The quest for the ultimate Bahn Mi

Yes, if you are an aficionado of great Banh Mi, then you must make the pilgrimage to Banh Mi Phuong. Around 11 AM we jumped in behind a few folks and were shocked to see how many people started to get in line behind us. Being vegetarians we ordered the Op La, which is fried egg and it comes topped with all the usual suspects, picked veggies, lettuce, herbs and sauces. Many travel sites recommend being cautious of eating raw veggies due to the water they wash them in. I am happy to report, we did not get sick, and even went back for seconds. If you want a good sandwich and want to avoid lines, try and get there early. From what we saw the line starts around noon and keeps going throughout the day. However, the women running the line are throwing your toppings in with chopsticks at lightening speeds and the line goes pretty quick, so even if your a late riser, make the time to stop by.

Vegitarian delights

A lot of our foodie friends were shocked and appalled when we told them we were going to do our best to maintain our vegetarian diet throughout our gap year. However, Vietnam in particular is 70% Buddhist so even though we have seen every type of meat under the sun cooking here. We have actually been able to truly enjoy the foods of Vietnam. Some of our favorite items: mango sticky rice, White Rose (rice flour raviolis), Mi Quang noodles (rice noodles), Spring rolls, eggplant, morning glory greens and all the dragonfruit and passionfruit we want. We even took a cooking class and they were kind enough to modify some items with tofu so we could join the rest of the class.

We frequently search for "Mon Chay" on the menu which means vegetarian. There is even whole restaurants that are Mon Chay. Our favorite is Thien Nghia Quan, a little old lady runs this small café that feels more like dining in her home. After we placed an order with her the children running around the restaurant took turns coming up to us with little pads of paper pretending to take our order again. They were in fits of giggles each time we told them we already ordered. During our meals here we noticed how many locals constantly stop off at this little spot and get food to go or get off their motorbikes and enjoy a relaxed meal. We love going where the locals eat, no one is speaking English, the food is amazing and you feel as though you are getting a bite of real Vietnam. If you have the good future of coming to this spot make sure you try her stir fried Mi Quang noodles, served piping hot and loaded with vegetables this savory dish will only set you back around $1.50 US and will fill you up with noodly goodness.