So France…what food does it make you think of?
Baguettes of course!
An example of the influence of the French on Vietnamese food is ‘Banh Mi’ which is a Vietnamese baguette commonly filled with ingredients such as pickled carrots, cucumbers, coriander, spring onion, chicken/pork liver pate, fresh cut chilli, garlic mayonnaise, thinly sliced pork belly and Vietnamese sausage.
Thus, Banh Mi has an infusion of French ingredients with the baguette, pate and mayonnaise, and Vietnamese style fillings and accompaniments like fresh herbs, pickled carrots and specially prepared meats.
The Vietnamese style baguette has a much crispier and firmer crust to provide a barrier for the moisture of the fillings and the inner part of the bread is light and fluffy so that it does not overwhelm the flavours of the sandwich and taste too bready.
You can buy Banh Mi from Asian groceries/supermarkets. Near the counter there is usually a selection of sweet and savoury snacks and sweets. These are generally prepared by people who work at home and then distribute their goods to groceries, which sell it on commission. A Banh Mi will usually cost you between $3.50-$4.50
But to get the best Banh Mi in Perth, you should go to ‘Ben Thanh’ at the Mirrabooka Village Shopping Centre. This is a little place dedicated to selling Banh Mi and also sells fresh sugar cane juice!
You get your Vietnamese baguette made fresh to order!
When you get your Banh Mi made fresh from Ben Thanh, after the fillings have being placed into the baguette, it will be popped into a grill for around 1 minute so that the baguette will be slightly warmed and is extra crunchy and crispy when you bite into it (warming: bread crumbs will fall everywhere and you will make a mess).
When you buy Banh Mi from an Asian grocery it will be cold and ok to eat. But if you take it home you can heat it up by putting it in the oven (no need to preheat the oven) and cook for around 10 minutes at 180 degrees celsius. The aim is to heat up the baguette to make the bread crispy and the fillings only need to be slightly warm.
Banh Mi is delicious…so please take a bite….
Related post - Searching for the best banh mi in Perth in Girrawheen
I've never had a Vietnamese style baguette sandwich before. I'd eat it.
ReplyDeleteEn France the fillings aren't too fancy (as most people would think) mainly I just get cheese, ham and tomato with mustard. not too fancy eh.
Hi
ReplyDeleteI love these rolls, I can't believe you haven't told me about this place! I work right next to it and could have had it for lunch. Now that I'm quitting I won't get the chance!
Jade
Hey! These are the best things ever, and totally addictive. I have found another supplier at called Banh Mi(suprise), corner of Marangaroo Drive and Templeton Cr, Girrawheen. (next door to Pizza Express)I can't get enough of them, trouble is I love the spicy pork one so much I can't bring myself to try the others!!!
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm at it, behind Banh Mi is a noodle house called Kim's which does the best ever Ho Fun (noodle soup), and the Canton Barbeque house nearby is well worth a visit too. Happy eating, love your Blog, Craig.
Hi Craig, I'll have to check out this Banh Mi place in Girrawheen, always on the look out for the best places to get banh mi in Perth. I think there's a big Vietnamese community in Girrawheen so I am not surprised that they have all the best Vietnamese foods. I should head out and explore the area more!
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo! Found another outside Nguyen Phats Farmer Jacks on Girrawheen Ave and Wade Ct. Haven't tried the baguettes yet but will soon be giving it a go. Also, outside the Farmer Jacks is a bakery who make simply the best sausage rolls ever. Nothing bland about these baby's!! Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteHi there, another place in Girrawheen is up the top in Newpark Shopping Centre near the Commonwealth Bank. Also the Asian store there has the best Bauzi in Perth.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys for all your Banh Mi recommendations! Looking forward to checking them all out :)
ReplyDelete