The taste of Vietnamese banh mi in Hong Kong.

Banh mi has long been a familiar dish on the menus of Vietnamese restaurants in Hong Kong, alongside other famous names like pho, bun, and nem cuon.

Banh mi has long been a familiar dish on the menus of Vietnamese restaurants in Hong Kong (China), alongside other famous names such as pho, bun, and nem cuon.

This dish is becoming increasingly well-known among locals, especially after they have had the opportunity to travel and enjoy local cuisine in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and many other famous destinations in Vietnam.

Driven by a deep love for their traditional homeland's bread, many Vietnamese people living in Hong Kong have opened bread shops, hoping to bring the authentic taste to customers from afar.

These shops not only promote Vietnamese culinary culture but also create jobs for both Vietnamese people living in Hong Kong and local residents.

During lunchtime in office-filled areas like the Central district in central Hong Kong, it's common to see long lines of people waiting to buy Vietnamese sandwiches.

With its characteristics of being a quick, convenient, and time-saving meal, sandwiches have become the preferred choice for Hong Kong office workers who have limited lunch breaks.

Kiki Phung, a Vietnamese woman who has lived in Hong Kong for nearly 20 years and is famous for her travel and food videos, opened "Banh Mi Nem" (Taste the Bread) to fulfill her passion. With two locations in Wanchai and Central, primarily serving takeout customers, Kiki Phung shares her desire to create authentic "Saigon" (the old name for Ho Chi Minh City) sandwiches so that people here can better appreciate the essence of Vietnamese cuisine.

Kiki Phụng recounted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel between Vietnam and Hong Kong was impossible, she tried making bread herself many times, but still couldn't find the authentic taste of home.

Immediately after the pandemic subsided, she spent six months traveling back and forth between the two locations to learn the proper way to make bread. Since opening in 2023, "Banh Mi Nem" has quickly become a popular destination attracting many customers.

Even many famous Hong Kong actors have sought out the shop to enjoy the taste of Vietnamese banh mi.

Based on customer orders, Kiki Phụng said that the most popular types of sandwiches currently are the mixed filling sandwich, braised pork with crispy skin sandwich, grilled chicken sandwich, and grilled spring roll sandwich.

Her shop offers up to 10 different types of sandwiches with various fillings, priced from 72-80 HKD (approximately 250,000-280,000 VND) per piece. The sandwiches here are praised for their crispy crust, generous fillings, and especially the delicious and distinctive flavor of the pate.

Ms. Kiki Phụng stated that the pate used in her shop is imported directly from Vietnam. This is the "soul" ingredient that makes up the shop's brand. She emphasized that the shop's business philosophy is to focus solely on making sandwiches and to persistently strive for excellence.

With her fluency in Cantonese, she easily promotes and explains the dish in detail, helping Hong Kong residents understand and appreciate it even more. Her shop also provides jobs for several Vietnamese people residing in Hong Kong. These individuals are the ones who "keep the flame alive" for the brand, ensuring customers feel a sense of familiarity, as if they were in Vietnam, every time they shop there.

The story of Vietnamese bread in Hong Kong adds a vibrant and warm touch to the diverse culinary landscape of this land, while continuing the journey of spreading Vietnamese cultural values ​​abroad.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/huong-vi-banh-my-viet-tai-hong-kong-post1094535.vnp