Cha Lua Ngoc Hung

My family and I have been regular customers for years and loved this place. It was not until last week that my dad got extreme food poisoning that lasted a week and required multiple visits to the doctor and labs to figure out what exactly it was. He remembered clearly the day he ate the fish cake from here… he stated that it smelt weird and had a very weird taste to it. Next day he was out of commission for a week with bouts of diarrhea and stomach pain. I urge you all that read this to only buy these products on the weekend when the turnover is high. Beware that if you come here on a weekday the product you are buying could have been left on the table for a couple days and have spoiled.

I have tried the banh bao here, which are delicious and stuffed with a generous portion of pork and quail egg, my favorite part. I have also bought a roll of the cha lua, which is a super large portion of ham that will probably last several days. Everything seems very freshly made, as the items that are out on the counter are still warm. No English on the menu on the wall, but if you don’t know which items are which, the lady was pretty helpful to point things out.

It was my first time in the store but from now one, it has become one of my favorite spots at Eden Center. I love everything there especially Nem Chua and Gio Thu. The foods are freshly made and authentic. Comparing to other places in Philadelphia, PA, this store is much better. If you are around this area, Ngoc Hung is a good place to get foods and gifts. Promise you wont be disappointed.

Cha Lua Ngoc Hung is relatively new to Eden Center. When you walk by this plain, tiny space and see one or two customers, you wouldn’t think that they are anything special. They specialize in a few items, which they make themselves. Despite the small selection of food, everything is fresh and authentic.

The place is super small with a small selection of food. That just means you gotta buy at least one of everything!

A Vietnamese friend of mine recommended this place to me and I gave it a try over the weekend and I was truly surprised.
I never had «banh gio» before, it’s a little like the Chinese «Zong Zi», except it has this minced meat with fungus mushroom inside. When I got it, it was stupid hot and tasted so good, it’s out of this world.
«Banh Bao» was an eye opener for me. Chinese have «Bao Zi» too, but never had a half boiled egg inside. Tasted great as well.
Their spring roll was not bad either!
What I like the most about this place is that everything is freshly cooked and always hot, just like back in Asia.
Next time, I’ll return and try some other things they have like the ham and stuff, can’t wait.

They have the best «banh gio» and the best «cha lua» and «cha chien» here … in the entire area! Usually sold out, especially on weekends. Call to order and reserve ahead of time!

Word on the Vietnamese street is that the Vietnamese owner traveled back to Vietnam in order to obtain authentic recipes for these traditional «carryout» Vietnamese foods.
The key to this «to-​go» shop is that even though they have a very small selection, everything they make is THE BEST. Located right next to the Banh Mi So 1 (which really isn’t #1 in my book), I don’t even think they have a store sign. However, they’ve been doing brisk business from the local Vietnamese community for a very long time.
My usual favorites include, but are not limited to the:
Banh Goi — A Vietnamese portable food that has minced pork and wood ear mushrooms inside, covered by a steamed a steamed rice concoction, and wrapped in banana leaves.
Banh Bao — similar to the Chinese steamed bun, but with minced pork, a steamed egg, shitake mushrooms, and don’t ask me why, a couple of peas…
Goi Tu — yup, I said it, — pork head cheese. No one does it better than the Vietnamese!
Flan — I’ve been to Paris and have not had flan this good.
It’s namesake, the Cha Lua — the Vietnamese version of ham, but much… much tastier. They sometimes have beef versions as well.
Most importantly, nothing ever sits out at this place. In a room smaller than some people’s closets, they manage to sell about 10 different items a day, all of which were made a few minutes ago. Sometimes, I ask for something, and they will tell me to come back in 20 minutes so they finish making the next batch… so good…
Important note, you can basically buy one of each item of their entire stock (~$ 1−7/each item) with a benjamin, but make sure you bring cash… Like all other Vietnamese stores in Eden Center, it’s mostly cash only.