I have always loved French food and coming to Vietnam just made this love connection deeper.
The French influence on Vietnamese cuisine is mind-boggling.

I have liked sandwiches but Banh Mi has redefined my experience of eating a sandwich for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I declare I am in love with this sandwich.
Streets in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi are flocked with hawkers making a variety of Banh Mi.
Eating Banh Mi on the streets can be deemed both a passion and fashion for food enthusiasts.
The only reason it’s absolutely impossible is because the Vietnamese hawkers don’t give you a bargain nor do they speak a word of English!
Is Banh Mi over-hyped???!
A Banh Mi looks deceptively simple, by my friend there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Just outside our hotel, there was this lady who sold the world’s best sandwiches for just 10,000 VND ie $0.47 only! It’s a steal ! Hence, Banh Mi is not over hyped . I would say with the possibility of 20 different variations, it is rather unexplored.
Eating my first ever Banh Mi…
I couldn’t have imagined how the humble baguette could have been zinged to such a level.
…So here’s a breakdown of taking a bite into the Banh Mi.
The bread is a lot fluffier and crispier than your regular baguette. Because it is absolutely airy and light it absorbs all the juices from the pickles and the meat fillings.
You take an arduous bite into the bread which is crunchy and your tongue meets the sweet-tangy dressing topped with braised pork or even the tenderest chicken ever.
Most Banh Mi have shredded fresh cucumber, carrot or radish. This is topped with Siracha or mayonnaise and mint sprigs. The ones made on the street usually have pickled vegetables.
We stayed in Vietnam for almost a week and I would wake up each morning imagining myself eating Banh Mi. I am one of those irritating people that photograph food before eating. Guilty.
The only exception was a Banh Mi. I have absolutely no photograph or a selfie with my most favorite Vietnamese food item 🙁
I believe the reason could be because I was so happy and engrossed in devouring the sandwich that everytime I had one; I almost forgot the outside world!
So I’m just going to close this post with a photo of myself being happy . With food!

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