History

Banh mi emerged in the French colonial era (1873-1954) when local bakeries adapted the baguette using rice flour for lower humidity tolerance. The pate-and-pork filling appeared in the 1950s and the dish became fully Vietnamese after 1954. Banh Mi 25 has run the Old Quarter's most-photographed stall on Hang Ca since 2014; the Hang Gai stall has run since 1979 from a single family.

Common allergens: Gluten, Soy, Sesame (some sandwiches)

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 40 minDifficulty Easy

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

  1. Mix carrot and daikon with rice vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
  2. Crisp baguettes for 2 minutes in a 200°C oven until shatter-crusted.
  3. Slice each baguette lengthwise without cutting through. Spread butter on the bottom, pate on the top.
  4. Layer cha lua and xa xiu pork.
  5. Drain and add the pickled carrot-daikon, cucumber slices, coriander and chilli.
  6. 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 bánh mì

Bánh Mì in Hanoi

Banh Mi 25 ★ 4.6

Vietnamese$old-quarterDaily 07:00-21:00

Banh Mi 25 in Hanoi serves the Old Quarter's most-photographed banh mi at 30,000-40,000 VND, with two pork, three chicken, two beef and four vegetarian.

Try: Banh mi sandwich

Order: Banh mi xa xiu with Chinese-style pork and pate; add 5,000 VND for extras.

Tip: Three counters at 25, 30 and 32 Hang Ca. Card accepted; eat on the pavement benches.

25 Hang Ca, Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Banh Mi Hang Gai ★ 4.4

Bakery$old-quarterDaily 05:15-10:15Walk-in onlyBanh mi stall open since 1979

Banh Mi Hang Gai in Hanoi has been a pavement banh mi stall on Hang Gai since 1979, baking baguettes in a custom oven for the dawn breakfast queue.

Order: The classic banh mi with pate, pork floss and pickled vegetables; the bread is reheated to order.

Tip: Breakfast only, 05:15-10:15 daily. Run by Linh since her mother-in-law passed in 2014; the family started the stall in 1979.

Worth the queue: Classic banh mi with pate and pork

46 Hang Gai, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Bami Bread ★ 4.1

Bakery$old-quarterDaily 07:00-22:00Walk-in onlyVietnamese banh mi

Bami Bread in Hanoi has run a banh mi counter on Hang Bac since 2014, baking baguettes in-house and assembling sandwiches in a tiny Old Quarter shophouse.

Order: The Bami special with pate, pork and pickled carrots; chilli on the side for a cleaner first bite.

Tip: Two counters facing each other across Hang Bac and Hang Buom corner. Cash only; takeaway recommended.

Worth the queue: Bami special with pate and pork

98 Hang Bac, Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

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