{"id":6252,"date":"2021-04-07T16:40:38","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T08:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=6252"},"modified":"2021-07-08T11:37:51","modified_gmt":"2021-07-08T03:37:51","slug":"crocodile-banh-mi-saigon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/crocodile-banh-mi-saigon\/","title":{"rendered":"This Chonky Crocodile B\u00e1nh M\u00ec In Saigon Lets You Bite Back Without Losing Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Unique crocodile b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em> in Saigon<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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B\u00e1nh m\u00ec <\/span><\/em><\/a>is a staple dish around Vietnam that is suitable for both breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner. Over the years, bakers across the country have managed to get creative with b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em> by mixing different types of ingredients for fillings so eaters won’t get bored.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently,<\/span> Phan Thanh Ph\u01b0\u1edbc<\/b>, a 37-year-old Saigon baker, has started a new food craze among <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/span><\/em> lovers with chonky animal-shaped <\/strong><\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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You\u2019ll find b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em> in various animal shapes here<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\"banh
\nA student posing with Ph\u01b0\u1edbc\u2019s crocodile b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em>
\nImage credit: <\/span>Thanh Ni\u00ean<\/a><\/span><\/em>
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\nAt Ph\u01b0\u1edbc’s bakery, <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em> are made from scratch. According to Ph\u01b0\u1edbc, he can make <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em> in various animal shapes such as crocodiles, crabs, snakes, horses, frogs, and dragons. If you\u2019re a foodstagrammer looking to step up your Insta game with photos of <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em> of various animal shapes, this bakery is your best bet.<\/span>
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\"banh
\nHorse b\u00e1nh m\u00ec
\n<\/em>Image credit: <\/span>Thanh Ni\u00ean<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

“Making a horse <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em> <\/span>usually takes more time because a horse has 4 legs and you have to stretch the dough into the shapes of the legs and attach them to the body. <\/span>B\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/span><\/em> is nothing like a cake so it’s not possible to make it into any type of shape. For example, I don\u2019t know how to make pig-shaped <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/span><\/em>,” Ph\u01b0\u1edbc told Thanh Ni\u00ean.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"banh
\nImage credit: Thanh Ni\u00ean<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

To have a batch of freshly baked bread ready for delivery by 5AM, Ph\u01b0\u1edbc usually starts his work from 9.30PM the previous day. While waiting for the dough to rest for 2-3 hours before baking, Ph\u01b0\u1edbc has to spray water on them every few minutes so the <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/span><\/em> skin won\u2019t turn dry under the scorching heat of Saigon weather these days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This way, the baked <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec <\/span><\/em>will have a crunchy crust and a desirable golden color.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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He makes 1,500 b\u00e1nh m\u00ec <\/em>per day<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\"banh
\nPh\u01b0\u1edbc baking his b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em>
\nImage credit: <\/span>Thanh Ni\u00ean<\/a><\/span><\/em>
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\nDue to a lack of budget, Ph\u01b0\u1edbc doesn’t hire any help but does all the work by himself. Ph\u01b0\u1edbc produces 1,500 standard-shaped <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em> and around 70 animal-shaped <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em> daily, which are often sold out within the day.\u00a0<\/span>
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\"banh
\nImage credit: Thanh Ni\u00ean<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The price of an animal-shaped <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/span><\/em> depends on its size. A big-sized animal-shaped <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/span><\/em> that\u2019s good for 3 people is priced from <\/span>VND50,000 (~USD2.17) <\/b>to <\/span>VND70,000 (~USD3.04).<\/b><\/p>\n

A majority of Ph\u01b0\u1edbc\u2019s clients are workers in an industrial park nearby, parents with children, and school teachers buying animal-shaped b\u00e1nh m\u00ec <\/em>to use as demonstrations in their class.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nHappy customers<\/em>
\nImage credit: <\/span>Thanh Ni\u00ean<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

“This is my first time trying this kind of <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/span><\/em> and it’s delicious. I have a child who likes food with animal shapes. The <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em> <\/span>here is fragrant and buttery. I’ll come back next time for some more,” said Ms Ng\u1ecdc T\u1ed1, a customer with a son who fell in love at first bite with Ph\u01b0\u1edbc’s <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/span><\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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B\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/em> in animal shapes spotted in Saigon<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Trying to breathe a new lease of life into <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>one of Vietnam’s oldest and most popular dishes, is not an easy task.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Ph\u01b0\u1edbc has done an amazing job giving the classic <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/span><\/em> a fresh look and making it more appealing among local foodies, especially children. If you find yourself getting bored of the old <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec <\/span><\/em>yet still crave its crisp flavor, look no further than these animal-shaped <\/span>b\u00e1nh m\u00ec<\/span><\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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