On the corner of Nguyen Trai Street in Ho Chi Minh City, an 81-year-old woman known as "Ba Hai" sells banh mi. She trades words with foreign customers in fluent English and French, and her character and language skills have won over travelers. She learned English and French at school as a child and has kept honing them through years of conversation with foreign customers.
She opens the stall around 8 a.m. each morning, and the 30 to 40 banh mi she makes herself sell out by about 9. She remembers faces and preferences, and her service—swiftly handing regulars their usual order—has earned her a reputation.
The small corner stall and "Ba Hai"
The stall stands on a corner of Nguyen Trai Street in Ho Chi Minh City. It opens around 8 a.m. every day. She wakes at 4 in the morning to prep ingredients, gets everything ready at home, and then carries it to the stall. She makes about 30 to 40 a day, and they sell out by around 9.
Conversations exchanged in English and French
Ba Hai's charm lies in her language skills. She learned English and French at school in childhood and has kept her abilities sharp through daily exchanges with foreign customers ever since. She remembers customers' faces and favorite orders, and sometimes even receives gifts from regulars. One customer, an Indonesian who teaches English in the An Lac district, first visited in 2012 and moved to Vietnam in 2019.
Price and contents
The prices and contents of the banh mi can be summarized as follows.
| Item | Details | Approximate yen conversion |
|---|---|---|
| Price per piece | 15,000–25,000 VND | About 86–143 yen |
| Fillings | Cha (pâté), egg, sausage, meat floss | — |
| Made per day | 30–40 pieces | — |
* Converted at 10,000 VND ≒ about 57 yen.
Prep starts at 4 a.m.
Ba Hai wakes at 4 a.m., prepares the ingredients at home, and then takes her place at the stall. She readies staple fillings such as cha, egg, sausage, and meat floss in the morning and quickly sells them fresh. Her style of carefully making a small batch and selling it out leads to a sellout before 9.
If you're a traveler visiting
Since she sells out by around 9, the surest time to visit is right after opening, in the 8 o'clock hour. Being able to place orders casually in English or French is reassuring for travelers unfamiliar with Vietnamese. Beyond the banh mi itself, the conversation with Ba Hai becomes a memory of a Saigon morning in its own right.
Summary
Language ability and memory, plus careful early-morning prep. The small stall that 81-year-old Ba Hai keeps draws in foreign customers on both fronts—flavor and character. This single banh mi, carried on at a Saigon street corner, has become something that stays in travelers' memories.
Related articles:
・Michelin banh mi
・Food street
・Thao Dien
Source:DTiNews / Dan Tri / DTiNews (lifestyle)
