District 1 · Lý Tự Trọng alley · Evenings only
Twenty-plus years, three generations of Cantonese-style gà xối mỡ from an alley shophouse — glassy-crisp skin, rich chicken-fat rice, packed nightly on reputation alone.
The craft
The name says it all: xối means to ladle, mỡ means oil. Seasoned chicken is ladled with hot oil until the skin blisters and turns shatteringly crisp.
Chicken is seasoned with the family's Cantonese-style recipe — flavored through and through.
Hot oil is ladled steadily until the skin blisters, turns deep amber, and shatters like glass.
Served over chicken-fat rice with blanched greens and a bowl of soup — proper Cantonese home cooking.
The shop opens only from 4:30 to 8:30 PM — come a little early, follow the hand-painted signs into the alley, and order a plate of crispy gà xối mỡ.