Best Banh Mi in Hoi An? A Honest Review of the City’s Most Famous Sandwich Spot

 

 If you’ve spent more than a day in Hoi An, then the chances are someone’s already mentioned that famous banh mi place. Probably with the kind of conviction usually reserved for people who’ve just discovered oat milk (sorry if you’re one of them).

“You haven’t done Hoi An if you haven’t eaten here.”

So, like every other food pilgrim with a fear of missing out, I gave in. And I ordered two:

1st: The famous mixed bread pork and pâté, Anthony Bourdain’s so-called “sympathy in a sandwich.

2nd: The ostrich. Because why not eat like a confused 19th-century explorer with a bit of flair?

Now, a quick detour: This place had a bit of a scandal back in 2023. By “bit” I mean over 140 people got food poisoning linked to the restaurant, and it was forced to close and pay fines. But since it has reopened and with that fun fact in mind, I approached my baguettes with caution.

But here I am, alive and it’s been well over a few weeks, and my digestive system is still intact. So I think it’s safe to say I survived the Great Gastro Gamble.

Now let’s move onto the sandwich’s…

The Bourdain Banh Mi | 35K/ £0.99 | Rating: 7/10

I took a bite into the pork and pâté banh mi with high hopes, if not for culinary transcendence, then at least a joyful eye-roll and a moment of sandwich-induced bliss.

What I got instead? Fine. Respectable. A solid sandwich… but not exactly tear-inducing.

The flavours were there, the mix of meats, the pâté, the crunchy veg but nothing really sang. No punch, no standout bite to earn the title of “best banh mi I’ve ever had.”

More “meh”-lody than “symphony.”

More like “mildly underwhelming in a baguette” than “sympathy in a sandwich.”

(Okay, I’ll stop.)

Honestly, I’ve had better banh mi’s for half the price and zero queue. This one came with a wait that felt like a strange mashup between a concert and a silent retreat.

The Ostrich Banh Mi | 35K/ £0.99 | Rating: 8/10

Now this was a moment.

Hot. Juicy. Bursting with flavour. The ostrich meat was savoury almost like a mild lean steak. It had character, edge, and the kind of delicious chaos you don’t expect from a sandwich.

In short, it absolutely slapped. If sandwiches had talent shows, this one would make the finals.

Final Thoughts

Come for the hype and the Bourdain name, the “I ate there too” brag, you can say to your friends and family.

But stay for the ostrich, it is the true hero of this story. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and frankly, it deserves its own food documentary.

Click here for location on Google Maps

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