8 Picks (2026)

10/9/2026

Choosing a rice dish in Ho Chi Minh City comes down to two things: how many people you’re with and what time of day you’re eating. From a com tam specialist that’s ideal for solo diners to family-friendly spots and a venue built for groups, this guide rounds up 8 restaurants from a Ho Chi Minh City resident’s perspective, organized by scenario.

What Counts as a “Rice Dish” in Ho Chi Minh City? How Do These 8 Spots Break Down?

“Rice dishes” in Ho Chi Minh City go well beyond com tam (broken rice). For this guide, we cast a wider net — covering sticky rice (xoi), clay-pot rice, and Vietnamese home cooking — and pulled 8 restaurants from our proprietary restaurant database.

Even within Vietnamese cuisine, the character of the food differs by region: north, central, and south. Ho Chi Minh City sits in the south, and several restaurants featured here specialize in southern home-style cooking. For a deeper look at how food culture differs across Vietnam’s three major cities, see our guide on the culinary differences between Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Organized by cuisine type and intended scenario, the 8 restaurants break down as follows:

• By cuisine: 7 Vietnamese restaurants, 1 Chinese restaurant
• By scenario: 1 solo-dining spot, 3 family-friendly spots, 2 lunch spots, 1 dinner spot, 1 group spot

Only one restaurant, Com Tam Ba Ghien, puts com tam itself front and center on its sign. The other 7 were selected as part of the broader “rice dish” category, including sticky rice, steamed rice, and home cooking. If you want to cover Ho Chi Minh City’s essential dishes more broadly, also check out our Ho Chi Minh City food tour guide.

Eating Solo? Where Should You Go?

Only one restaurant is listed in our database under the solo-dining category: Com Tam Ba Ghien.

• Area: Ho Chi Minh City (Phu Nhuan District)
• Address: 84 Đ. Đặng Văn Ngữ, Phường 10, Phú Nhuận, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
• Hours: 7:30-20:30 (as of August 2026)
• Highlights: A local eatery serving com tam topped with charcoal-grilled pork ribs.

Because it’s open continuously from morning until night, it’s easy to fit into your schedule on an arrival day or a travel day, whether that means lunch or an early dinner.

Dining With Family or Kids? What’s a Good Rice Dish to Share?

Three restaurants are listed in our database under the family-friendly category. Choose based on area and how late you need the kitchen open.

• Xoi Ga Number One (Ben Thanh area): Address is 15 Nguyễn Trung Trực, Bến Thành, Hồ Chí Minh, hours are 06:30-20:30 (as of August 2026). A sticky-rice specialist in the old quarter (Pho co), known for its signature “xoi ga” — sticky rice paired with grilled chicken.
• Vi Que Kitchen (Ben Thanh area): Address is 110 Sương Nguyệt Anh, Bến Thành, hours are 09:00-22:30 (as of August 2026). A modern Vietnamese-vegan restaurant serving dishes such as fried rice-paper rolls (“nem vuong”). Official site here.
• Nha Tu (Xuan Hoa): Address is 129/4 Võ Văn Tần, Xuân Hòa, hours are 11:00-22:30 (as of August 2026). A southern-style home-cooking restaurant run by a female owner, known for its steamed snails.

Which Spots Are Easy to Walk Into for Lunch?

Two restaurants are listed in our database under the lunch category. Double-check the opening time before heading over for either one.

• Dong Pho (District 3): Address is 57 Hồ Xuân Hương, Phường 6, Quận 3, hours are 10:30-14:00 and 17:00-21:00 across two shifts, closed Mon (as of August 2026). A cozy spot serving traditional Vietnamese dishes alongside French-style snacks. Official site here.
• Rice Field (District 1): Address is 77 Đ. Hồ Tùng Mậu, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, hours are 10:00-22:00 (as of August 2026). A three-story restaurant with a rooftop, serving Vietnamese dishes from north to south.

Looking for a Dinner Dish or a Spot for Groups?

One Chinese restaurant is listed for dinner, and one southern Vietnamese restaurant is listed for groups.

• Tiem Com Tho Chuyen Ky (Saigon area): Address is 65-67 Tôn Thất Đạm, Sài Gòn, hours are 10:00-14:00 and 17:00-21:00 (as of August 2026). A Cantonese restaurant founded in 1948, where clay-pot rice bowls come with a choice of beef, chicken, or Cantonese-style preserved sausage (lap cheong).
• Co Lieng (District 3): Address is 321 Võ Văn Tần, Phường 5, Quận 3, hours are 8:00-21:00 (as of August 2026). A southern Vietnamese restaurant founded in 1995, known for its charcoal-grilled “bo la lot” (beef wrapped in wild betel leaf).

Choosing by Hours and Area? Here’s the Full Table

If you’d rather pick a restaurant based on what’s open — from breakfast through late dinner — use the table below as your guide.

All hours and addresses above reflect our proprietary restaurant database as of August 2026.

The earliest opener is Xoi Ga Number One at 06:30, and the latest closers are Vi Que Kitchen and Nha Tu, both open until 22:30.

How to Choose Based on Your Trip Pattern

If you want a quick solo lunch near your hotel, Com Tam Ba Ghien works well within its opening hours. For a family dinner, Vi Que Kitchen or Nha Tu are good candidates since both stay open until 22:30. For a group gathering, Co Lieng is listed as our group-friendly pick. If this is your first trip to Ho Chi Minh City and you want the bigger picture, see our guide Ho Chi Minh City vs. Hanoi: Which Should You Visit First?. If you also want to cover the essential, well-known spots, check out 10 Restaurants You Must Visit in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (2024 Edition).

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I eat com tam alone in Ho Chi Minh City?

Com Tam Ba Ghien is listed in our database as solo-friendly. It’s open from 7:30 to 20:30.

Which restaurants are good for families?

Xoi Ga Number One, Vi Que Kitchen, and Nha Tu are the three restaurants listed as family-friendly.

Are there any restaurants open only for lunch?

Dong Pho runs a split schedule of 10:30-14:00 and 17:00-21:00, and is closed on Mondays.

Is there a spot for a Chinese-style rice dish at dinner?

Tiem Com Tho Chuyen Ky is listed for dinner and is open until 21:00 in the evening.

Where can I take a group?

Co Lieng is listed as our group-friendly pick. It’s open from 8:00 to 21:00.

Which restaurant opens earliest?

Xoi Ga Number One opens at 06:30, the earliest of all 8 restaurants featured.

Summary

Ho Chi Minh City’s rice dishes can be chosen by scenario: Com Tam Ba Ghien for solo dining, three family-friendly spots, two lunch options, Tiem Com Tho Chuyen Ky for dinner, and Co Lieng for groups. Opening hours range from Xoi Ga Number One’s 06:30 start to the 22:30 close at Vi Que Kitchen and Nha Tu. Match your companions and the time of day, and you’ll have your pick sorted for the day.

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Photo credits

• Photo: Trần Phan Phạm Lê / Pexels
• Photo: Nguyen Huy / Pexels
• Photo: Long Bà Mùi / Pexels
• Photo: Anh lnarch / Pexels
• Photo: Hồng Quang Official / Pexels