24th September 2017

This is the best banh mi I have ever eaten in my life. Ever. EVER.

I frequently dream about Banh Mi 37 (I’m not even lying) and whenever someone tells me they’re going to Ho Chi Minh, I’m thrusting my phone in their face and making them promise that they’ll try it. I almost missed my flight to New York because I had a really short layover in HCMC, and decided to dash to get one of these delicious rolls of amazingness.

Traditionally, banh mi are normally made of Vietnamese sausage or pâté, but this one is special. Located in a side alley along Nguyễn Trãi in District 1, the opening times are a bit weird - last time I checked it was 4-9pm and closed on Sundays.

The line starts from about 3pm, when the two hardworking ladies pull up their scooters and start cooking. The beauty of this particular banh mi is that they’re actually pork meatball patties, that are grilled on the spot (I’m now starting to salivate).

You will have to wait, but be patient. It is worth it. For just S$1.20 (they’re 20,000 VND each) you will have in your hands the most perfectly fluffy but crispy baguette, wrapped expertly in paper and a rubber band. You have three choices for consumption. Park up in the back alley somewhere and buy drinks from the little shops as a trade, stand on the street and eat it, or hurry home with your banh mi.

What awaits you inside is several delicious barbequed pork meatball patties, with cucumber, pickled radish and carrot, sprinkled with coriander and drizzled with a sweet barbeque sauce, and chilli. I cannot describe the happiness you’ll feel when you crunch into this roll of perfection.