The bustling Cho Lon district is renowned for its delectable cuisine, among which is the famous salted steamed chicken. When it comes to this dish, two well-known and long-standing Chinese-style restaurants come to mind: Truyen Ky and Lao Ma. Each restaurant has its unique culinary style, attracting diners with their distinctive flavors and refined preparation methods.
Truyen Ky exudes the Hẹ minority group’s culinary influence, with its salted steamed chicken boasting a golden-brown skin and tender, sweet meat infused with the perfect amount of saltiness. In contrast, Lao Ma is famous for its Guangdong-style salted steamed chicken, characterized by crispy skin and chewy meat saturated with spices.
1 Introducing Lao Ma Restaurant
Lao Ma Restaurant: A Culinary Delight
Restaurant Quality: 4.1/5 (Rated by Google)
Address: 418/3E Tran Phu, Ward 7, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM & 3:30 PM – 8:30 PM (Usually crowded around 1:00 PM)
Price Range: VND 50,000 – 480,000 per dish
Phone Number: 0353446690
Facebook: None
Delivery: Available (Shopee Food)
Menu Highlights: Salted Steamed Chicken, Stir-fried Shrimp, Shrimp in Soy Sauce, Steamed Shrimp, Yangzhou Fried Rice, Steamed Grouper, Hong Kong-style Steamed Grouper, Sichuan Blood Cockles, Roasted Pigeon, Pork Bone Soup with Lotus Root, Sweet Leaf Vegetable Soup with Minced Meat, and more.
Signature Dish: Salted Steamed Chicken (VND 165,000 for half a chicken)
Pros: Well-known restaurant with a diverse menu, delicious flavors, and unique salted steamed chicken recipe.
Cons: Subpar service attitude.
Lao Ma is a long-standing restaurant famous for its signature salted steamed chicken in Ho Chi Minh City’s Cho Lon district. Tucked away in a small alley on Tran Phu Street in District 5, Lao Ma has attracted discerning diners for over 20 years with its distinctive flavors and refined cooking techniques.
The salted steamed chicken at Lao Ma is prepared with fresh free-range chickens, marinated in a blend of spices, and steamed to perfection in earthenware pots. The result is golden-brown, crispy skin and tender, juicy meat infused with the briny taste of salt. The chicken is accompanied by steamed green mustard leaves and a special dipping sauce unique to the restaurant.
In addition to its namesake dish, Lao Ma also offers other culinary delights such as Yangzhou fried rice, clay pot fish, braised shrimp with pork, and stir-fried vegetables, among others.
Lao Ma boasts a cozy and traditional ambiance, always bustling with diners, creating a lively and cheerful atmosphere.
Lao Ma: A Long-Standing Restaurant Famous for Salted Steamed Chicken
2 What Makes Lao Ma Restaurant So Enticing to Diners?
A Seafood Restaurant with a Signature Dish: Salted Steamed Chicken
Despite being known as a “seafood restaurant for the common people”, Lao Ma has earned its reputation primarily through its signature dish of salted steamed chicken. This dish captivates diners with its unique flavors and delicate preparation.
Lao Ma’s opening hours are quite unique: 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM for lunch and 3:30 PM – 8:30 PM for dinner. So, if you’re planning a late-night visit, you won’t be able to indulge in their famous salted steamed chicken!
The chicken is rubbed with salt and steamed for 25 minutes, and when ordered, it is shredded by hand and mixed with steamed green mustard leaves, sesame oil, and a secret blend of spices. This preparation method ensures the freshness and flavor of both the chicken and the vegetables are preserved.
The chicken meat is chewy and infused with spices, while the sesame oil adds a glossy and moist appearance. The green mustard leaves provide a crunchy texture without overwhelming the chicken’s flavor. The dipping sauce, a unique blend of salt, pepper, sesame oil, and chili, creates a salty and slightly spicy sensation that tantalizes the taste buds.
To complete your dining experience, order a side of Yangzhou fried rice. This dish, prepared with Chinese sausage, eggs, dried shrimp, and scallions, is the perfect complement to the salted steamed chicken. Each grain of rice is firm and infused with flavor, and the ingredients blend harmoniously without being overly rich.
Lao Ma: A Seafood Restaurant with a Signature Dish of Salted Steamed Chicken
A 30-Year Legacy in Cho Lon
Over 30 years ago, Mr. Ma Khương, a Chinese native from Guangdong Province, introduced his family’s unique recipe for salted steamed chicken to the bustling Cho Lon district. With its distinctive flavors and cozy atmosphere, Lao Ma quickly became a favorite dining destination, enriching the diverse culinary landscape of the area.
Guangdong cuisine is celebrated for its refinement and versatility in ingredient preparation. Among the myriad of delicious options, Lao Ma’s salted steamed chicken holds a special place in the hearts of diners due to its unique flavors and elegant presentation.
Beyond its iconic chicken dish, Lao Ma captivates patrons with a variety of fresh seafood dishes prepared in the Guangdong style. Shrimp in soy sauce, crab stir-fried with fermented bean paste, fried grouper with mango, Sichuan-style blood cockles, and roasted pigeon are just a few of the enticing options for discerning foodies.
A 30-Year Legacy in Cho Lon
Lao Ma’s salted steamed chicken is not just a delicious dish but also represents a unique cultural aspect of the Chinese community in Cho Lon. If you’re seeking an authentic Guangdong culinary experience, Lao Ma is a must-visit destination.
