Originated from France; however, Banh mi (Vietnamese baguette) has become a well-known specialty in Vietnam. Over time, besides cheese, butter, the fillings inside banh mi are more varied in different regions. Though Banh mi can be easily found at street vendors throughout Vietnam, this food is highly recommended in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. Let’s find how Banh mi Vietnam is at each destination above with HandspanTravel Indochina!

Banh mi Vietnam

Through this blog post, you will know these pieces of information below.

Banh mi Hanoi

Mentioning Banh mi Vietnam, Hanoi is no doubt one of the top destinations to try this specialty.  Banh mi Hanoi has a moderate thin crust, crispy outside but soft, and fragrant inside. Traditional Banh mi Hanoi’s fillings include liver pâté, pork floss, Vietnamese pork bologna, spring rolls, pickled carrot, cucumber, and coriander. In addition to the common way to eat Banh mi, many tourists and locals love trying the Banh mi chao (Banh mi with combo pan) in Hanoi. Instead of taking a bite of the bread with all ingredients inside, let’s dip the bread without filling into the frying pan and enjoy it. Normally, a typical frying pan includes egg, pate, sausage, fried potato, onion, tomato, and smooth, fragrant sauce. Besides, the bread pan served with beefsteak is also popular, with a fragrance that you cannot resist. 

Banh mi Vietnam

Banh mi chao with beefsteak

Walking or driving around the vibrant streets of Hanoi, you can find many stalls selling delicious versions of Banh mi. However, Banh mi in Hanoi Old Quarter seems to be more popular with tourists. Here are some recommended spots to try Banh mi in the Old Quarter.

Banh Mi co Nga

• Address: 03 Ta Hien Street, Hang Buom Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Price: from VND 15,000

Banh mi co Nga attracts diners with unique ways to serve Banh mi. Besides the normal way to eat Banh mi, you can cut the bread, dip and serve it with assorted fillings like meat, pate, sausage, and omelet which are just taken out from the pan. 

 

Banh mi co Nga

Banh Mi 25

• Address: 25 Hang Ca Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Price: from VND 30,000

This small shop in Hanoi's Old Quarter is known for its tasty banh mi with a variety of fillings, such as grilled pork, chicken, and beef. The sandwiches are served on crispy baguettes and topped with fresh herbs and pickled vegetables. Besides Banh mi, this shop also serves coffee, juice, and smoothies. 

Banh mi chao at Banh Mi 25

Banh Mi Pho Co

• Address: 38 Dinh Liet Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Price: from VND 20,000

Banh mi Pho Co is famous for the Banh mi chao served with roasted chicken, sausage, or beef steak. Besides, a complete pan also includes tomato, fried potato, onion, pate, and omelet. 

Banh mi chao at Banh Mi Pho Co

Let’s visit Hanoi and try Banh mi Vietnam here!

Refer to our Hanoi Street Food Tour here: Hanoi Flavor Walk.

Banh mi cay Hai Phong - Hai Phong spicy stick-bread

Hai Phong spicy stick-bread is totally different from other types of Banh mi Vietnam. The banh mi is extremely thin and small with only pate inside as the filling. Although banh mi Hai Phong is not as large and has various fillings inside like Banh mi Vietnam in other places, its taste really amazes diners. 

Banh mi cay Hai Phong

Besides the crunchy crust, what makes a delicious Hai Phong spicy stick-bread impressive is the pate inside and the unique chili sauce of the local people. To make the pate, local people have to choose the half-lean and half-fat pork, then puree with pork liver, add a little bread intestine, and different spices and then cook. For the chili sauce, they also have to choose the ingredients carefully, combined with the fermentation process to create the sauce with an attractive spicy taste.

Visiting Hai Phong, let’s come to these places below to try Banh mi cay. 

Banh mi cay Ba Gia

• Address: 57 Le Loi Street, Ngo Quyen, Hai Phong City

Banh mi cay Ba Gia has been open for more than 20 years. Although it is only a small street vendor, it attracts many guests with the delicious flavor of the Banh mi. The pate is filled inside the Banh mi first, and when there are guests coming to buy, the bread will be put into the oven to reheat. You can choose to stay in the vendor to try Banh mi or take them away. Normally, the shop will pack 10 pieces of Banh mi into a bag. 

Banh mi cay Ong Cuong

• Address: 184 Hang Kenh, Le Chan District, Hai Phong City

Banh mi cay Ong Cuong also appeals to guests by the taste. Besides pate, the shop adds pork floss into Banh mi, which makes the taste different from other places. 

Banh mi Cho Cot Dien

• Address: To Hieu - Chua Hang crossroads, Hai Phong City

Although this store has no sign and just opens at night, it is always full of guests. Banh Mi here is larger than other places’ in Hai Phong; so the price is a bit higher. 

Banh mi Hue with unique fillings

There are many types of Banh mi Vietnam; however, Banh mi Hue is still unique thanks to the fillings combined with pure dry fried chili and the broth. No matter what fillings inside, grilled pork meat, pate, omelet, or sausage, pure dry chili is the indispensable condiment of Hue bread. Besides, only in Hue can you try Banh mi added with a tablespoon of broth made from soy sauce and minced meat. This broth makes Banh mi Hue softer without losing the crispy of the outer bread crust.

Banh mi Hue is also impressed by the “bot loc Hue” as a filling inside. Bot loc Hue (Hue rice dumpling cake) is made from tapioca flour with pork and shrimp inside. You can find the cake at any Banh mi vendor in Hue. 

Banh mi bot loc Hue

Not only a street food, Banh mi Hue has become a featured characteristic when tourists mention Hue. Visiting the city, you will catch up with many carry peddlers or small street vendors selling Banh mi. Banh mi Truong Tien (Banh mi O Tho), located at 14 Tran Cao Van Street, is among the popular Banh Mi shops in Hue. The fillings of Banh mi here are diverse, from char siu meat, ham, pate, egg, Hue rice dumpling cake, etc. Especially, the fragrant spicy sauce combines all ingredients together, making a delicious Banh mi. 

Banh mi Truong Tien Hue

Banh mi Truong Tien Hue's fillings

Banh mi Hoi An

It’s a miss if you travel to Hoi An without trying Banh mi. Banh mi Hoi An is regarded as the best bread in the world. Like other types of Banh mi Vietnam, Banh mi Hoi An also makes a deep impression on tourists by crispy crust and various fillings inside. The filling is a mixture of delicious pork, fish ball, greasy sauce, cheese, ham, sausage, chili, and various types of herbs. Undoubtedly, once you eat Banh mi Hoi An, you may want to try it again and remember its taste. Don’t miss out the opportunity to savor Banh mi Hoi An at these places below.

Banh mi Madam Khanh - The banh mi Queen

• Address: 115 Tran Cao Van Street, Minh An Ward, Hoi An, Quang Nam
• Price: from VND 25,000

Banh mi Madam Khanh is favored by both international and domestic tourists thanks to delicious fillings and different ways to mix the fillings creating unique flavors. Besides Banh mi with pork, ham, egg, chicken, and sausage, you can also choose vegetarian bread with vegetables, tomato, egg, and cheese. 

Banh mi Madam Khanh

Banh mi Phuong

• Address: 2B Phan Chau Trinh, Hoi An, Quang Nam
• Price: from VND 10,000

Banh mi Phuong is also a famous Banh mi shop in Hoi An. The shop is always crowded with guests, and sometimes you will have to queue up for a piece of Banh mi. However, when you try it, you may find it’s worth waiting. The shop offers diverse types of fillings, from the typical Vietnamese sausage and rolls to bacon, ham, meatball, char siu meat, etc. 

Banh mi Phuong

Banh mi Minh Thu

• Address: 248 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hoi An, Quang Nam
• Price: from VND 20,000

Banh mi Minh Thu serves only roasted pork meat Banh mi. When eating Banh mi here, you can enjoy the greasy taste of the meat mixed with different types of spices and the aroma of basil and pickled sour papaya. 

Banh mi Saigon

Banh mi Saigon is no doubt among typical types of Banh mi Vietnam. However, it still has its own unique characteristics that distinguish it from banh mi in other parts of Vietnam. The baguette used for banh mi in Saigon is typically softer and lighter than the bread used in other regions. Banh mi in Saigon is typically filled with a wider variety of ingredients than other regions. In addition to the traditional meat, pate, and pickled vegetables, it may also include sliced sausages, ham, fried eggs, mint, basil and other herbs which add a refreshing flavor to the bread. Besides, the sauce used for banh mi in Saigon is often sweeter and thicker than in other regions. It may be made with a combination of soy sauce, sugar, and other seasonings. 

There are many places to try Banh mi in Saigon. Here are some recommended shops you may want to refer to.

Banh mi Huynh Hoa

• Address: 26 Le Thi Rieng Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Price: VND 58,000

Compared to Banh mi at other places, Banh mi Huynh Hoa is larger; so it has a higher price. A full loaf of bread includes 13 toppings inside: pate, sausage, Vietnamese sausages, butter, ham, pork floss, char siu meat, herbs and pickled carrot and radish. It’s the harmonious combination of all ingredients that makes the featured flavor of Banh mi Huynh Hoa.

Banh mi Huynh Hoa

Banh mi Bay Ho

• Address: 19 Huynh Khuong Ninh Street, Da Kao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Price: from VND 20,000

Banh mi Bay Ho is one of the oldest Banh mi shops in Saigon that attracts many guests. Banh mi here appeals to tourists by the greasy pate, salty taste, and crispy crust. 

Banh mi Hong Hoa

• Address: 54 Nguyen Van Trang Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Price: from VND 35,000

Banh mi Hong Hoa is not only popular for domestic but also international tourists as well. Banh mi here also has diverse choices of fillings, such as roasted meat, grilled meat, char siu meat, shredded chicken, ham, omelet, etc. 

In conclusion, Banh mi Vietnam is an outstanding characteristic in Vietnamese street foods and Vietnamese culture. So, don’t forget to taste this food when you travel to Vietnam. 

Let’s refer to Handspan’s Vietnam Grand tour packages below for a complete experience in Vietnam.

Grand Vietnam Discovery 21 Days 

Vietnam from North to South