I tend to prefer my bánh mì without pâté so “một bánh mì Không co pâté” (one bánh mì without pâté) has become a common phrase in my life here. My other favorite bánh mì is bánh mì gà xé, or bánh mì with shredded chicken. My favorite bánh mì gà xé is sold right next to my Vietnamese languge school, so I eat there at least twice a week because it is so good!!
When I first tried the bánh mì gà xé from the stall by my language school I was surprised by how delicious it was. With so many different bánh mìs in Vietnam, it is not often that one really stands out in my mind, but this one is especially delicious. It is filled with shredded, caramelized chicken, but what I like the most is that it’s filled with lots of fresh pickled carrots and daikon radish. I now feel excited every time I order this bánh mì, and it never gets old no matter how often I eat it. Do you have a favorite food you could eat over and over and still love? Sometimes I think I am happiest when I have a bánh mì in my hand.
The bánh mì is one of the most popular street foods in Vietnam, which means, unsurprisingly, that it is prepared on the street! Vendors have small carts that are piled with a variety of Vietnamese sausages and baskets of bread, plates of herbs and vegetables, and containers of different sauces and spreads. They often also have a small grill or portable stove where they can fry eggs for bánh mì trứng ốp la or grill meatballs for bánh mì thịt nướng. They usually cost between 10,000 and 30,000 Vietnamese Dong (or about $0.40-$1.00).
