Co Hai Banh Mi & Phở Vietnamese Restaurant — Restaurant in Singapore

I paused before this store standing in silent contrast to the the busy road that rushes by it. What caught my attention was that clearly Vietnamese food was served here—cuisine uncommon-place in these parts.

Peering in, the seemingly banality and quiet exterior failed to betray the a gem concealed within:

A lovely, quaint and cozy cafe that oozed authentic Vietnamese cafè vibes. Entering the second floor, fake orchids adorn the ceiling and the pastel coloured walls a museum of a timeless collection of curated plaques and signs. Simultaneously cluttered yet neatly pleasant and tastefully aesthetic.

Carefully spaced, wooden tables and chairs painted in colourful pastel oil enamel, much like the one I sit on as I write this, are tucked about the room.

The place is silent like a library save the occasional “whoosh” that slips through the windows as cars pass by in the street below.

Presently, a pert, attentive waitress rushes about gracefully from table to table serving and taking orders with sharp precision. She bore a certain neatness as if in keeping with the spirit of the place and somehow lent her a certain attractiveness. I ascertained a certain weariness in her demeanour perhaps of certain deep sorrows. I silently wished her happiness and oh! to see her smile. Her voice betrayed a slight accent—a testament that this place bore an authenticity that sets it apart from the already few Vietnamese places.

Food was soon served and the authentic symphony of spices and flavours brought a torrent of nostalgia of my experiences in Vietnam...

Savouring my last spoonful of beef noodle stew, I knew this will be a place I will return again to experience this peace beauty and Vietnamese authenticity like none other....

TL;DR: If you want proper Vietnamese food with a proper setting, this is the place you...

The quality of the baguette bread was amazing. We took our time to start on the bread and it was still crispy and fluffy. I had the first item on the menu, it was supposed to be the most authentic viet flavour. The roasted pork belly was too chewy but the flavour was good. The other meats were just processed meats, I think it's impossible to go wrong unless you dislike processed taste. Overall the flavours combined was interesting, sweet, sour and spicy.

We had a bowl of spicy beef noodles. Just the normal beef. At 10 dollars it is very good value. They used "five flower" cut of beef which is more expensive than the usual loin meat, and it is thickly sliced. I am very particular about my beef. The beef was done to medium well and it was easy to rip apart in the bowl. The noodles were cooked to perfection. The broth was quite authentic though I would argue that it suits Singaporean tongue more than Vietnam.

The spring roll was ok. The herbs were fresh and punchy but the prawn kind of got overpowered. Maybe it could benefit from more shrimp.

The lemon grass drink was amazing. It tasted home made with enough lemongrass,strong punch of ginger and good quality sugar. If you love lemongrass drink, try theirs.

No service charge and no GST, good service, good noodles, good bread, good lemon grass drink, good coffee. The service staff was attentive, she could tell that we were lost, and advised us how to put all the elements together. It is a Cafe, it is not a food stall so the price is reasonable for the quality, ambience and service.

I would...

It’s been a while, so here’s my newest find recced by my very own viet boy 🥹❤️

We had Sliced Beef Noodle Soup $10 Bun Cha Ha Noi $12 Stir Fried Beef and Cheese Baguette (dude bread was so crisp it’s unbelievable) $10

😋 Taste (4.5/5): Full of Flavour, well seasoned, just make sure to bring/drink lots of water. Pho broth is super light yet with depth, the dichotomy my brain cannot and the fresh leaves they serve on the side - to cook by throwing it into the bowl of hot soup 🥵🍲 shioks. The fresh veg may not be for everyone but I personally loved it!

To definitely get: the baguette To try: the bun cha - was special!

Typically bun cha’s are slightly tossed in a sweet tangy sour sauce, but this they prepared the sauce separate from the noodles and veg - to add in/ dip yourself. The flavour was way more pronounced than other buncha’s I’ve had (and yes I love bunchas, would choose them over beef pho if I could)

Great find, had a lovely time here - not too crowded, beautiful atmosphere, fast service when we went there on a weekday night - got our food in about 10 mins? Only con was that there was only 1 guy working - outside and in the kitchen? Idk, sitting in the flower room… he was...