Co Hai Banh Mi & Phở - House-Baked Baguettes & 12-Hour Pho

Few Vietnamese kitchens in Singapore bake their own bread, and fewer still supply it to other restaurants. Co Hai Banh Mi & Phở does both, turning out fresh baguettes on-site each day and selling them on to other Vietnamese restaurants across the island. That bread anchors a menu built around two Vietnamese staples, the banh mi sandwich and the pho noodle soup, run by a Vietnamese kitchen led by chef-owner Nguyen Thi Hanh, who previously ran the Hanh Delights outlets before opening here. The pho broth is simmered for up to twelve hours and sweetened with sugarcane rather than sugar, with no added MSG. From the signature baguette to a Hanoi-style bun cha, here is what to order.

Co Hai Baguette — around $10

The house signature. Peel open the toasted baguette and the filling layers roasted BBQ pork, mixed ham, Chinese sausage, pâté and pork floss over pickled vegetables and a spread of homemade butter. The bread is baked on the premises, its crust toasted to order while the crumb stays soft, and the recipe has been adjusted slightly to suit local palates. Cut red chilli and Tuong Ot hot sauce sit on the table for those who want more heat. Portions run large enough that a single baguette makes a full meal.

Stir-fried Beef & Cheese Baguette — around $12

A departure from the traditional filling, this version stuffs the house baguette with stir-fried beef and melted cheese, closer in spirit to an Asian take on the cheeseburger than a classic banh mi. The beef is cooked with the cheese folded through so the filling stays moist, and the same toasted baguette holds it together. It sits at the richer, heavier end of the banh mi range, for diners who want something more indulgent than the original.

Special Beef Pho — around $10

The Special Noodle Soup brings together the kitchen’s full complement of beef in one bowl: sliced beef, brisket, tendon and beef balls over silky rice noodles. The broth is where the work shows, simmered for up to twelve hours with Chinese herbs and sweetened with sugarcane instead of sugar, with no MSG added. It arrives with the usual accompaniments of bean sprouts served both raw and blanched, Thai basil, sliced chilli and lime, so each bowl can be adjusted at the table. Beef slices, brisket, tendon or balls can be added to the lighter pho options for a couple of dollars more.

Ha Noi Bun Cha — around $12.50

This northern Vietnamese dish plates grilled pork patties in a sweet-and-sour dipping broth, served alongside a bowl of vermicelli and fresh herbs to assemble bite by bite. The pork patties are sizeable and seasoned before grilling, and the dip carries the tang that defines the Hanoi style. It is one of the menu’s less common offerings in Singapore, where bun cha is served far less often than pho.

Com Tam — around $12

Com tam, or broken rice, is a southern Vietnamese staple built on fractured rice grains. Here it comes topped with a grilled pork chop, a sunny-side-up egg and a slice of steamed egg meatloaf, a combination that makes it one of the more substantial rice plates on the menu. The grilled pork carries a char from the grill, and the plate is rounded out with the pickles and greens common to the format.

Bun Thit Nuong — around $9.50

This is a cold vermicelli bowl topped with grilled BBQ pork, fresh herbs, crushed peanuts and fried spring rolls, dressed with fish sauce. The contrast of warm grilled meat and crisp fried rolls over room-temperature noodles makes it a lighter option than the soups, and the herbs and peanuts add texture. It is one of the menu’s better-balanced single-bowl meals.

Banh Xeo — around $12

The Vietnamese-style crepe is a turmeric-tinted batter pan-fried until crisp, then folded over bean sprouts, greens and green bean. It is eaten by tearing off pieces, wrapping them in the accompanying herbs and dipping into fish sauce. The crackle of the thin crepe against the soft filling is the point of the dish, and it stands as one of the few savoury Vietnamese pancakes served in the area.

Goi Cuon — $6 for two

The fresh spring rolls are wrapped in thin, delicate rice paper rather than the thicker, chewier sort, filled with prawns, crunchy greens and silky vermicelli. They are served cold with a dipping sauce and work as a light starter before the heavier bowls and baguettes. An order comes as two pieces.

Ca Phe Sua Da — around $4

The Vietnamese iced coffee is brewed strong and poured over ice with condensed milk, coming out thick and creamy with a measured sweetness. The beans are roasted so the cup stops short of the bitterness of an over-roast, making it the standard finish to a meal here.

Co Hai Banh Mi & Phở packs a broad Vietnamese menu into a casual, colourful room near Little India, from the house-baked signature baguette to a twelve-hour pho broth and dishes like bun cha and com tam that appear far less often on Singapore menus. For anyone after a full Vietnamese meal made by a Vietnamese kitchen, it covers the range.

116 Mackenzie Road, Singapore 228710
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 10:00pm (Monday to Sunday)
Tel: +65 9650 7999
Delivery: cohaisg.oddle.me
Instagram: @cohaisg
Facebook: Co Hai Banh Mi