617300 Mon May 04 19:19:16 -0700 2009 33 42 U.K./Ireland 0 4654486 I haven't found banh mi in London yet. Anyone else had any luck? Could a major metropolitan city really not be embracing this amazing taste sensation? Mon May 04 19:19:16 -0700 2009 15890 Lina 1 4654971 Banzi on Lower Road - (mentioned by Limster on another thread) - definitely does. http://london.randomness.org.uk/wiki.cgi?Banzi%2C_SE16_2LW Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/3411773557/ Tue May 05 01:03:14 -0700 2009 4654486 151962 DollyDagger 1 4696336 Greenwich Market has a Bahn Mi stand! I was standing in line for my Goddard's pie and saw a picture of a Bahn Mi stuck to the front of the serving hatch of the trailer next door. They aren't actually calling it Bahn Mi but the ingredients are unmistakable. The stand is called 'Baguettes' or something and it has a pork baguette with everything you'd expect in a Bahn Mi!! If I hadn't been revved up about Goddard's pies I would have grabbed one right there and then! But perhaps next time..... Tue May 19 02:36:35 -0700 2009 4654486 178658 isabella_deste 2 4696354 is that the little food bit next to nat west or actually in the market itself? Tue May 19 03:20:42 -0700 2009 4696336 223939 alexdz 3 4696536 Down by NatWest - not the covered market but the outdoor one. Tue May 19 06:03:57 -0700 2009 4696354 178658 isabella_deste 4 4721075 i'll try one this saturday and report back. Thu May 28 02:10:50 -0700 2009 4696536 223939 alexdz 2 4699605 This is very exciting indeed. Great find. I'm going to plan a trip especially. Thanks very much. Wed May 20 03:59:26 -0700 2009 4696336 231100 Browners 3 4722072 Tried the Banh Mi Greenwich stall on Sunday. It was ok, not great though. Shame as the woman on the stall was very friendly. She seemed very surprised I knew it was called a Banh Mi. She told me the stallholders are from Nha Trang on the central coast. I'm not an expert so no idea if there are regional Banh Mi styles. I ordered the Vietnamese Special baguette (Banh Mi in brackets on the menu). Cost £3.50. Pate and pork were decent, but the processed sausagey meat was cut too thick for my tastes. Nice crisp pickled veg but not enough of it. All rather let down by rubbish bread - the sort of sandwich baguette you might be in a four pack in a Co-op or somewhere. A bit chewy and uniform rather than a proper crisp crust and fluffy interior. Thu May 28 10:15:31 -0700 2009 4699605 248784 djwil 1 4701539 Cafe Bay, on Denmark Hill in Camberwell (near Kings College hospital) does them - lunchtimes only, but they've got a couple of choices, and they're all under £3.00. Wed May 20 14:04:42 -0700 2009 4654486 131605 babybat 2 4793823 I went to the banh mi stall in greenwich this sunday. I had the bbq chicken baguette (I dont know if this means i didnt actually have a banh mi). i thought it was great. the baguette was crispy and although it was definately out of a packet it did the job fine. the pickled veg was really tasty, good chilli sauce and the peanuts and masses of coriander really topped the whole thing off. good chicken as well. for £3 i thought it was well worth it. I'd definately eat it again, although its a tough call between that or a (cheaper) goddards pie and mash. Mon Jun 22 02:34:45 -0700 2009 4701539 223939 alexdz 2 5013575 I was visiting a friend in hospital at King's today and stopped at Cafe Bay for lunch. I had the special banh mi, which I really enjoyed. The bread was nicely crisp and fresh and the filling generous. It had paté, roast pork and pork roll, along with mayo, spicy carrot and cucumber pickle and fresh coriander. I liked it a lot. Tue Sep 08 10:27:20 -0700 2009 4701539 110146 greedygirl 1 4816028 I'm from Cabramatta (Sydney's version of little Vietnam) so I know a thing or two about authentic vietnamese food. Tried the banh mi thit from the Baguettes and more store in greenwich last weekend and it was really good. I have struggled to find a good tasting authentic banh mi thit with real ingredients. This place does more than just banh mi thit. My husband had the chicken wings and he thought they tasted great - just like what yuou would get in an authentic vietnamese restaurant in cabramatta. If you fancy authentic vietnamese food, visit the store. The owners are two really friendly ladies from vietnam (nha trang) so you know its the real deal. I am defitently going back to try a few other items on their menu. Mon Jun 29 14:52:35 -0700 2009 4654486 1089305 kl2906 2 4838657 i went again on sunday and had another good vietnamese sandwich. i think for £3 its not as cheap as goddards, which is a bargain. but it is a damn sight cheaper than anything you get in the covered market and just as good. as the covered market goes, i quite like the turkish pizza which is very tasty (although £4-5). the sushi is tasty, but £1 a piece so you'd only get 3 pieces for the price of a banh mi. some of the spanish stuff is nice, but expensive. i like the range available in greenwich tho. better than the restaurants. which reminds me i need to follow up on a recommendation from the other day on another post... Wed Jul 08 03:06:56 -0700 2009 4816028 223939 alexdz 3 4841067 I agree, I recently had a Brazilian sandwich in the covered market, which while good was just too damn expensive! Wed Jul 08 15:37:02 -0700 2009 4838657 139648 Nii 2 5108850 hey kl2906 where is their restaurant? i could just go down there and ask.. but i'm lazy ;) Fri Oct 16 13:53:40 -0700 2009 4816028 1081487 calvin_xa 1 4849692 Just spotted this review of a Bahn Mi stall at Broadway Market. It's not that favourable but the place could still be worth a try if you've got a craving. http://rwapplewannabe.wordpress.com/2009/07/11/banhmi-11-broadway-market/ http://banhmi11.com/ Sat Jul 11 15:27:32 -0700 2009 4654486 151962 DollyDagger 1 4850529 Noticed that Caphe House, which is opening on July 20 on Bermondsey Street, has a picture of banh mi among the images on the paper covering their windows. Don't know if that's for real or just a stock image, will report when they open. Sun Jul 12 02:24:31 -0700 2009 4654486 10076 limster 2 4851546 I saw this place the other day too - looked interesting! Sun Jul 12 13:37:44 -0700 2009 4850529 139648 Nii 3 4879613 Caphe House is now open and claim they specialize in banh mi. They are open: 7am - 7pm, Monday - Friday 8am - 4pm, Saturday - Sunday Really like the fact they are open on Sunday, just what this hood needs! Haven't tried yet as I walked by at around 8 PM last night. I will try to get over on the weekend. Tue Jul 21 23:01:55 -0700 2009 4851546 10146 CTownFeedR 4 4879751 Tried it yesterday, falls into the not bad category, but waiting to see how they evolve since they just opened. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/638398 Wed Jul 22 03:04:43 -0700 2009 4879613 10076 limster 5 4879830 Beat me to the punch, eh? Why should today be any different :). I will try this weekend and report back. S Wed Jul 22 04:38:51 -0700 2009 4879751 10146 CTownFeedR 6 4882043 Ha, CH is isn't about beating anyone to the punch -- it's about collaborative chow data pooling, especially a single data point usually isn't very meaningful. Looking forward to reading your (and others') reports. :) Wed Jul 22 15:16:19 -0700 2009 4879830 10076 limster 7 4883859 Oh I know. It's always fun to one-up the top of the heap though. Looking forward to trying on Saturday. S Thu Jul 23 08:53:27 -0700 2009 4882043 10146 CTownFeedR 4 4879865 I just picked up a banh mi there. They said they bake the bread on site, which is a plus as my baguette came straight out of the oven. On the downside, there wasn't any pate or pork roll on mine though, just a few slivers of roast pork, with the usual cucumber, carrot and sauces. It may improve over time, but so far I prefer the Greenwich place. Some problems with slightly chaotic service, but I'll forgive them as they're new. Wed Jul 22 05:06:38 -0700 2009 4879613 292619 deansa 5 4881594 went to banhmi11 in broadway market last saturday and it was actually quite good. the bread was crusty and the pate really stands out. tastes very fresh. tried the iced coffee as well, i would recommend the two together. timeout just did a piece on banh mi in london this week, check it out if you are interested: http://www.timeout.com/london/connect/food+drink/blog/63/from-hanoi-to-hackney Wed Jul 22 13:07:02 -0700 2009 4879865 1095888 locvn 1 5016351 A new place called Viet Baguette is about to open next to Lantana in Charlotte Mews W1. The notice on the window promises bahn mi and a specialism in street snacks. Will post when it opens. Fingers crossed. Wed Sep 09 09:48:38 -0700 2009 4654486 182867 juneavrile 2 5016778 Yay! More banh mi! I've only had banh mi in the states, so i'm looking forward to trying it in my hometown. Wed Sep 09 12:07:55 -0700 2009 5016351 139648 Nii 1 5070500 Check out www.cafebay.co.uk Brilliant banh mi (try the spiced pork) but not open Sundays. Wed Sep 30 15:06:16 -0700 2009 4654486 1101519 LinaWin 1 5072870 We spent a recent sunday in Deptford for the open studios, and were pleasantly surprised by the number of vietnamese places on the high street. At least one had bahn mi on the menu. Alas, we were too full from sunday lunch to try any. Thu Oct 01 12:57:40 -0700 2009 4654486 22624 relizabeth 2 5073042 They are popping up all over the place. New cafe also called Viet Baguette has opened just off Powis Street in Woolwich. Probably a bit off piste for most of you but well worth it if anyone's in the area. £3 for the works. Good rich livery pate and nice pickled carrots. Thu Oct 01 14:33:02 -0700 2009 5072870 248784 djwil 1 5076309 Viet Baguette has opened in Charlotte Place. The bread is good but the sandwich is just too meagre and doesn't come close to those I've eaten in NYC. The sliced pork had a good flavour but there so soooo little of it and no pate at all. So the bahn mi is mainly bread with some pickle strands, fresh coriander and a few rings of chilli. Not good. And poor value at £3.75 Very disappointed. I'll stick to making my own. Sat Oct 03 08:25:08 -0700 2009 4654486 182867 juneavrile 2 5076902 Sounds dreadful..... Sat Oct 03 14:46:24 -0700 2009 5076309 139648 Nii 2 5077845 I was disappointed rather than very disappointed with my caramel chicken banh mi but I'm not writing them off just yet. Didn't think much of the bread and had a chat with the owner about this, he is looking to source baguettes made with the right blend of rice flour and wheat flour, let's see what he's able to come up with. The filling was actually tasty but as you say there just wasn't enough of it and for £3.70 this represents poor value for a sandwich. There is pate on the menu which I would expect to feature in any of the pork banh mis but I am yet to sample. Interested to see pork floss on the menu, a favourite of mine but not an ingredient I associate with Vietnamese cuisine. Of the London examples I've tasted so far, Cafe Bay in Camberwell/Denmark Hill is the best although I wasn't happy with the pickled veggies there, either they hadn't been pickled for long enough or the pickling liquid itself was weak. http://vietbaguette.net/ Sun Oct 04 07:11:04 -0700 2009 5076309 28263 oonth 3 5077994 You're quite right to give them another go. I'll try again when they actually have some pate (like you, always assumed this was a standard in a bahn mi) and maybe that will make it a deal better. Sun Oct 04 08:38:04 -0700 2009 5077845 182867 juneavrile