Co Hai Banh Mi & Pho Vietnamese Restaurant

Co Hai Banh Mi & Pho Vietnamese Restaurant is a casual Vietnamese restaurant at 116 Mackenzie Road, a short walk from Little India MRT station. As the name says, it is built around two dishes: banh mi, the crusty Vietnamese baguette sandwich, and pho, the beef noodle soup.

Co Hai is a familiar name for banh mi in Singapore. It used to be on Beach Road before it moved to Mackenzie Road. The shop bakes its own baguettes, and in 2023 food site Eatbook reported that other banh mi shops also stock its bread.

What to order

Start with a banh mi. The house baguette, named after the shop, comes packed with Vietnamese cold cuts, barbecued pork, pork floss, pâté, pickled vegetables and fresh herbs. Other fillings have included roast chicken and stir-fried beef. Recent diners also like the beef and cheese version.

Pho is the other half of the menu. The classic is sliced beef noodle soup in a long-simmered bone broth, with fresh herbs. The wider menu has also included bun cha (grilled pork with rice noodles), crispy Vietnamese pancakes called banh xeo and fresh spring rolls.

To drink, try Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, known as ca phe sua da. It is strong and sweet, and it goes well with a salty banh mi.

Banh mi and pho in brief

Banh mi grew out of Vietnam's French colonial period, when the baguette arrived. Vietnamese bakers made it lighter, with a thin and crackly crust. A typical filling mixes pâté and cold cuts with pickled carrot and radish, cucumber, coriander and chilli.

Pho is a noodle soup made with flat rice noodles in a clear, spiced broth. Beef pho is the best-known type. It is often topped with thin slices of beef that cook in the hot broth. At the table, you add lime, chilli, herbs and bean sprouts to suit your taste.

Good to know before you go

• Casual and family-friendly: this is a relaxed sit-down restaurant that works well for families and groups.
• Bookings: you can reserve a table through Chope.
• Takeaway: banh mi travels well, and the restaurant offers takeaway as well as dine-in.

Nearby

Mackenzie Road is close to the busy streets of Little India. After lunch, you can visit the Indian Heritage Centre or shop at Mustafa Centre. Other places to eat in the area include Sum Dim Sum (Jalan Besar) and MTR Singapore for South Indian food.

If you want to stay nearby, look at Holiday Inn Singapore Little India. For more ideas, see all restaurants in Little India and Jalan Besar, our Thai, Korean and Asian restaurants and our list of dishes to try in Little India.