Bánhmì11

Being raised by a Vietnamese mother, I was surrounded by phở noodles, vietnamese pancakes and banh mi. While that was pretty awesome, it did make me become a very harsh critic of Vietnamese food.
I’ve eaten A LOT of banh mi in my lifetime. I can tell good roast pork from average roast pork. And my gosh, the roast pork pork at Banhmi11 at Broadway Market is mouth-​watering! I’ve always been a bit skeptical when I walk past a place with a long line outside. Partially because I doubt the company’s efficiency and understandably, because I dislike the thought of playing sheep. But in this case, the lines at Banhmi11 are a result of damn good vietnamese baguettes.
Fresh vegetables, proper chilli sauce (yes, the one with the green lid) with the sound of street performers in the background at a tasty price of £4.50. Plus, if you’re looking for some eye candy, Broadway Markets is the place to go on a Saturday. Just hide behind your Vietnamese baguette to look inconspicuous.

hmm 4.50 pounds for what i can get at $ 2.50, so maybe pricier here but pretty good for europe. london seems the best at multicultural cuisine (compared to having spent time in paris, rome, berlin, copenhagen); overall been impressed.
sandwich could use more meat, but grilled expertly with the right seasoning, good chilies added, pickled veggies and toasted baguette done well.

I finally made my way to Broadway market and went straight to BanhMi11 on the recommendation of friends. An order of the Quad Meat Special was made which comprises of Pâté, BBQ Pork, Roast Pork, Pork Ham in Banana Leaf, and Chicken Ham.
I really liked the baguette which had a nice crunchy exterior though my companion thought it was too crunchy. The filling although good, I thought lacked the freshness and taste that comes from the herbs and pickled vegetables.
In contrast, I thought the filling from the Ca Phe store a few steps away was better.

I lament the lack of good sandwich offerings in London regularly. In a city where so many of the sandwiches are pre-​made (or worse, pre-​FILLED) I often crave the simple goodness of a sandwich that doesn’t come into being until I order it.
Today I arrived at Broadway Market for a long overdue catch up with a friend who lives nearby.
«Vietnamese sandwiches?» I asked (though it may have come off sounding a bit more like a command if I’m honest.)
«Never had one,» came her answer though she indicated she was game.
We wandered around crowded Broadway Market (which was absolutely heaving with people as the sun was out) until she spotted the queue at Bánhmí11. We fell in immediately behind a guy who talked about his off menu order (he takes the Quad Meat Special: sans the pâté and with only the BBQ pork and roast pork.)
I opted for the Cha Cha Chicken and whilst I realise that coconut and lemongrass marinated chicken is a bit of a departure from the traditional banh mi I couldn’t resist. One bite in I was certain I’d chosen well. The toasted baguette held up well and the chicken was awash in complex flavours.
My friend got the BBQ Squared and judging from the bite I snagged off her, that one was a winner too.
At just £4 a sandwich, these babies were a steal (mine left me satiated through to dinner!)
Now that I’ve discovered the 55 bus takes me direct to Broadway Market I know where I’ll be headed on Saturdays!

looked legit but failed in flavor. even had the «fluorescent» lined pork you see in legit banh-​mi yet all 3 meats together including pâté tasted extremely bland. the bread was not even close to being soft so def was not made with rice flour. or was really old.

Ok, I have to go against the trend here, but I just don’t get the hype about this place. Maybe I was unlucky and got them on a bad day (or maybe you just can’t eat here if you don’t eat meat), but my Banh mi was actually pretty bleh. The bread was soggy and falling apart before I had a chance to have a bite, and the filling was just flavourless and really didn’t have anything whatsoever going for it. I actually didn’t finish eating it, although I was pretty much starving and had been looking forward to this for hours. Sorry, but I *have* experience better.

Rob owns this place with his wonderful wife. Hi Rob if you’re reading this. Thanks for the amazing food. I’m glad we’re on a first name basis now. If you ever close I will cry. I think I might move if this happens, into your house that is. So I can eat Bánh mí every day. Adopt me!
Don’t panic, he’s not closing, I’m just demonstrating my love.

This Vietnamese iced coffee is hot sex in my mouth.

11 Reasons I love Bánhmí11:
1. This is as authentic as you’ll get outside of Vietnam. Home-​cured roast pork, pickled carrots, daikon radish, cucumber, coriander, red chilli, home-​made hot sauce… it’s all there. And it’s all good.
2. Made to order goodness, none of this stale sitting sandwiches trend that London has going on all over the place.
3. They are extremely internet savvy, yet they don’t have a brick and mortar shop. That’s unexpected… and awesome.
4. On their website, they say: «You shout: Bánhmì11…
I am coming to eat you!» And that’s funny.
5. They had a seasonal special called Op La Di, Op La Da…(It was incredible and involved steak in a soy and sake marinade, served with an organic sunny side up egg.)
6. …and they wrote this poem to go with it: «Op La Di, Op La Da… Lala how the life goes on! Lala come before it’s all gone!!» C’mon. You know that’s amazing. It’s so wrong it’s right.
7. It’s dirt cheap… for London.
8. Their card has a tube sign with a baguette going through it that says «Fill The Gap.» Well played.
9.The ladies that run the cart are Hanoians and they just missed Bánh Mí so much they decided to stop whining about it (cough… Mexican food wingers… cough) and actually do something about it.
10. They are so friendly and excited to see you at the market, it kinda hurts.
11. They don’t Londonize their food — traditional liver paté is still high on the menu and the hot sauce is actually HOT! It’s not complicated, it’s not gourmet, yet it’s still delicious in every way. Why mess with perfection?

Banh mi 11 is based in Broadway Market. Is it worth the trek up there for their sandwiches? Yes. Great service and great food. They will always serve you with a smile. They make their own pâté and everything is fresh. The magic is in the bread. It is the essence of banh mi.