Was going around Maxwell Food Centre and notice how a new Vietnamese cuisine stall had taken the place of the now-defunct Hello Banh Mi there. Despite being new to Maxwell Food Centre, Co Hai Banh Mi & Pho is not a new establishment to the local F&B scene here — these folks had previously been an independent dining establishment that is situated within the shophouses that lines Beach Road; they have since moved out of the shophouse and now operates at two (2) different locations. The other spot in which one can find Co Hai Banh Mi & Pho would be at 116 Mackenzie Road that is within walking distance from Little India MRT Station. As its namesake suggests, Co Hai Banh Mi & Pho offers both Banh Mi and Pho as its signature offerings; that being said, the stall does serve up other Vietnamese dishes such as fresh / fried spring rolls, salads, vermicelli salad, vermicelli soup and rice dishes — just to name a few.

We found ourselves going for the Stir-Fried Beef with Sauce Pineapple Baguette — though Co Hai Banh Mi and Pho does not describe the elements that goes into the making of their various dishes, we did observe during the preparation process that the item consists of elements such as stir-fried beef, pickled vegetables, chili padi, a spread of margarine, coriander, cucumber and pineapple slices. Taking a bite into the baguette, we did notice that the baguette here is toasted to a light crisp; whilst some folks may prefer a harder crunch, we did find that the consistency of the baguette here does make it easy to have without cutting into our gums — the interior of the bread still retains a soft texture nonetheless. We liked that the beef is actually stir-fried upon order; the beef being tender whilst the carrying a savoury note from the sauce that it was stir-fried in; the addition of pineapple does provide it with a sweet zing as well. The inclusion of chili padi in the baguette here doesn’t quite translate to spiciness but seems to be more for the aesthetic considering the size of the chili used; the coriander cuts through the meatiness and carbs, while the pickled vegetables does add an element of crunch with a bit of a tang which refreshes the tastebuds as well.