A Rail Plane Traveller: Hoi An Vietnam part 3

After checking into the hotel I jumped on the hotel shuttle to the historic town centre. Feeling peckish I started to look for something to eat. Then I saw this little stall with a crowd around it and I was introduced for the first time to Ban Mi.


Heaven in a baguette can be found here

Ban Mi is the Vietnamese term for all kinds of breads, or more specifically the baguette. The baguette you get in Malaysia is really a poor example of the lovely french bread. A good baguette in my book is one that still has a nice crunch on the outside even though it is at room temp. The baguette here is as good as the French. Crisp crunch on the outside, nice and soft inside. The Vietnamese take the humble baguette sandwich to the next level with "mystery" meat pate, grilled meat, fresh cucumber slices, cilantro, pickled carrots and daikon. Then they add spicy chili sauce, sliced chilis, mayonnaise, and cheese. OMG this is heaven sandwiched in a baguette.

My Ban Mi coming together in the hands of the experts

I ordered my first Ban Mi, paid and start to walk and eat it. Took the first bite and I stopped dead. There I stood with chilly sauce running down my arms, I ate that Ban Mi like I had not eaten in months. Once the last morsel made it's way into my mouth, I walked back to the stall and ordered another and inhaled it the moment it reached my grubby hands.

My first Ban Mi. I dream about it still!

This is comfort food that I will come back for again and again. The rest of my trip was discovering many mouth watering Vietnamese food. I haven't an idea what I ate or what they were called but I loved them all. Sitting on those short chairs can be a bit a gymnastic performance for someone my size but the meal would always make up for it.