There are some mornings when I always feel rushed, I always skip the noodle shops that I love to eat something faster, and I found a small cart with a very evocative name: "Banh My Sai Gon".
Just hearing the name made me curious – in the middle of Hanoi, full of Northern characteristics, there is a shop that carries the breath of the distant South. It’s a very small stall, just a neat stainless steel cart, a few plastic tables and chairs placed on the sidewalk, but it’s strangely clean. I think the seller has OCD (in Vietnam we call people who love perfection too much OCD, meaning if they see everything messy or out of order, they will go crazy), I have never seen any street banh mi seller that clean and tidy, but it attracted me from the first glance. And if you are a banh mi lover, you definitely should not miss this place.
Vietnamese banh mi has long been not only a convenient breakfast dish but has also become a globally recognized culinary symbol. Perhaps what makes Vietnamese banh mi so special is its harmony: crispy baked crust, the filling inside can vary in many styles but always maintains a balance between fat – salty – sour – sweet – spicy – fragrant. Just a small loaf but it contains the sophistication of Vietnamese culinary culture.
International tourists love Vietnamese banh mi because it is convenient, fast and nutritious. But more than that, they are fascinated by the way Vietnamese people turn banh mi into a creative work of art – with pate, pork roll, fresh vegetables, sauce, grilled meat, grilled sausage, even fried eggs – all wrapped in a crispy crust with soft and fragrant inside.
Most street banh mi shops in Hanoi have a simple look, even a bit messy. But "Banh My Sai Gon" is a lovely exception. The owner is extremely neat and orderly. All ingredients are clearly divided: banh mi on the top shelf, the bottom shelf has stainless steel trays containing pate, pork roll, sausage, fresh vegetables, cucumber, dried meat, smoked meat… just looking at it makes you feel clean and assured.
The shop has a fairly diverse menu with prices ranging from 0.7 USD to 1.7 USD (~17,000 – 40,000 VND):
- Special Sai Gon Banh Mi
- Beef and egg hamburger
- Fish cake banh mi
- Grilled sausage banh mi
- Pate and egg banh mi
- Sausage and egg banh mi
- Dried beef banh mi
- Smoked meat banh mi
In addition to banh mi, the shop also serves types of tea: lemon tea, peach tea, kumquat tea – suitable for refreshing in the morning or late afternoon, try imagining eating banh mi while drinking tea, the feeling is wonderful.
I ordered a smoked meat banh mi. The bread was hot and fit in my hand. The crust was crispy but not dry, the filling was full: many slices of fragrant smoked meat, fresh green vegetables, crispy cucumber, served with light fat mayonnaise. The interesting thing here is that the bread is made in Saigon style – a lot of vegetables, rich sauce, but still keeps balance, not greasy.
Drinking along with it was a cold lemon tea, strong tea flavor, faint lemon, little sugar so it suits people who don’t like sweet. It felt like a real "grown-up drink" – light, gentle, and pleasant.
Total cost for this combo was only 1.7 dollars. A nutritious, delicious breakfast that doesn’t hurt your stomach – too good for a day that needs energy.
In a world of ever-changing cuisine, shops like this are a reminder that quality doesn’t lie in scale, but in the heart of the maker.
If one day you pass by Nguyen Khang street in the morning, don’t rush past this little banh mi cart. Stop by, order a hot loaf and a cold glass of tea – you will see the charm of Vietnamese cuisine lies in the simplest things.