San Jose for Broken Rice Plates

I just finished dinner at Com Tam Dat Thanh (CTDT) a Vietnamese restaurant in San Jose. I am writing this post in the passenger seat while my friend drives us back home to Oakland. It was our first time to CTDT. My friend picked the place based on the name. Com Tam means broken rice and that was what she was craving. I seldom get to eat broken rice. Broken rice refers to rice that is damaged in the milling process. I was game to give it a try.

My friend ordered a salted plum drink with club soda. Salt in a drink is pretty unusual unless it is on the rim of a glass. It is different and takes an acquired taste, so it is not for everyone.

We both ordered similar rice plates. My plate came with BBQ pork, BBQ shrimp, shrimp cake, picked vegetables, and broken rice. Our plates also came with a small bowl of tasty broth.

Everything was good, but the pork and shrimp cake were especially outstanding. The grilled pork was tender and very flavorful. This was my first time I had shrimp cake prepared like this. Bean curd is wrapped around a molded shrimp paste and deep fried. It was delicious especially after dipping it into some fish sauce. I like how every table gets a large bottle of fish sauce.

When in San Jose, I would return to CTDT for inexpensive Vietnamese fare.