Nick DiGiovanni is a globally renowned young chef from the United States. He owns a YouTube channel with over 28.5 million subscribers and more than 13 billion views.

A few months ago, Nick visited Ho Chi Minh City and sampled a variety of street foods. Among the many dishes he tasted, the ones that left the strongest impression were crispy fried chicken rice and deep-fried sticky rice balls.

A 30-second video clip capturing the “magical” transformation of the deep-fried sticky rice ball, filmed and shared by Nick, garnered 44 million views and 7,500 comments. He also featured this dish in his video titled “The best street foods in the world,” which attracted 26 million views.

The deep-fried sticky rice ball that amazed the celebrity chef was discovered at a restaurant on Nguyen Trai Street, in the Cho Lon ward.

Nick described the dish as being made from a portion of glutinous sticky rice dough. The chef adds it to hot oil, flattens it slightly, stirs it around, and then skillfully gathers it into a cohesive mass. Gradually, the dough puffs up into a perfectly round ball, evenly golden and glossy - “as if by magic,” Nick said.

“I still don’t understand the science behind this,” he remarked, repeatedly exclaiming “unbelievable” throughout the process.

The restaurant staff helped Nick cut the rice ball into bite-sized pieces and served it with chili sauce. After taking the first bite, Nick was even more amazed by the texture: a crispy outer layer and a chewy, elastic interior that reminded him of mochi or melted cheese.

“In terms of presentation, this is the most visually stunning dish I’ve ever seen. The texture is absolutely unique,” he said.

Despite having tasted countless dishes from around the world, Nick couldn’t hide his surprise at this deep-fried sticky rice ball. He confidently declared it one of the most fascinating foods he had ever encountered – not just for its flavor, but also for the chef’s mesmerizing technique performed right in the pan, and the dramatic transformation of what seemed like a simple ball of dough.

Deep-fried sticky rice balls are believed to have originated in Dong Nai Province and gradually became a culinary specialty, winning several food awards.

The dish later appeared on the menus of restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Can Tho. To be considered well-made, the rice ball must be evenly golden and hollow inside without excess dough. When eaten, the outer shell should be crisp while the inside retains the soft elasticity of glutinous rice. These rice balls are often served with roasted or grilled chicken.

Even after sampling countless dishes, Nick was astonished by the deep-fried sticky rice ball. Photo: Nick DiGiovanni

It takes refined technique to make this dish well. Photo: Nick DiGiovanni

Linh Trang