Ba Buoi Chicken Rice — Restaurant in Hội An

We arrived in Da Nang and were picked up by our driver for the rest of the duration that we would be in Vietnam. But first, we headed to the ancient town of Hoi An where we stayed for the next 2 nights. Nothing much to say about the accommodation because it was an AirBnB - so when we checked in, our host recommended this place that serves the best chicken rice in Hoi An.

As most of us were rather exhausted, we decided to follow the advise because.. who knows better about the town than the local? We stopped right in front of this restaurant late evening - the look on the waiter's face upon seeing such a big group was priceless 😆 anyhow he still served us.. the whole restaurant was not that big and to some extent, claustrophobic if you went in big group. Yet it didn't stop the locals as well as tourists from enjoying the chicken rice there.

◾Free flow of lime, chilly and pickles on the table ◾clear soup garnished generously with coriander ◾rice was very good - buttery, absorbed the essence of the chicken and most importantly, not lumpy at all. ◾chicken salad complete with basil leaves, onio d and chicken slices ◾Whole chicken - in fact we ordered two whole birds to be eaten between 11 of us. Juicy, tender and flavourful... Just what a good poached chicken supposed to be. ◾NOTE... But one thing that surprised us was the unassuming bowl of the innards - gizzards, heart, intestines, etc.. drenched in a tasty and reddish looking soup. I didn't know what they had added into the soup but that bowl got us adding additional rice to eat. We even asked for extra bowls of the innards just because we couldn't get enough of it.

After the awesome dinner, we walked for a while before hailing Grab back to our AirBnB to...

I came to this place with a high expectation given the positive reviews from various sites. I was expecting something similar to Hainanese Chicken Rice (that's very common in Singapore and Malaysia). Maybe that's why I was very disappointed when I received my Com Ga. Yes, the place was packed, there was a wait to get seated, and we had to share a table with other diners. That makes an interesting experience. However, the rice was not as flavourful and as fragrant as I anticipated, and it was barely luke warm. The shredded chicken was cold and dry, although it tasted okay together with the mint, onions and the papaya salad. The chicken broth was also quite bland. At the back of the restaurant, I could see a giant pile of yellow (tumeric) rice and another pile of shredded chicken out in the open air (instead of being kept warm in insulated containers). That may explain why my Com Ga (35K VND) left much to be desired. I suspect that this place may have been great when it was first established years ago, and that the quality may have deteriorated in recent years due to the increased demands partly thanks to the boom of tourism. I think this place is overrated, and other places in Hoi An may serve...

I strongly advise AGAINST dining at Com Ga Ba Buoi. Avoid avoid avoid!

Our experience was nothing short of terrible. From the moment we entered, the lack of ambience was glaring. The tables were crammed together so tightly that our backs were touching those of other diners, and our elbows constantly bumped into fellow customers.

As for the food, it was the worst meal we had during our time in Vietnam. The chicken rice was simply awful. The chicken was tasteless and mostly bones, while the rice lacked any flavor or aroma. The morning glory vegetable was overcooked and left in long, unchopped pieces, making it nearly impossible to eat. To make matters worse, it was overpriced, with one plate of chicken leg rice costing VND110k, which is extortionate compared to what we’ve paid for much better food in other places around Hoi An.

With dozens of better dining options within a half-kilometer radius, there’s no good reason to choose this restaurant. Save your time and appetite; look elsewhere for a much more...