London Life August: Food & Drink by Luiz Hara

The best London street food at Truck Stop, my favourite Dim Sum restaurants, Parrilladas galore at meat heaven Buen Ayre, and Saponara's perfect pizze are some of my August foodie recommendations for Heathrow Express readers. If you would like to find out more, visit the Heathrow Express site here.

Bánh Mì - The Vietnamese Baguette

Bánh Mì

In a delightful write-up by Charmaine Mok in Time Out (July 09), I read with great interest about Bánh Mì, a Franco-Vietnamese creation now to be found in the streets of London.

So what is a Bánh Mì? Bánh Mì is a Vietnamese sandwich made from an incredibly light and crisp French style baguette (made of 50% wheat & 50% rice flour) and stuffed with richly spiced pork/chicken liver paté, sliced pork meat (cha lua), julienned strips of sweet pickled carrots and radish (do chua), slices of crunchy cucumber, coriander and smothered in a rich, eggy mayonnaise.

Armed with my July 09 edition of Time Out and an ever so rumbling stomach, off I went to Broadway Market to visit the stall of Bahn Mi11. This delightful stall is set next to Ca Phe VN, the Vietnamese Cafe, already a fixture of that market and a real East End institution. With small tables and chairs around the stall, Bahn Mi11 is very reminiscent of similar street food eateries in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. 

I ordered a cup of the chilled green tea, and their classic Bánh Mì with extra fillings at £3.50. As expected, the baguette was incredibly light and crispy. The combination of the various ingredients was spot on – the sweetness of the liver pate, the sourness of the pickles; the sliced pork meat and herbs adding extra layers of complexity making the sandwich very nicely balanced. I was hooked!

After devouring my Bánh Mì, I had a lovely chat with the Vietnamese women behind the stall. Their enthusiasm and passion are contagious. I hope that they will be successful in popularising this wonderful Franco-Vietnamese creation to a wider audience in London.

Verdict – Street food at its best and at very reasonable prices. Charming service, and great location make Bánh Mì11, a must to anyone visiting Broadway Market.