I have found my new breakfast obsession, and sadly, it exists only in Vietnam. Attempts to replicate it in home kitchens would fail miserably. Recently in Hoi An, Vietnam, I met up with a former culinary school instructor from New York who was working at a non-profit restaurant. Each morning we stepped out of the air-conditioned bliss of the hotel into a wave of heat, traffic noise, and repeated solicitations for “Taxi? Taxi? Motorcycle?” But the possibility of a great street food find was too enticing to pass up.
One morning we stopped by a particularly busy stall with the words “Banh Mi Op La” on the sign. Seconds later, a blaze sprang up on the stove. A cook in a snazzy fisherman’s hat gave the pan a few swivels and tossed in some salt. He repeated to the tune of 3 finished plates a minute.
My Op La arrived, a beautiful mess of runny eggs, sausage bits, onions, and tomatoes still sizzling on a thin metal plate. The baguette came on another plate, with extra slices of cucumber and enough onions to warrant a second tooth-brushing. You use the bread to sponge up the eggs and tomato, spoon some onions and meat bits on top, bite, and wait for bliss. Banh mi op la was pure comfort food heaven, not least because it seemed so similar to huevos rancheros.
My stay in Hoi An was short, but we had to return one more time for that sizzling plate of eggs. I knew I would miss them. Even if I were to buy some good metal plates for my kitchen, they wouldn’t have the same aura of the paper-thin metal that had cradled thousands of servings of Op La with barely a wiping in between.
We wouldn’t be washing down our eggs with cold, dense cafe sua da, expertly mixed by the girls in the next stall. We wouldn’t be mesmerized by the master himself cranking out so many plates without breaking a sweat. And we wouldn’t be crouching on the tiniest of plastic stools, surrounded by indecipherable Vietnamese joie de vivre at this particular breakfast stall.
I’ve heard that “op la” comes from the French “œufs au plat” – I’d love to hear if anyone can confirm.
Gawd, I love Vietnam! Eat up, D.
Also, the same breakfast wouldn’t cost you less than 50 cents here.
“Op la” means sunnyside up in reference to the eggs. It might have come from the French since the VNese have borrowed so many words.
I love how you captured the roughly melted plastic plate which supported the hot griddle! YES! This dish is awesome! I would totally eat it up without worrying about my health!
I know nothing about this type of breakfast except that it looks so good. I can imagine eating it!
I had too many of these while I was in Vietnam! Just wondering though, it’s that “sausage” you mentioned actually pate?
A Vietnamese Summer – It was hard to tell by the appearance, but tasted more like sausage than paté.
Oh, thanks. :) The roughly melted plate is all part of the atmosphere.
I so miss breakfast in vietnam, I can’t even think about that last bowl of hu tieu without tearing up…
Op La!!!
Really strong for a breakfast, but still good. I haven´t tried something like that as a breakfast but someday should be the first…
Hey Diana,
Not sure if you know, but one of our cousins opened up a vietnamese sandwich shop in minneapolis. http://www.bunmisandwiches.com/
I’m visiting it next weekend and will be doing some reconnaissance of viet sandwich places in beantown. his shop is more catered to college students vs. authentic viet food, but if you have any ideas abt the kind of stuff it can sell, or any insights otherwise, please share! it’d be great to tap into all your food expertise!!
happy eating,
betty
Woo I really like the many delicious photos!!haha, That makes me feel at home again but here in Europe I have to suffer a lot from the food of a toally different kind…
Hi, I was wondering what the restaurant is called and the address of it. I would love to learn about the concept of the restaurant, that is something that I am quite interested in venturing towards. Thanks! Oh I meant the non-profit restaurant that is.
Angela – It’s called Streets and it’s on Le Loi Street in Hoi An, Vietnam. It’ll be featured in an upcoming post.
Oh yum. We had an op la vendor just outside our house in Saigon. Hers had no sausage though. We used to bring a few tablespoons of bacon grease out with us when we placed an order. Those who ate after us always complimented her on the excellent pork flavor or her op la!
Makes me want to book a ticket…
We banh mi op la for breakfast!! But our all time favorite is still banh mi thit nuong. Just discovered your site from saveur…fantasic..keep up the good work.
It looks really tasty. I didn’t know about this food but I wanna try it
Are you maybe thinking of the egg sandwich that is also called banh mi op la? That would probably have pate in it.
hey diana, i’m currently in hoi an and was wondering if you could remember where exactly you ate that banh my op la? cos so far i’ve only had pretty mediocre versions of the dish.
thanks in advance! j x
I found Banh Mi Op La in hoi an too, pretty sure it’s from the same place. Look familiar?
http://cookingthebooks.typepad.com/cooking_the_books/2009/10/the-street-food-of-hoi-an-banh-mi-op-la.html
Absolutely love it and think I’m going to have to try and recreate, even if it won’t be the same.
Josh – Nice! Same dishes and everything! My egg wasn’t as raw as yours, but your photo still brings back fond memories. Thanks for sharing!
I was in Vietnam and this breakfast is really tasty. I wanna it now, I miis it so much
@Phil Lees : You are right. Op la is a Vietnamese phonetic way of French “oeuf sur plat”.
Banh mi op la is so good.. It make me homesick, and the people who made op la in the picture is my auntie and uncle… Amazing
Lucy – That’s amazing! It is definitely one of my favorite dishes I’ve had while traveling and I have so many fond memories of sitting at that breakfast stall, even though I was in Hoi An for only 2 or 3 weeks total.