Cơm Sườn Bì Chả: Saigon Three-Topping Broken Rice in Adelaide Chinatown

★ As featured in Glam Adelaide — 2025 SA Restaurant & Catering Awards finalist

Walk past 65 Grote Street around lunchtime and you'll catch it — charred lemongrass pork smoke drifting over Adelaide Chinatown. That's Cơm Sườn Bì Chả, the Saigon three-topping broken rice plate Bà Năm builds the old way: grilled sườn, thính-dusted bì and a slice of steamed chả over cơm tấm, with nước chấm to pull it all together.

What Cơm Sườn Bì Chả actually is

Start with the rice. Cơm tấm — broken rice — is made from grains fractured during milling. The broken pieces cook up slightly softer and stickier than whole jasmine, and they hold onto the nước chấm dressing in a way long-grain rice never quite manages. What began as farmers’ food in the Mekong Delta became one of Saigon’s signature dishes, and the full story is worth a read in our broken rice guide.

The name tells you exactly what’s on the plate: sườn (grilled pork), bì (shredded pork) and chả (egg meatloaf). Around them sit cucumber, tomato and shredded carrot for crunch and freshness, a small bowl of chilli-flecked nước chấm for pouring, and a clear green-onion soup on the side — the traditional palate-cleanser between mouthfuls, not an extra you pay for.

The three toppings, explained

Sườn is the headline act: pork marinated in fish sauce, sugar and aromatics, then grilled until the edges catch and caramelise. It comes off the grill glossy, smoky and scattered with spring onion — the smell that pulls people through the door.

Bì is the quiet achiever. Fine shreds of pork tossed with toasted rice powder (thính), it’s savoury, nutty and slightly chewy — texture more than punch. It’s the topping first-timers are least sure about and regulars would riot without.

Chả is a steamed egg meatloaf — pork mince, egg, wood-ear mushroom and glass noodles set into a soft, savoury slice, its top fried to an orange-gold edge. Cut a piece, drag it through the yolk if you’ve added an egg, and you’ll understand why it earns its spot in the trio.

The $20 plate — and the $3 egg question

Cơm Sườn Bì Chả is $20, and the honest advice from the counter is: add the fried egg for $3. A sunny-side-up egg with a runny yolk is the classic Saigon upgrade — break it over the rice, let it mingle with the nước chấm, and the whole plate turns silky. If you’re a purist about the pork, plain Cơm Sườn is also $20 (see our Cơm Sườn guide), and Sườn Nướng ($16) puts the grilled pork on its own plate as an entrée to share.

Sibling plates on the rice menu

The broken rice section at Bà Năm runs wider than pork. Cơm Gà Da Giòn ($20) is the crispy-skin chicken version — shattering skin over the same soft rice. Cơm Gà Nướng ($20) swaps in grilled chicken, and Cơm Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm ($20) tops the rice with the same fish-sauce fried wings people order as a snack. And if you want grilled pork over vermicelli instead of rice, Bún Thịt Nướng ($20) is the cooler, herbier cousin.

From Trảng Bàng to Grote Street

Bà Năm was opened in Adelaide in 2023 by founders Huynh Nguyen and Thi Gai Vo, cooking from the recipes of Bà Năm Lời, who has been cooking in Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh since the 1970s. The Cơm Sườn Bì Chả here follows her method — pork marinated and grilled over flame, bì tossed with roasted thính, chả steamed in-house — on a plate that’s not trying to be fancy. We’re not a luxury venue, just very genuine.

That same patience runs through the rest of the menu: the sibling phở tradition rests on an 18-hour bone broth, with Phở Tái’s “red coin” rare beef sliced to order. In 2025, Bà Năm was named a finalist in the Hostplus SA Restaurant & Catering Awards (Vietnamese Restaurant category) — a nod we’re proud of, though the real measure is the plate in front of you.

What to order alongside

A rice plate leaves room for starters. Gỏi Cuốn Tôm Thịt ($14) keeps things fresh, Hoành Thánh Chiên ($14) and Chả Giò Thịt ($14) go the crispy route. To drink, a Cà Phê Nâu Đá ($8) is the classic pairing with grilled pork, and the Trà Đào Cam Sả ($10) — peach, orange and lemongrass over ice — is the summer pick. If someone at the table wants soup instead of rice, the Phở Tái with its paper-thin “red coin” rare beef (Small $20, Large $22) or a bowl of Bún Bò Huế (Small $20, Large $22) covers it — our Adelaide phở guide has the full rundown.

Where to find Cơm Sườn Bì Chả in Adelaide Chinatown and the CBD

Bà Năm sits at 65 Grote Street, in the heart of Adelaide Chinatown — a short walk from the Central Market and easy to reach from anywhere in the Adelaide CBD. The full three-topping plate is $20, or you can start simpler with Cơm Sườn ($20, grilled pork only) or the Sườn Nướng entrée ($16, grilled pork on lettuce, no rice). If you’re new to cơm tấm — broken rice — this plate is the classic place to begin, and the vermicelli-based Bún Thịt Nướng ($20) uses the same charcoal-grilled pork if rice isn’t your mood.

We’re open 11:00 AM–9:00 PM daily (until 9:30 PM October–March), public holidays included. At peak lunch and dinner there’s an honest 15–30 minute wait — walk-ins are welcome, you can book via OpenTable, and groups of 8+ should call ahead on (08) 8151 0106. For takeaway, order at order.phobanam.com.au. And if someone at your table wants a bowl instead of a plate, our phở comes from the same kitchen tradition.

Just the Grilled Pork, No Rice

Prefer the char without the full three-topping plate? Sườn Nướng ($16) is the standalone grilled-pork starter on lettuce — ideal for sharing while someone else goes full cơm sườn bì chả.

Another $20 rice plate

If the table wants chicken instead of the pork trio, Cơm Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm puts sticky fish-sauce wings over rice for $20.

Frequently asked questions

What is Cơm Sườn Bì Chả?

It’s a Saigon-style broken rice plate with three toppings: sườn (char-grilled marinated pork), bì (shredded pork tossed with toasted rice powder) and chả (a steamed pork and egg meatloaf with a fried golden top). It comes with cucumber, tomato, shredded carrot, chilli dipping sauce and a small clear green-onion soup on the side.

How much does Cơm Sườn Bì Chả cost at Bà Năm?

The full three-topping plate is $20. You can add a sunny-side-up fried egg for $3, and plain Cơm Sườn (grilled pork broken rice) is also $20.

What is bì, and is it worth trying?

Bì is finely shredded pork mixed with thính, a toasted rice powder that gives it a nutty, savoury flavour and a slightly chewy texture. It’s a traditional part of the trio and adds contrast to the smoky grilled pork and the soft egg meatloaf — most first-timers end up converts.

Where is Bà Năm and do I need to book?

Bà Năm is at 65 Grote Street in Adelaide Chinatown, open seven days from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM (until 9:30 PM October to March), including public holidays. Walk-ins are welcome, though peak times can mean a 15–30 minute wait. Bookings are via OpenTable, and groups of eight or more should call (08) 8151 0106.

Can I order Cơm Sườn Bì Chả for takeaway or delivery?

Yes. You can order takeaway through our app at order.phobanam.com.au, or get it delivered via Uber Eats or DoorDash. If you’d prefer to dine in, we welcome walk-ins at 65 Grote Street in Adelaide’s Chinatown, or you can book a table through OpenTable. For any questions, give us a call on (08) 8151 0106. Cơm Sườn Bì Chả is $20, and you can add a fried egg for $3.

Where can I get Cơm Sườn Bì Chả or Saigon-style broken rice in the Adelaide CBD or Chinatown?

Bà Năm serves Cơm Sườn Bì Chả at 65 Grote Street, Adelaide Chinatown, a short walk from the Central Market. The three-topping plate is $20, the Sườn Nướng entrée (grilled pork on lettuce, no rice) is $16, and you can add a Trứng Chiên fried egg for $3. We’re open 11:00 AM–9:00 PM daily (until 9:30 PM October–March), public holidays included. Expect an honest 15–30 minute wait at peak times — walk-ins welcome, book via OpenTable, call (08) 8151 0106 for groups of 8+, or order takeaway at order.phobanam.com.au.