Nick DiGiovanni, a globally renowned young American chef, has tasted street food in many countries, yet he was left amazed by the preparation and flavor of a Vietnamese classic: cơm gà xối mỡ (crispy “oilfall” chicken rice) in Ho Chi Minh City.
Chicken is marinated, then cooked using the oil-pouring method. Screenshot from video

Nick, who boasts over 28.5 million YouTube subscribers and more than 13 billion views, recently posted a short video about the dish he tried in Vietnam. In the clip, chicken is bathed in a continuous stream of hot oil while rice is stir-fried in an automatic machine. The 25-second video garnered 17 million views within just six days.

Viewers around the world expressed astonishment at the dish and its preparation method, many unable to comprehend how the chicken could be fully cooked this way.

Earlier, in a 25-minute video titled "I tried the world’s best street food", Nick had already featured this dish in more detail. Uploaded in June, that video has nearly 24 million views and features two dishes Nick tried in Ho Chi Minh City: cơm gà xối mỡ (deep-fried chicken rice) and xôi chiên phồng (puffed sticky rice).

He tasted the dishes at Su Su Crispy Chicken Rice, located on Cong Quynh Street in Cau Ong Lanh Ward. The restaurant features two specialized machines - one for pouring hot oil continuously over chicken, and another for stir-frying rice automatically.

Though he has explored cuisine around the world, Nick said he had never encountered a cooking method like this one. He was especially surprised by the oil-pouring technique used on the chicken, which he had not seen in Western culinary traditions.

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Chicken pieces appear to be bathed in an "oilfall." Screenshot from video

cơm gà xối mỡ
The automatic rice-stirring machine. Screenshot
The American chef included the dish in his video titled “I tried the world’s best street food.” Screenshot from video

Unlike conventional deep-frying, the chicken here is cooked by continuously pouring hot oil over it until the skin turns a beautiful golden brown and crispy, while the inside remains tender and juicy.

"This oil-pouring method is something you won’t find anywhere else but Vietnam," the chef shared.

He also expressed admiration for the local chefs who can withstand the intense heat from the oil-pouring machine.

Su Su’s chicken rice has long been famous, attracting both local and international diners. The oil-pouring machine was invented by the restaurant’s owner.

The device works by pumping oil from a container to a spout positioned above a perforated tray holding the chicken. As oil rains down, it flows back through the tray’s holes into the container - repeating in a cycle until the chicken is perfectly cooked.

In addition to the oilfall machine, the owner also built an automatic rice stir-frying machine. With the flick of a switch, it continuously stirs the rice until it’s hot and fluffy. The rice, cooked with gac fruit, takes on an eye-catching orange-red hue.

“Chicken is served with fried rice. Though the dish seems simple, it absolutely thrilled me,” Nick said. Biting into the chicken, he praised its juicy texture and bold flavor, thanks to hours of marination before cooking.

“This is the most unique chicken experience I’ve ever had,” he declared.

Linh Trang