09 February 2012

Hong Ha Hot Bread ~ Vietnamese Rolls - Mascot

Is it worth lining up with the masses for Hong Ha's legendary banh mi, Vietnamese Pork rolls, in Mascot? Absolutely definitely maybe probably kinda yes and no. We went twice just to make sure.





We've been dropping by Mascot for years and there's nearly always a hefty queue at Hong Ha Hot Bread. We thought we'd avoid the crowds by going on Sunday. Yeah right.



The queue moves quite fast - there are multiple people behind the counter and they can flop and flip that pork onto a crispy roll faster than a Honda Dream.

In our bloated opinion it's the bread rolls themselves that are the star of the show, there's a certain subtle oomf to these babies that we haven't found elsewhere. With such high turnover Hong Ha bakes multiple batches of rolls throughout the day so they're always super fresh.

The fillings are good but nothing out of the ordinary. We'd go for more pate and less mayo; more cucumber, green onions and coriander and less carrot. But that's just us, there's a permanent queue of regulars who would disagree.

Either way, if you're mad on banh mi, or even just banh mi curious, it's definitely worth lining up to try those super fresh bread rolls.



Clockwise:
  • Classic pork roll with the lot - $5 - pate fiends should ask for more. 
  • Meatball roll with the lot (no cheese) - $5. Having cheese on a Vietnamese roll just doesn't feel right. The meatballs here were squishy and tasty, not fried. Kind of a Viet rissole sambo. Shawn has a rissole fetish and loved it.
  • Chicken roll with the lot - $5 - we'd read all kinds of high praise for the Hong Ha chicken roll but we couldn't get the attraction, it was nice but tasted more like a regular western chicken/mayo/salad roll than anything Vietnamese. Perhaps it depends who makes it.
  • BBQ pork roll with the lot $5 - this turned out to be the surprise favourite, lovely Vietnamese flavours.
$5 is a fair shake for banh mi, but you can get a can of drink for a $1 which sweetens the deal.



Hong Ha is in the middle of the clump of shops at Mascot - 1151 Botany Rd, just look for the queue. We always feel sorry for the banh mi lady a couple of doors down with no customers, we will get in there shortly and give her rolls a try. Our favourite banh mi at the moment is Marrickville Rolls, the joint next door is excellent as well.

If you make it over this way then have a wander up and down the street, this strip is an interesting collage of new and old Australia.


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14 comments:

  1. Still my fave (prices gone up recently?) but I must try your Marrickville suggestion. Are their bread rolls as good as Hong Ha's?

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  2. I haven't had bread rolls anywhere quite like Hong Ha!

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    1. ...except in Cambodia, they do incredible rolls

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  3. There was a sign on the counter explaining that prices had gone up because of rising costs, and $5 is hitting the high end for a roll. Didn't seem to have mattered to the queue, and $5 is still cheaper than most sambos anywhere.

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  4. The hot bread shop on the main street in Blacktown has my favourite banh mi, I used to get one every month when I had to go there to see my orthodontist. He used to always complain about the bits of carrot and bread stuck in my braces. I really love the Marrickville palce too

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    1. That's the problem with going to the dentist in Sydney City wisdom teeth or orthodontist. Either you go hungry before or you don't want to eat anything after a visit.

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  5. God I love banh mi. Don't know if I'd make a special trip to Hong Ha to get one though, considering the queue. V8 Roll on Elizabeth St in Surry Hills always serves me well, plus they have fresh sugar cane and coconut juice.
    And cheese on a Vietnamese roll is OK, as long as it's "Laughing Cow".

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  7. Lola - I couldn't give up banh mi either when I had braces. I hated the coriander leaves getting stuck.

    Laughing Cow is great to carry while you are backpacking. Perfect on crusty rolls when you are stuck without a lot of food options, saved us a few times on long bus trips in Vietnam and even Madagascar. I add vegemite as well for a real mix of Aussie, French and Asian flavours!

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  8. Woah, that is an impressive queue. These bread rolls must be the goods!

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  9. I love Hong Ha! But I need to find a good banh mi in King Street, Newtown. Any recommendations?

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    1. Head up Enmore Road to Ennmore Delicious Rolls :-)

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  10. Well, the queue hasn't got any shorter in the 10 years since! So we went two doors down ("Saigon's Fresh Roll"), no queue but the ingredients looked fresh. They seemed to be doing a steady trade. And $7 instead of $8 at HH for a pork roll. Was very good, with a nice crunchy roll and tasty ingredients. Will have to wait for another time to compare HH!
    Stan.

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Thanks for your comment joy - please keep your musings happy - if you want to complain about a restaurant please do it on a restaurant review site (or your own blog) - we're all about celebrating cultural diversity and the great eats that come along with it :-)

Our ethics: We pay for all our own meals and travel (though sometimes Mum shouts us).