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Health & Life

The Quest for Saigon’s Oldest and Most Famous Bánh Mì Shop: A Taste of History That’s Nearly 90 Years Old.

25 September, 2024

The first bakery of this brand opened in Hanoi in 1942 and became famous for its cold cuts. In 1979, owner Nguyen Van Mieu moved to Ho Chi Minh City and three years later opened the first shop there. The bakery was passed down to Mieu’s children and grandchildren. Nguyen Ngoc Thach, Mieu’s grandchild, now owns and operates Nguyen Sinh Bistro.

The shop offers traditional dishes such as cold cuts, sausages, pan-fried goose liver, and more. Nguyen Sinh Bistro’s signature dish is a steak seasoned only with salt and pan-fried, topped with fried garlic and served with chicken liver pate and a special order of French-style crispy bread.

**Huỳnh Hoa Bakery**

Huỳnh Hoa Bakery is a well-known brand among bread enthusiasts. If you want to taste authentic Saigon-style bread, this is the place to go. This bakery is a favorite among young people in Saigon. The difference between Huỳnh Hoa bread and other brands is that you get to enjoy “cha”, a type of meat patty, sandwiched between the bread slices. It’s a unique experience as the first bite fills your mouth with the rich flavor of buttery pate, salty butter, and jambon, all blended perfectly with the crispy bread crust, creating an indescribable taste sensation.

No wonder the bakery is always bustling with customers, including diners and delivery riders. If you ever find yourself in Saigon, don’t miss out on the opportunity to try Huỳnh Hoa bread!

**Bảy Hổ Bakery**

Located on Huynh Khuong Ninh Street in District 1, Bảy Hổ has been serving customers since 1930 from 1:30 PM to 7:00 PM daily. This nearly 90-year-old traditional bakery has captured the hearts of many Saigonese with its affordable prices and delicious bread, especially its signature fragrant, creamy, and savory pate.

The bread here is specially ordered, with a crust that’s crispy on the outside and a soft and moist texture on the inside. The meat filling is carefully timed and cooked over a fire to achieve the perfect traditional flavor. Customers often order bread with pate, either with cha or meat, and topped with meat floss. The shop also offers a popular chicken-shredded bread.

**Kim Dung Bakery**

Finding a bread shop in District 10 is easy, but if you’re looking for a place with a long history and unique flavors, locals will direct you to Kim Dung on Ly Thuong Kiet Street. This bread shop has been in business for over 50 years, passing through multiple generations, and has become a familiar spot for locals and visitors alike.

Kim Dung specializes in bread, particularly meat bread with a hollow, thin traditional crust. The main fillings are jambon, pork, thinly sliced cha lua (Vietnamese pork sausage), chicken meat floss, and homemade pate that’s aromatic, buttery, and so soft that it melts in your mouth.

The shop also offers a twist on meat bread by using sandwich bread with a salty-sweet flavor. In addition, the store sells savory sticky rice and homemade steamed buns. Although the menu is simple, the shop is always bustling with customers, selling several hundred servings daily.

**Nhu Lan Bakery**

Nhu Lan is a well-known bakery chain in Ho Chi Minh City, offering crispy, warm bread with a dense interior filled with various meats, cha, pate, pickles, and cucumbers. Most customers opt for the meat bread, as the meat used here is roasted pork seasoned with a secret family recipe, giving it a unique flavor. The generous filling ensures a satisfying bite every time. Nhu Lan is open from 8:00 AM to late at night, so you can enjoy their delicious bread anytime you crave it.

The pate here is truly special, skillfully made to be both buttery and nutty, with no hint of a fishy smell. Unlike other places that serve ready-to-eat liver pate, the pate at Nhu Lan is prepared the night before by the shop owner herself and then steamed to retain its flavor.

**Co Diep Bakery**

With decades of experience in Saigon, Co Diep is famous for its Saigon-style bread. When you take a bite, you’ll appreciate the crispness and warmth of the bread, enhanced by the delicious and varied fillings of pate, scallions, and pickles, all at a very reasonable price. It’s no wonder the shop is always busy, with the owner working tirelessly to serve customers.

**Tang Bakery**

Located in Cho Thu Do market in District 5, Tang Bakery started as a bread cart owned by a Chinese man in 1950. In 1982, Mr. Tang Tan took over the business. What began as a small cart has now become a shop located near the bustling Ngu Ong lights intersection.

Tang Bakery is famous for its bread filled with baked pate and steamed meatballs. They also offer other popular fillings such as cha lua and cold cuts.