My girlfriend and I went to check out the Ben Thanh Night Market after dinner at Den Long. As we were walking back to The Like Hostel, we saw a strange sight. There was a long queue outside a shabby-looking shop called Banh Mi Huynh Hoa.
We were intrigued, so we went up to take a closer look. A lady was walking away with a huge bag full of the Vietnamese baguette, we decided to find out more from her.
Us: I see that you have bought a lot. Is the banh mi here really that good?
Her: Oh yes! This is the best banh mi in Ho Chi Minh city. Look, I just bought 10 to share with my family.
Armed with the philosophy of “go where the locals go, eat what the locals eat”, we decided to give it a try.
Oh my, this is definitely the best banh mi we have ever had! I won’t pretend to be an expert on banh mi, for I have only had it after arriving in Vietnam, but this is seriously delicious!
The Vietnamese baguette is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. As you can see from the photograph, the baguette are heated in the oven until they are ready to be used. All the ingredients are freshly-prepared. It is packed full with pork belly, Vietnamese sausage, ham, pork liver pate, cucumber and coriander. At just 36000 VND for 1, it is the cheapest yet most satisfying food I have had in Vietnam. If you are not a spicy-eater, ask for no chilli for the chilli is really hot.
If you are in Ho Chi Minh and you are looking for a good snack, I strongly recommend Banh Mi Huynh Hoa’s banh ni. We loved it so much that we actually went back to it the next day to pack one each for our flight home.
Online search has revealed that Banh Mi Huynh Hoa is pretty famous in Ho Chi Minh. The foodie in me is always able to find the best food to eat. Cheers.
Banh Mi Huynh Hoa
Address: 26 Lê Thị Riêng, P, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
Telephone: +84 28 3925 0885
Opening Hours: Daily 2.30pm – 11pm”