Oysters Prepared 24 Different Ways
There’s a stretch of Vinh Khanh Street in District 4 where you can lines of stores making seafood for your street eating pleasure. One such place, Chilli, stood out for its offering of oysters prepared in 24 combinations. There was a bit of a hesitation splitting two dozen oysters between the two of us, but as you know, we only live once. Plus, this was a place for nhau, where friends get together for hours of food and beer. There was plenty of time and no need to rush. We just sat back and enjoyed eating.
It’s not to hard to find the Chilli. They take up two whole store fronts with an extra seating area off to the side. That’s where we sat. Tables made for two with complete access to the high foot traffic streets. Which of course meant easy access for the street peddlers. Three people stopped by hawking their lottery tickets, snacks, and even napkins. All trying to tell us a story that got lost in the haze of my rudimentary Vietnamese. There was even a street performer who stopped by, blew fire, then asked us for money. *face palm* Did I wear my “I ♥ Vietnam” shirt or something? I hate sticking out like a tourist. But don’t worry, you can never let it ruin the night. Just kindly say no or do what my friend does and ignore them. Seemed to work for her.
Anyways, back to the shop. Look for the signs and the wonderful people with the chili shirts.
I actually didn’t see the signs because I was walking under the canopies. But as soon as I came across the road side grill with these little dishes, I knew I was at the right place.
Arriving at 6:30pm there were enough tables open. Within the hour, they filled up. I can see why. Regardless of the oysters, there was plenty of other foods and the locals were coming here for them. The main attraction may have been the ability to grill things at the table.
As for the oysters, they came in sets of five. Being opportunists, we ordered all five sets ranging from 75,000 to 89,000 VND, which, if you did your math, meant one duplicate oyster dish. Not sure which one we had twice. I couldn’t remember the flavors after all the beers. The wait staff, which you would need to flag down, were happy to keep me stocked with cold bottles of beer. And by the time I scarfed down that last oyster and wipes my forehead, life was good. This was the street eating and drinking I was looking for. Next time, I’m going into the late hours.
Chilli
105, 232 Đường Vĩnh Khánh
Phường 10, Quận 4
Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Opens after 4pm
Verdict: A must recommend at this point. That is before the oysters gets too popular.
No nhau is complete without some food you can pick at while things are grilling or set aflame. Here we ordered some stiff fried chicken cartilage with some greens to keep you healthy. Or at least make you think you’re being healthy.
Here’s my mentor for tonight on the proper ways for street eating. When it comes to grilling your food, don’t forget to give the charcoals plenty of air for that intense heat. If it runs low, just ask for more or a replacement. They have plenty at hand.
This one was the garlic soy sauce and sesame oil. Also a favorite of the batch.
This was the sweet lemongrass chili oyster.
Yesssss! This was what we came here for. Over two dozen oysters prepared in their own unique way. Pull up a plastic chair cuz we’re not leaving until this is cooked and in my belly! The best ones were the ones with chili and the one with cheese. Delicious.
Here’s your stove for the night, a nice charcoal grill, brought right to your table