Vietnamese banh mi sandwich in Chiang Mai?

[Wopanese]

I did a search on Thai Visa for those wonderful Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches I used to eat in Los Angeles on Thai Visa, but didn't see anything. Anyone know if they exist in Chiang Mai? Thanks!

[Ulysses G.]

There is no bread like that in Chiang Mai and in Vietnam, the bread is what makes the sandwiches so good. I suspect the fillings are better in America as it is mostly cheap, pretty tasteless lunch meats in Vietnam, unless they have improved in the last 15 years since I taught there.

[searcher22]

There's a Vietnamese restaurant north of town (Meechok Plaza) that sells these baguette sandwiches for around 50 baht each. I don't know how it compares to the L.A. ones though.

[meatboy]

home made ban-mi.

minced pork,chicken livers. i fried in butter.

then add.

corriander,chilli,ginger,garlic,all grated.

add some curry-powder,salt/pepper.

extra's mayo,cucumber,sliced pepper.

half baked rolls from makro.

recipe adrian richardson on the asian food channel.

[Oscar2]

make them yourself at home.

[Oscar2]

There's a Vietnamese restaurant north of town (Meechok Plaza) that sells these baguette sandwiches for around 50 baht each. I don't know how it compares to the L.A. ones though.

not even close! they are about 50 Bath each and lack most of the ingredients. you need about 3 of them for a meal as they are appetizer size.

some very nice ones sold on the border of Laos near the large duty-free shop.

[Wopanese]

Okay, I am at the Vietnamese place right now at Meechok Plaza and I'm waiting for the sandwich to be delivered to me. I will post a review shortly. Sorry for the double posting I think I did that by mistake somehow, moderator please feel free to delete the other duplicate post thank you!

[seesip]

I actually think the banh mi at Meechok are pretty good. Definitely small, but tasty--has some nice pate in it. One's good for a snack but need 2 in you're hungry.

[Wopanese]

So I ordered their banh mi and I thought it was very tasty. In fact I ate one then ordered a second to go and ate that one later in the afternoon. The pork was tender and seasoned nicely and there was a nice crunch with the fresh veggies inside and a nice amount of cilantro which I really like. There was a little heat to it as well but definitely not over the top. The bread was what I would call a pastrami roll, and not a crispy baguette but it was warmed in a convection oven so there was a little crunch and then packaged in a nice individual paper bag. I was pleasantly surprised at the taste an texture of the entire sandwich, and though it wasn't what I remember eating in the Vietnamese areas in Los Angeles it was close enough to go back on a regular basis. I will also definitely go there for dinner soon as well!

[Chicog]

So I ordered their banh mi and I thought it was very tasty. In fact I ate one then ordered a second to go and ate that one later in the afternoon. The pork was tender and seasoned nicely and there was a nice crunch with the fresh veggies inside and a nice amount of cilantro which I really like. There was a little heat to it as well but definitely not over the top. The bread was what I would call a pastrami roll, and not a crispy baguette but it was warmed in a convection oven so there was a little crunch and then packaged in a nice individual paper bag. I was pleasantly surprised at the taste an texture of the entire sandwich, and though it wasn't what I remember eating in the Vietnamese areas in Los Angeles it was close enough to go back on a regular basis. I will also definitely go there for dinner soon as well!

How much did it cost out of interest?

[DogNo1]

I will soon be visiting Little Saigon in Westminster, CA and gorging on delicious Vietnamese food - better than the food served in the real Saigon (what a disappointment!) Eat your hearts out!

[Wopanese]

Chicog, sorry that I forgot to mention the price...55 baht for one sandwich. A British couple were looking at the menu outside when I was exiting the restaurant and I told them that the sandwich was worth ordering. A while later after doing some shopping I saw the same couple and they agreed that it was excellent, even though the woman said she was a vegetarian (they probably stuffed it with veggies for her). Enjoy!

[Wopanese]

I will soon be visiting Little Saigon in Westminster, CA and gorging on delicious Vietnamese food - better than the food served in the real Saigon (what a disappointment!) Eat your hearts out!

Oooh, Westminster yes! Eat your heart out indeed. Been there!! My Vietnamese friends in the States agree that the Vietnamese food in America is actually better than back home, they tell me, ha...go figure.

[Oscar2]

I will soon be visiting Little Saigon in Westminster, CA and gorging on delicious Vietnamese food - better than the food served in the real Saigon (what a disappointment!) Eat your hearts out!

Oooh, Westminster yes! Eat your heart out indeed. Been there!! My Vietnamese friends in the States agree that the Vietnamese food in America is actually better than back home, they tell me, ha...go figure.

no surprise there. the Thai food in Los Angeles is better than it is here (unless you go to a ridiculously priced place in Bangkok). i've never been to China but friends who have visited have told me the Chinese food in L.A. is better than anywhere they dined in China.

[northernjohn]

Just have to laugh at the whole thing Viet Namese food being claimed to be better in America than the real McCoy in Viet Nam.

Probably because it is no longer Viet Namese. Like curry is no longer just Indian.

I guess it sounds better than saying I like the imitation better than the real McCoy.

[Jingthing]

Just have to laugh at the whole thing Viet Namese food being claimed to be better in America than the real McCoy in Viet Nam.

Probably because it is no longer Viet Namese. Like curry is no longer just Indian.

I guess it sounds better than saying I like the imitation better than the real McCoy.

You've never been to Westminster or San Jose, have you?

[Ulysses G.]

Just have to laugh at the whole thing Viet Namese food being claimed to be better in America than the real McCoy in Viet Nam.

I have traveled in Vietnam quite a bit and even lived there for a while. The best Vietnamese that I have ever had was a little hole-in-the-wall on California street near Polk in San Francisco in the 1980s - before I had visited Vietnam the first time. Of course, it didn't taste anything like any food I ever tried in Vietnam, once I finally got there, so now I wonder what it actually was.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[Chicog]

Most foreign food in western countries has been sanitised for the Western palate.

But it doesn't mean it isn't good.

And it's led to some innovation, too, such as the Balti pie.

[Chicog]

Chicog, sorry that I forgot to mention the price...55 baht for one sandwich. A British couple were looking at the menu outside when I was exiting the restaurant and I told them that the sandwich was worth ordering. A while later after doing some shopping I saw the same couple and they agreed that it was excellent, even though the woman said she was a vegetarian (they probably stuffed it with veggies for her). Enjoy!

Thanks for that, I'll give it a try next time I'm in town.

[Jingthing]

Most foreign food in western countries has been sanitised for the Western palate.

But it doesn't mean it isn't good.

And it's led to some innovation, too, such as the Balti pie.

I'm referring to places where the vast majority of customers are Vietnamese people. There are over two million Vietnamese people in the USA. True there are Viet restaurants catering to round eyes. I am talking about the places, especially in Westminster and San Jose catering to VIETNAMESE. Get the diff?

[prism]

Just have to laugh at the whole thing Viet Namese food being claimed to be better in America than the real McCoy in Viet Nam.

I have traveled in Vietnam quite a bit and even lived there for a while. The best Vietnamese that I have ever had was a little hole-in-the-wall on California street near Polk in San Francisco in the 1980s - before I had visited Vietnam the first time. Of course, it didn't taste anything like any food I ever tried in Vietnam, once I finally got there, so now I wonder what it actually was.

I remember that tiny place in San Francisco, used to get a line out the door. Very tasty five spice chicken.

There's a place on the middle ring road called pho' anh that's run by a Vietnamese fellow that lived in the U.S. for many years. Food reminds me of the Vietnamese food that I used to eat in SF. I believe they have those sandwiches.

[Jingthing]

Yes I remember that place on California Street too and I did like it ... but most of their customers not Vietnamese.

[Ulysses G.]

The best Vietnamese food I ever had in Vietnam was at a place in Hanoi near the railway station. It was called Indochine. I used to go there often when I lived there. It was in a French colonial mansion and the staff dressed up in traditional gear. I remember that three or 4 really amazing dishes with rice and two large local beers came to about US 10. I bet you can't get a meal like that for 3 times the price now.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[junglechef]

I've ordered the ones at Meekchok three times, my kids like anything sandwich, and each time it was different. Not too bad but I like to know what I'm getting especially if I return for something I want the same thing.

[DogNo1]

People who have not been to Saigon recently perhaps are not aware of the McDonaldization of many restaurants in the city. Pho Nguyen Hue (on Nguyen Hue St. of course) has been transformed into a restaurant where young workers slap a pre-packaged bunch of noodles into a bowl, pour beef broth which seems to be made from bullion over them, then slap a pre-packaged amount of beef (or chicken) on top. It is served with a very sparse dish of raw bean sprouts and green basil that you can put into the soup. There are small bottles of plum sauce and sriratcha sauce on the table but if you want fish sauce, as I always do, you must order it although it is free. This nothing like Pho Nguyen Hue used to be like in the sixties. The real Pho Nguyen Hue is now on Westminster St. in Westminster. There, they carefully cook the broth for 12 hours or more, steam fresh chicken meat and thinly slice the beef. You can get their largest size bowl (xe lua) with your choice of thick or thin noodles. Fish sauce and other condiments are already on the table and a large plate of vegetables is served with each bowl. Sliced onions steeped in vinegar are available. A large bowl used to cost around $7 but with recent price inflation, I expect that it's more now. I'l be there in about two weeks. Yum! Most of the Vietnamese food in the area is very good.

[DogNo1]

Ulysses G.: I too ate in a nice french restaurant in Hanoi in an old mansion but it was not near the train station. Similar to the place that you describe, the food was very good and the prices reasonable. In the evenings, someone would play the upright piano and it was pleasant to eat, listen to the music and watch the passers-by.

[eyecatcher]

Until i read this thread i had actually never heard of this banh me sandwich.

The word was registered in my head and then guess what last night i spotted a j flag advertising what looked like a formidable baguette style sarny.

Come along the west side of the moat and turn left into the city at the 7/11.

The road leads to th side of wat phra singh.

The sarny shop no more than 50m from the moat road, looks nice and pretty and clean though i was driving past.

[cloudhopper]

Until i read this thread i had actually never heard of this banh me sandwich.

Me either. Got me thinking about starting a thread looking for Cubans (the sandwich) in CM but nahhh.

[Ulysses G.]

The Duke's has a Cuban sandwich. It is not exactly the same as a real one in Little Havana, Miami, but, still, pretty good.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[northernjohn]

The Duke's has a Cuban sandwich. It is not exactly the same as a real one in Little Havana, Miami, but, still, pretty good.

Is the Cuban sandwich in Little Havana as good as the Cuban sandwich in Havana Cuba?