Walking through Hoi An\u2019s Old Town, in central Vietnam, the omnipresent buzz of motorbikes fills the air. Vendors push carts overloaded with ceramic vases and bowls. A pedicab slows down to offer a ride. A woman touts custom-made tailoring and leather bags from a store, where a lush curtain of foliage falls from the rooftop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But I am single-minded in my mission: To find the best banh mi in Hoi An \u2013 and maybe even the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The king of sandwiches brings together several cultural traditions all in one crispy bun, namely a golden French baguette (introduced to Vietnam by French colonists in the late 19th century), pork p\u00e2t\u00e9, Chinese char siu (barbecued pork), American hamburger meat, mayonnaise and a mix of Vietnamese herbs and chili sauces...<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf there\u2019s one thing to eat in Hoi An, I must say it\u2019s banh mi,\u201d Huynh tells CNN Travel. \u201cWe have the best banh mi in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEating is really part of our culture \u2013 it\u2019s a fashion and a passion. You can eat banh mi all day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, fast snack \u2026 there\u2019s no right time to eat it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Huynh says the \u201creal Hoi An\u201d isn\u2019t in Old Town, so we hop on his motorcycle to ride northwest to Zone B. \u201cLocals don\u2019t really have any interest in Old Town, aside from work,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Huynh says the “real Hoi An” isn’t in Old Town, so we hop on his motorcycle to ride northwest to Zone B. “Locals don’t really have any interest in Old Town, aside from work,” he says.<\/p>\n “If you want to see and eat things that are authentic, you really have to go to Zone B. That’s where most locals live – and that’s where you will mostly see the real life.”<\/p>\n We stop on a relatively quiet street, where he points to Phi Banh Mi: An open-air restaurant with red stools and stainless-steel tables.<\/p>\n “The banh mi here is created by Do Van Phi, a former chef at the Nam Hai (now the Four Seasons Nam Hai),” says Huynh. “He has so much knowledge of professional kitchens.”<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n Prepared in a matter of seconds, the banh mi comes topped with an abundance of herbs – Vietnamese mint (which tastes like coriander), mint, spring onions, basil – and a spicy helping of homemade chili sauce.<\/p>\n What makes this banh mi special is the roasted pork belly. “The best part of the pig is the belly, but every pig has a different flavor and taste,” says Huynh. “A free-range pig will taste better – and that’s what he uses.”<\/p>\n Phi heads to the Central market every morning to collect fresh ingredients from the best vendors. “He has really good pork belly – they always save the best for him,” says Huynh.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n Address: 88 Th\u00e1i Phi\u00ean, Ph\u01b0\u1eddng Minh An, H\u1ed9i An<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Read more reviews of Phi B\u00e1nh M\u00ec on TripAdvisor<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n After 45 years making banh mi, Madam Khanh passed the business to her children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A well-known brick-and-mortar restaurant, Madam Khanh is nicknamed the Banh Mi Queen for good reason. Now in her 90s, Nguyen Thi Loc set up her banh mi business in 1975 and ran it for 45 years \u2013 nearly half her life. Though her daughter runs the show now, she often stops by in the mornings to help out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vietnam by planes, trains, automobiles... and then some. \u201cHer bread is really nice and she packs each sandwich with fresh herbs and homemade mayonnaise,\u201d says Huynh. \u201cShe also makes homemade p\u00e2t\u00e9 from pig liver, seasoned with crushed shallot, lemongrass, pepper, salt, tiny bit of MSG inside.\u201d Since the second generation took over, Huynh says the banh mi have become more modern and, in some ways, more tailored for foreigners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important thing about banh mi is the bread. It has to be fresh \u2013 crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. The family introduced a bigger menu \u2013 including vegetarian, beef and fish banh mi \u2013 plus a slightly sweet sauce and added an omelet inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe omelet is definitely not too traditional,\u201d says Huynh. \u201cWe\u2019ve never done that in the past, but this is kind of a new idea and people really liked it. It\u2019s like a fancy-style baguette. But I\u2019d say it\u2019s sweet and less spicy than the traditional.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Address: 115 Tr\u1ea7n Cao V\u00e2n, Ph\u01b0\u1eddng Minh An, H\u1ed9i An Located in western Hoi An, La Banh Mi Sai Gon Tai Hoi An is a nostalgic stop for Huynh. \u201cWhen I was a kid, I came here every day in the early morning to eat her banh mi,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Born in Ho Chi Minh City, the owner of La Banh Mi Sai Gon Tai Hoi An, named Ta Thi Nghia, moved to Hoi An 20 years ago looking for new opportunities. She quickly found a niche, setting up a roadside banh mi stall that Hoi An residents loved. Later, she expanded to a second location that her daughter runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn\u2019t look like much other than a stall and a few plastic stools, but the family-run operation works to extract as much flavor as possible from each ingredient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHer banh mi is a little bit different, because it has southern tradition,\u201d says Huynh. \u201cShe uses extra fatty rolled pork belly instead of char siu and plenty of green chili for heat. She also makes her mayonnaise \u2013 using egg, oil and yogurt for a slightly sour taste.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no rush here. They let (the p\u00e2t\u00e9) cook nice and slowly. But the most memorable ingredient is the p\u00e2t\u00e9. Off to the right, a wood-fired oven opens to reveal flames, licking a batch of fresh pork liver p\u00e2t\u00e9. \u201cThis is the correct way to cook p\u00e2t\u00e9 \u2013 really, really slow with the open fire like this,\u201d says Huynh. \u201cAfter it\u2019s done, they let it burn a little bit. Then they bake it up, burning it again, to make the flavor much stronger. There\u2019s no rush here. They let it cook nice and slowly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though she\u2019s not cooking for foreigners, her banh mi does run a little on the sweet side. That\u2019s due to her Hoi Chi Minh City heritage. \u201cHer recipes are from the South, which is more influenced by the Khmer (Cambodian) culture,\u201d says Huynh. \u201cThey eat more palm sugar and add it in the cooking, so food tends to be slightly sweeter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Address: 151 Tr\u1ea7n H\u01b0ng \u0110\u1ea1o, H\u1ed9i An<\/strong> The most famous banh mi in the world, Banh Mi Phuong sells roughly 3,000-4,000 sandwiches per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSeven years ago, a guy with a camera came by, ordered a bahn mi and said: \u2018This is the best banh mi in the world,\u2019\u201d says Huynh. \u201cThat was Anthony Bourdain. Afterwards, they got lots of international attention and became famous.\u201d Huynh says the hype \u2013 and resulting lines out the door \u2013 are well deserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Started by Truong Thi Phuong (aka Madam Phuong)\u2019s parents, the business \u201copened doors\u201d roughly 55 years ago. They ran it for about 25 years, before passing it on to their eldest daughter. Madam Phuong, then a teacher, was totally overwhelmed. But her boyfriend Dang Ng\u1ecdc Chau \u2013 who had a highly coveted government police job at the time \u2013 quit to help her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He became the creative force behind the operation, taking over the kitchen (then in the Central Market) and refining the recipes. \u201cAt that time, for a young man to leave such a good job and start working in a kitchen, it was looked down upon,\u201d says Huynh. \u201cHe is really a hero of love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After winning over local eaters, the pair moved into a brick-and-mortar restaurant. They were very strategic about the location: right next to Hoi An\u2019s best bakery.\n\nSeven years ago, a guy with a camera came by \u2026 and said: \u2018This is the best banh mi in the world.\u2019 That was Anthony Bourdain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe most important thing about banh mi is the bread. It has to be fresh \u2013 crispy on the outside, soft on the inside,\u201d says Huynh. \u201cTheir location is really smart. Now they have a steady stream of fresh baguettes.\u201d As for the taste? The restaurant has one of the largest menus with everything from vegetarian banh mi to bacon and beef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the traditional version, the baguette explodes with fresh ingredients, such as barbecued pork, spicy chili, a bundle of fresh herbs and yolky mayonnaise. \u201cHer husband is the brains in the kitchen,\u201d says Huynh. \u201cHe has all the recipes, shows up at 4:30 a.m. to start preparation every day. He is the heart of this place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Address: 2B Phan Ch\u00e2u Trinh, H\u1ed9i An<\/strong> A tiny stall near the Chua Nam Quang Tu pagoda in northeast Hoi An, Banh Mi Lanh draws a following among local residents. In business for about 30 years, the stall is run by Khuu Thi Lanh, who pumps out baguettes at lightning speed under the shade of a tin roof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis flavour is really the most authentic in Hoi An,\u201d says Huynh. \u201cThey use the same bread as Madam Phuong\u2019s and homemade p\u00e2t\u00e9, baked the traditional way in a lemongrass and shallot marinade.\u201d The baguette isn\u2019t too sweet, nor too saucy, and the bread tastes light and airy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe local people, when we eat a banh mi, we sit down at the stall on the stools,\u201d says Huynh. \u201cThe first bite of a banh mi isn\u2019t ever really that good. But that second bite\u2026 mmm. That\u2019s when you start to get all the fillings, and the bread, in one bite. That\u2019s when it tastes really good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Address: 430 C\u1eeda \u0110\u1ea1i C\u1ea9m Ch\u00e2u, H\u1ed9i An<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thien Xuan Travel The king of sandwiches brings together several cultural traditions all in one crispy bun, namely a golden French baguette (introduced to Vietnam by French colonists in the late 19th century), pork p\u00e2t\u00e9, Chinese char siu (barbecued pork), American hamburger meat, mayonnaise and a mix of Vietnamese herbs and chili sauces...<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":15798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[61,62],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/thienxuantravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Banh-mi-Hoi-An-posts1-1.jpg\")
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/thienxuantravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Banh-mi-Hoi-An-posts2-1.jpg\")
Banh mi basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Phi B\u00e1nh M\u00ec<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/thienxuantravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Banh-mi-Hoi-An-11.jpg\")
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Madam Khanh - The Banh Mi Queen<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Read more reviews of B\u00e1nh m\u00ec Madam Kh\u00e1nh<\/a> on TripAdvisor<\/p>\n\n\n\nB\u00e1nh M\u00ec S\u00e0i G\u00f2n t\u1ea1i H\u1ed9i An<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
![\"La](\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/180726132022-banh-mi-hoi-an-vietnam-la-banh-mi-sai-gon-tai-hoi-an.jpg?q=x_3,y_149,h_1645,w_2923,c_crop\/h_720,w_1280\")
Read more reviews of B\u00e1nh M\u00ec S\u00e0i G\u00f2n t\u1ea1i H\u1ed9i An<\/a> on TripAdvisor<\/p>\n\n\n\nB\u00e1nh M\u00ec Ph\u01b0\u1ee3ng<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/thienxuantravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/180726132026-banh-mi-hoi-an-vietnam-banh-mi-phuong-1.jpg\")
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/thienxuantravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Banh-mi-Hoi-An-Phuong.jpg\")
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Read more reviews of B\u00e1nh Mi\u0300 Ph\u01b0\u1ee3ng<\/a> tr\u00ean TripAdvisor<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nB\u00e1nh M\u00ec L\u00e0nh<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
![\"You](\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/180726133332-banh-mi-hoi-an-vietnam-banh-mi-lanh.jpg?q=x_2,y_0,h_898,w_1596,c_crop\/h_720,w_1280\")
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/thienxuantravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Banh-mi-Hoi-An1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Park 2, 208 Nguyen Huu Canh, Ward 22,
Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
booking@thienxuantravel.com or gd@thienxuantravel.com
Hotline: +84 888 890 898<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"