By Gia Linh

Bánh mì, or banh mi, is Việt Nam, and Việt Nam is bánh mì.

In Vietnamese cuisine bánh mì is the term for "bread". According to Oxford Learner's Dictionary, "banh mi is a type of Vietnamese baguette sandwich filled with cold meats, pate and vegetables".

Banh mi (pronounced /ba:n mi:/) is the second Vietnamese dish to enter the accredited English dictionary in 2011, and, just like phở, is the country’s culinary pride.

The earliest and probably most common way to eat the baguette was to fill it with pork liver pâte, Vietnamese mayonnaise (made from whisking egg yolk and oil), various types of ham, and pickled carrot and radish.

But over time people have come up with other creative ways to eat it: stuffing it with roasted pork belly and even pairing it with main dishes such as phá lấu (offal stew). 

The latest addition to that list and a current sensation on social media and among food-lovers, despite being around for decades, is bánh mì cá nục (mackerel banh mi). 

Việt Nam News hops on the trend right away, trying it out one of the most popular stalls now, Aunt Oanh’s mackerel banh mi.

Nestled in a small alleyway in Bình Thạnh District, Oanh’s stall has been a local favourite for almost 30 years.

With it now being a sensation on TikTok, Oanh's stall is always packed with young food lovers waiting to enjoy her delicacy, and they even take pictures or make videos. 

Learning the recipe from her mother, Oanh, born Nguyễn Thanh Nữ, decided to open the banh mi stall on her own.

“My mother sold this type of banh mi before, but it was not very well received. I asked for her recipe and tried selling it again. Surprisingly, I was able to sell around 100 [sandwiches] on the first day. So I quit my job and have been selling banh mi since,” Oanh tells Việt Nam News.

On her little table Oanh has two large electronic pots to keep her fish warm all day long. The fish are relatively large and simmered in a rich and aromatic tomato sauce.  

When there is an order, Oanh quickly stuffs a short baguette with a whole mackerel, pickled carrots and radish, fresh cucumber and cilantro, and drizzles her garlic and chilli fish sauce on it.

Besides having the braised mackerel in the baguette, some customers also buy it in large quantities to eat with rice at home. 

“I used to make a new batch of fish every other day, but now make 600 to 700 every day thanks to the growing number of customers," Oanh says.

What she takes pride in is the fresh and high-quality fish she serves.

She says the fish needs to be cleaned properly to remove its odour and then meticulously stacked on top of each other before being simmered.

“This may sound like too much work, but doing this keeps each fish in shape despite being boiled for hours,” Oanh says.

Usually, the fish are simmered in water for 10 hours, in coconut water for another two hours and lastly in her special tomato sauce.

This intricate process is for the fish to absorb all the seasonings and their bones to become soft enough to eat. 

Oanh explains that the soft bones are the reason why people prefer her mackerel banh mi since “it is easier for children and old people to eat and generally more enjoyable eating the fish as a whole without having to pick out the bones.”

She says the fish sauce is also important, as it needs to be diluted and seasoned carefully to enhance the flavour of the banh mi without making it too salty.

Besides mackerel, she also offers other fillings like julienned pork belly and skin, thịt khìa (caramelised pork) and xíu mại (meatball).

On average, she sells 300 to 500 portions every day at an affordable VNĐ25,000 (US$1) for every filling option. 

She also gets online orders through Grab, Be and other apps.

“Some ask me why I sell at such a cheap price, but I think it is reasonable," she says.

“If I want to make a bigger profit and raise the price, it would be harder to sell to locals, and I might even lose some of my loyal customers.”

Oanh’s little banh mi stall is a frequent haunt for many, with some even frequenting it for more than 10 years.

“The food here is delicious,” Lê Văn Lành, a regular at Oanh’s shop, says.

“I've been eating banh mi here for a few months now and often stop by to have one. I bought some for my children the other day, and they also found it very delicious.”

Mackerel banh mi is not too extravagant on the tongue, but its combination of familiar flavour is what makes one long for more of it. 

The unforgettable flavour, the intricate way of making it and the large number of customers are sure signs Oanh’s mackerel banh mi is worth the hype.  VNS

Box:

Bánh mì cá nục dì Oanh (Aunt Oanh’s mackerel bánh mì)

Address: 229/53 Bùi Đình Tuý Street, Ward 24, Bình Thạnh District, HCM City

Mob: 0937678119

Opening hours: 11am to 7pm

Price: VNĐ25,000-30,000/filling of choice