Morning Tiger Saigon: Charcoal-Grilled Salmon Breakfast

I booked Morning Tiger in Saigon for 7am because it was the only open slot I could find all week, weekends included. It was worth getting up for.

Morning Tiger comes from the team behind Sushi Tiger, Omakase Tiger and Hachibei. It opened in September down a small alley off Lê Thánh Tôn, among Saigon’s Japanese restaurants. The idea is simple: bring the warmth and comfort of a Japanese breakfast to the start of your day. It’s open only in the morning and serves one meal, a traditional Japanese breakfast set built around a piece of salmon grilled over charcoal.

Neighborhood: Sài Gòn ward (old District 1), 8/7 Lê Thánh Tôn (Le Thanh Ton), near the original Pizza 4P’s · Best for: a slow breakfast at the counter · Booking: required · Google Maps

Gathering around the fire

The whole restaurant is built around one grill. It sits in the middle of the open kitchen, modeled on the irori, the sunken hearth Japanese families gathered around to cook, eat and keep warm. Above it, layers of timber follow koba-buki, the old Japanese craft of wooden-shingle roofing. Fourteen seats wrap around the counter, so everyone faces the fire and the cooks.

People wait outside, and the staff seat each party in the order it arrived. Once you’re down, they explain everything: the Hokkaido rice, how they cook the salmon, and the Japanese and Vietnamese condiments lined up in front of you. Then the cooks bring the rice out in a heavy iron pot, still steaming, and serve it at the counter.

That’s the point of the place. Slow down for an hour in the morning, listen to the salmon on the charcoal, and eat a hot bowl of rice.

The charcoal-grilled salmon at Morning Tiger

The salmon stole the show. They marinate silver salmon with kombu, dry it for two days, then grill it over charcoal. You taste the smoke all the way through. The skin comes out almost caramelized and crispy, and its oil soaks into the rice underneath, which is where the umami is.

They have a way they want you to eat it, in three steps. First, the salmon on its own with rice, and your choice of salt with Phú Quốc fish sauce or a sweet Kyushu-style soy. Then the condiments, a little of each: homemade scallop saté with some heat, honey lemon to cut the richness, and salted green peppercorns from Vũng Tàu, used the way you’d use sanshō. Around all of it are miso soup, a few slices of sashimi, grated daikon, pickles and greens.

Finishing with ochazuke

The last step is ochazuke. You top what’s left of your rice with flaked salmon and your favorite condiment, then pour warm dashi over it. It changes the meal at the end, and it was a good way to finish.

Is Morning Tiger Saigon worth it?

Yes, and it’s extraordinary value. For 298,000₫ you get over 200g of charcoal-grilled salmon with rice, soup, sashimi and sides, and the rice refills are free. I had the basic set, no extras, and I was more than satisfied. Book early, because the slots go fast.

Good to know

• Open Tuesday to Sunday, 7 to 11am. Closed Mondays.
• Four seatings each morning, about 50 minutes each. They keep to the schedule, so don’t be late.
• 298,000₫ for one person. The couple set is 598,000₫ and adds an ikura bowl and an onsen egg each. On their own, an onsen egg is 30,000₫ and ikura is 120,000₫ (prices from my visit).
• Phone: +84 932 796 083.

Morning Tiger FAQ

For dinner, read about SÂM Herbal Bar. For coffee after breakfast, here are my favorite cafés in Saigon. Know a spot I should try? Tell me on the contact page.