A nearly 70-year-old sandwich shop.
Early in the morning, Ms. Ngoc Anh (63 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) and her relatives went to their familiar fried bread stall on Cao Thang Street (Hoa Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) for breakfast. She is a regular customer of the stall, having eaten bread there for over 40 years.
The restaurant is quite small. Besides the glass display case containing the food, there's only enough space for a few small stainless steel tables. Yet, it's always crowded, with people sitting at every table.
Customers who arrive later have to stand in line and wait for their turn to be served, so many people choose to buy takeout instead.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Dung (50 years old, the owner) said that his family's banh mi shop has been open since 1958, passed down through three generations, and he is the third generation.
Initially, the small eatery was opened by Dung's grandparents, who were originally from the North and migrated to Ho Chi Minh City, on Phan Dinh Phung Street, now Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street. In 1960, the shop moved to its current location on Cao Thang Street.
"The shop is called Hoa Ma bread shop because it's named after a village on the outskirts of Hanoi . I inherited the shop from my family and still maintain the original flavor."
"The bread and side dishes at the shop are all carefully selected ingredients. Most of the customers are regulars who have been eating here since my parents' time," Mr. Dung shared.
Dung's shop serves two main dishes: banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) and banh mi with fried eggs and various toppings. The banh mi uses a large loaf of bread, spread with butter and pate, and filled with Vietnamese sausage, cinnamon sausage, ham, etc.
The pancakes are served with pickled radishes, carrots, and scallions. Each serving costs 42,000 VND.
Recalling youth
The restaurant's specialty is the fried egg sandwich, priced from 62,000 to 64,000 VND per serving. The dish consists of bread served separately on a plate, while the accompanying ingredients are cooked in a small pan.
The pan contains two fried eggs, ham, Vietnamese sausage, cinnamon sausage, hot dogs, salted pork belly… The ingredients are fried until hot and slightly browned, and served with onions.
Depending on their taste, diners can add salt, pepper, and chili sauce to enhance the flavor. The fried egg sandwich with all the toppings is also served with pickled carrots and radishes to help balance the richness of the fried dishes.
Many customers commented that the bread at this shop has a crispy, fluffy crust, a soft and smooth interior, and a well-balanced flavor. The side dishes are also fresh and seasoned to their liking.
A female customer living near the shop said that it's very crowded not only on weekends but also on weekdays. On weekends, the shop often welcomes many families who come to enjoy the taste of traditional Vietnamese sandwiches.
"The restaurant is open from 6-11 am every day, but my family usually comes for breakfast on weekends. It gets very crowded at that time, so you have to arrive early to get a table."
Currently, the restaurant uses baguettes to serve customers. I especially like their pâté and lemongrass sausage. These two items are homemade, giving them a unique flavor that's hard to find elsewhere,” this person said.
Sharing the same sentiment, Ms. Ngoc Anh said that even though she has been eating sandwiches at the shop for over 40 years, she still loves the taste of the dishes there. For her, each visit to the shop is like returning to her youth.
Dũng shared: “Besides domestic customers, the shop also welcomes foreign customers, especially overseas Vietnamese. When they return to Vietnam, they often come to the shop to eat banh mi to reminisce about old times.”
Currently, the cafe also attracts a large number of young customers. Most of them come in groups and learned about the cafe through newspapers and social media.”
According to Mr. Dung, in 2023, Hoa Ma bread shop was honored by the Vietnam Record Organization (VietKings) as one of the TOP 10 famous and long-standing bread brands, operating for over 50 years in Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Photo: Ha Nguyen
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/quan-banh-mi-chao-gan-70-nam-o-tphcm-khach-den-xep-hang-cho-mua-moi-sang-2518417.html
