Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Su Su: Vietnamese Fried Chicken You Didn’t Know You Needed
If you checked out my other article breaking down my foray into the world of mookrata in Bangkok, then you know just how much Thai fried chicken caught me by surprise. Well, that was until I experienced the glorious world of Vietnamese waterfall fried chicken. This is the real deal (and the true definition of a hole-in-the-wall spot).
And there aren’t many better spots in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for fried chicken than at Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Su Su in District 1. Add on some of their addictive garlic soy sauce, infused with chicken drippings (I seriously don’t know if I’ve ever had a better sauce in my life), chase each bite with a spoonful of orange fried rice, rinse and repeat, and you’re in for an absolute fowlin’ good time.
Getting to Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Su Su
I usually spend a paragraph or two talking about how to get to the restaurant I’m writing about. However, I do know that Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Su Su has changed places several times (and may change several more times), so please take the address that is provided with a grain of salt. With these types of places, always double-check that (a) they are still open, and (b) confirm their most recent address.
- Current Address (as of 06/08/2023): 117/1D Đ. Cống Quỳnh, Phường Nguyễn Cư Trinh, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 70000, Vietnam
This current address is just a stone’s throw away from Bui Vien Walking Street. A good rule of thumb I learned to live by, after posting up in Saigon for more than one year, is that if you are ever unable to find the place you are looking for, find the nearest alley to the address and head down it. This is the case with Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Su Su. You’ll know you’re in the right spot after seeing its giant yellow sign with green and red lettering and smiling rooster.
You know you are in for a treat when you:
- Get completely and utterly lost trying to find the spot,
- Need to go down an alley to get there, and
- Hear roosters crowing as you stroll on up (these were actually just pets and/or dinner and/or cockfighting champions owned by neighbors).
Winner, Winner, Fried Waterfall Chicken Dinner
Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Su Su knows what they do right (Cơm Gà – Vietnamese chicken rice) and they lean into it. Oh boy, do they lean into it. This is how restaurants should be. I don’t need a 50-page TGI Fridays or Friendly’s menu. I get too overwhelmed. Keep it simple. That’s what Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Su Su does.
You’ll have the choice between a thigh platter (or simply chicken thigh sans rice), wing and breast platter, or drumstick platter – each accompanied by a healthy serving of orange fried rice, and cucumber and tomatoes.
I opted for the thigh platter. Well…I opted for several thigh platters. This was also after a heavy night out on Bui Vien (if you know, you know), so this Big Body was in dire need of some TLC – tender, loving, chicken.
While the chickens used seem to be a bit leaner for Vietnamese chicken rice, they pack an absolute dynamite flavor punch (I feel like Guy Fieri typing this). Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Su Su blows KFC, Jollibee, Lotteria, and the like out of the water. The skin, extremely crispy and flaky, yields a satisfying crunch with each bite. This is thanks to the proprietor’s invention of the waterfall fryer.
What the Heck is Saigon Waterfall Fried Chicken?
To be honest, I didn’t even know that waterfall fried chicken in Vietnam was a thing until doing a little research on this spot. Essentially, the owner of Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Su Su threw on his tinkerer hat and developed a deep frying machine and method where hot oil is literally rained down on the chicken. This achieves a perfect, golden, crispy outside within mere minutes, without the high margin of error other fried chicken joints run into where their hens come out too oily.
I do want to apologize for not taking a better picture of the waterfall frying contraption as my brain was eating itself alive after the rip-roaring night I had on Bui Vien with one of my top roll dawgs from Hong Kong.
While I did see some reviews refer to the chicken as a bit too oily, I didn’t find this at all. The waterfall method keeps the fry light, which is probably why I ate three servings.
I also think the somewhat gaunt nature of the Vietnamese chickens prevents extreme absorption of the oil. When I say ‘gaunt’ I don’t say that negatively. I’d actually prefer it as you know for sure they aren’t using commercial chickens that have been propped up with more HGH than Barry Bonds on his warpath to 73 homers. These chickens are straight outta the yard.
The meat is juicy and tender – you will have to pick through some bones. But that is just the name of the game when eating fried chicken.
The rice in itself was a great complement to the chicken and the perfect canvas to absorb copious amounts of the garlic soy sauce. I’d almost equate the sauce more to a slightly salty, sweet, and tangy gravy or pepper sauce (with a dash of hoisin) that you could literally drink (and end up on ‘My 600 Pound Life – but it would be worth it) – like a slightly thicker (and 10 times more flavorful) version than the pepper sauce you’d be served with a New York ribeye.
Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you want to wash this fantastic meal down with an equally great craft beer, make sure to check out my guide to craft beer in Saigon.
As there isn’t really any particular heat to the chicken or sauce, the cucumber and tomatoes seem more decorative but also are effective at convincing me that I’m being healthy.
Final Cluckin’ Thoughts on Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Su Su
At 55,000 dong per plate (including orange fried rice, cucumbers, and tomatoes), or USD 2.30, it’s worth churning through several. Overall, my total came to just under 200,000 dong (USD 8.50) as I had several drinks on top of my three thigh platters.
I’m pretty sure the last time I ordered KFC in Hong Kong, I paid upwards of USD 20 and slipped into a grease coma shortly after, so Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Su Su was miles ahead in terms of quality and price point.
Even if you are unable to make it to Su Su, it’s incumbent upon all good travelers to Vietnam to eat Cơm Gà (Vietnamese chicken rice). If you have any favorite Cơm Gà spots in Saigon, please let me know from the comments as I will be back for another month or two in 2024 (or 2025).
Eat well everyone,
Big Body
Big Body is a voracious lov…eater, a cowardly fighter, and a self-proclaimed curry goat BBQ-eating champion (don’t forget the donkey milk) who likes Stoicism, baseball, and writing in the third person. Having worked for himself for the last 7 years, he isn’t particularly successful but he does still drink ice-cold Sapporo draft beers with the best of them and knows his way around a Dai Pai Dong or two. He is based in Hong Kong but you can still find him in Saigon, Osaka, and Vienna for extended periods.