Saigon Sammie

In the two and a half years that we lived in Saigon I never once ate banh mi.  Don't know why exactly. I suppose that when mealtime or snacktime rolled around all the other choices seemed so much more compelling.

Don't hate me because I'm an idiot.

I tried to make up for lost time when we were in Saigon last November. Led by Dave (a sandwich connoisseur from way, way back), I downed at least one banh mi day. In a few weeks we'll be heading back to that hot and steamy city by the river, and a more thorough survey of the Saigon sammie scene is high on my 'To Do' list. I'll start with my favorite version from last trip, served not from one of the city's ubiquitous mobile banh mi carts, but from a folding table set up in front of a general store in District 1.

We stumbled across this banh mi master after a couple rounds at Cafe Latin, perhaps the only bar in all of Asia that does a real pour. We'd already had dinner but the crowd coalescing around this man and his sandwich ingredients made the question of whether or not we really still had any appetite seem rather trivial. What especially drew our attention was the portable charcoal grill upon which he lay each butterflied baguette (soft side down) before stuffing it silly. His banh mi was so good we returned - Dave with camera in hand - the next night.

Alas, no grill to be seen. We later learned that the vendor, who's been sating local late-night sandwich cravings at this spot for at least the last ten years, fires up the barbie only when he's got day-old bread, left over from the night before. If he's not smokin', as it were, you know his bread is fresh.

I'll wager that this will be the only post in which I'll advise you, if you find yourself in Saigon on an evening and craving banh mi, to cross your fingers for day-old bread.  A warm, slightly smoky, crackly-charred baguette-ed banh mi is something extra special. But his fresh-bread version is pretty divine in its own right. We ordered the works - which included various charcuterie and a lusty liver pate that he spread quite thickly on one half of the loaf, carrot and daikon pickle, tomato, plenty of crunchy cilantro, a generous shake of that fragrant Vietnamese black pepper, and, I think, Maggi sauce -  and bundled it back to our hotel where we could enjoy it with a beer (and Dave could photograph it in good light).

Just writing this post leads me to sorely regret, all over again, those 30 banh mi-less months.

     Around the corner from banh mi heaven, dressing to match your Vespa

Banh mi vendor, Mac Thi Buoi Street near corner of Hai Ba Trung, District 1, Saigon. From 10pm till ?

Comments

[Kitt]

I'll share vicariously in that regret! I would love to have banh mi in its homeland. Instead, I make do with what I can find in Denver, which I think is pretty good, but probably nothing like the real thing.

(I've posted about it here: http://kittbo.blogspot.com/2008/02/i-love-me-some-bnh-m.html )

[Jennifer]

"Around the corner from banh mi heaven, dressing to match your Vespa"

This could be a cool song lyric! We're likely headed to Vietnam this December -- and I'm taking notes.

[Graham]

You fool... how could you...???

I must've gone through at least five per week. And, no matter how hard you you try, you can't replicate them outside Vietnam.

I don't think you'll ever forgive yourself if you miss this place on your next visit,

http://www.noodlepie.com/2006/02/is_this_the_bes.html

[Robyn]

Kitt - a good banh mi is a good banh mi, even if it isn't in Saigon (but yeah, I suspect a good Saigon banh mi is better than a good Denver banh mi).

Stay tuned then, Jennifer, bec we'll have more coming up in a month or so.

Graham - I know, what can I say? Stupid stupid. That does look like quite a spectacular sammie to be sure (and we will definately check it out), but can you really compare a standard charcuterie-stuffed banh mi with a grilled pork ball banh mi? Two different animals, I think. And more importantly ... are you sure you're gonna be able to sit through the post after we blog it in all its glory?

[joey]

Banh mi was one of the things I enjoyed when I visited Vietnam! I loved it! I only wish there was someplace I could get it here...or maybe a really good recipe for it which includes the pate (most recipes I've seen don't have the pate)...

[Nate]

Banh Mi was the first Vietnamese food item I tasted back when they started opening shops and restaurants in Honolulu's Chinatown. It was an eye-opening experience for me.

The bread is the most important aspect to a great sandwich. It has to have a thin, crackly crust and a pillowy-soft inside. I prefer fresh, but grilled sounds good too. I used to always get the char siu filing, but nowadays prefer the slices of steamed pork roll.

Thanks for the food memory! Now I'm going to have to get a banh mi. Fortunately, living in San Jose where there is a large Vietnamese population, these sandwich shops are not hard to find.

[luckyfatluke]

This is what I sell in the UK. I fell in love with banh mi in Hanoi, and I just knew it would work here in the UK, where everone is addicted to sandwiches!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/viet-baguette

[michael]

never too late . . . .as long as it is good food, we can always have them . . . . .Banh Mi is definitely terrific . . . .and not Hanoi but HCMC only.

[corrine]

Like you, I failed to try these wonderful banh mi when I was in Saigon. What a waste. My good friend in San Francisco was the one who bought me my first banh mi and it was gorgeous! Do you think they use liver pate or just store bought liver sausage which I see in one of your photos? And do you think they pickle daikon as the Japanese would with konbu and the works? I am running out of sandwich ideas for my kids. Great find really!

[corrine]

Just an afterthought. The Viets were in the Philippines for a long time as refugees. I really wonder why their cuisine didn't succeed here. Perhaps lack of info. It's such a loss for us...now I have to go to other countries to have a taste of their wonderful cuisine.

[Robyn]

joey and corrine - pick up 'Into the Vietnamese Kitchen' by Andrea Nguyen, which has a section devoted to Vietnamese charcuterie that includes recipes for the liver pate and all those yummy sausage products they stuff into banh mi (daikon and carrot pickle as well). Corrine - you lack great Vietnamese food bec there isn't a big Viet community in the PHI (am I right about that?).

Nate - yes the bread can't be a regular French baguette, it has to have that soft interior (which I otherwise wouldn't want in a loaf). You're never too far from a banh mi in CA, that's for sure.

luckyfatluke - banh mi has worldwide appeal I think ... at least anywhere with a population that appreciates a good sandwich.

michael - good point. The banh mi are generally better in Saigon, aren't they?

[Elaine]

I have never had a Banh Mi before either even though people have been raving about how good it is. In Montreal, you see them sold in Vietnamese restaurants all over and even though I am tempted, a bowl of good pho always wins me over.

Nice site you have here btw, love the crisp pictures. What camera are you using? :)

[cyn]

oh oui, j'adore la banh mi! i've only had them in sydney but love them nonetheless. used to buy one for lunch every single day!

[dave]

Elaine,

Thanks for your comments. For this series of pics I used a full frame Canon digital camera with an F1.2, 50mm lens.

Dave

[Max]

I found a banh mi gem in Colorado. Aboba Cafe http://www.abidooo.com/aboba. Thought I share it with everyone. If you ever visit Lakewood, CO. You will have to try it!! FYI