At exactly 6:30 p.m., when the oyster fried egg restaurant on Phung Hung Street (District 5, Ho Chi Minh City) opened, there were already a few customers waiting to order. Quickly, the four owners of the restaurant busily set up the table and then displayed the ingredients they had prepared since early morning.
Mr. Ta Vinh (55 years old shop owner) said that all the ingredients were prepared by her sister at home first and then brought out to the four brothers to sell. Milk oysters are pre-shelled at home and placed separately in a basket. When a customer orders, the owner takes the oysters and puts them in a bowl, then adds two eggs and stirs well with green onions and spices.
Then this mixture will be fried directly in the hot pan. Mr. Ta Cuong (47 years old) takes orders over the phone and is in charge of the frying process. He uses a spoon to lightly sprinkle cooking oil on the surface of the pan so that the mixture does not stick to the pan and maintains its crispiness.
< figure class="image align-center" contenteditable="false"> Mr. Ta Vinh and Ta Cuong took turns frying the mixture (Photo: Nguyen Vy).
When the dough turns yellow and the rice is crispy, Mr. Cuong takes it down and adds some coriander lettuce to eat with “homemade” fish sauce. A trio of fried milk oysters with eggs served with vegetables and fish sauce makes customers not feel bored but can also feel the balanced flavor of the ingredients combined together. Through the crispy dough layer, diners can also feel the softness of the oyster eggs.
Opening at dusk, the milk oyster shop kept busy with people coming in and out until 11pm before closing. Sometimes Mr. Vinh’s family clears the goods earlier because there are too many customers. The portion is quite large and costs 100,000 VND, but when you eat it, it’s worth it. Because the powder and seasoning are Mr. Vinh’s family’s heirloom recipe, it creates a special and familiar flavor for those who have eaten here for a long time.
While busy, Mr. Vinh shared that the fried egg oyster shop existed before 1970 and was started by his father. At that time, his father was a chef at a famous restaurant. With many years of experience, he is proficient in preparing oysters with fried eggs. When he decided to go his own way, he quit his job at the restaurant and started his career selling this unique dish.
“At that time, my father found this dish strangely delicious but no one sold it, so he opened it. “At first, my parents sold, and then after the 5 brothers in the family came home from school to help their parents,” Mr. Vinh recalled.
More than 10 years later, when he was old, he needed to stay at home. Taking care of 5 brothers, he saw that and immediately succeeded his father.
“We don’t want Dad’s enthusiasm to be wasted. We didn’t look for another job, but worked together to develop oyster carts for decades and were familiar with the profits from selling them. Everyone had a share in taking care of family activities,” Mr. Vinh shared.
Over the past few years, After 50 years of working together, Mr. Vinh and his brothers have accumulated many unforgettable memories. Even though there were many days when heavy rains forced us to sell out, we still felt sad and worked together to overcome difficulties.
Thanks to our hard work. Many customers often come here because they love the taste of oysters with fried eggs and enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere in Chinatown. At a price of 100,000 VND/portion, many people commented that this price is not expensive because the price of oysters is very large. Milk on the market is not cheap.
Ms. My Tien (living in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City) said she has eaten here many times. Sometimes she “escapes” cooking at home to eat traditional fried milk oysters with eggs.
“I’ve been eating here since I was a student until I returned home from work for a while and now When I come back to Ho Chi Minh City, I still find this restaurant to eat. I like the crispiness of the soft and fatty dough of the oysters and most importantly, the fish sauce is very delicious,” Ms. Tien said.
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