The best tamarind crab/cua rang me at Kim Phat Cua Ba Chi in Saigon

I’ve written about Cua Ba Chi before, but since it’s one of my favorite places to eat in Saigon, I’m dedicating today’s entire post to this very special crab stall.I first learned about this spot from my parents, who took us there for the hubs’s 30th birthday back in 2013. We’ve all since fallen in love with the cua rang me, or tamarind crab. Since it can be too sweet for my palate, I now request less sugar in the sauce, just like I do with my boba. (You should also avoid looking when the chef’s cooking the crabs because your heart might stop when you see how much sugar he pours into the wok.) Even so, that stuff is addicting. In between bites of perfectly cooked crab, we rip apart French loaves and mop up the sauce.For the past three years, I’ve taken seven other people here, and never once has anyone been disappointed. It’s become my Saigon staple. The crab, though, is not cheap—I’d say one person eats about one medium to large crab, which will run you about $30 USD (including some beers, bread, and wet-naps), but it’s a nice [Vietnam] splurge, and I can guarantee it’s worth it.There are other seafood and crab dishes here, but the tamarind crab is by far my favorite. It’s also a trek from the city center (all the way out in District 5) but this is where Saigon’s Chinatown is, which means lots of hidden gastronomical gems.I highly recommend you put Cua Ba Chi on your top 5 places to eat in Saigon. Half the pleasure comes from watching the badass chef toss crabs in his wok, sandals on his feet, cigarette dangling from his mouth. On my last visit, I mustered up the courage to ask for a photo.“You cook very well,” I said, introducing myself. “I’m the MasterChef from America.”He nodded and posed for a quick photo, and I knew he had no idea who I was or what I was talking about. He probably thought I was calling him a master chef, and by the way he cooks those crabs, I’d say he deserves the title.So take my word for it, and hit up Kim Phat Cua Ba Chi in District 5!Kim Phat Cua Ba Chi13 Pho Co Dieu (near Cho Ray Hospital)District 5Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam