By Tam Nguyen, Nguoi Viet
NOTE: This article is one in an occasional series reviewing one dish during the lunch hour.
WESTMINSTER, Calif. ― On a hot late-summer day, where the temperature is in the upper 80s, it is not wise to eat a hot bowl of pho. The next-best entree that is found in most Vietnamese restaurants is com tam, or a broken rice platter.
Com tam tau hu ky, tom, bo, bi cha is served at Com Tam Tran Quy Cap. Photo by Tam Nguyen/Nguoi Viet.
Com tam is usually served with pork, shredded pork skin and egg cake, but there is a restaurant that specializes in this entree and has a list of countless combinations. At Com Tam Tran Quy Cap, this entree has the traditional items, but with additions. The pork is replaced by barbecued beef; grilled shrimp and shrimp cake are added to the entree.
The dish is called com tam tau hu ky, tom, bo, bi cha (rice with shrimp cake, shrimp, barbecued beef, shredded pork skin and egg cake), or Combo 5 for short. Although it says Combo 5 on the menu, it is customers’ top pick.
For $8.75, the entree includes a bowl of hot soup with green onion and basil, either to eat with the rice or on the side.
Before taking the first bite, I didn’t forget to drizzle some fish sauce on top.
Everything was piled on top of the rice, topped with green onion and oil, and the rice was soft at the first bite. The shredded pork skin was flaky as expected but it was a little salty. The egg cake was warm and soft unlike, some other restaurants where it’s dry and hard.
The grilled shrimp was a little burnt, and I had to shed the shell to get rid of the charred bits. It was dry with no seasoning at all. The shrimp cake, however, was great. It was crispy to the last piece and wasn’t too salty or bland. It was just right.
Finally, the soup was bland; sprinkling some pepper on it added some taste.
Other than the burnt grilled shrimp and the dull soup, Combo 5 was terrific. It was easy to see why it’s the customers’ top choice.
Restaurant Com Tam Tran Quy Cap is at 9607 Bolsa Ave., on the corner of Bolsa Avenue and Bushard Street, inside the Bolsa Mini Mall shopping center. The restaurant accepts credit cards.
