Cơm tấm — broken rice — is the quintessential Saigon breakfast and lunch dish: small-grain rice served with grilled pork (sườn nướng), a fried egg, shredded pork skin, and a bowl of sweet fish sauce. It is eaten by street workers at dawn and by office workers at noon, always from the same type of metal tray.
The stalls on Nguyễn Văn Cừ Street in District 5 are among the city's most celebrated, having been operating in the same location for decades. A full plate costs around 40,000–60,000 đồng ($2–3). Eat it with your hands on the plastic stool — that is how it is done. The dish is best understood as a complete meal in miniature: the rice absorbs the meat juices and the fish sauce ties it together.