The dishes you absolutely must try when visiting San Fu Lou.
Emerging as a Hong Kong culinary haven, San Fu Lou preserves the authentic flavors in a luxurious and cozy setting in Saigon, becoming a familiar destination for discerning diners and an unmissable spot for those seeking professional culinary experiences.
If you’re wondering what to choose on your first visit, consider the suggestions below and head straight to San Fu Lou to indulge!
Appetizer: Eggplant with Shredded Chicken in Spicy Vinegar Sauce
Not confined to typical appetizers like soup or salad, the menu offers a variety of unique appetizers, among which the Eggplant with Shredded Chicken in Spicy Vinegar Sauce stands out as the perfect starter for a lavish meal at San Fu Lou. The eggplant, cooked tender and mixed thoroughly with the sauce, absorbs the aroma of sesame oil, vinegar, and a hint of mild chili. The shredded chicken, tender and white, complements the softness of the eggplant, creating a fresh and delightful combination. Appetizers play a crucial role in enhancing the overall taste of the meal more than you think. Simple yet gently stimulating to the senses, dishes like Eggplant with Shredded Chicken in Spicy Vinegar Sauce will enhance your dining experience.
Dimsum: Duck Meat Dumplings Wrapped in Lychee Leaves
Few know that “dimsum” translates to “touch the heart.” Legend has it that a royal chef wanted his dish to impress the emperor, hence the creation of this dish named dimsum. Dimsum at San Fu Lou is a specialty with over 20 exquisite choices. All are diverse, exotic, ready for you to try and “touch your heart.” It’s hard to pick the best dimsum dish among the many offered, but if you’re visiting San Fu Lou for the first time, try the dimsum dish named Duck Meat Dumplings Wrapped in Lychee Leaves.
It’s no coincidence that this dish is elevated to the chef’s signature. The special feature of this dish lies in its ultra-thin, almost transparent pastry layer, revealing the filling inside, cleverly shaped into lychee form and adorned with graceful chive leaves. The pastry is delicate, requiring careful handling to avoid breaking. The filling is equally exceptional, with duck meat that is tender and flavorful, wrapped in a sweet and fragrant sauce that tantalizes the taste buds. You must eat it as soon as it’s served to fully enjoy the hot, harmonious blend of filling and pastry. This dish is addictive due to its petite size; you’ll crave for more with every bite.
Grilled Dish: San Fu Lou Mixed Roast Platter
If you’re a small group but eager to try a variety of dishes, the San Fu Lou Mixed Roast Platter is the top choice. This platter includes three famous meat dishes: Hong Kong-style roasted duck, grilled chicken with sesame sauce, and honey-glazed grilled pork. Just hearing the names makes you crave them. The duck meat is perfectly cooked, tender yet firm, with crispy, non-greasy skin. The glossy chicken, with its golden, crispy skin, exudes the aroma of lemongrass and sesame. The grilled pork, resembling the most prominent barbecue pork, stands out with its thinly sliced, mouth-watering meat, marinated to perfection for a distinctive sweet taste.
Dry Noodles
The noodle menu is extensive, divided into soup and dry options. Each offers up to 10 choices of accompanying ingredients such as roasted duck, dumplings, barbecue pork, or seafood, beef, mushrooms. Each type can be paired with a variety of sauces like XO sauce, hoisin sauce, or dried shrimp sauce… With such a menu, you can freely mix and match to suit your taste. If you already love the renowned dishes of Chinese cuisine like roasted chicken, duck, and barbecue pork, you’ll surely be enchanted by this noodle dish.
The chewy noodles, combined with the specially made sauce, enhance the rich flavor of the meat, satisfying the hunger of diners. Unlike oily stir-fried noodles, the dry noodle bowl consists of plain fresh noodles with boiling water, a little oil to make the noodles shiny, non-sticky while retaining the chewy texture. As for the meat, it speaks for itself, always tender and juicy, never dry, with crispy, fragrant skin, rich in spices, stimulating the taste buds.
Steamed Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce
Steamed chicken feet with black bean sauce is also a very characteristic dish of Hong Kong cuisine that you can’t find anywhere else. Black bean sauce is another name for fermented black bean soy sauce. This dish requires meticulous marinating, creating a unique, intense flavor of black beans, oyster sauce, star anise, and cinnamon that cannot be mixed anywhere else. Because it’s marinated so meticulously, the dish emits a pungent aroma as soon as it’s served. It’s best eaten hot; when it’s cold, it can be overwhelming and may be a bit difficult to eat due to the strong smell of seasoning. The chicken feet have been steamed for hours, so they’re not tough but tender, with the flavor lingering in the mouth. You can eat it with white rice, noodles, or even on its own.
These are just a few of the many dishes worth trying when you set foot in San Fu Lou. Words cannot fully describe the deliciousness of the food; you have to go and experience it for yourself!
Information about San Fu Lou restaurant locations:
- Branch 1: AB Tower Building, 76A Le Lai Street, District 1; Opening hours: 7:00 AM – 3:00 AM
- Branch 2: 195-197 Phan Xich Long Street, Phu Nhuan District; Opening hours: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Branch 3: 24 Ba Thang Hai Street, District 10 (opposite Maximart Ba Thang Hai); Opening hours: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM
