Vietnam - the foodie's favourite, Bánh mì

lorisolan
Apr 14, 2017
2 min read

Vietnam is one of the most exciting countries for food lovers yet one of the more difficult places to learn about it. There won't be too many local Vietnamese restaurants that offer English translations for their dishes, so you either need to be in the know as to each one or just go with pot luck. The latter was something myself and my partner ended up adopting and, 7/10 times it worked in our favour which enabled us to discover some amazing, flavour packed Vietnamese wonders. Vietnamese cooking seems to be all about fresh and intense flavours and their use of vegetables and all types and parts of meat is plentiful and fascinating. We were excited to feel hungry again after every meal so we could move on to the next place and test out more and more delicious food.

Bánh mì's are one of the most famous foods throughout all of Vietnam, you will see endless food stalls and Bánh mì only shops. The Bánh mì was introduced by the French during the colonial period in Vietnam. It seems sch a simple idea however the individuality with each maker is incredible for such a small amount of ingredients. The basic principal is a crispy, airy baguette, a pate spread, some form of meat (usually pork), tofu or egg, sliced carrots and cucumber, coriander and a homemade sauce specific to each vendor. Like I said simple yet so effective. If you pay any more than 35,000VND ($1.50USD) for one of these then you are getting ripped off. You can pay as little as 15,000VND in some parts, mainly the smaller less tourist towns.

Hoi An is probably the most famous area for Bánh mì's as there are so many options. The most famous would be either of the following 2:

- Bánh mì Phượng (2B Phan Châu Trinh) was vouched for by Anthony Bourdain as being the best in Hoi An. Due to this, expect large queues especially around mid morning to early afternoon. The Bánh mì Ga (chicken) was really tasty.

- Madam Khanh - The Bánh mì Queen (115 Tran Cao Van Street) is my personal favourite. She is an older lady who doesn't say much to you however serves up the tastiest baguette. She packs in three different types of marinated pork, adds an egg, the vegetables and a sauce that is to be reckoned with. A must try. Just nod your head at her and she will do the rest!

Hanoi also had a strong offering, my choice here would be Bánh mì 25 (25 Hang Ca Street). They had a really nice setup where you order at the food stall then sit next door in their restaurant where you can order fresh juices. Their tofu Bánh mì was really, really tasty. You would think you were eating meat as offered the same texture and taste.