Back Lane Banh Mi in Kota Damansara

 By Lee Yu Kit, 

Sept 21, 2021

Update: This banh mi outlet closed sometime in 2022. There were plans to revive it but it remains closed as of July 2023.

One of Vietnam’s popular street food dishes is banh mi, sandwiches made with Vietnamese baguette and a variety of fillings.  Quintessentially Vietnamese, banh mi is true fusion food born of France’s long occupation of Vietnam. French baguette is longer with a stronger texture than the smaller, airer Vietnamese version, for example.

Now from a backlane in Kota Damansara, there’s authentic Vietnamese banh mi, served from a literal hole-in-the-wall. The shop is painted a mustard yellow with green highlights, calling to mind a field of sunflowers, with the words “Banh Mi” painted on the wall.

For The Love of Pho

First published in Options, The Edge, Oct 9, 2017

Comparing Vietnamese beef noodles from three restaurants

The Vietnamese food scene in the Klang valley has exploded over the past few years, from being a specialty cuisine confined to one or two restaurants, to well over a dozen independent outlets in KL and PJ. 

Vietnamese style noodle soup, pho – especially beef pho, is considered to be quintessentially Vietnamese.

The popularity of pho has led to numerous interpretations, with different regions in Vietnam developing their own versions.  The variety found outside Vietnam is usually South-Vietnamese style pho.

A sampling of three pho restaurants: