Entree Kibbles: Banh Mi Long Hoi @ Hanoi in Vietnam

On my very first trip to Vietnam, it took me a few days to finally try banh mi, my favorite dish in Vietnamese cuisine. This time in Hanoi; we didn't wait, and check out Banh Mi Long Hoi on the first day!

Ground floor was small with just the ordering counter, and limited seats that wouldn't be able to accommodate our group of four. Hence, going up shall be the preferred option.

Mezzanine level with just one set of sofa chairs overlooking the street; exclusive it might seem but anyone going up to the upper level will be walking past.

Way more spacious on this level! Those wondering about the lack of customers have to note that the timing was only about 3.40 pm, which would be considered low peak for meals.

You still get the street view and we can also open the windows to bring in some cool air! Good thing about Hanoi when we arrived was the amazingly comforting climate, with a nice temperature reminding me of Genting Highlands.

Free Wi-Fi!

Our order of four types of banh mi; the traditional long hoi, luckiness, success and wealthy! There were seven options for banh mi and aside from vegetarian, which none of us was keen in; we were not that interested with love and happy.

Unravelling the bread from their paper covers. Frankly, I couldn't remember which was which as we noted that the labelling on the paper didn't seem to be correct from our orders and some of the main ingredients were the same!

I know for sure this was the traditional long hoi banh mi since it was the only one with tuna. Let's talk about the bread first; it was warm from a toast and exhibited the crispness that I so love! You can press the bread with your fingers to hear that appealing crack!

Ingredients wise, they were sufficient. I was expecting overflowing ingredients like Bánh Mì Huynh Hoa in Ho Chi Minh City, that made it difficult even for big mouths like me to take one bite with all the ingredients.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed all four types of banh mi, with success being the least liked. The best for me would be the traditional long hoi, which I believed was also the signature. Wealthy was second ranked mainly because of the crushed peanuts, adding to a layer of nuttiness.

For those resistant to banh mi, just think of it like subway but using baguettes. When comparing between the two though, my heart is always with banh mi!

I ordered fresh milk coffee too - tasted like espresso with milk. I was hoping for authentic Vietnamese style coffee, and this espresso was a disappointment (p.s. not quite a fan of espresso). The hot cocoa was way better, exhibiting an intense richness that was so appropriate for the temperature.

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Address

No. 1, Hang Dau,

Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam

Map

As above.

Website