Australia

Melbourne

HighSchool

Bánh mì is a food that was never intended, but came to be through a series of historical happenings. When France colonised 

 in the late 1880s, bringing the baguette over with them, along with the Swiss-born Maggi seasoning and pâté.

Bánh mì took the baguette, Maggi and pâté as a core base, with local Vietnamese ingredients shaping the filling: fresh chillies, shredded carrots, spicy sambal sauce, fresh green chillies, coriander, with shredded pork or chicken or cold cuts.

While Saigon is the birthplace of the bánh mì, there's another city that's positioning itself as a strong contender for bánh mì world capital: 

If you're sceptical, just ask Aussie outfit HighSchool, who have spent time munching the snack across the city in between shoots and gigs and jams. Their debut self-titled, a lo-fi brand of  post-punkish indie sleaze revival, was quite literally fuelled by the city's Vietnamese sarnie landscape, which is as delicious as the album's jangly guitar licks. 

"Probably one of the best things about Melbourne is bánh mì. They’re tasty, cheap and abundant," they tell Trippin. "Here at HighSchool we consider ourselves bánh mì aficionados. We’ve tried them all and we are here to give you the inside scoop on where to find the best Melbourne has to offer."

Check their guide on the city's best spots below:

If you’re out west and feeling peckish, look no further than Fresh Chilli Deli. Sitting right in the heart of St Albans town centre, it’s a local staple and an unofficial meeting point for breakfast, lunch, or even an early dinner goers alike. There’s plenty of seating out front, perfect for demolishing your banh mi the proper way, that is, immediately after purchase. It is a light, healthy banh mi, with an innovative fried, crispy caramelized onion curveball that adds a sweet crunch you won’t see coming. An unami, somewhat gamey but not too oily banh mi with just enough fresh bird’s eye chilli lining the base of the bread to make sure the product lives up to its name. 

Luke’s is part of the new school of gentrified banh mi spots, but don’t let that put you off. Served in tiger bread and brimming with fried shallots, this vietnamese roll ain’t for the faint hearted. It’s substantial, very filling and borderline gluttonous — the kind of banh mi that will silence the fiercest of hunger. It’s heavy, rich, maybe not the healthiest but definitely the most delicious - and all for the fair price of a flat tenner. The meat is cooked to perfection, tender and juicy, and the vegetarian options are impressive, with eight different choices for the non-meat eaters. Sure, there’s usually a pretty major queue out front, but that’s just proof it’s the real deal. Grab yourself a coffee from Brunetti’s a few doors down and wait it out because Luke’s banh mi is most definitely worth it.  

As soon as you walk through the door, you know Bun Bun Bakery means business. Freshly baked baguettes cool beside bread ovens out the back, a Buddhist shrine behind the counter holds a banh mi offering shrouded in incense smoke, and a production line of staff assemble each sandwich with specialiaed precision. Bun Bun keeps it traditional — no frills, no gimmicks, just quality ingredients and recipes perfected over the years. Their salad game is unmatched: plentiful and fresh. The use of ghee instead of butter or mayo adds a unique richness you won’t find anywhere else. Each type of banh mi is slipped into a different coloured bag depending on the protein you opted for — a small but satisfying touch indicative of Bun Bun’s care and attention to detail.

We’re starting with a classic. N. Lee Bakery on Smith Street in Collingwood has been holding it down since 1991. Every good banh mi starts with good bread and N. Lee has the best in the business - baked fresh on site, with a superbly crisp crust and a soft, fluffy centre. The perfect ratio of pâté, mayo, and hoisin blends into a heavenly creamyness, offset by the pickled julienned daikon that runs throughout. It’s simple and clean, a staple, an everyday banh mi, a banh mi that never gets old. Local tip: Pick up a fresh detox salon juice from Sonsa Market next door, perfect collab with any N. Lee banh mi.

At first glance, To’s banh mi might seem pretty stripped back - maybe even unremarkable - but a closer look (and bite) reveals something quietly brilliant. The baguette is sprinkled with sesame seeds, with a touch of cracked pepper inside for a subtle kick. Coriander takes centre stage, and yesterday’s bread is cubed into croutons adding an innovative and resourceful crunch. To’s is reliable and consistent — it has everything you want in a banh mi and nothing you don’t. It’s the kind of roll that keeps you coming back again and again.

N. Lee Bakery

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