We went to Vietnam, mostly because we can't get good Pho in the Philippines, but also because flights were dirt cheap. The food in Vietnam was definitely worth the trip, and before we left, we had to get something to eat while waiting at the airport. I remember one of our tour guides recommending a spot for the best banh mi in Vietnam, 8 kinds of pork in one sandwich, and only 6 blocks from our hotel... he had me at 8 kinds of pork.
Banh Mi Huynh Hoa was a trek to a dark street using only other stores as landmarks to get there. We weren't very sure the exact location but knew we found the right place when we saw the huge crowd in line outside a small 10' x 20' stall with 2 street carts inside. I had Mia wait outside while I went through the very confusing process of getting an order in. People seemed to shout their orders from any place in line making my hopes of ever getting my order in very slim. Fortunately the lady at front noticed my diligence, and acknowledged my presence by saying something to me in Vietnamese. Since they had no other items on the menu, I simply held up two fingers. She said the word "chili", to which I nodded, and I knew my order was in.
The army it took to crank out these popular sandwiches was impressive. On one side there were about 6 women prepping all the veggies, meats, garnishes, and sauces into trays. There was one guy dedicated to bringing the warm baguettes by the crate to the two street carts. At my cart there were three ladies working: one was dedicated to taking orders, slicing the bread, and laying down the first two layers of meat, the second lady went through adding all the remaining meats and spreads; the final lady added the veggies and sauces, wrapping them in wax paper and rubber band, and throwing them in the bag.
Unfortunately after sitting in the plastic bags for a few hours, the bread had become soggy, so I had to think about this sandwich as though I ate it just after assembly. At first bite I was overwhelmed with the amount of flavor and texture. I could immediately taste the pate', pork floss, crunchy vegetables, head cheese, dressing, and fresh herbs. It was however hard to distinguish between the flavors of the remaining 4 or 5 different types of sliced pork. After a few bites I hit that chili that I asked for. I loved the heat of that pepper, and was even happier watching Mia's writhe in pain after taking a bite of it. While the flavor was fantastic, I think I would have traded 3 or 4 of those sliced pork layers for a layer of barbecued pork. Halfway through the sandwich I started to realize what a full meal this was. This is definitely not the type of sandwich that needs an order of chips to accompany with. Wrapped up in this wax paper is a full meal, with all the groups in the food pyramid accounted for.
Overall I was really impressed by this, you can get a Banh Mi in Saigon for about 20,000 VND but it is not nearly as filling and flavorful as this one for 28,000 VND. It is definitely work the wait and the voyage for this Vietnamese masterpiece. It is, without a doubt, the best Banh Mi I have ever had. Is it the best sandwhich?... No. That title still belongs to The Royal at Oinkster in Eagle Rock, CA. But for $1.40 I'll take 4 of these over that greasy behemoth.
BANH MI HUYNH HOA
26 Le Thi Rieng Street
District 1, Ho Chi Minh
OPEN: 3:30 p.m.- midnight
