History
The French introduced the baguette in the mid-19th century and it became a staple by the early 20th century. Wheat shortages in the First World War led bakers to mix in rice flour, and a distinctly Vietnamese sandwich developed in Saigon in the 1950s. The Hang Gai stall at 46 Hang Gai was opened in 1979 by Linh's mother-in-law, reheats its bread in a handmade oven and sells from 05:15 to 10:15.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Soy, Sesame (some sandwiches)
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 4 small Vietnamese baguettes (or French baguettes)
- 200g chicken liver pate
- 300g cha lua Vietnamese pork sausage, sliced
- 200g xa xiu Chinese-style barbecued pork, sliced
- 1 carrot and 1 daikon, julienned
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar (for pickling)
- 1 cucumber, sliced lengthwise
- Fresh coriander, sliced chilli
- Maggi seasoning or soy sauce
- Butter (or mayonnaise)
Method
- Mix carrot and daikon with rice vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
- Crisp baguettes for 2 minutes in a 200°C oven until shatter-crusted.
- Slice each baguette lengthwise without cutting through. Spread butter on the bottom, pate on the top.
- Layer cha lua and xa xiu pork.
- Drain and add the pickled carrot-daikon, cucumber slices, coriander and chilli.
- Splash with Maggi or soy sauce. Close and press the baguette.
Tip from the editors. The crust must shatter. A Vietnamese baguette is shorter and crispier than French; aim for that texture, not a baguette tradition.
Where to eat banh mi
Banh mi in Brisbane
West End Vietnamese Foods ★ 4.8
West End Vietnamese Foods on Melbourne Street in West End serves banh mi, pho, bun bo Hue and rice paper rolls, with Vietnamese iced coffee to drink.
TryTraditional banh mi, pho and bun bo Hue
Rolls Pho Mi ★ 4.2
Rolls Pho Mi is a family-run food trailer, on the road since March 2016, serving rice paper rolls, a signature 24hr pho and banh mi around Brisbane.
TryFresh rice paper rolls, signature 24hr pho and banh mi
Banh mi in Hanoi
Banh Mi 25 ★ 4.6
Banh Mi 25 is a banh mi stall at 25 Hang Ca in the Old Quarter, open every day from 7am to 9pm, with fourteen recipes and a seating area at 30 Hang Ca.
TryBanh mi
TipThere is a seating area at 30 Hang Ca if you want to sit and enjoy the Old Quarter ambience a little longer.
Banh Mi Hang Gai ★ 4.4
Banh Mi Hang Gai is at 46 Hang Gai in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
Banh mi in Ho Chi Minh City
Banh Mi Huynh Hoa ★ 4.4
Banh Mi Huynh Hoa calls itself the most famous banh mi shop in Saigon, with more than 35 years in operation at 26 Le Thi Rieng Street in District 1.
OrderA banh mi packed with filling and pate, the loaf the shop's own story describes.
TipThe shop also sells frozen banh mi boxed for travel and has a second shop at 220 Phan Xich Long.
Banh Mi Bay Ho ★ 4.3
TryBanh mi
Banh Mi Hong Hoa ★ 4.1
Banh Mi Hong Hoa is a long-established banh mi brand at 52-54 Nguyen Van Trang Street, known for its distinctive flavour and excellent quality.
OrderBanh mi thit nguoi, the cold-cut banh mi, in a small or large size.
Banh mi in Orlando
Banh Mi Boy ★ 4.6
Banh Mi Boy inside Mills Market on East Colonial Drive is the Michelin Bib Gourmand Vietnamese sandwich counter, with banh mi and summer rolls under $13.
TryVietnamese banh mi sandwiches
Pho 88 ★ 4.4
Pho 88 on North Mills Avenue has anchored the Mills 50 Vietnamese corridor since 1996, with bowls of pho, bun and vermicelli plates well under $15 daily.
TryVietnamese pho, bun, vermicelli bowls
Banh mi in San Jose
Pho Ha Noi ★ 4.1
Pho Ha Noi is San Jose's most celebrated pho destination on Story Road, simmering 500 pounds of shank bones for 24 hours to produce a clear Northern broth.
OrderPho Bac special with 24-hour bone marrow broth
Com Tam Dat Thanh ★ 4.4
Com Tam Dat Thanh in San Jose is the Tully Road broken rice specialist with fried shrimp cake, grilled sugarcane shrimp and shredded pork on jasmine rice.
TryBroken rice plate with grilled pork and shrimp cake
More cities are in research. Want banh mi covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.