Banh Mi in Hanoi: How the Northern Style Differs

There is no single version of Vietnam’s bánh mì. Banh mi in Hanoi has its own character: a wide, crusty loaf, fewer fillings than in the south, and a generous layer of pâté doing most of the work. This guide explains what to expect, how the bread came to the city and how locals eat it.

What makes Hanoi bánh mì different

The northern loaf is wide, with slightly rounded ends and a fairly thick crust. Inside, the crumb is soft and spongy, and when the bread is toasted the crust stays crisp for a long time.

The filling is built around pâté. It is spread thickly and is rich and creamy, which is why many people in the north simply call the sandwich bánh mì pate. Hanoi pâté is usually made from pork and liver and blended smooth. Around it you will typically find a few of the following:

• cold cuts such as char siu pork, and a red sausage with a soft filling;
• giò chả, the Vietnamese pork roll;
• herbs and slices of cucumber.

Compared with the south, a Hanoi bánh mì tends to be more restrained: fewer fillings at once, with the bread and pâté at the front. Southern loaves are larger and airier and are often packed with many fillings plus pickled vegetables. In the centre of the country, the loaf is smaller with pointed ends and usually comes with plenty of sauce. Our table near the top sums up the differences. None of them is the “real” bánh mì; they are regional styles.

How bread came to Hanoi

Bread arrived with the French. A Tuổi Trẻ series on the history of bánh mì traces what is probably the earliest record of a bakery in Hanoi to an 1885 article describing Hàng Khảm street, today’s Hàng Khay and Tràng Tiền area, where European-owned shops had opened soon after the French took control of the city.

At first the people of Hanoi called it bánh tây, “Western bread”, rather than bánh mì. Over the following decades it moved from shops serving the French to the street: sketches from 1929 record vendors calling out to sell bánh tây, and the bread came to be carried round the city in baskets. Older fillings included chả, ham, sausage, pâté, pickles and coriander.

After the Đổi Mới economic reforms, bánh mì became quick food for factory workers, office staff, students and people working late. Shops that once advertised simply “bánh mì pa-tê bơ” (bread with pâté and butter) now often offer several fillings.

How locals eat banh mi in Hanoi

• As a quick meal at any time. Bánh mì keeps better than noodle soup or sticky rice, which makes it a natural snack or meal on the move, including late at night.
• With egg, beef or pork floss. Besides pâté and cold cuts, common fillings include omelette, stir-fried beef, giò chả and ruốc, a dry pork floss.
• With a stew. Bánh mì xốt vang, bread served with a beef stew cooked in wine, is closer in spirit to its French roots.
• Plain. Bread with nothing in it has its own name: bánh mì không.

Hanoi pâté is not only for bread. Some families also eat it with sticky rice for breakfast or with plain rice at a main meal.

Where to try it

Bánh mì is sold all over the city, from bakeries and small shops to carts on street corners, so you rarely have to look far. The area around Hàng Khay and Tràng Tiền is where the story of bread in Hanoi began, but that is history rather than a recommendation. There is no official list of the best bánh mì, and we do not rank shops we have not reviewed ourselves.

Local tip To taste the northern style at its simplest, ask for bánh mì pate. You can always add more fillings once you know what you like.

Good to know before you order

• Gluten. The bread is made with wheat flour, so it is not suitable if you avoid gluten.
• Pork and liver. Pâté is usually made from pork and liver, and most cold cuts are pork. Ask about fillings if you avoid pork or offal.
• Egg and dairy. Omelette is a common filling, and some shops add butter. Mention any allergy before the bread is filled.
• Raw herbs and cucumber. These go in uncooked. See our guide to eating street food safely in Hanoi if you are cautious about raw vegetables.