Building up an appetite? Wan Chai’s Banh Mi Nem is Hong Kong’s new home to authentic Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwiches.
You might not know this but the Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich traces its origins to Indochina’s colonial period, when French baguettes were common place and Vietnamese begin filling them with local ingredients. Since then this ubiquitous sandwich can be found the world over, including in Hong Kong where Banh Mi Nem has opened in Wan Chai.
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Vietnam-born Kiki Phung, and her business partner and head chef Hanh met in Hong Kong where they searched for authentic banh mi options, and instead realised that they would need to do it themselves (isn’t that so often the case?). The result, after months of trial and error, is what the duo consider to be the best Vietnamese sandwich in town, made with imported ingredients straight from Vietnam.
Many may argue the baguette bread is the most important element of the sandwich, as the perfect bread roll is set with an ethereal crispy crust with the perfect soft interior to hold the generous fillings for each sandwich; the Banh Mi Nem team spent months refining the bread roll recipe they learned from a renowned bakery in Ho Chi Minh City. In addition, the liver pate and meat floss, the unsung heroes of the sandwich and crucial components of an authentic banh mi, are made in house daily by the restaurant’s chef team.
In fact, the new restaurant’s signature sandwich, the Bánh Mì Đặc Biệt, is packed with almost 10 types of filling, including assorted cold cuts, Vietnamese barbecued pork, pork floss, and liver pate while the Bánh Mì Thịt Kho Da Giòn or stewed pork sandwich; Bánh Mì Nem Nướng or Vietnamese minced pork skewer sandwich; and Bánh Mì Gà grilled chicken sandwich are bound to remind you of foodie forays from Saigon to Hanoi.
Not just limited to sandwiches, Banh Mi Nem also serves Bun Cha Gio, double-crusted spring rolls packed with cool vermicelli noodles; grilled juicy marinated pork skewers; tofu with cold vermicelli for our vegetarian brethren; and, for those looking for a pick-me-up, authentic iced Vietnamese coffee, a cool, sweet caffeine hit.
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