{"id":2167,"date":"2026-06-15T12:38:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T12:38:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2167"},"modified":"2026-06-15T12:38:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T12:38:39","slug":"vietnamese-broken-rice-gets-elevated-at-a-new-east-bay-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2167","title":{"rendered":"Vietnamese ‘broken rice’ gets elevated at a new East Bay restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A new restaurant in Hayward has declared it wants to make Vietnamese broken rice \u201cas recognizable as pho.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Com Tam Bros opened in early June at 28565 Hesperian Blvd. in a retail-shopping center next to a Costco. It\u2019s a casual place, serving casual meals, notably com tam \u2013 a comfort food that has a sizable cultural significance.<\/p>\n

Com tam began as a byproduct from milling rice on the Mekong Delta in the 1900s. Damaged grains that weren\u2019t fit for the market were repurposed into making a humble dish for farmers and their families. Later in the 1950s and \u201960s, it morphed into something of an urban street food, with vendors adding savory toppings and sunny-side eggs for the city masses.<\/p>\n

\u201cOriginally made from fractured grains once considered less desirable, broken rice became legendary \u2014 paired with grilled meats, bright pickles, fresh herbs and a bold sweet-salty balance that hits every time,\u201d the restaurant team writes on its website.<\/p>\n

The owners of Com Tam grew up eating the dish after school and at family gatherings. Now they\u2019re here to elevate and modernize com tam, they write: \u201cWe believe broken rice represents something bigger \u2014 turning what was once overlooked into something powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The menu includes pho with 24-hour beef broth, vermicelli bowls and small plates like Saigon crunch rolls and shrimp-avocado spring rolls. Com tam itself is served as an accompaniment to various proteins and comes with fresh veggies, crispy pork skin, scallion oil and house fish sauce.<\/p>\n

Com-tam combo plates include grilled pork chops, grilled shrimp and chicken, Korean short ribs and cha trung, a traditional Vietnamese steamed-egg pork meatloaf with glass noodles and wood ear-mushrooms. And to drink, there\u2019s Vietnamese coffee and fruit-forward drinks like flavored lemonade, as well as something icy and mysterious called the \u201cDragon Lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

Details:<\/strong> Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily at 28565 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward; comtambros.com<\/p>\n

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