After an evening stroll near Ben Thanh Market in District 1, Thang (35) and his family of four stop by the sidewalk stall at the corner of Le Loi and Phan Boi Chau streets for a late-night meal of pig organ porridge and noodle soup.

Following them are two Korean tourists, who, despite the language barrier, point at ingredients they wish to try, eventually settling on the porridge.

Despite being called a “restaurant,” the setup consists of only two large pots, a tray of pork offal, and a few small plastic tables and chairs placed right on the pavement. But this humble food stall has stood the test of time and earned a reputation for its rich flavors.

Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, 68, is the current owner of the stall. She said the family business began with her grandmother, who sold late-night porridge during the French colonial era.

As a child, Huong would accompany her grandmother selling porridge and noodle soup. After her grandmother passed away, her mother took over. Later, Huong opened her own stall across the street from where she sells now, offering porridge, noodle soup, and hu tieu.

When her mother passed away, Huong merged the two businesses into one and began operating at the current location. “This porridge stall has been passed down from generation to generation. I’m the third generation. It’s been more than 50 years now,” she said.

Her grandmother used to sell from 7 p.m. until late. Her mother followed the same schedule. Huong, who used to start at 1 a.m. when she was across the street, now opens from 7 p.m. to around 3 a.m. She says she's used to the late hours, and so are her customers.

Huong uses two uniquely shaped pots, which she calls “gourd pots,” to cook the porridge and noodle broth. These pots have wide bottoms and dome-shaped lids, helping food cook evenly and retain heat.

A bowl of her signature porridge includes a variety of pork offal: tongue, heart, ears, blood pudding, and crispy fried sausage-especially popular among diners. The ingredients are carefully cleaned to eliminate odors and maintain freshness.

The stall also serves a variety of noodle soups such as pork organ noodle soup, chicken noodle soup, and pork rib noodle soup. The noodles are soft but not chewy, and the broth-simmered from bones and chicken-is flavorful yet light.

Depending on their preference, customers can enjoy their noodle soup with either pork or chicken offal.

Huong explained that as the night deepens, more customers opt for porridge. Each night, she cooks about 2 kilograms of rice in a large gourd pot.

Following family tradition, she roasts glutinous rice before boiling it into porridge if it contains a lot of starch. If the rice is low in starch, she skips the roasting step. The finished porridge is kept hot in the gourd pot over charcoal, emitting a fragrant aroma.

After closing around 2–3 a.m., Huong immediately heads to the market or slaughterhouse for fresh ingredients. Her son handles clean-up while she carefully selects pork and chicken offal.

She thoroughly cleans and prepares the ingredients before cooking them into the next day’s dishes. Only after completing all these tasks does she rest.

Though only open at night, the stall isn’t just a favorite among late-shift workers. It’s also a go-to spot for night owls, entertainers, and even celebrities.

Famous comedian Tran Thanh and his wife, MC Hari Won, are frequent patrons who have praised the food.

“When there was still a night market nearby, my stall would be packed until 2 or 3 a.m.,” said Huong. “Besides locals and tourists, singers and celebrities have also visited.”

She recalled one memorable customer who ordered multiple servings of fried pork intestine (doi truong), eventually consuming an entire skewer. But when told the price-80,000 VND (about USD 3.30)-he became furious, accusing her of overcharging and reporting her to local authorities.

“Fortunately, other customers stepped in to defend me,” Huong said. “He never came back after that, but many Vietnamese expats and foreign tourists have. They always return when visiting Ho Chi Minh City, and I’m proud that no one has ever complained about the food quality since.”

Ha Nguyen