Vietnamese Sandwiches: Bánh Mì

Vietnamese Breakfast Dishes

• Sardine Bánh Mì (Bánh mì cá mòi): a traditional Vietnamese sandwich made with sardines as the primary ingredient, served with canned sardines in a mildly spicy tomato sauce, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and daikon, coriander, sliced chilli peppers, and a drizzle of soy sauce, fish sauce, or Maggi flavouring for umami.
• Fried Egg Bánh Mì (Bánh mì ốp la): a traditional Vietnamese sandwich variation that features fried eggs as the main ingredient, often used instead of or in addition to meat, and garnished with cucumbers, tomatoes, coriander, and pickled daikon and carrots.
• Meat and Cold Cuts Bánh Mì (Bánh mì thịt): a sandwich constructed with various Vietnamese cold cuts, such as sliced roasted pork, sliced pig belly, chả (sliced ham), or ch la pork sausage, cucumbers, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and daikon, and liver pâté, typically eaten for breakfast and lunch.
• Meatball Bánh Mì (Bánh mì xíu mại): a traditional Vietnamese sandwich made with ground pork meatballs as the main ingredient, cooked in a tomato, garlic, oil, sugar, and fish sauce, and served with the meatballs and sauce in a cut bánh mi roll.

Congee

• Congee (also known as jook in Cantonese): a traditional Asian breakfast dish made from a watery rice gruel that resembles porridge, with diverse flavors ranging from chicken to mushrooms.
• Ingredients: long-grain rice, water or chicken/vegetable stock, salt, oil, and optional ingredients such as minced ginger and garlic, shredded bok choy, chopped peanuts, lotus root, and gingko nuts for added flavor, texture, and nutritional value.
• Methods: three methods for cooking congee, resulting in slightly different textures, with ideal oil temperature ranging from 390°F to 400°F.

Pho (Vietnam)

• Pho: a famous Vietnamese breakfast dish with various nutritional values, made with protein from buff, chicken, pork, or tofu, and containing polyphenols from spices and herbs like cilantro and basil, often gluten-free due to rice noodles.

Banh Mi (Vietnam)

• Banh Mi: a traditional Vietnamese sandwich that has been around since the 1880s, originating from the French conquest of Vietnam, with a delicious combination of meat, pickles, veggies, chilli, and mayonnaise on an airy, crusty baguette.

Jianbing (China)

• Jianbing: a popular Chinese street food, with two main types: Shandong jianbing and Tianjin jianbing guozi, differing in ingredients and texture.
• Ingredients: mung bean flour, coarse flour like millet flour, and fillings such as Chinese sausage, shredded carrot, grated radish, chicken, or bacon.
• Methods: replicating the dish requires months of practice and tuition from a master.

Nasi Goreng (Indonesia)

• Nasi Goreng: a popular Indonesian fried rice dish, including kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) and terasi (prawn paste), imparting a deep umami flavor to the dish.

Filipino Breakfast Dishes

• Tosilog: a classic Filipino cuisine consisting of garlic fried rice, fried eggs, and tocino (cured pork with salt, garlic, sugar, and spices).
• Cornsilog: a typical Filipino cuisine consisting of garlic fried rice, fried eggs, and corned buff (salt-cured beef brisket).
• Longsilog: a breakfast meal originating from the Philippines, consisting of Longganisa sausage, sinangag (garlic rice), and itlog (fried eggs).
• Bangsilog: a typical Filipino breakfast dish consisting of bangus (milkfish), garlic fried rice, and fried eggs.
• Hotsilog: a popular Filipino fried rice dish made with chicken thighs, oil, salt, white pepper, shallots, rice, turmeric, soy sauce, fish sauce, galangal or ginger, garlic, scallions, kecap manis, and hot peppers.