For Western expats & backpackers in Vietnam, local food culture is a wonderful mix of daunting and inviting. The streets are full of sights, tastes and smells that are, for many of us, as foreign as the language.
Meat is one of those areas in which Vietnamese cuisine really distinguishes itself from the food you’ll find back in Europe. The Vietnamese are, for one, a hell of a lot less squeamish; just take a look at hột vịt lộn (balut) and you’ll know that you’re far away from the world of heavily processed supermarket chickens and frozen turkey twizzlers. Butchery here is more honest and less wasteful: animals don’t come gutted, plucked, beheaded and selectively carved. This unintimidated food culture has lead to some of the best and perhaps some of the worst meat I’ve ever eaten. Butter-fried quail is amongst the former.
On a busy road in District 10, the staff at Cút Chiên Bơ Cô Năm exchange smiles as they toss quails around 2 sizzling, butter-filled woks. Once cooked, the birds are served alongside vietnamese coriander (rau răm), cucumber, bread, unripe mango and a super-moreish, thick, gravy-like dipping sauce.
The birds are fried and plated whole. Punters much down on every part, bones and all, only leaving what they can’t eat (as one may with chicken wing). The best meat is found in the head – the brain offers a burst of flavour and the skull and beak have the perfect level of crunch. Don’t be intimidated by how it looks, this is one of the tastiest fried-foods around. The quails are tender but crunchy and packed with flavour, especially when dunked in gravy. This is one food adventure you’ll be glad you embarked upon.
The atmosphere here is good and the food is even better. The quails at Cút Chiên Bơ Cô Năm are the best I’ve tried in Vietnam.
It’s is open every day from 1.30-10pm, though be sure to come early as they often sell out by mid/late afternoon. The address is 54 Đồng Nai, Phường 15, Quận 10, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam.
To view the location, click in the top right and search for ‘Cút Chiên Bơ Cô Năm’.