Friends talked about this famous banh mi place for days now. Not sure if it was just a tease but I had quite enough of it. I took a taxi over to Banh Mi Huynh Hoa on Le Thi Rien Street and you already see a dozen bikes parked in front, waiting to get their hands on a little inexpensive piece of joy. Inside there’s no place to sit, all the space is taken up to prepare the sandwiches from cutting stations to a small oven for baking the bread. You basically force yourself towards one of the ladies and tell them how many you want and if you have any special requests. A minute or two later you have your hands on a fresh Saigon banh mi for about a dollar. I waited this long for it, and it was just delicious. Vietnamese love bread, especially baguette! It probably comes from our history when French culture, cuisine have influence on our lifestyle! I’m not an exception! I love baking bread! If beef noodle, broken rice are our favorite breakfast, bread or “bánh m?” is on the top, because it’ mobile, easy to take away! We love our bánh m? and we can have it around the clock! Before we have bread only with Vietnamese pork ham (ch? l?a), pâté, chicken floss, sunny side up egg…but now more choices!   From canned fish with tomato sauce, traditional pork skin (bánh m? bì) with fish sauce, meat ball (bánh m? xíu m?i), fish cake (bánh m? ch? cá), roasted pork (bánh m? th?t quay),  stew intestine (bánh m? phá l?u), grilled pork (bánh m? th?t n??ng) with sweet black soy sauce, chili sauce. The other day I saw a stall selling bread with stew beef liver (khô bò ?en) which usually goes with famous papaya salad! Worth to try!   By the way, just got a news that our bánh m? has been considered as one of the world’s best street foodby Lonely Planet after long survey across the globe! Sounds nice! In the middle of the “Kitchen”, watching people lined up for a bang Mi or two

Waiting in line for a Banh Mi

 

Store Front of Banh Mi Huynh Hoa, open from 15:30 – 24:00 daily

The bánh mì sandwiches at Huynh Hoa are simply the best Vietnamese sandwiches in Saigon. For a few pennies extra, do your self a favor, give yourself a treat, “push” your way to the front of the crowd here, and enjoy the best! CAUTION: the chili peppers here are hot – SEARING HOT! Place your order accordingly.