Regional styles

One sandwich, no fixed recipe. A few of the standing variations:

Bánh mì Sài Gòn

The reference version: pâté, cold cuts, đồ chua, cilantro, chili, a smear of mayo. Everything else on this page is a variation on it.

Bánh mì Hà Nội

Lighter on the pâté, heavier on the fresh herbs, sometimes served with a side of chả — grilled pork patties — rather than folded in.

Bánh mì xíu mại

Built around a pork meatball in tomato sauce instead of cold cuts — messier, saucier, usually eaten with the bread torn rather than bitten.

Bánh mì ốp la

A breakfast version: a fried egg (ốp la, from the French "œufs plat") in place of the meat, yolk soaking into the crumb.

Diaspora versions

Little Saigon bakeries add their own fillings — lemongrass chicken, grilled pork skewers, tofu for a vegetarian version — while keeping the bread and the đồ chua non-negotiable. The frame stays fixed; everything inside it is up for grabs.