Banh mi and coffee to unite at HCMC festival

The festival is set to take place at Le Van Tam Park, District 1, the same venue as in previous years.

With the theme "Crispy and delicious banh mi – Rich and flavorful coffee," one of the festival’s highlights will be an attempt to set a new record for "100 seafood banh mi dishes". These dishes will be displayed on a boat-shaped model, symbolizing the journey of banh mi reaching global shores.

A visitor at HCMC's 2nd banh mi festival in May 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Visitors can meet artisans, try making banh mi, and enjoy tastings. The "banh mi then and now" exhibition and a banh mi-coffee buffet featuring global varieties are key attractions.

In March 2024, international food magazine TasteAtlas ranked banh mi as the best sandwich in the world, ranking it first on its list of the "100 best sandwiches". Earlier, in April 2023, CNN Travel had also placed banh mi among the world's 24 best sandwiches.

Nguyen Thi Khanh, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association that organizes the festival, said food safety will be a priority, with hygiene inspections conducted throughout the event.

The festival is expected to attract over 150,000 visitors with around 150 to 180 booths.

The second edition of the festival drew nearly 150,000 visitors, up from 100,000 coming to its debut in 2023.