Destination
Hue
The story
Bánh mì chả cá is the seafood version of Vietnam's most iconic sandwich, and a coastal-city specialty. A short crusty Vietnamese baguette (bánh mì) is split lengthways, smeared with pâté or homemade mayo, and stuffed with slices of Vietnamese fish cakes (chả cá), pickled carrot and daikon (đồ chua), cucumber batons, sliced red chili, coriander leaves and a splash of soy sauce or Maggi seasoning. Sold at every Nha Trang, Quy Nhơn and Da Nang street sandwich cart, and increasingly at Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City bánh mì stalls that specialise in coastal variants. Eaten with hands, wrapped in paper.
Method
Whisk vinegar, sugar, salt and warm water until dissolved. Add carrot and daikon. Rest 20 minutes.
If making from scratch: pulse fish fillet with garlic, shallot, fish sauce, sugar, pepper and cornstarch for 2 minutes into a smooth sticky paste. Fold in chopped dill. Wet hands, shape into 4 flat discs about 10cm across and 1cm thick.
Warm 3 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry fish cakes 4 minutes per side until deep golden and cooked through. Slice into 5mm slices.
Preheat oven to 200C. Warm the baguettes 3 to 4 minutes to crisp the crust and soften the interior. Alternatively, warm cut-side down on a dry hot pan.
Slice each baguette almost in half lengthways, leaving a hinge at the back.
Spread the bottom of each baguette with mayonnaise and a thin smear of pâté (if using).
Layer sliced fish cake down the length of each baguette. Top with a generous handful of drained pickle, cucumber batons, sliced spring onion, fresh coriander, perilla and sliced chili.
Splash a small amount of Maggi seasoning or soy sauce over the fillings. Press the baguette closed. Wrap the bottom in paper for takeaway. Serve with chili sauce, lime wedges and iced Vietnamese coffee.
Tips
- Vietnamese-style baguette. Crustier and lighter than a French baguette. Any Vietnamese grocer sells them; a short crusty petit-pain is the closest substitute.
- Đồ chua pickle is essential. The sharp-sweet crunch cuts the richness of the fish cake.
- Fresh dill in the fish cake. This is the flavour marker.
- Maggi seasoning is the classical Vietnamese touch. Adds a specific umami depth that soy sauce alone does not.
- Serve immediately. Bánh mì is a hot-and-immediate sandwich.
More recipes
View all
Rice vermicelli in a clear duck broth simmered with pickled bamboo shoots and blood cubes, topped with sliced duck meat, coriander and spring onion. A Hanoi cold-weather bowl.
Tiny freshwater clams shelled and stir-fried with lemongrass, garlic and chili, served with rice crackers and lettuce leaves. Hue's classical river-clam specialty.
Crispy turmeric-yellow rice-flour crepes stuffed with pork, prawn, bean sprouts and mung bean, torn into pieces and wrapped in lettuce with fresh herbs and dipping sauce.
Fresh razor clams stir-fried hard with water spinach, garlic and chili in a splash of fish sauce. Ho Chi Minh City's late-night beer snack.
A clear golden broth of fish bones with tomato and pineapple, ladled over rice vermicelli and slices of fried fish cake. Da Nang and Nha Trang's coastal noodle bowl.
Flaky puff pastry pockets filled with spiced pork and mushroom, brushed with egg wash and baked golden. Hanoi's colonial French-Vietnamese bakery snack.