Upon landing in Saigon, we decided to grab the nearest Banh Mi to our hotel, in an effort to temper the jet lag. That place happened to be Banh Mi 362. Herein begins the Banh Mi Diaries.
This bakery turned franchise (can’t you tell?) boasts everything you wouldn’t expect from a Banh Mi outlet in Saigon. For starters it has doors.
Snacks presumably intended for up-selling litter the counter top above the cold drinks section.
The menu contributes to making me feel as though I’m ordering at Subway. This unfamiliarity forces my expectations to lower, but I keep an open mind.
The sandwich artist and his cash-only-taking counterpart form a production line that leave me little respite from the initial feeling.
My travel companion and I split the difference with a Thit Cha (Mixed Ham) ($1.95), and a Xiu Mai (Meatball) ($1.76).
Both missed the mark for flavour, and the bread wasn’t the freshest.
They could certainly be ordered in an emergency, but if you have the means to travel elsewhere, there are many better rolls afoot in this town.
Stay tuned to the Banh Mi Dairies for more picks from Vietnam and around the world.
Banh Mi 362
25 Trần Cao Vân, Đa Kao, Quận 1
Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam