Bánh Mì isn’t just any sandwich—it’s the sandwich. Crispy crust, juicy fillings, tangy pickles, fresh herbs, and that rich mayo or pâté touch. A perfect chaos of flavors that just works.
Come with me to Vietnam’s best Bánh Mì spots—and yes, I’ve got the recipe too!
What is Bánh Mì, anyway?
In Vietnamese, Bánh Mì simply means “bread.” But say it anywhere outside Vietnam, and people instantly think of that crispy, flavor-packed Vietnamese sandwich we all love.
Technically, “Bánh Mì sandwich” means “bread sandwich”…
Bánh Mì came to life during the French colonial era in the late 1800s, when baguettes landed in Vietnam.
And the French influence didn’t stop there—the list of delicious French-Vietnamese fusion dishes goes on and on.
Think Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, buttery Pated Chaud meat pies, or the red wine–braised beef noodle soup Pho Bo Sot Vang. Colonization was terrible, but it did leave behind some seriously delicious food.
Best Banh Mi Spots in Vietnam
You haven’t truly lived until you’ve grabbed a warm, crusty Bánh Mì straight from a street cart in Vietnam.
Tip: Don’t overlook the humble street carts. Some of the best Bánh Mì you’ll ever eat might come from the vendor you find by chance. Trust your nose—and your instincts
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
- Bánh Mì Bảy Hổ – A neighborhood classic for traditional cold cuts.
- Bánh Mì Huynh Hoa – The OG heavy hitter. Double everything.
- Bánh Mì Hoàng Lam – Vietnamese famous TikToker’s cold cut Bánh Mì spot.
- Bánh Mì 37 – Known for Bánh Mì loaded with grilled pork meatballs.
- Mrs. Lanh Bakery – Known for Bánh Mì with salted egg Xíu Mại (Vietnamese meatballs)
- Bánh Mì Cá Nục – Famous for Bánh Mì with tomato-braised tuna (so tasty!)
- Bami Nguyen – Don’t miss their trending Bánh Mì Bơ Cốm (Vietnamese butter + pandan green rice flakes).
Hanoi
- Bánh Mì Nguyên Sinh – Famous for rich pâté and cold cuts, around since the French-era.
- Bánh mì Heo quay Cường Linh – Famous for crispy pork Bánh Mì
- Bánh Mì Cô Ba – Saigon-style cold cut Bánh Mì.
- Bánh Mì Sài Gòn – Bámie – Another spot serving Saigon-style Bánh Mì.
Hội An & Đà Nẵng
- Heo Nướng Lu Ông Phú Đạt – Famous for crispy pork Bánh Mì in Đà Nẵng.
- Bánh Mì Nướng Lạng Sơn – Super crispy Bánh Mì with grilled pork.
- Bánh Mì Gà Cô Chi – Simple but delicious chicken floss Bánh Mì with savory sauce.
- Bánh Mì Madam Khanh – The legendary Bánh Mì queen in Hội An.
- Bánh Mì Sum – Another must-try Bánh Mì spot in Hội An.
Nha Trang
- Bánh Mì Phan – Tourist-friendly spot with flavors popular among Koreans.
- Bánh Mì Ba Lẹ – Local go-to. Crispy, simple, always hits the spot.
- Bánh Mì Ngàn Hương – Also popular with locals for its grilled pork Bánh Mì.
- Bánh Mì Nguyên Hương – Simple Chả Lụa and fresh herbs, yet a local favorite.
- Heo Quay Ngọc Hải – Famous for Bánh Mì with house-made crispy pork belly.
Vietnamese Sandwich – Easy to Make at Home
The Baguette
The authentic Vietnamese baguette is something else—light as a cloud, with a thin, crackly crust and a soft, airy center. It’s made to cradle all those juicy, flavorful fillings without weighing you down.
That said… on its own, it’s kinda plain. No sourdough tang or nutty crust like the artisan breads you find in Germany (which I love, by the way). So forget anything dense or chewy—you want crisp, light, and airy.
Top choices:
- Bake your own Vietnamese-style baguette (totally worth it if you have the time!)
- Pick one up from a local Vietnamese bakery
- Or, in a pinch, a crusty French baguette works too
What Goes Inside
In Vietnam, there are countless types of Banh Mi and they are defined by the fillings.
Locals love to mix and match proteins with sauces, herbs, and pickles to hit the perfect flavor combo. Not every Banh Mi has liver pâté, mayo, or Đồ Chua—it really depends on the main ingredient and regional taste.
For a classic Saigon-style cold cut Bánh Mì, these extras are key:
Vietnamese Liver Pâté – Made from pork or chicken liver, often spiced with five-spice.
Vietnamese Mayo – Egg yolk blended with shallot, scallion, or garlic oil. Milder than Western mayo since there’s no vinegar.
Pickled Carrot & Daikon (Đồ Chua) – Sweet, sour, crunchy, and refreshing.
Fresh Bits – Cucumber slices, green onion, cilantro, and chili.
Maggi Seasoning Sauce – Soy sauce works too.
Main proteins
Vietnamese cold cuts: Cha Lua (pork roll), Cha Que (cinnamon pork roll), Gio Thu (headcheese)
Sunny-Side-Up Eggs – Asian Style, Crispy Edges with a Runny Yolk
Grilled pork skewers or sausage (Thit Nuong / Nem Nuong)
Crispy pork belly (Thit Heo Quay)
Creative twists: Gochujang chicken, bulgogi beef, teriyaki chicken… Banh Mi is endlessly adaptable, so go wild!
Instructions
- Prep the Bread – Warm your baguette and slice it lengthwise, keeping the back intact.
- Add the Spreads – Spread Vietnamese mayo and pâté on both sides of the bread.
- Layer the Fillings – Add your protein of choice, cucumber strips, đồ chua, green onion, and cilantro.
- Finish & Season – Top with chili slices and a drizzle of Maggi seasoning or soy sauce. Ready to enjoy!
You can also serve it as a Banh Mi charcuterie board—perfect for potlucks and gatherings.
More true-to-Vietnam flavors
Goi Cuon (Spring Rolls with Hoisin Peanut Sauce)
Banh Xeo (Sizzling Pancakes)
Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Beef Noodle Soup)
Bo Ne (Steak & Eggs)
Banh Cuon (Steamed Rice Rolls)
Hu Tieu Bo Kho (Vietnamese beef stew with tapioca noodles)
Authentic Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Sandwich)
Ingredients
- 4 Vietnamese-styled baguettes (or any crusty bread rolls)
- Vietnamese Liver Pâté (or your prefered pâté)
- Vietnamese Mayo (or your prefered mayo)
- Đồ Chua (Pickled carrot and daikon) (to your taste)
- Cilantro
- Green Onions (thinly sliced)
- Cucumber (thinly sliced)
- Chili (thinly sliced)
- Maggi Seasoning Sauce or Soy Sauce (to your taste)
Protein Choices (according to your preferences, should total 1 lb / 500g)
Instructions
- Warm the baguette bread.
- Slice the roll down the top middle, leaving the back part uncut.
- Spread mayo and pâté on both sides of the roll.
- Fill the bread with protein, cucumber strips, đồ chua, green onion, and cilantro.
- Top it off with a few chili slices and a drizzle of Maggi Seasoning (or Soy Sauce).
hi cielle! thanks for the recipe, i think your blog is soo underrated! not only do we get a little history lesson, we also get real recommendations where to eat in vietnam, as well as a breakdown of key ingredients, saying how its different from regular pate or mayo ❤️ this beats most of the banh mi recipes from big name blogs easily :)) it also makes me realise the banh mi vendors here have been a little stingy with the do chua and mayo hahah, also i rarely see daikon here in australia, usually just carrots and cucumber. perhaps it’s been westernised, as i mostly only see roast or grilled pork banh mi. it’s also really cool to learn all the names of the cold cut meats in vietnamese, i love learning new things. thanks again for the really extensive guide!
Hello Anon. Thank you for your comment, and apologies for the late reply. I was touched by your words and am glad that you found my recipe helpful. If you have any questions about Vietnamese cooking or would like to request any recipes, please feel free to let me know ^^.
Dear Cielle, Thank you for the recipes. I made Banh Mi following your blog. Bought baguette from a local vietnamese resto that bakes them. My hubby said he loves my Banh Mi, tastes so authentic with pickled radish & carrots, fresh cucumber strips & coriander, no Pate bec hubby does not like. I dare say my Banh Mi is almost as good as street vendors in vietnam. Better than some chain store in Singapore. For Protein filling I made lemon grass chicken but with leftover fillets of turkey breast. Run out of fish sauce so I used another tbsp soya sauce & added salt. Grilled it on a teflon pan & it came out super tender & moist. I will def be making more banh mi & more lemonngrass marinates. Planning to try it on Halibut fillets next time.
If you live in Singapore, I guess you could easily get roasted pork belly?? Try it with your banh mi, add some cucumber strips, cilantro, then splash on a bit of dipping fish sauce (the recipe is on my blog). It was my favorite Bánh Mì when I was still in Saigon ^^.
Thanks! Actually that’s my plan, get some cooked pork belly from supermarket for protein in my banh mi. I am on a Banh Mi adventure, trying different proteins. Just bought bratwurst from Swiss butcher today and planning to grill it to make Banh Mi. Have you tried? How do I get lemongrass flavour in? Can I marinate it like in your chicken recipe?
Hello, Ong KC. Sorry for replying late. I haven’t tried Bratwurst with Banh Mi yet. In Germany, where I live, the Bratwurst is a bit saltier than my Vietnamese flavor, but I’m not sure about the Bratwurst in Singapore. I think if I wanted to make lemongrass-infused Bratwurst, I would try marinating the sausages with some lemongrass and green onion juice (blend the lemongrass and the white part of the green onion with a bit of water, then strain through a sieve to get the juice). The juice can impart a better flavor to your protein than minced lemongrass, and when grilling, the lemongrass will not get burnt (it’s our Vietnamese tip).
Then, you could use the juice with some sugar, MSG and maybe just a very small amount of fish sauce to marinate your Bratwurst for a few hours or overnight.
I hope that it could work. If you try to make lemongrass-infused Bratwurst, let me know the result. I’m very excited to hear about it.
Thank you for the tips. I really appreciate it. Decided not to do lemongrass infused bratwurst with sauerkraut (added like pickled vegs), as I worry the flavour may be too far off to match banh mi, I will stick to authentic Vietnamese flavours. I have done another banh mi with pork liver pate bought from Swiss deli. Protein was grilled lemongrass turkey breast, this time I have replenished my fish sauce. Also I did not forget scallions and scallion oil. I did not so much taste the difference. It was the sriracha mayo that carried the taste for me. The crunchy airy bread smeared with sriracha mayo, liver pate, then stuffed with pan grilled lemongrass turkey breast, padded with pickled carrots & radish, coriander & scallion, drenched in scallion oil. Super delicious.
Next I plan to do Vietnamese meatballs banh mi.
I’m glad that you love our Bánh Mì. In Vietnam, the meatballs for Bánh Mì is called “Xíu Mại”, it’s kind of meatballs with tomato sauce. Or you could make some grilled lemongrass meatballs, they would be awesome also. Hope you will love it ^^.
I used sriracha mayo to line the inside of the halved baguette before layering the fillings. Forgot scallions but it seems not noticeable. Also no chili for me. Next time I will make pate banh mi, we had it while on vacation in Hanoi early 2023, from a chain cafe that sells plain banh mi with only pate fillings. For me that was the best.
Yes, this pâté is very good, even if you just eat it alone with banh mi. (Sticky rice or crackers are also great side dishes 😉 !)