”Have you tried that Banh Mi from Geylang?” x 3 times.
I wonder if there is a My Star Bride 过江新娘 effect, but there seems to be quite keen interested in Vietnamese food of late.
For Banh Mi lovers in Singapore, this Vietnamese eatery at 543 Geylang Road is one of those frequently talked about and featured.
Banh Mi Thit by Star Baguette’s main outlet with seating area is at Geylang, though there are two other takeaway stores at Tampines Street 81 and a new outlet at Whampoa (74 Whampoa Drive #01-330).
There is this old-school and almost-authentic vibes around here, with the staff chatting away in Vietnamese and some customers choosing to dine at the outdoor area by the road. Chillax lah.
It is not uncommon to find a crowd of customers, waiting for a long time for their Banh Mi all affordably priced at $5. This used to be $3.80 then $4.50, but understandable why price is increased.
Wait time during the weekends could be up to 45 minutes or longer, depending on the time you visit.
My friend who is a regular mentioned that you used to be able to have a Cheng Tng ($3) or Custard Pudding ($2) slowly, and the Banh Mi would be ready in 15 minutes when you are about done with the dessert.
Not quite the case anyway.
The cashier warned that it was a 45 minutes’ wait. It was not a case of under-promise-over-deliver, it did take that long even though there weren’t many customers at sight. Perhaps they were handling deliveries as well.
The menu is straight-forward with six types on Banh Mi – Pork, Chicken, Ham, Beef, Egg or Pate, all priced at $5 each.
Tip: you can add more fillings at a dollar more.
Accordingly, all the baguettes used are freshly baked daily in small batches by an in-house master baker, and some key ingredients are imported from their outlet in Vietnam.
To me, the lovely element was indeed its bread which was nicely warm, crusty (would give a “cccccrunch” if you eat it fresh) with an almost-fluffy interior.
I was slightly impartial to the beef which tasted a little plain in comparison, and I needed to drizzle some sauce over to add more oomph.
For the price, I shouldn’t complain about the amount of ingredients, but I would add the dollar extra for more meat in future.
As the shop makes its own ham and pate in-house, you could go for either the Pork or Pate Banh Mi which would likely leave a better impression.
The Pork Banh Mi came filled with ham, pork belly, pork hock slices, vegetables and their house-made special sauce; an interesting addition would be the imported chilli peppers for that touch of spiciness and tanginess.
Quench your thrist with hot and cold beverages available, including Iced Vietnamese Coffee ($1.80) and Iced Thai Tea ($1.80).
Banh Mi Thit by Star Baguette
543 Geylang Road, Singapore 389498
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
Banh Mi Thit Tampines
824 Tampines Street 81, Singapore 520824
Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
74 Whampoa Drive #01-330, Singapore 820074
Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
Other Related Entries
Mrs Pho (Bussorah Street)
Banh Mi Saigon (Ang Mo Kio)
Joo Chiat Caphe (Joo Chiat)
So Pho (VivoCity)
Co Chung (Plaza Singapura)
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