The signature chicken rice of the ancient town of Hoi An: turmeric-yellow rice cooked in the chicken poaching stock, topped with hand-torn poached chicken tossed in a lime-and-herb dressing. Served with shredded green papaya, raw onion, Vietnamese coriander and a tart chili-lime sauce.
Originated in 1950s Hoi An, Quang Nam province, a UNESCO heritage trading port whose cuisine blends Vietnamese, Chinese and Southeast Asian influences. The rice is prized for being cooked in chicken fat and stock.
The rice is fragrant and faintly golden, each grain slick with chicken fat and stock. The chicken is silky and bright with lime and herbs, while the papaya and raw onion add crunch and a sharp, fresh lift.
Cooking the rice in fat first coats the starch so the grains stay separate, then the stock is absorbed for deep savory flavor. Gentle poaching keeps the lean chicken tender rather than stringy.
Variations
Com ga Tam Ky and Com ga Phu Yen (other central versions); some served with a fried egg or chicken gizzards
On the Palate
Where Com Ga Hoi An sits in the Vietnamese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 25 min
- 125 min
Poach a whole chicken gently with ginger and onion until just cooked, then rest it.
Watch outPoach the chicken at a bare tremble, never a rolling boil — keep it just under simmering and it stays silky, boiled hard it goes stringy.
- 25 min
Reserve the chicken poaching stock and skim off some chicken fat.
- 35 min
Saute the rice in the chicken fat with a little turmeric until the grains are coated.
Watch outFry the rice in the chicken fat until every grain turns glossy and translucent at the edge — that coating keeps them from clumping later.
- 418 min
Cook the rice in the strained chicken stock so it absorbs the flavor and turns golden.
Watch outThe rice is ready when the stock is fully drunk up and the grains glow golden — lift the lid too early and the middle stays chalky.
- 55 min
Tear the cooled chicken into shreds by hand.
- 64 min
Toss the chicken with sliced onion, Vietnamese coriander, lime juice and a little fish sauce.
- 73 min
Mound the yellow rice in bowls and top with the dressed chicken and shredded papaya.
- 82 min
Serve with a tangy chili-lime-garlic sauce and a side of fresh herbs.
