Cơm tấm is grilled pork (either ribs or shredded) plus a Vietnamese dish called bi (bì) (thinly shredded pork mixed with cooked and thinly shread pork skin) over broken rice (what the words “com tam” actually mean in Vietnamese).
The rice and meat are served with various greens and pickled vegetables, along with a prawn paste cake, trung hap (trứng hấp) (Vietnamese adaptation of Chinese Egg Foo Young), and grilled prawns.
Typically restaurants will serve this popular combination rice plate with a small bowl of Nước chấm, as well as a small bowl of soup broth with spring onions (to cleanse the throat).
