The uzi club! Unknowingly, many of us belong to this club. Whenever there is a long line, we become curious and stop to check what the fuss is all about. We call ourselves Uzisero’s. I am a member of this club, most especially when it comes to food. Whenever there is a line in a restaurant, be it in the US, Japan, Bangkok or Saigon, I have to stop and check.

Many decades ago when I was still a resident of Paris, I passed by Vietnam Town and saw a long line of mostly French residents waiting for their turn at a tiny joint run by three Vietnamese ladies. Curious, I jumped out and checked them out. This was distribution of labor at its finest. This was a Vietnamese sandwich called bánh mì. It is a French-like baguette which is wiped with homemade mayonnaise, pâté, three kinds of cooked meat, pickled cucumber and carrots, cucumber, cilantro and sprayed with a dark sauce. This is closed, put between white paper and sealed with a rubber band. Each lady had her work station and just passed the unfinished sandwich until the delicacy was complete. This has to be one of the most delicious sandwiches I have ever experienced. Ever! Tasty, sweet, sour, crunchy, chewy and all adjectives one can think of. Super, super sarap.

I never came across the authentic version, but many imitation versions. Even in Manila they have a store that specializes in Vietnamese bánh mì. Good, but not the same. I always compare it to what I tried in Vietnam Town in Paris.

When I visited Saigon or Ho Chi Minh for my food show called Foodprints, the bánh mì was what I first looked for. They pointed me to this stall called Hong Hoi. You watch the lady at the counter slice the bread, wipe those spreads and put the meat fillings and the other condiments and simply swallow in anticipation. This to me is the best bánh mì in Vietnam. By the way, they also bake their own bread and many bánh mì shops buy their bread from them. It’s the real deal. I can eat two at a time. I grab my sandwich with my soda, find a spot and sit on those tiny tables and chairs and hum away. I miss this sandwich so much that the last time I was in Saigon, I took home 16 pieces. This was a few months ago.

In the last two months, I became obsessed with this bánh mì that I started playing around with the fillings. Watching the making in Saigon, I know exactly what goes into it and the sequence of the sandwich making. After three months of research, I am proud to say I have come up with the most authentic Vietnamese bánh mì in Manila today. To me, I prefer if you’ve tried the version in Saigon so you can compare. We make everything from scratch including the bread. I challenge you to try it. Everyone who has tried it has given me the thumbs up. Just toast it before eating!

Exact same fillings. Vietnamese ham, gelatin pork and ground flavored pork. Only one way to find out. I dare you to try it. At the moment we sell it in my Rockwell branch and out of my commissary. You may order through Instagram or Casa Daza Facebook or call or text 0976-580-7066 or 0995-182-5812.

Happy eating!