I’ve long believed that one of the greatest “mixed marriages” of all time is Bánh Mì, a traditional Vietnamese sandwich that brings French baguettes and the spicy, sweet, salty, crunchy flavours of Vietnam together.
How could anyone not love a light, crispy baguette stuffed with pate, cured meats, pickled daikon, cucumber, carrot, coriander, mayonnaise, and chilli?
One of the most memorable meals I’ve had during my trips to Vietnam was having Bánh Mì - where I was told to look for the stalls where locals jostle to order this, their national sandwich.
It was quite a bit of a surprise to find a similar sort of queue of locals when I went to Happy Vietnamese in Kingsland.
I was told about this place, but because the people were blocking the shopfront, we drove past it two times before finally finding the spot located on the ground floor of an apartment building.
The words Vietnamese Bánh Mì and Rolls in red against a light green background are what you see if you do find a roadside parking outside the store. The food is only available for takeaway, although there are two small tables to sit at if you want to dine in.
The menu offers eight different kinds of Bánh Mì - from traditional, crispy chicken and pork, lemongrass chicken and beef, grilled pork skewers, vegetarian, but when I saw they had one with fish cake, it wasn’t hard for me to make my decision on what to order.
The shop is run by Quang Phan and his wife Trang Nguyen, who I was told was the one responsible for producing most of the food in the kitchen including baking their baguettes, cooking the ingredients, and making their sauces.
It was indeed fascinating to watch Nguyen assemble the sub with the variety of fillings and toppings.
My choice was the Fish Cake Bánh Mì with hoki fish cake as its main meat filling. My lunch partner chose the Crispy Roast Pork Bánh Mì, which Nguyen said was the store’s best seller.
The Fish Cake Bánh Mì was truly eye-catching - full of vibrant colours from the finely sliced pickled carrots, cucumbers, and a whole lot of fresh herbs and salad. The slight peppery pork liver pate and the mayonnaise that was slathered on the sides of the baguette also added to the complexity of delicious flavours.
The baguette was crunchy, firm, and light and I must say the pickle had just the right kick to it. The Bánh Mì are served in paper bags so you can have it on-the-go.
Besides Bánh Mì, their menu also had other Vietnamese offerings such as summer rolls, spring rolls, beef or chicken pho and vermicelli salads.
Nguyen said they make just a small number of pho daily and it was sold out by 12.30pm on the Monday that we were there.
The Bánh Mì meal truly gave me a sense of satisfaction, especially with the good balance of flavours and the slightly spicy kick that I enjoyed.
Nguyen opened this little eatery - the couple’s first venture - last August, and for now, it seems like it’s just a little hidden secret known mainly to Kingsland locals.
But I reckon with Bánh Mì this good word will get around and won’t be long before the queues you find will include people coming from far and wide. If you’re in the area or driving past Happy Vietnamese, it’s definitely worth a stop.
HAPPY VIETNAMESE
401A New North Road, Kingsland. Ph 09 2179252. Business Hours: 10am-6pm Mon to Fri, 9am-3pm Sat. Closed on Sunday.
