Regulars and the orders we remember

Open around the clock, every order has a story

The five Banh Mi XANH shops are open day and night, so orders arrive at every conceivable hour and for every conceivable reason. Some are placed at two in the morning; some a week ahead for a gathering. After years of this we have realised something: an order is not only a loaf of bread. It is also something about the person placing it.

Orders for the night shift

Security guards, drivers and night nurses often order one Đậu Hũ Cay at 56,000d with a Black Coffee at 35,000d around midnight. Nothing elaborate — just enough to be full and alert to the end of the shift. Because we are open 24 hours, the ingredients for those orders are always on hand rather than waiting for the morning.

The order for one, the familiar order

Some customers order almost the same thing at almost the same hour for months on end. A Thập Cẩm at 59,000d with a Jasmine Lemon Tea at 36,000d is the pairing we see most among them. We do not remember all the names. We remember the tastes.

Reunions and family gatherings

These come in ahead of time, usually from 10 loaves upwards. A group will often choose several different items so that everybody gets what they like: one person wants Chả Lát Chay at 53,000d, another the lighter Bơ Đường at 28,000d, another wants to try the big Thượng Hạng Premium at 75,000d and eat properly. The drinks divide into two camps as well: Brown Sugar Nut Milk Bubble Tea at 48,000d on one side, Nut Milk Coffee at 45,000d on the other.

Office orders at midday

Plenty of companies in District 1 order for a whole floor at once, gathering the loaves and the drinks into one delivery to reception. On orders from 500,000d within 5km, delivery is free — which is why departments tend to combine their orders to clear the threshold: more convenient, and no delivery charge.

Distant orders and urgent ones

Customers well outside the centre call to ask whether we deliver that far. With five shops — 38 Lê Thị Riêng, 15B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, 2B Trần Hưng Đạo and 148B Đề Thám in District 1, and 210 Bùi Văn Ba in District 7 — the odds of one being near are good. We always send from the nearest shop so the bread is still hot and crisp on arrival.

The urgent orders tend to land in the midday peak or late in the evening. Somebody calls twenty minutes ahead because guests have turned up unannounced. For those we steer towards the items whose ingredients are ready to go, Đậu Hũ Cay or Chả Lát Chay, so that nobody is left waiting.

The pairings customers ask for most

• Thập Cẩm at 59,000d + Jasmine Lemon Tea at 36,000d: a light lunch.
• Đậu Hũ Cay at 56,000d + Black Coffee at 35,000d: the night-shift order.
• Thượng Hạng Premium at 75,000d + Brown Sugar Nut Milk Bubble Tea at 48,000d: for eating and drinking properly.
• Bơ Đường at 28,000d + Nut Milk Coffee at 45,000d: an easy breakfast.

The quickest way to order

Regulars call 0923.183.183 directly, give the address and the items, and the staff confirm an expected delivery time. On orders from 500,000d within 5km there is no delivery charge. For a large group, call at least one to two hours ahead so that the shop has the quantity ready and can deliver at the time you want.

A note to the regulars

Some people have been ordering from Banh Mi XANH for years — from their student days into their working lives. Others ordered once for an occasion and have been coming back ever since. Large order or small, placed at midnight or in the middle of a hot afternoon, we try to make each loaf the way we made the first one we ever sold.

Quick questions

Will you deliver in the middle of the night?

Yes. All five shops are open 24 hours, so you can call 0923.183.183 at any hour to order and have it delivered.

How far ahead for a large company order?

One to two hours, so the shop has everything ready and can deliver on time — particularly for an order mixing several loaves and drinks.

Which areas get free delivery?

Orders from 500,000d within 5km of the nearest shop. Beyond that, delivery is charged on the actual distance.

I live well outside central District 1 — which shop would take my order?

Call the hotline and the staff will work out which of the five is nearest — four in District 1, and 210 Bùi Văn Ba in District 7.

Can an urgent order be ready in 20 to 30 minutes?

It depends on the item and the hour. The quicker items, Đậu Hũ Cay or Chả Lát Chay, usually can — call the hotline and we will tell you directly.