Every cuisine has its soul food, and in Vietnam much of it comes out of a humble clay pot. If you have been searching for Vietnamese clay pot dishes in Ottawa — the sweet, salty, deeply caramelized braises known as kho — you are looking for the kind of home-style cooking that Vietnamese families make on a weeknight and crave when they are far from home. At Vietnam Palace on Somerset Street in Ottawa’s Chinatown, these comforting clay-pot classics have been on the menu since 1989. Here is what they are, why they taste so good, and what to order.
What Are Vietnamese Clay Pot (Kho) Dishes?
Kho is the Vietnamese technique of slow-braising meat or fish in a caramel sauce made from sugar, fish sauce and aromatics until the liquid reduces to a glossy, intensely savoury glaze. The dish is traditionally cooked and served in a tộ — a small earthenware clay pot that holds heat evenly and lets the sauce thicken around the protein.
The flavour is unmistakable: rich, sweet-salty and rounded, with the deep bitterness of caramel balancing the punch of fish sauce. A crack of black pepper and a little chili give it warmth. It is the ultimate comfort food, and in a Vietnamese home it is almost always served with a bowl of steamed rice to soak up every drop of that dark, delicious sauce.
How Kho Differs From Other Vietnamese Dishes
Vietnamese cuisine is famous for its fresh, light dishes — herb-filled salads, cool vermicelli bowls and delicate rolls. Kho sits at the other, richer end of that spectrum:
- Slow-cooked, not quick-fired: where a stir-fry is fast and hot, kho is a patient braise that builds deep flavour over time.
- Caramel base: the signature comes from cooking sugar to a dark caramel before adding fish sauce — a step that gives kho its colour and complexity.
- Reduced, concentrated sauce: instead of a broth, you get a thick, clingy glaze that coats each piece of meat or fish.
- Rice is essential: kho is intentionally bold and salty because it is meant to be eaten with plenty of plain rice.
If pho is the dish that first wins people over, kho is the one that makes them feel at home. It is honest, unfussy cooking with generations of tradition behind it.
The Clay Pot Classics at Vietnam Palace
Our Somerset Street kitchen makes several authentic kho dishes. These are the ones to know.
Caramelized Pork With Fish Sauce (Thịt Heo Kho Tộ)
The definitive Vietnamese comfort dish. Tender pieces of pork are braised in a clay pot with caramel and fish sauce until they turn glossy and deeply savoury, finished with black pepper. Spooned over hot rice, it is the sort of meal that tastes like someone’s grandmother made it — and it is one of our most popular plates for exactly that reason.
Caramelized Fish With Fish Sauce (Cá Kho Tộ)
The seafood counterpart, and a staple across Vietnam. A fish steak is caramelized in the clay pot with fish sauce and black pepper until firm and richly flavoured. The sauce works its way into every flake of fish, and the result is bold, warming and utterly satisfying with rice. It is served bone-in and skin-on, the traditional way, which keeps the fish moist and full of flavour.
Caramelized Pork Spareribs (Sườn Heo Rim Mặn Ngọt)
A sweet-and-savoury take on the same idea. Meaty pork spareribs are simmered until tender in a sticky, glossy sauce that balances salt and sugar. They are rich, a little messy and deeply comforting — a dish that rewards eating with your hands and a big bowl of rice on the side.
Why Clay Pot Cooking Makes a Difference
There is a reason these dishes are named after the pot they are cooked in. Earthenware heats slowly and holds that heat gently and evenly, which is ideal for a long, low braise. It coaxes the caramel and fish sauce into a thick glaze without scorching, and it keeps the food hot at the table long after it leaves the stove.
The clay pot also concentrates aromas. As the sauce reduces, the pepper, garlic and caramel deepen and cling to the meat or fish. That slow, contained cooking is what gives kho its signature richness — something you simply cannot rush in a hot wok. It is a technique built on patience, and you can taste the difference.
The Role of Fish Sauce and Caramel
Two ingredients define every clay-pot braise: caramel and fish sauce. Understanding them explains why kho tastes the way it does.
The caramel is made by cooking sugar until it turns a deep amber — almost to the edge of bitterness. This is what gives kho its dark colour and its rounded, slightly smoky sweetness. Get it right and the dish glows; rush it and the sauce turns flat or harsh. It takes a careful eye to hit that sweet spot.
Fish sauce (nước mắm) provides the savoury backbone. Made from fermented fish, it delivers a deep, salty umami that no other ingredient can replicate. As the sauce reduces in the clay pot, the caramel and fish sauce marry into something far greater than the sum of their parts — sweet, salty, savoury and complex all at once. A crack of black pepper and a little chili finish it off. This interplay is the soul of Vietnamese home cooking.
A Bit of History: Kho and the Vietnamese Table
Kho is peasant cooking in the best sense of the phrase. Braising a small amount of meat or fish in a rich, salty caramel sauce was a practical way to make a little protein stretch across a family meal, with everyone filling up on rice. Over generations it became one of the most beloved categories of Vietnamese home cooking — the taste of an ordinary weeknight dinner.
During the Lunar New Year (Tết), many families cook a large pot of thịt kho that lasts for days, a tradition that turns this humble dish into a symbol of home and togetherness. That emotional pull is exactly why Vietnamese diners in Ottawa seek it out: a good clay-pot dish tastes like family.
What to Order With Your Clay Pot Dish
Kho is bold and rich, so the best accompaniments are simple and fresh.
- Steamed rice: non-negotiable. Plain jasmine rice is the perfect neutral base for that intense caramel sauce.
- A light soup: a bowl of Vietnamese hot-and-sour soup (canh chua) or a fresh vegetable soup cuts through the richness beautifully.
- Stir-fried greens: a plate of garlic water spinach adds freshness and colour to balance the plate.
- A fresh salad or roll: a crisp salad roll to start keeps the meal light before the rich main arrives.
Together these turn a single clay-pot dish into a complete, balanced Vietnamese meal — exactly how it is eaten at home. If you are still deciding, our guide to what to order at a Vietnamese restaurant is a helpful starting point.
Comfort Food for an Ottawa Winter
Few dishes suit a cold Ottawa evening better than a bubbling clay pot of caramelized pork or fish. When the temperature drops and the snow piles up along Somerset Street, there is real comfort in a hot pot of kho and a mound of steaming rice. It is warming, filling and deeply satisfying — the kind of meal that makes winter feel a little easier.
While pho tends to get the spotlight as Ottawa’s go-to cold-weather dish, regulars know that a clay-pot braise is every bit as comforting. If you love a warming bowl of pho on a winter night, a plate of kho deserves a place in your rotation too.
Beyond the Clay Pot: More Vietnamese Comfort Dishes
Once you have fallen for kho, it is worth exploring the other comforting dishes that share its warm, homey spirit. Vietnamese cooking has plenty of them beyond the clay pot.
The tangy hot-and-sour soup (canh chua) is a classic Mekong Delta companion to caramelized fish, its bright acidity balancing the richness of the braise. Caramelized pork spareribs and salt-and-pepper spareribs offer the same sweet-savoury satisfaction in a different form. And a plate of stir-fried water spinach with garlic brings a fresh, green counterpoint that rounds out the table.
Eaten together, these dishes show off the everyday side of Vietnamese cooking — the food that families actually make at home, rather than the showpieces built for restaurants. It is honest, deeply satisfying eating, and it pairs beautifully with a bowl of rice and good company. Our Vietnamese seafood dishes are another natural next step for anyone who loves the caramelized clay-pot fish.
Finding Authentic Clay Pot Dishes in Ottawa
Home-style dishes like kho are not always easy to find on restaurant menus, because they are the food families make for themselves rather than showpiece dishes. Ottawa’s Chinatown, along Somerset Street West, is the best place in the city to find them cooked the traditional way.
Vietnam Palace is at 819 Somerset Street West, a short walk from downtown, Bronson Avenue and Little Italy. Cooking kho properly takes time and a feel for balancing caramel against fish sauce — a skill built over more than three decades in our kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “kho” mean in Vietnamese cooking?
Kho refers to braising or simmering food in a caramel and fish-sauce mixture until the liquid reduces to a thick, savoury glaze. It is one of the most beloved home-cooking techniques in Vietnam.
Are clay pot dishes very salty?
Kho dishes are intentionally bold and savoury because they are meant to be eaten with plenty of plain rice, which balances the intensity. On its own the sauce is concentrated; with rice, the flavours come into balance.
Is the caramelized fish served with bones?
Yes. Our Cá Kho Tộ is served bone-in and skin-on, which is the traditional preparation and keeps the fish moist and flavourful during the long braise.
What should I drink with a clay pot dish?
A Vietnamese iced tea or a light soft drink works well, cutting through the richness. Many diners also enjoy a bowl of light soup alongside to refresh the palate between bites.
Pull Up a Chair for Real Vietnamese Comfort Food
Clay-pot cooking is Vietnamese comfort food at its finest — rich, warming and rooted in generations of home kitchens. Whether you go for caramelized pork, caramelized fish or sticky spareribs, you will taste the patience and tradition in every bite.
See everything on our full menu, book a table, or call (613) 238-6758 to order takeout. Find us at 819 Somerset Street West in the heart of Ottawa’s Chinatown — we will keep the clay pot warm.