Address: 302 Pham Van Hai Street, Ward 5, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening hours: 12:30 – 22:00

Reference price: 20,000 – 30,000 VND/portion

When it comes to Saigon’s famous rib porridge, Ong Ta restaurant is the address chosen by many people. The restaurant has been around for more than 40 years, associated with the childhood of many people. There are even people who have eaten porridge here since they were children, and now when they grow up, they stop by the restaurant to buy porridge for their children and grandchildren. That’s how great the attraction of Ong Ta’s ribs is.

Ong Ta's rib porridge, a famous delicacy in Saigon 2 for 40 years

Ong Ta rib porridge is a famous restaurant in Saigon, the delicious flavor comes with the years

According to Vietnamtravelio, the owner of Ong Ta rib porridge shop is Ms. Dao, who has been cooking and selling porridge since she was 17 years old. Now she has passed her twilight years, and every day she diligently cooks a pot of fragrant porridge, steaming with smoke, making anyone who comes to enjoy it once remember it forever.

According to Ms. Dao, all the ingredients she uses are fresh meat and fresh ribs, she never uses frozen food. Therefore, the costs are high and she does not make much profit. But in return, the porridge was delicious and many people liked it, so she was satisfied and made a profit.

Ong Ta's rib porridge, a famous delicacy in Saigon 3 for 40 years

The pot of rib porridge was steaming and filled with toppings, so many people praised it

Every day she stewed a large pot of bones, from the night before until the next morning. At 8:00 a.m., she starts cooking porridge and is finished at 12:00 a.m. to open the shop. The restaurant’s porridge is powdered porridge, so it needs to be cooked thoroughly and stirred well to make the porridge soft, smooth and fragrant. This is also the secret to making the famous name Ong Ta rib porridge that the Vietnamtravelio travel guide would like to introduce to you.

Each bowl of porridge at Ong Ta restaurant will have minced meat, ribs, fried onions, green onions, and fried rice. The shop also has chicken eggs and herbal eggs. If you want to eat them, you can order more. The cooked porridge is quite thick so it is very filling and has a rich flavor. However, for those of you who are used to eating thin porridge made from whole grains of rice, you may find this dish a little different.

The ribs are simmered well, have lots of meat and are very tender. The porridge is seasoned just right, you can add fish sauce and pepper to suit your taste. A pot of porridge is placed in front of the restaurant, always hot. Entering the restaurant, you will see the owner standing by the kitchen, stirring her hands, quickly scooping out ladles of fragrant porridge, looking very attractive.

Ong Ta's rib porridge, a delicious dish famous for 40 years in Saigon 4

Ong Ta’s rib porridge is a rustic, everyday dish, but its appeal is extremely difficult to resist

A special point is that Ong Ta rib porridge shop does not list the selling price. A full bowl is normally 30,000 VND, but the owner will sell any number of customers who buy it. Sometimes when customers come and only buy porridge without ribs or meat for 5,000 VND, she happily sells it. She shared that there are many difficult situations here, poor workers are very guilty, so the more they buy, the more she sells, everyone is a customer.

The porridge shop is quite small, with seating. This is a typical Saigon sidewalk restaurant, very simple and rustic. Seating is a bit cramped but clean and tidy. Customers coming to the restaurant mainly buy take-out, only a few sit down.

Ong Ta's rib porridge, a delicious dish famous for 40 years in Saigon 5

These full bowls of porridge only cost 30,000 VND

Ong Ta rib porridge is not a delicious dish or has a very unique flavor. But in return, this dish is rustic, simple, and has a strong Saigon flavor. The shop owner is also very friendly and enthusiastic, making everyone who comes to the shop love him. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to travel to Saigon, remember to stop by the restaurant to enjoy it. Don’t forget to follow the Vietnamtravelio travel guide to pocket more delicious places to eat for your suitcase-packed journeys to explore the cuisine of the three regions.