One of Vietnam’s best-loved specialities, the Bánh Mì is a sandwich made with a soft yet crunchy-crusted baguette and flavourful fillings like meat or tofu, pickled veg and herby salad. If you’d like to try this popular street food for yourself, here’s where to find them in Leeds city centre.
Viet Tasty
This authentic Vietnamese restaurant is known for serving some of the best Bánh Mì in Leeds from its spot on Albion Street. Viet Tasty’s menu is packed with delicious and aromatic dishes, including a full range of the sandwiches. You can tuck into a marinated beef steak Bánh Mì here, or one that’s filled with egg omelette, pickled carrots, coriander, cucumber and umami soy sauce. For the ultimate Bánh Mì experience, there’s also their Deluxe Bánh Mì, which is stuffed with pork belly and pate, chicken jambon, salads and creamy mayonnaise. The restaurant boasts an inviting interior with hanging rattan lanterns and an open kitchen. It regularly offers special deals such as free drink with your food or discounts for students and NHS workers. You’ll also find a varied drinks menu here, so you can accompany your Bánh Mì with iced fruit teas or eye-catching purple ube coffee.
Banh & Mee
Family-owned Bahn & Mee has been bringing cuisine ‘from the fields of Hanoi to the hills of Yorkshire’ for almost ten years. This friendly street food stall can be found on Kirkgate Market and its menu features freshly-made Bánh Mì with a choice of different fillings. These include Lemongrass Chicken, Uncle Vinh’s BBQ Pork and Mama Tran’s Homemade Tofu, all of which come with pickled veg, fresh herbs, cucumber, and an optional splash of sriracha for an extra kick. If you’d prefer to avoid bread, you can instead opt for French fries loaded with Bánh Mì filling. These can be paired with delicious shakes in flavours like apple pie, biscoff or even birthday cake. Banh & Mee is the perfect place to pick up lunch to go and you can take your food away or eat it on the nearby tables in the Market Kitchen.
LeSon
New to Leeds, LeSon opened last month on the city’s bustling Kirkgate and it’s already gained some great reviews thanks to its authentic dishes, relaxed atmosphere and reasonable pricing. LeSon’s menu keeps it simple with an offering that includes noodle and rice dishes as well as a selection of Bánh Mì. You can choose from fillings such as char sui (Chinese barbecue-style pork), crispy pork belly or chicken, or treat yourself to their special, which comes stuffed with pork floss. The restaurant boasts a fresh pastel interior with real flowers on the tables and indoor and outdoor seating. Alongside its foodie delights, LeSon also serves drinks that you won’t find elsewhere in Leeds, such as coffee topped with creamy whipped egg yolk or salted cream.
Pho 37
This restaurant in the Merrion Centre is owned by a third-generation expert in Vietnamese cooking who combines tradition and innovation when creating dishes like its Pho noodle soups. Pho 37 began in Headingley before opening a second restaurant in the city centre. This has thoughtfully-styled decor that recreates the ambience of Vietnam at night through details like lantern-style lights and wall art. It also has two VIP rooms with karaoke machines, making it the ideal destination for a fun-filled night out. The restaurant offers Bánh Mì with fillings like braised pork belly, vegan ‘chicken’, beef, roasties or their special: a combination of beef and chicken with a fried egg. These are all served with mayonnaise, chillies, pate, pickles, and coriander, and can be savoured alongside drinks such as a creamy avocado smoothie.
