After a few stays in the beautiful old town of Hoi An, Cameron Stauch finally discovered what makes the sandwiches here so special. That is because most of the ingredients are homemade by the shop owner, instead of using available ingredients like many other places.
Some other unique things that make up the best banh mi in Vietnam were discovered by a Canadian chef.
Bread kept warm in a charcoal stove: quite thin, not as thick as the classic French bread. Notably, all bread is kept warm in a charcoal stove before being processed.
Homemade sauce:is a "super sauce" as chef Cameron Stauch calls it. This recipe is the shop owner's closely guarded secret.
Premium meat and pate:This is a special liver pate that is soft and fatty, when eaten it melts in your mouth, adding to the delicious flavor.
Vegetables served with: all are fresh, combined from many different types of raw vegetables with unique flavors such as coriander, basil, green onions... A little bit of sweet and sour pickled carrots and cucumbers also adds freshness and deliciousness.
How to arrange ingredients: First, a spoonful of homemade mayonnaise is spread evenly over the bread, followed by a spoonful of pâté spread evenly underneath. Two small spoonfuls of pepper sauce are drizzled along the sides of the bread, the meat and vegetables are added in the next step.
Chef Cameron Stauch says he believes it's this special layering process that creates the addictive, harmonious flavor of the banh mi here.
Cameron Stauch especially loves the banh mi at the small shop in Hoi An ancient town, and he also does not forget to suggest this interesting place to his friends and other international tourists.
