Upon finding out that I’m a student at the University of Architecture HCMC, people tend to bombard me with a barrage of questions: if my coursework is tiring, if my school fees are skyhigh, and what my plans for after graduation are. These curiosities are understandable, but in the past years, one peculiar query has popped up more frequently: “I heard there’s a really good miến trộn place outside your school, is it true?” 

Yes, it is true. The place has no name, known simply as “the miến gà place.” Miến gà is poached chicken meat served with glass noodles, either in a soup or as a mixed noodle dish. Netizens refer to it as “that miến place outside the architecture uni,” while students would use the shorthand “go eat miến” on sleepy mornings or sunny noons.

With a rudimentary setup of one cart hailing chopped vegetables, noodles, and chicken, alongside a handful of tiny plastic stools, this food cart has become an unexpectedly famous lunch spot at the intersection of Pasteur and Nguyễn Đình Chiểu streets, a location I once thought to be ill-suited to open an F&B place. How can one attract customers at the meeting point of two one-way roads, because once you’ve missed it, you can’t turn back easily?

Even so, throngs of people still show up and the staff members continue to assemble noodle bowls at lightning speed every midday. This miến gà place has an undeniable allure, helping it stand out right in the heart of busy central Saigon.

The first appeal is that special feeling that comes from watching your own bowl of miến taking shape. It’s quite a simple process, but optimized into a smooth rhythm by staff after years of practice: one person arranges the veggies, one quickly blanches the miến and chicken, while another ladles on the sauce and sprinkles some fried shallot and herbs. Once an order is made, no matter how tricky the requests are — from no spring onion to non-spicty — the noodles will arrive on your hands quickly and precisely. Figuring out the seating arrangement is an art in itself. There are no tables, and the stools are very low, so patrons are welcome to take their noodles to any corner that fits their fancy on the pavement.

At Miến Gà Kiến Trúc, people-watching is a built-in feature of the dining experience. Depending on the day’s needs, each person can choose a personal view while eating. If you enjoy the “kitchen view,” you can pick a seat near the cart to watch the owner assemble noodles. Those who feel like chatting with friends should snap up a corner along the university fence on the Nguyễn Đình Chiểu sidewalk. Some might opt for a view of the school gate to observe students rushing in and out. Others might only be here purely for some sustenance in between classes and don’t care for the dining experience.

Miến trộn gà, essentially, is a simple but balanced noodle salad. There are all the main food groups in one bowl: al dente strands of glass noodles; tender chicken strips; the richness of chicken gizzards and skins; refreshing greens like beansprouts, morning glory, spring onion and cilantro; and last but most importantly, crunchy fried shallot and a harmonious sweet-and-sour sauce.

Still, those are not the only reasons why this humble cart has achieved a cult following amongst Saigon’s food enthusiasts.

The main appeals of this miến gà can be described in two S’s: the first stands for “substantial.” Depending on how much each customer wants to eat, the owner will scale up or down the toppings to match it. Whether you’re hankering for a VND30,000 portion to snack on, or a big VND50,000 bowl to satisfy a craving after weeks of absence, the server can always provide a balanced meal based on their “secret” ratio.

The other S stands for “special,” which is how I view the mixing sauce. I’ve heard many raving comments about the bucket filled with that mysterious dressing. It’s always sparkling with the golden shade of fish sauce and floating with chunks of garlic, ginger, and tiny but powerful green chilies.

The dressing’s base flavor is the salty umami of fish sauce with a touch of sweetness common to southern cuisine. I can’t take my eyes off the ladle as it coats the noodles with a layer of savory sauce. It is this enigmatic flavor profile that turns a run-of-the-mill bowl of chicken and glass noodles into an irresistible delicacy.

As a freshman just getting my bearings in a new college, I used to treat the miến gà as yet another fast food proprietor. I admit to not really seeing what was special about a noodle salad back then, but after a while away from that familiar stretch of Pasteur Street leading up to the school gate, I could feel a palpable sense of emptiness inside me.

There could be a plethora of reasons compelling someone to stop by this noodle cart in front of my university. They could have bumped into a short video about tasty noodles or heard the word of mouth from an acquaintance. Perhaps they were curious about the crowds gathering around a steamy vat of broth while walking on the pavement, or it was simply hunger that lured them here. No matter what the reason is, a bowl of flavorful miến trộn gà is a guaranteed result. It can be relished alone or with friends, with fewer noodles or more noodles, on a plastic stool or as takeaways. It’s often those slivers making up a personalized, cozy experience that entice people to come back.

To sum up:

• Opening time: 6am–2pm
• Parking: Bike only
• Contact: N/A
• Average cost per person: $ (Under VND100,000)
• Payment: Cash, Transfer
• Delivery App: N/A