It might be my inner-hippie coming through but I really try to pay attention to coincidences – you know, those moments when it seems that the universe is trying to tell you something and all things converge to point you in one direction. For all of you skeptics out there, don’t worry, I have proof: the banh mi sandwich. Here is my story…

It all started on a typical Monday morning when I was doing typical things, chatting with my friend, Dara, while we prepared for a catering event. Like everyone else I know, a good part of our Monday talk is catching up on what happened over the weekend. Unlike everyone else I know, our Monday conversations are usually centered on what we ate, what we cooked and what was new at the farmer’s market. This is when the banh mi first entered my life, as Dara casually mentioned she had been out to a Vietnamese sandwich shop and ordered one of these tasty delights. It sounded interesting (crusty baguette, meaty filling, tangy carrot and fresh cilantro), so I made a mental note to find out more.

I must have tucked my banh mi mental note a little too far back in my mind because it was a few days until it came up again. This time I was reading John Thorne’s Pot on the Fire and landed on the Chapter entitled Banh Mi & Me, where Thorne shares his first experience of the banh mi: “I bought one, took it out to the car, ate it, and went straight back in and bought another. One bite and I knew that I was onto a good thing…It goes almost without saying that I returned to the market for another round the very next day” (p. 46). After finishing the chapter it would be fair to say that I was intrigued and the banh mi held my attention long enough to do a quick Chowhound search to see what the professional foodies had to say. As usual, Chowhound did not disappoint and I found loads of threads detailing proper banh mi fillings and the best banh mi in the area. I jotted down a quick list of banh mi shops and posted it on my computer monitor next to my other to-do lists.

If your to-do lists are as long and diverse as mine, you’ll understand why my banh mi to-do item just did not get done. While I was intrigued, the banh mi was not a priority. Thinking back, I cringe at the thought of those weeks I missed of banh mi bliss. I might still be living banh mi-free if fate had not stepped in and dropped me at the door of banh mi heaven.

I was running an errand in downtown Oakland and was stuck in construction-related traffic. Without much else to do besides sitting and waiting, I checked out the scenery and realized I was right next to Cam Huong, also known as the best banh mi in Oakland (at least according to this Chow thread). Coincidence? I don’t think so. I finally picked up on the message, parked the car and stepped inside for my first taste of banh mi.

I didn’t plow through my first banh mi and race back into the store the way Thorne did, but if I had been a little hungrier I think I might have. It is really that good. Why does the banh mi stand out from other sandwiches? I think it is because it looks like a sandwich (very familiar to our American palate), but tastes very different (vegetables with a crispy zing, tangy but earthy spread, and a blast of cilantro). The banh mi combines the expected and the unexpected into one interesting flavor package. As a street food it is relatively inexpensive and very transportable (think of your next road trip). And even though it is Vietnamese in origin, the ingredients are easily found in your market.

The only downside of my first banh mi experience was the price. At $2.50 for an 8-inch sandwich I was sure that the meaty filling that tasted so good did not come from organic, pasture-raised chickens. Until I find a shop that offers humanely-raised meats in their banh mi, I will be experimenting with my own recipes at home, hoping for a sign of a banh mi shop using humanely-raised meats in my future.

Banh Mi Road Map to Success

I don’t think banh mi sandwiches take to a specific recipe - here is the basic structure:

• Bread: A light, airy, crisp roll. I used a whole-grain roll but a standard hoagie-style roll would be more traditional. I like to slice mine in half and tear out a bit of the center; this creates a little crater for the fillings and takes away some of the density.
• Spread: 3 layers: A pork or chicken liver pate, Nuoc Cham sauce, a bit of mayonnaise.
• Filling: Roasted pork, chicken, or mushrooms. In the banh mi pictured I used leftover chicken (a rotisserie chicken would work well) sautéed in coconut oil with green garlic, onion, and a dash of soy sauce.
• Topping: Lots of cilantro, marinated daikon and carrot (recipe below), cucumber, mint leaves, thinly sliced onion, or chile pepper.

Nuoc Cham (adapted from Simple Art of Vietnamese Cooking)
(Makes about 2 cups)

• 1 ¾ cups water
• 2 tablespoons sugar (agave syrup)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 thai chile pepper
• ¼ cup fish sauce (nuoc mam)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice with pulp

Place the garlic, chile paste, lime, and thai pepper into a processor and pulverize into a paste.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar (or agave) with 1 ¾ cups water. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat, allowing to cool for a few minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine and whisk both mixtures together. Serve at room temperature. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

Carrot and Daikon Salad (adapted from Pot on the Fire)
(makes about 2 ½ cups)
1 medium carrot
1 small daikon radish
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar (agave syrup)
1 pinch salt

Place water and sugar (agave syrup) in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Scrub and peel the carrot and daikon radish. Use the biggest holes on a grater and grate coarsely into long strands, or use your knife to slice them into matchstick size strips. Place in a small bowl. Add the cooled water and sugar mixture (syrup), rice vinegar, and salt. Marinate for at least one hour.

More banh mi inspiration on the web:

Viet World Kitchen: Andrea’s great post on diverse banh mi options and a recipe for Vietnamese Baguette.

Cook & Eat: A fun spin on banh mi as a bruschetta.

Food Wolf: 5-spice banh mi with a spicy lime mayonnaise.

Amateur Gourmet: Adam’s account of picking up banh mi in NYC.

Chowhound Post: Shows how far banh mi infatuation can go!

You Tube: You can bet that when I put together my banh mi I didn’t move this fast…

Check out Food Blog Search for more recipes.

Tagged as: main course, sandwiches

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