If you are a big fan of banh mi, a Vietnamese baguette full of fillings, travel along a number of streets in Ho Chi Minh City’s Go Vap District where you might get lost in a heaven of the tasty dish.

The streets of Nguyen Van Luong, Phan Van Tri, Tran Thi Nghi, and Le Duc Tho, which stretch from Ward 7 to Ward 17, are home to lots of banh mi stands in close proximity to each other.

Despite the proximity, their banh mi have completely different tastes and fillings, with some offering traditional loaves and others selling baguettes originating in Vietnam’s south-central province of Binh Dinh, banh mi filled with crispy, juicy roasted pork, or banh mi chao.

Banh mi chao is a combo meal including a frying pan full of fillings such as cold cuts, sunny-side-up eggs, pâté, Vietnamese-style beefsteak, smoked sausage, and chili and soya sauce as seasoning, all served hot with banh mi.

Nguyen Thanh Nu Huyen Tram, owner of a banh mi stand located on Tran Thi Nghi Street in the district, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that she started selling banh mi after the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly offering Binh Dinh-style loaves with fillings such as boiled eggs, steamed Vietnamese ham, stir-fried chili, fried spring rolls, and fried rice paper rolls.

The most important ingredient which differentiates her banh mi from others' is the ground pork sauce, Tram said.

Her stand opens from 6:00 am to 10:30 am every day, mostly serving students and office workers. 

Each loaf of banh mi at her stand costs VND15,000-20,000 (US$0.6-0.9), depending on the fillings that customers request.

Thai Thi Phuong Dung, owner of the Banh Mi A Cuu on Phan Van Tri Street, started selling banh mi filled with homemade roasted pork in 2006.

Her family daily roasts pork from 10:00 pm till 4:30 am the next day and has their own way to make roasted pork skin crispy and delicious.

Customers can buy roasted pork banh mi at the Banh Mi A Cuu between 5:00 am and 8:00 pm.

Fans of banh mi can also try out Cambodian-style loaves on Nguyen Van Luong Street.

This Cambodian-style banh mi stand, put into service five years ago, is run by Nguyen Van Kien, who lived in Cambodia for 16 years and then brought the concept of grilled beef as a filling for the dish to Ho Chi Minh City.

The butter sauce in his banh mi is made from egg yolks and milk, while the beef is marinated in aromatic and quality spices before grilling, Kien shared.

His banh mi stand opens from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm daily, offering both dine-in and takeaway services, with each portion costing VND28,000-42,000 ($1.2-1.8).

Those who prefer traditional banh mi can visit a stand owned by Nga at Alley 226 on Nguyen Van Luong Street.

Her 32-year-old business offers banh mi with fillings such as Vietnamese-style mayo, pâté, pork, meatballs, Vietnamese ham, and shredded pork skin.

“I prepare and marinate the pork the night before and then use the marinade to make the sauce for my banh mi,” Nga said.

She added that what she likes most about her banh mi are pickles and coriander. It is the herbs that help preserve the traditional taste of banh mi.

“I begin selling from 6:30 am until I sell out. Each banh mi sells for VND15,000 [$0.64],” she said.

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