Banh Mi

The world's greatest sandwich — a crispy French baguette stuffed with pate, cold cuts, pickled daikon, coriander and chilli.

Banh mi is one of the world's great sandwiches and a direct product of French colonisation — the French introduced baguettes to Vietnam in the 19th century and Vietnamese bakers adapted them, creating a lighter, crispier bread using rice flour. The filling evolved from French ingredients (pate, butter, cold cuts) combined with Vietnamese flavours (fish sauce, pickled vegetables, coriander, chilli) to create something entirely new. Anthony Bourdain called banh mi a symphony in a sandwich. The bread is the critical element — it must be thin-crusted and light inside, shattering at the bite. A regular French baguette, being too thick and chewy, fundamentally changes the eating experience.

The baguette must be Vietnamese style — crispier crust and lighter crumb than French. The pate layer is non-negotiable. The pickled daikon and carrot must be made fresh.