The new baguette bar bringing tasty Vietnamese food to Portsmouth’s Cascades Shopping Centre

A NEW baguette bar has opened in Cascades Shopping Centre - but you won’t find ham and cheese on its menu
Thanh Tran has opened Boba Baguette in Cascades Shopping Centre. Picture: Duncan ShepherdThanh Tran has opened Boba Baguette in Cascades Shopping Centre. Picture: Duncan Shepherd
Thanh Tran has opened Boba Baguette in Cascades Shopping Centre. Picture: Duncan Shepherd

Boba Baguette Bar is bringing a taste of Vietnam to Portsmouth and its owner is convinced you’ll love it.

‘I love Portsmouth,’ said Thanh Tran, 51, who is originally Vietnamese but has lived in the city for 30 years.

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‘In London, Australia and America, Vietnamese food is so huge and I wanted to bring it out into the open here. It’s something new and delicious that people haven’t usually tried.’

Cascades Shopping Centre. Picture: Keith WoodlandCascades Shopping Centre. Picture: Keith Woodland
Cascades Shopping Centre. Picture: Keith Woodland

Boba Baguette Bar sells a range of Vietnamese baguettes including grilled pork, grilled chicken and a traditional Vietnamese pork roll with cold meats and paté. The bar also offers summer rolls filled with prawns and pork.

Tran said his favourite is the grilled chicken.

He said: ‘It’s freshly grilled on site, then served with Vietnamese mayo, carrot and daikon pickles, cucumber and coriander. It’s so good and it’s also healthy.’

Tran runs the bar with his wife Cindy and business partner Hai. He also runs the Nail Bar in Cascades and splits his time between the two.

Thanh Tran has opened Boba Baguette in Cascades Shopping Centre. Picture: Duncan ShepherdThanh Tran has opened Boba Baguette in Cascades Shopping Centre. Picture: Duncan Shepherd
Thanh Tran has opened Boba Baguette in Cascades Shopping Centre. Picture: Duncan Shepherd
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Tran and Cindy wanted to try making Vietnamese baguettes here about two years ago after seeing the success of Vietnamese food in London, but didn’t have the space to open a bar.

Eventually a small space became free in Kingswell Path and the bar opened six weeks ago.

Tran said: ‘It’s been so much work and a lot of stress but it’s now such a lovely, clean space and I’m really happy.’  

Tran and Cindy make everything on-site and he says the key to the taste is the freshness of the ingredients.

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Boba Baguette Bar also sells bubble tea, a Taiwanese drink with tapioca pearls.

Tran encouraged people to give it a try.

He said: ‘Vietnamese food is a beautiful cuisine and these baguettes are so tasty you would always come back.’ 

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