Miss Saigon

The 6-seater establishment is as no-frills and cosy (read: squeezy) as it gets, but you know the deal: the more lok kok the place, the more authentic the food is. And this Grilled BBQ Pork Banh Mi/ Bánh mì thịt nướng is no exception. It's pricier than some of the banh mi I have tried so far, but the generous portions & explosive flavours will leave you stuffed and satisfied! The crispy baguette was slathered with a decently thick layer of creamy pate and stuffed with BBQ pork patties that were meaty and tender! I enjoyed the savoury sweet marinate of the grilled pork with a hint of spice - kinda like yakiniku LOL. Also comes with a heap of sliced cucumbers, strands of cilantro, pickled carrots and chilli - so your momma can finally not worry about you not having your greens.  🥖🇸🇬
 
Do eat it while it's freshly served so you get to experience the crusty bread texture! The best thing is that it's open 24/7 - the perfect spot for post-shopping late meals. 
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📍 Address: 150 Orchard Road, #02-56 Orchard Plaza, Singapore 238841 

I love Banh Mi Saigon that’s in AMK, and was very excited to see their sister brand, Miss Saigon open in Orchard Plaza, just a walking distance from my office yay!
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The tiny little shop is tucked on the 2nd floor - turn left after you get off the escalator or just follow the aroma hahaha (that’s really what my friend and I did btw 😂). For such a small space, they serve up their usual full menu of banh mi, alongside other mains of rice noodles and rice, as well as various sides.

I grabbed number 6, the Grilled BBQ Pork Banh Mi ($8.90) and had Vietnamese Spring Rolls to share. Their Banh Mi may seem a bit pricey, but they are also very generous in filling it up. The chunky pork was smokey and tender with a slight heat from the chopped scallions, while the fresh baguette was light and sufficiently crisp. Please dig in as quickly as you can for the best crunch. Skip the Spring Rolls as the skin was too tough.

The overall quality is pretty on par with AMK’s, though I think the original spot still does them the best in the balance of flavours, crunch of baguettes and speed of serving 🥹 Butttt I’m not complaining for this convenience and another good lunch option in town! Would recommend you to come by off peak meal hours.

📍Miss Saigon
Orchard Plaza, Unit 02-56

The trend for Banh Mi-centric spots as well as Vietnamese F&B establishments has been going on for quite a while now; that being said, it doesn’t seem like this trend is going to stop any time soon. We were going around Orchard Plaza the other day and managed to find out about the new Miss Sai Gon which is situated on the second level of the mall. Taking up a small shop space around a corner with a dual frontage, Miss Sai Gon first attracted our attention with its colourful signage that comprises of shades of yellow and red which we found to be really attention-grabbing against the simpler signboards that its neighbours have — there is also a neon-lit signage that further distinguishes their shop unit from the rest around them as well. Despite its small shop space, there seems to be a lot that is going on in the shop unit; apart from being an eatery, Miss Sai Gon does seem to double-up as a provision shop that serves up a small variety of Vietnamese snacks, sauces and beverages — all that whilst having a small dine-in space good for six (6) pax by its windows. Turns out, Miss Sai Gon is actually a concept that is affiliated with the famed Banh Mi Saigon at Ang Mo Kio — probably a name that should be familiar for those who are into checking out the various spots specialising in Banh Mi around the island. Now knowing this fact, it is little wonder why the Banh Mi offerings at Miss Sai Gon are actually pretty reminiscent to what Banh Mi Saigon has to offer; this includes the Traditional Bread, Special Beef Piper Lolot, and the Mixed Pork Intestine and Ear Banh Mi that have been very much talked about at Banh Mi Saigon. Apart from serving up Banh Mi, Miss Sai Gon also serves up spring rolls, noodles and sides; there seems to be also a menu of main dishes being offered at Miss Sai Gon that we do not recall seeing served at Banh Mi Saigon previously — this includes items like the Hu Tieu Go (i.e. Flat Rice Noodle) and Banh Mi Chao (i.e. Bread with combo pan), just to name a few. Drinks available at Miss Sai Gon includes coffee, tea and other special concoctions such as the Iced Tamarind Dessert Drink and Special Pandan Drink.

Considering how Miss Sai Gon is more than just their Banh Mi, we decide to go for the Glutinous Rice after skimming through the menu. Not knowing what to expect for the dish, the first impressions of the Glutinous Rice when it first arrived the table was how it seems to be the Traditional Bread coming with a change of carbs instead — the Glutinous Rice came with an assortment of hams, pate and floss that came atop the bed of glutinous rice beneath. We also note that the portion of glutinous rice coming with the dish was pretty generous as well. Digging into the glutinous rice here, one would notice how there is a slight resemblance of their glutinous rice against the typical Chinese-style glutinous rice — the only difference would be in the texture of the rice where the Chinese rendition would be more moist and sticky, while this version is still reasonably sticky, but a little drier. The texture was well-compensated by the pate and the sauce however; both elements providing the glutinous rice with a bit of moisture and savoury flavour that matched up to the other elements above it. The assortment of hams provided were similar to that which they serve in the Traditional Bread — comes with the typical hint of savouriness from cured meat with different hams that give a contrasting texture from one another as one chews on them. The pork floss further adds on to the savouriness of the entire dish, whilst adding yet another dimension of texture as well together with the fried shallots that gives a crisp crunch. One thing which we found to be a little different about the Glutinous Rice from the Traditional Bread would be how the Glutinous Rice comes without being spicy — probably a relief for those who are not comfortable with moderate levels of spiciness considering how the Traditional Bread with chili opted does come with quite a piquant kick that tickles the taste buds for most.

Banh Mi Saigon had pretty much changed the Banh Mi scene in Singapore ever since its inception — therefore, our expectations were set rather high when we found out that there is an affiliation between Banh Mi Saigon and Miss Sai Gon. Having tried the Traditional Bread previously during our visit to Banh Mi Saigon, we had decided to switch things up and give the more adventurous Mixed Pork Intestine and Ear Banh Mi a try as well; an item which had earned quite a bit of praise from those whom have tried. Indeed, there was no other Banh Mi out there that is quite as close to the Mixed Pork Intestine and Ear Banh Mi that Banh Mi Saigon / Miss Sai Gon serves up — not only were the combination of condiments unique, but we also really liked how there is a lot of attention to detail placed where the intestines were clean from any undesirable odour; all that whilst the pig ears provided a soft crunch akin to that of cartilage that was a good textural contrast against the soft and slightly chewy pork intestines. There was also sufficient sauce to provide a savoury hint of flavours while maintaining the crispness of the toasty Banh Mi that still retained the crunch even as it sat on the table for a while before we started to consume it. The piquant spiciness from the chili included in the Mixed Pork Intestine and Ear Banh Mi also cuts through the heavy flavours, makings the Banh Mi and especially easy one to have. All in all, the quality of the food at Miss Sai Gon is comparable to what we have had at Banh Mi Saigon previously, with Miss Sai Gon being situated at a more centralised area. Prices of the Banh Mi is in the range of $7.90 to $10.90, while the mains would cost $7 to $12 — still pretty reasonable against similar establishments of its type. Considering its centralised location and its odd operating hours from 3pm to 6:50am the next day on a daily basis (mostly to cater to the main crowd that visits Orchard Plaza), Miss Sai Gon is likely to be a spot that would garner a crowd just like how Banh Mi Saigon is — also somewhere that we would be looking to revisit to give their cooked dishes such as the Banh Mi Chao a go!