What Is Com Tam?

Vietnamese broken rice (com tam, or "cơm tấm" in Vietnamese) is one of Vietnam's most beloved rice dishes. It is made with broken rice, which are just the small grains that break during milling, and served with grilled pork chops, steamed egg meatloaf, shredded pork skin, pickled daikon and carrots, and a sweet and sour fish sauce dressing. Everything comes together on 1 single plate, and people usually eat it with a spoon and fork instead of chopsticks.

To get the Vietnamese pronunciation down easily, just say it close to "gum tahm" (IPA: [kəːm tə̌m]). In Vietnamese, "Cơm" means cooked rice, and "tấm" refers to those broken grains.

Cơm Tấm is actually 1 of 10 Vietnamese dishes recognized by the Asia Record Organization (ARO) for its huge culinary value worldwide. What started out as a cheap, humble meal in Southern Vietnam slowly turned into 1 of Saigon's most famous comfort foods. Way back in the 1930s, a cook named Ma Hai started using broken rice as a smart way to serve filling meals for less money, especially for dockworkers, and the idea really caught on. Over time, the dish moved from street stalls into proper restaurants, and by the 1970s, spots like Thuận Kiều in District 11 helped turn Com Tam from a basic breakfast into an all-day staple.

What makes Com Tam so special is not just the rice itself, but the way different food cultures meet on 1 plate. If you look closely at what is on that plate, you can actually feel the city's history: a grilled pork chop shaped like a French steak, a Chinese-style egg meatloaf mixed with shredded pork skin and tossed in traditional Southern roasted rice powder, and a Southern sweet fish sauce bringing it all together.

That mix of cultures is also why people usually eat Com Tam with a spoon and a fork. On tons of US menus, you will see it listed as "Vietnamese broken rice plate" or "com tam dac biet" (cơm tấm đặc biệt), which basically means a special combo plate with all the toppings. With just 1 plate, you get a perfect mix of smoky, sweet, sour, salty, and savory flavors all at once.

Why You'll Love This Com Tam

You'll love this Com Tam because every bite on this signature plate hits a different note: smoky pork, tangy pickles, a slice of rich egg meatloaf, and a fish sauce dressing that pulls it all together.

• Flavor and texture in one plate. You get charred pork, silky egg meatloaf, chewy pork skin with a crunch of roasted rice powder, and crisp pickled vegetables, all on the same fork. The broken rice soaks up every drop of the fish sauce you drizzle over it.
• It bends to whatever you have. Swap the pork chop for grilled chicken, shrimp, or a fried egg, and the plate still works. Lay a sunny-side-up egg on top for a richer result.
• Simpler than it looks. Most of the work is marinating and steaming. The pork grills in 10 minutes, the rice cooks in a rice cooker, and once the pickles and sauce are ready a day ahead, assembling the plate takes just a couple of minutes.

Com Tam Ingredients

Com Tam comes together from 7 components, each with its own short ingredient list: broken rice, a grilled pork chop marinade, egg meatloaf, shredded pork skin, scallion oil, the drizzling sauce, and pickled vegetables. At first glance, it may look like a lot, but the list becomes easier once you see how the same aromatics and seasonings work across the whole plate.

For a flavor closer to Vietnamese Com Tam, look for Vietnamese broken rice or brands such as Three Ladies and Parrot, use fresh Asian aromatics when possible, and try CHIN-SU fish sauce wherever the recipe calls for fish sauce.

Broken Rice (Cơm Tấm)

• 1.1 lb (500g) broken rice (gạo tấm): The fractured grains that give the plate its soft, clingy base.
• Water, enough to cover the rice by ¼ inch (0.5cm).

Grilled Pork Chop (Sườn Nướng)

• 2.2 lb (1kg) bone-in pork chops (sườn cốt lết): The main grilled pork piece on the plate, with enough bone and fat to stay juicy over high heat.
• 1.1 lb (500g) pork shoulder (nạc dăm): Adds extra tender, flavorful pork to the batch, so the plate feels generous without relying only on lean chops.
• 5 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp condensed milk, 1½ tbsp sugar: Build the salty-sweet base of the marinade and help the pork develop that glossy, caramelized crust on the grill. You can try using CHIN-SU fish sauce here as the savory base for the marinade.
• 1 tbsp bouillon powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp MSG: Round out the savory flavor so the pork tastes seasoned all the way through, not just on the surface.
• 2 oz (60g) shallots, 1.4 oz (40g) garlic, 3 stalks lemongrass (~1.2 oz/35g, smashed), 0.9 oz (25g) sweet horn peppers (seeded): Create the aromatic base that gives "sườn nướng" its warm, fragrant Vietnamese grilled flavor.
• 7 oz (200g) unsweetened fresh milk: Helps tenderize the meat during the overnight marinade while adding a gentle richness.

Egg Meatloaf (Chả Trứng)

• 10.5 oz (300g) ground pork and 4 eggs: Pull 3 yolks for the topping and the rest goes into the mix.
• 0.5 oz (15g) dried wood ear mushrooms and 0.7 oz (20g) dried vermicelli (1 bundle), both soaked and chopped, which make the texture inside the slice.
• 3 shallots, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp bouillon powder, ½ tsp ground pepper: the seasoning.
• Topping: the 3 reserved yolks, 1 tsp annatto oil, and 1 tsp fish sauce for that orange sheen on top.

Shredded Pork Skin and Braised Belly (Bì Thịt Khìa)

• 1.1 lb (500g) pork belly (skin off) and 10.5 oz (300g) pork skin: the belly braises, the skin gets shredded into bì.
• 2½ cups (600g) coconut water: the braising liquid that sweetens the belly.
• 1 oz (30g) garlic, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp bouillon powder, ⅓ tsp salt, ⅓ tsp ground pepper, 4 tbsp oil: for searing and seasoning.
• For cleaning the skin: 1 tbsp salt, the juice of 1 lime, then 8 cups (2 liters) water with 1 shallot, 0.7 oz (20g) ginger, 2 tbsp vinegar, and ½ tsp salt.

To prepare the pork skin, clean it with 1 tbsp salt and the juice of 1 lime, then boil it in 8 cups (2 liters) of water with 1 smashed shallot, 0.7 oz (20g) smashed ginger, 2 tbsp vinegar, and ½ tsp salt. This step keeps the skin clean-tasting and easier to slice.

Roasted Rice Powder (Thính)

• ½ rice bowl (~2.6 oz/75g) raw rice: dry-toast it, then grind to a powder; you'll use 2–3 tbsp, tossing the pork skin.
• 1 tbsp garlic powder: added at the same toss.

Crispy Pork Fat and Scallion Oil (Tóp Mỡ Hành)

• 8.8 oz (250g) pork fat (skin off), cut into ½-inch (1–1.5cm) cubes: renders into crisp bits.
• 1.8 oz (50g) scallions (sliced), ½ tbsp water, ⅓ tsp salt: the green oil is spooned over the rice.

Drizzling Sauce (Nước Mắm)

• ⅔ cup (~160ml) fish sauce, ⅔ cup (~130g) sugar, ⅔ cup (~160ml) water: a 1:1:1 ratio by rice bowl, the dressing the whole plate leans on. If using CHIN-SU fish sauce, this small adjustment to the water aligns with the flavor profile of a Vietnamese cơm tấm sauce, giving the nước mắm a softer, rounder finish.
• 1 slice pineapple (~1.4 oz/40g) and chopped chili: the pineapple rounds the edge, the chili goes in at serving.

Pickled Vegetables (Đồ Chua)

• Daikon and carrot, julienned, drawn with 1 tbsp salt: the sour, crisp counterweight.
• Brine: ½ cup sugar, ½ cup warm water, ½ cup white vinegar.

This full recipe makes enough for about 5 to 6 generous plates.

How to Make Com Tam Step by Step

The whole Com Tam takes about 5 hours from the first cut to the first bite, but only about 1.5 hours are spent actively cooking. The rest is mostly marinating, steaming, cooling, and waiting. You will move through 7 components in 18 steps: marinate the pork first, steam the egg meatloaf, prepare the pork skin and braised belly, make thính, cook the nước mắm, cook the broken rice, render the scallion oil, toss the bì, and grill the pork last so it reaches the plate hot.

Step 1: Season The Pork With Sugar And Condensed Milk

Let's start with the pork because it needs the longest rest. Add 1½ tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp condensed milk to 2.2 lb (1kg) bone-in pork chops and 1.1 lb (500g) pork shoulder.

Work it in for about a minute, until every piece looks coated, then let it rest 10 minutes. Sugar and milk go first on purpose. They pull sweetness into the meat evenly and reduce charring once it hits the grill.

Step 2: Mix The Fish Sauce Marinade And Add Aromatics

In a separate bowl, stir together 5 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp bouillon powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp MSG until the dry seasonings dissolve into the fish sauce.

Next, pound 2 oz (60g) shallots, 1.4 oz (40g) garlic, and 0.9 oz (25g) seeded sweet horn peppers into a rough paste, just enough to release their aroma. Smash 3 lemongrass stalks, cut them into 2 to 3cm pieces, then add the aromatics, lemongrass, and fish sauce mixture to the pork, and mix for 2 minutes, working the marinade evenly into every piece.

Step 3: Add Fresh Milk And Refrigerate The Pork

Pour in 7 oz (200g) unsweetened fresh milk and mix until the pork is evenly coated. The milk adds a gentle richness and helps the meat stay tender when grilled. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for deeper flavor if you have time. 

Step 4: Soak And Chop The Mushrooms And Vermicelli

Once the pork is marinating, you can move to the egg meatloaf. Soak 0.5 oz (15g) dried wood ear mushrooms and 0.7 oz (20g) dried vermicelli in warm water until they soften. Drain them well, squeeze out excess water, then slice the mushrooms and cut the vermicelli into short pieces. 

Step 5: Mix The Egg Meatloaf Filling

Separate 4 eggs, setting aside 3 yolks for the topping in a later step. Mix the remaining egg with 10.5 oz (300g) ground pork, mushrooms, vermicelli, and chopped shallots. Season with 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp bouillon powder, and ½ tsp ground pepper. Mix until it's all one even texture.

Step 6: Steam The Egg Meatloaf

Line a mold with banana leaf or plastic wrap, then spoon in the pork mixture, leaving ½ inch (1cm) clear at the top for the yolk layer. Set it in a steamer over boiling water. Keep the lid cracked open for the first 3 minutes so steam doesn't drip back and pool on the surface. Then cover it and steam for 20 to 25 minutes total, starting when the water comes to a boil.

Step 7: Brush Egg Yolk Topping And Steam Again

Beat the 3 reserved yolks with 1 tsp annatto oil and 1 tsp fish sauce until smooth. Brush it across the surface of the steamed meatloaf, which gives it that glossy orange top, then cover and steam for 5 more minutes. Pull it out and let it cool completely before unmolding. Slice it only once it has cooled, since cutting it hot makes it crumble.

Step 8: Clean The Pork Skin With Salt And Lime

Now prepare the bì components. Rub 10.5 oz (300g) pork skin with 1 tbsp salt and the juice of 1 lime, kneading and squeezing for about a minute. After that, scrub it down with the spent lime halves to strip off the slime and any off smell. Rinse it under cold water 2 to 3 times, until the water finally runs clear. 

Step 9: Boil The Pork Skin

Bring 8 cups (2 liters) of water to a boil with 1 smashed shallot, 0.7 oz (20g) smashed ginger, ½ tsp salt, and 2 tbsp vinegar. Add the cleaned pork skin and boil it for 10 minutes, no longer. Remember, do not overboil it, or the skin will lose its firmness and turn mushy. Lift it out, plunge it into cold water, rinse twice, and drain it fully.

Step 10: Marinate The Pork Belly

While the boiled pork skin drains, smash and mince 1 oz (30g) garlic, then rub it into 1.1 lb (500g) skinless pork belly with ⅓ tsp salt, ½ tsp bouillon powder, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar, and ⅓ tsp ground pepper. Go light on the seasoning here. The pork skin "bì" gets eaten with sauce later, so you don't want it heavy on its own. Let it marinate for 20 minutes, just long enough for the seasoning to settle into the meat. 

Step 11: Sear And Braise The Pork Belly In Coconut Water

Heat 4 tbsp of cooking oil over medium heat, then sear the pork belly until browned on all sides. Pour in 2½ cups (600g) coconut water, enough to nearly cover the meat, and simmer, turning the piece every 2 to 3 minutes. Keep going until the liquid cooks off completely and the pork wears a sticky caramel glaze. That's called the “khìa” method, where the coconut water reduces to a sweet-savory coating. Keep the heat steady and turn often so it doesn't catch. Let the pork cool before slicing thinly.

Step 12: Toast And Grind The Rice For Thính

Put ½ rice bowl (~2.6 oz/75g) of raw rice in a dry pan over medium heat. Stir it constantly until the grains turn cloudy white with a faint golden tint and begin to smell nutty. Take it off the heat the moment it gets there. Push past that and the thính turns bitter. Grind it down to a fine powder.

Step 13: Cook The Drizzling Sauce (Nước Mắm)

Combine ⅔ cup (~160ml) fish sauce, ⅔ cup (~130g) sugar, and ⅔ cup (~160ml) water in a pot, a clean 1:1:1 ratio by rice bowl. Heat it until the sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil, then drop in 1 thick slice of pineapple (~1.4 oz/40g, about 1cm). Turn it down to low-medium and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens to a light syrup.

The pineapple is a Saigon street-stall touch that rounds out the sweetness, and most home recipes leave it out. The fish sauce you pick shapes this whole dressing, so here you can use CHIN-SU fish sauce for its clean anchovy base and balanced salt, which gives a rounder nước mắm with no extra adjusting. Stir in chopped chili when you serve. It keeps in the fridge for up to a month. 

Step 14: Cook The Broken Rice

Wash 1.1 lb (500g) broken rice under cold water just 2 times, then add it to a rice cooker with water covering the grains by ¼ inch (0.5cm). Cook it on the normal setting. Rinse it more than 2 times, and you strip out starch the grains need, which is why 2 passes are the limit. Slightly coarse “gạo tấm” cooks up fluffy with a little chew, which is what you're after.

Step 15: Render The Pork Fat And Mix With Scallions

Cut 8.8 oz (250g) skinless pork fat into ½-inch (1 to 1.5cm) cubes. Add them to a pan with ½ tbsp water and ⅓ tsp salt, then cook over high heat, stirring, until the fat renders and the solids shrink and turn golden. Pour the hot fat and crisp bits straight over 1.8 oz (50g) sliced scallions in a bowl.

Toss it right away, since the heat wilts the scallions and lifts their aroma. Taking the skin off the fat first stops the splattering and speeds up the process. Keep the crispy cubes too; the pork fat “tóp mỡ” is a topping, not a waste.

Step 16: Slice And Toss The Bì With Thính

Slice the cooled pork skin into thin strips about 5cm long. Cut the cooled braised belly as thin as you can manage, then into small strips, and tip both into a large bowl. Add 1 tbsp garlic powder and 2 to 3 tbsp of the toasted rice powder.

Toss until everything wears a dry, even coat. That thính is what gives bì its nutty smell and that soft, powdery-crunchy bite, and making it from scratch beats the store-bought kind.

Step 17: Grill The Pork Chops

Take the marinated pork out of the fridge and brush off the bits of aromatics clinging to the surface, which keeps them from scorching. Clamp the meat in a grilling rack and set it over charcoal. Start at 2 to 3 minutes per side, then keep turning for about 20 minutes total, until it's golden-charred and cooked through. The sugar, condensed milk, and fresh milk in the marinade color the meat on their own, so there's no need to baste. Take it to an internal 145°F (63°C) to be safe.

If a charcoal grill is unavailable, the pork can still be cooked in an oven or an air fryer; the exact temperatures and timing are covered in the Substitutions section. 

Step 18: Assemble The Plate

Scoop the broken rice onto a plate and slice the grilled pork into bite-sized pieces. Set the pork chops (sườn), a slice of egg meatloaf (chả), and a mound of pork skin (bì) alongside the rice, with pickled vegetables if you're using them.

Spoon the pork fat that mixes with scallions (tóp mỡ hành) over the rice. Serve the drizzling sauce (nước mắm) on the side, with extra chopped chili for anyone who wants more heat. 

How to Assemble and Serve Com Tam

Com Tam is served as a build-your-own plate, assembled while the rice and grilled pork are still warm so each topping keeps its own texture. Pack the rice first, then arrange the toppings around it:

• Broken rice: pack the cooked rice into a small bowl, then turn it out onto the plate to form a neat dome.
• Grilled pork chop (sườn): place it beside the rice as the centerpiece of the plate.
• Egg meatloaf (chả): lay a slice next to the pork.
• Shredded pork skin (bì): add a mound along the edge.
• Pickled vegetables (đồ chua): tuck a handful in for a crisp, sour bite.
• Scallion oil and crispy pork fat (tóp mỡ hành): spoon them over the rice and pork.
• Drizzling sauce (nước mắm): ladle it directly over the plate, or serve it on the side.

In Vietnam, Com Tam sauce is usually poured on, or "chan," rather than served only as a dipping sauce. That way, the broken rice catches the sweet-savory dressing, while the pork, egg, bì, and pickles each pick up just enough sauce.

Com Tam is traditionally eaten with a spoon and fork, not chopsticks. Use the fork to hold or cut the pork, then scoop it up with rice, egg, bì, and a little pickle in a single bite. The best bites should feel smoky, rich, chewy, crisp, sweet, salty, and tangy all at once. Keep extra fish sauce, chili sauce, and lime wedges on the table so everyone can adjust the plate to their own taste.

For a little more heat on the side, CHIN-SU chili sauce works especially well here: its roasted chili and garlic notes sit naturally with the smoky grilled pork without covering the softer flavors of the rice, egg meatloaf, and pickled vegetables.

Tips for the Best Com Tam

These 5 small choices can make Com Tam taste more balanced, especially when you are preparing several components at the same time.

• Season the pork chops (sườn) with sugar and condensed milk first. Add them before the fish sauce so the sweetness has time to coat the meat evenly and help build that golden caramel crust on the grill. If everything goes in at once, the marinade still works, but the pork will not brown quite as beautifully.
• Brush off excess aromatics before grilling. After 4 or more hours in the marinade, the shallots, garlic, and lemongrass have already done their job. Leaving too much on the surface can make them scorch over charcoal before the pork is fully cooked.
• Pull the pork skin (bì) after 10 minutes. Pork skin needs to stay firm enough for bì, so avoid boiling it for too long. Once it turns tender but still springy, remove it, rinse it, and let it drain completely before slicing.
• Toast the rice powder (thính) only until light golden. The rice should smell nutty and warm, not dark or roasted. If it goes too far, the powder can turn bitter and make the shredded pork skin taste heavy.
• Cool the egg meatloaf (chả) before unmolding. Egg meatloaf slices best when it has fully set. If you cut it while hot, it can stick to the mold, crumble at the edges, and lose the clean yellow topping that makes the plate look finished.

What Can You Substitute or Change in Vietnamese Broken Rice?

These 5 substitutions help you make Vietnamese broken rice with US grocery store ingredients without losing the dish's core flavor.

• Chicken eggs can be replaced with duck eggs. The yolk topping comes out a shade less deep in color, but the taste and texture stay close. Duck eggs turn up at most Asian groceries if you'd rather keep them.
• Use bone-in chops or thin-sliced pork shoulder instead of pork loin chops. The fattier cuts stay juicier on the grill, where lean loin tends to dry out.
• Shredded pork skin (bì heo). Frozen packs sell at Asian supermarkets, often under the Bì Heo Tươi Tây Hồ brand. Can't find it? Skip the bì. The plate still holds up, you just lose that chewy, nutty layer.
• Roasted rice powder (thính). Look for the Thính Saigon brand in the seasoning aisle, or toast raw jasmine rice in a dry pan until golden, then grind it yourself.
• No charcoal grill? Run an oven broiler at 400°F (200°C) for 8 to 10 minutes per side, an air fryer at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or a grill pan over high heat. You give up the charcoal smoke, but that caramelized marinade crust still forms. Charcoal stays the closest to the Saigon street version.
• Microwave scallion oil. Skip rendering pork fat by tossing sliced scallions with 2 tbsp vegetable oil, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of sugar in a microwave-safe bowl, then heating for 60 seconds.

The closer you stay to the original ingredients, the closer the plate will taste to real Saigon Com Tam. Still, these substitutions give you enough flexibility to make the dish at home without losing its core flavor. 

How to Store Vietnamese Broken Rice

Com Tam is best eaten fresh off the plate, so you'll usually store it only when prepping ahead or saving leftovers. When you do need to keep it for later, store each component in its own airtight container: Grilled pork and egg meatloaf hold 3 to 4 days in the fridge, while the pork skin is best eaten within 2 to 3 days, pickled vegetables can last 1 to 2 weeks as long as they stay covered in their brine, and the fish sauce “nước mắm” can keep for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

Do not pre-assemble Com Tam before storing it. Once the sauce touches the rice, the grains start soaking it up and can turn soft. The pickles also lose their crunch if they sit too long beside warm rice or meat.

To reheat, warm the grilled pork in a dry skillet or under the broiler at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 minutes to bring back some of the char. For the rice, microwave it with a damp paper towel on top so the grains soften without drying out. Assemble the plate only after everything is warm.

Have you tried making Com Tam at home yet? Or are you still gathering ingredients? Drop your questions, tweaks, or results in the comments below. If it worked for you, a quick star rating helps other home cooks find it. Share your plate with #CHINSU, because we read every single one. Curious about CHIN-SU fish sauce or chili sauce? Grab a bottle at chinsu.com and give it a try.