Vietnamese Lady Selling Banh Mi In HDB Flat Goes Viral On TikTok, Customers Wait Up To An Hour For Her Food

Started out as a hawker biz

Hue tells 8days.sg that she first opened Hue Banh Mi as a hawker stall at a kopitiam in Teck Whye two years ago. She ran her stall for roughly 10 months, but decided to shut it down as the rental cost there increased from $1K to $2.6K due to a change in the coffeeshop’s owner. The Singaporean PR and her Singaporean hubby (who works as a Grab driver) then decided it was more cost effective for her to operate the biz from home instead.

Prior to opening Hue Banh Mi, she had worked multiple jobs for around 10 years (she relocated  to Singapore in 2009), including at a Vietnamese eatery selling pho, banh mi and spring rolls. Back in Vietnam, she ran a small cafe selling Vietnamese drinks alongside shellfish dishes. 

Orders start from 10.30am

How exactly did she achieve this? Hue explains: “To me, the most important thing is the sauce, and freshness of the ingredients. Mayonnaise is a must, but some herbs [like mint leaves] don’t need to be added as Singaporeans aren’t used to the taste. The sauce also shouldn’t be too sweet”. Hue makes her banh mi sauce with a combination of soy sauce, coriander, lemongrass and tomato sauce. Meanwhile, she sources her baguettes from Vietnamese shop, Lo Banh Mi 88. 

The jovial cook says she wakes up at 5.30am to send her two kids aged 13 and 10 to school, before heading to the market to buy fresh ingredients for the day. Her first orders usually begin rolling in at 10.30am, shortly after she opens for biz.

About strangers hanging out in her living room

Hue tells 8days.sg her recent TikTok fame has made her business a lot busier lately, so she recommends placing orders via WhatsApp first before heading down, or getting her food delivered via GrabFood instead. As she prepares each order fresh on the spot, some customers (who don’t place advance orders) have had to wait between 40 minutes to an hour for their food. She tells us that folks who place WhatsApp orders in advance usually get their food within 10 to 15 minutes of arriving at her place. 

However, on occasions when walk-in customers have to wait up to an hour for their food, Hue asks them to head home first, or to take a walk in the area before coming back to collect their orders. So it’s usually only folks waiting for short durations that hang out in her living room. 

Does Hue or her family members ever feel awkward about having strangers in their home? She laughs: “My son doesn’t really bother, he usually just watches TV. My daughter does get a little shy, so she usually stays in her own room, while my husband makes small talk with the customers. For me, I’m okay with it as I’m running a business after all!”. 

Even though she opens shop till 8pm, Hue says it doesn’t disrupt family mealtimes either. “My kids eat out quite often, otherwise they’ll just eat in the living room, it’s no issue. My husband also works till quite late, and sometimes comes home only at 10pm,” she explains. However, Hue has no plans to open her flat for dining in. “I’m afraid neighbours will complain if there are too many customers in my house,” she shares.

Since gaining social media recognition, Hue says she receives around 50 to 60 orders for banh mi per day. While many of her customers are residents in the Choa Chu Kang area, she tells us a good number also come from further locations, like Bugis and Tampines. 

Despite this, she shares that her business makes just a modest profit: “It’s very busy, but we don’t really make that much profit, because our food is cheaper than [at other stalls] outside. But as long as my customers get to eat nice authentic Vietnamese food, and as long as I’m earning enough to make a living, it’s enough,” she reasons. 

She adds that her net profit is around $3K per month, saying that she now has fewer customers compared to when she was operating at a kopitiam. “It was more convenient for customers back then as there were seats at the coffee shop. My electricity bill at home is higher too,” she explains. 

The menu

Compared to non-home-based Vietnamese eateries like Banh Mi Saigon, which prices their banh mi from $7.90 onwards, Hue’s offerings are more affordable. She sells eight types of banh mi here, ranging from $5.50 for her Grilled Meat Roll Banh Mi (served with handmade pork sausage) or Shredded Chicken Banh Mi, to $10 for Beef Stew Banh Mi (plain baguette served alongside a bowl of Vietnamese beef stew).

Other options include her Special Banh Mi (made with four types of ham and pate, $6.30), Beef Cheese Banh Mi ($6.30), Grilled Fish Banh Mi ($6), and Roasted Pork Banh Mi ($6). 

Hue also sells pork and chicken Vietnamese Vermicelli for $7, and Summer Rolls from $5 for two pieces. 

There are even desserts such as Che Buoi (Vietnamese pomelo pudding, $4) and Che Thai Sau Rieng (Vietnamese fruit cocktail, $6), plus drinks like Vietnamese Iced Milk Coffee ($3) and Lemongrass Honey ($3).

Hue Banh Mi is at #02-540 807C Chua Chu Kang Ave 1, S683807. Open Tue - Sun 10am - 8pm. Closed on Mon. Tel: 8611 8599. More info via Facebook. 

Photos: Hue Banh Mi, Google/J, Google/ Kophi Ho Thanh Tuyen, Google/Gia Du’o’ng, Google/Megspegs

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.

8days.sg is now on #tiktok! Follow us on www.tiktok.com/@8dayseat