Tin du lịch Visit An Giang to find Ô Thum roasted chicken, a famous specialty in the Tri Tôn region.

Grilled chicken Ô Thum is a rustic specialty that possesses an irresistible charm that you should definitely try if you have the chance to travel to An Giang. The taste of native chicken is chewy, crispy, and sweet, combined with the fragrant chúc leaves, will surely bring you many new and memorable culinary experiences.

The cuisine of An Giang and all the western provinces in general has long been famous among food enthusiasts. In addition to delicious and affordable restaurants and eateries such as Bún đậu mắm tôm 3 Hiền, Tứ Đệ Food and Beer, or Don Chicken, unique specialties that can only be found locally are also the highlights that attract everyone. Among them, it would be a pity not to mention grilled chicken Ô Thum – a dish that carries the distinct flavor of the rustic waterways. Let's explore what makes this specialty appealing through the following article!

1. Introduction to grilled chicken Ô Thum​

1.1 Grilled chicken Ô Thum – A rustic dish of the Tri Tôn district residents​

When referring to An Giang cuisine, people often remember the rich fish sauces, attractive beef porridge, or delicious Long Xuyên broken rice. However, few know that this waterway region also has another extremely famous specialty that wins the hearts of food lovers, which is grilled chicken Ô Thum. This unique dish originated from Cambodia, brought to the Thất Sơn – Bảy Núi region of An Giang, and became a specialty renowned everywhere. The irresistible flavor and deliciousness of grilled chicken Ô Thum have made many people longing and attached, as no other place can create such a distinct flavor.

The reason this specialty has such a name is that it is most abundant in the Ô Thum lake area within the Tri Tôn district of An Giang province. Nestled against the hills with a peaceful, green lake, this place attracts many young visitors not only due to the beautiful natural scenery but also because of the famous grilled chicken Ô Thum. This dish has become famous far and wide for its unique flavor and extremely special preparation method found only in the locality. Therefore, when visiting Ô Thum lake, no one can overlook this rustic yet captivating dish.


Grilled chicken Ô Thum is a renowned specialty of the Thất Sơn – Bảy Núi region of An Giang

1.2 Where to enjoy grilled chicken Ô Thum?​

Since this dish is quite familiar to the locals of the waterway region, you can easily find grilled chicken Ô Thum at various eateries in An Giang. However, to taste the most authentic grilled chicken Ô Thum, you should head to the Tri Tôn district, An Giang province – The origin of this famous dish. Here, there are numerous restaurants serving grilled chicken Ô Thum for you to choose from freely. Depending on personal taste and traditional recipes, each place might have a slight difference, but overall the dish still maintains its traditional flavor, so you can completely trust enjoying it. Below are some popular grilled chicken Ô Thum spots recommended by VnCheckin:

– Grilled Chicken Ô Thum Thành Đạt: Ô Thum Lake Tourist Area, Ô Lâm commune, Tri Tôn district, An Giang province.

– Grilled Chicken Ô Thum Thảo Nguyên: Ô Lâm commune, Tri Tôn district, An Giang province.

– Grilled Chicken Ô Thum Trí Hải: 69 3 Tháng 2 street, block 5, Tri Tôn town, Tri Tôn district, An Giang province.

– Grilled Chicken with Green Papaya: An Thuận commune, Tri Tôn district, An Giang province.

– Grilled Chicken ĐaLin: Hang Tuyên Tuấn, Ô Lâm commune, Tri Tôn district, An Giang province.

– Grilled Chicken Ô Thum Danh Hây: Phước An hamlet, Ô Lâm commune, Tri Tôn district, An Giang province.

In addition, there is also a location in Long Xuyên city that sells grilled chicken Ô Thum, which is Lẩu bò Ba Dũng – a long-standing eatery highly trusted by locals. The grilled chicken Ô Thum at this restaurant is rated as authentic and of very high quality, so if you don't want to travel too far, you can drop by here!


Grilled Chicken Ô Thum Danh Hây – one of the places to enjoy authentic grilled chicken in Tri Tôn district

2. What makes grilled chicken Ô Thum enticing?​

2.1 Exploring the stages of preparing grilled chicken Ô Thum​

To make grilled chicken Ô Thum, locals must choose the ingredients very carefully. The chicken used for this dish must be a type of free-range chicken, quite similar to native chickens, but each chicken only weighs about 1.3kg to 1.8kg. Although small, this chicken has thin skin and firm, delicious meat. Notably, the residents of Tri Tôn do not prepare the chickens in advance for sale to customers, but will only start slaughtering, marinating, and cooking the chicken when there is an order. Because of this, grilled chicken Ô Thum is always fresh, hot, and fragrant.

The appeal of grilled chicken Ô Thum lies not only in the ingredients but also in the locals' unique preparation secrets. In addition to common spices like salt, sugar, garlic, lemongrass, and chili, this dish includes a special ingredient known as chúc leaves. Chúc plants are considered a rare specialty of the Thất Sơn – Bảy Núi region of An Giang, grown mainly in Tri Tôn and Tịnh Biên districts. Chúc leaves have a slightly menthol flavor reminiscent of lime leaves, but are more fragrant, not bitter, and retain their aroma for a long time. Locals usually marinate the chicken with chúc leaves before grilling to create a distinctive rich flavor.

Before grilling the chicken, people will lay a layer of lemongrass and chúc leaves underneath and add some cooking oil. Then, the chicken will be grilled over a hot flame for 20 to 30 minutes until the skin turns golden brown. The fire used for grilling must be large and then gradually reduced so that the chicken meat cooks evenly. Grilled chicken Ô Thum when done will have a crispy, golden skin, tender, sweet meat, and especially an extremely distinctive aroma that is unmistakable.


Grilled chicken Ô Thum must be small, firm-meat chickens weighing about 1.3kg to 1.8kg


Before grilling, the chicken is lined with a layer of lemongrass and chúc leaves underneath, and cooking oil is added to prevent the skin from burning


When cooked, the chicken has a beautiful golden color and a crispy skin

2.2 How to enjoy grilled chicken Ô Thum An Giang​

If you want to enjoy grilled chicken Ô Thum, you need to order at least 40 minutes in advance for the chef to perform all the preparation steps. While waiting for the grilled chicken Ô Thum, your patience will be rewarded with its delicious and rich flavor when it arrives. When enjoying grilled chicken Ô Thum, you will be provided with scissors to cut the meat yourself and a plate of fresh herbal salad accompanying it. After it is grilled, the chicken's skin turns a beautiful golden color, and the spices are infused evenly into the meat, allowing you to taste the natural sweetness mingled with the characteristic fragrance and spiciness of lemongrass and chúc leaves as it dissolves in your mouth.

Grilled chicken Ô Thum is delectable on its own, but dipping it into a dipping sauce will make it even more flavorful and appealing. The dipping sauce is usually a familiar mixture of salt, chili, and lime, easy to eat, or a fish sauce made from chúc leaves with a salty, spicy, and uniquely appetizing flavor. Picking each piece of grilled chicken Ô Thum, dipping it into the salt, chili, and lime sauce or chúc leaf fish sauce, and enjoying it with roasted garlic will surely make you feel charmingly fond and mesmerized.


If you want to enjoy grilled chicken Ô Thum, you need to wait at least 40 minutes for the chef to prepare it


Grilled chicken Ô Thum is served with herbal salad and salt, chili, and lime or fish sauce made from chúc leaves


Enjoying this dish right at Ô Thum Lake will allow you to fully experience its distinctive flavors

3. Highlight video about the grilled chicken Ô Thum specialty​

The An Giang region is not short of delicious dishes, but grilled chicken Ô Thum has always captivated everyone with its distinctive delicious flavor and intriguing appeal. It is this renowned specialty that has made Ô Thum lake, despite being in a remote area, a favored destination for many young people in An Giang's travel guide. If you have the opportunity to visit the beloved Western region, be sure not to miss this outstanding dish!