A sure sign of mainstream acceptance of an ethnic dish is its appearance on hamburger menus, and by that measure, the Vietnamese bánh mì has truly arrived. It took a while. The sandwich, which combines French influences like mayonnaise and the baguette with Vietnamese ingredients like cilantro and spicy chiles, has hovered just on the fringes of the mass market for some time. But it stubbornly remained the province of independents and food trucks until the last year or two, when it burst into the limelight with a broad range of interpretations that pay homage to the original while reflecting contemporary American tastes.
In Vietnam, the sandwich can be filled with any number of proteins, including grilled pork or chicken, sausages or sardines, meatballs or tofu. Operators here have embraced this pan-protein approach with real exuberance. Clydes on Main in Chattanooga, Tenn., uses homemade Asian bologna, and Stateside in Seattle chooses homemade mortadella steamed in banana leaves. At HandleBar in St. Louis, the Baltic Bánh Mì made is made with smoked white fish; at Pea Ridge Kitchen in Atlanta, the sandwich is made with North Carolina trout. Chains have been equally creative. Last year, Which Wich’s promotional bánh mì, which was a major door opener for chain crossover, sported pulled pork; buoyed by its success, the chain came back this spring with a limited-time-only Shrimp Bánh Mì made with breaded shrimp. Seasons 52 opted for chile-glazed duck, while Atlanta Bread Company menus a Salmon Bánh Mì. Also in Atlanta, Tin Drum Asia Café goes with sweet-and-smoky pork loin.
While pork belly is a sandwich filling typically found on the streets of Saigon, it is less expected and a bit edgier on chain bills of fare. Cosí steps up to the challenge with its Pork Belly Bánh Mì with Asian ginger mayonnaise, while Mendocino Farms’ version is made with fried Kurobuta pork belly and chile aïoli. There’s a pork belly option at Banh Shop in Dallas, too, as well as pork or chicken meatballs with a Vietnamese caramel glaze.
Alternative breads and condiments. Bread looms large in making a bánh mì. In fact, the words signify wheat or bread, and the real thing is made with a baguette to which a bit of rice flour has been added to give an airier texture and crispier crust. While many versions here use a baguette, others deviate from the original. Cosí, for example, utilizes its fresh baked signature flatbread, Atlanta Bread Company and Mendocino Farms opt for ciabatta, and Tin Drum utilizes grilled roti.
Like many Vietnamese dishes, bánh mì is characterized by its use of vegetables, such as pickled carrots and daikon, to provide both flavor and textural interest. Most American versions follow that formula, like the daikon slaw at Clyde’s on Main or the cucumber-cilantro aïoli at Bahn Shop. They also turn up the heat in a variety of ways, as with Which Wich’s combination of jalapeños and Sriracha mayonnaise and Atlanta Bread Company’s chile aïoli.
Better-burger specialties. At Bachi Burger in Las Vegas, the Bánh Mì Burger is made with a beef-pork-shrimp patty and pork pâté, which mirrors the schmear of pâté found in the original. It is served with a side of fish sauce. In Chicago, Rockit Bar tops a bison patty with French pâté and plates it with an international mashup of sambal aïoli and kimchi fries, and Burger Boss topped an Angus-beef patty with Sriracha-hoisin mayonnaise on a toasted brioche bun. The Pork Bánh Mì Burger at Social Burger in Vienna, Va., tops a ground pork patty with chile mayonnaise, jalapeños and daikon slaw.
Around the menu. In Vietnam, the sandwich is routinely consumed for breakfast, and at trendy Elizabeth Street Cafe in Austin, Texas, the Breakfast Bánh Mì combines a fried egg and ginger pork sausage with pork belly, avocado, mayonnaise and sambal. Jack Flaps in Cleveland goes with fried egg, Vietnamese sausage and kimchi on an everything bagel with cream cheese. And, in perhaps the ultimate examples of crossover to the mainstream, The Gorbals in Brooklyn, N.Y., menus Bánh Mì Poutine, consisting of thrice-cooked potatoes, hoisin gravy and Kewpie mayonnaise. Boudin Bakery in San Francisco promotes Chicken Bánh Mì Salad that includes soba noodles and sesame-ginger vinaigrette.
Nancy Kruse, president of the Kruse Company, is a menu trends analyst based in Atlanta. As one of LinkedIn’s Top 100 Influencers in the U.S., she blogs regularly on food-related subjects.