Bánh Mì Hội-An - Vietnamese Street Food in London

"Bánh Mì Hội-An is a tiny Vietnamese cafe 30 seconds from Hackney Central that makes big, extremely satisfying bánh mì. There are a few stools but it’s predominantly takeaway only, and whichever option you go for, you’ll find that the char siu is sweet, the pork belly chunky, and the bread is the perfect equilibrium between soft, chewy, crisp, and flaky. The noodle salads and phở are perfectly decent, but it’s the bánh mì you should be focused on." - jake missing, sinead cranna, daisy meager

"This Hackney Central favourite can be a cruel and frustrating mistress. Lose track of time and the bánh mì spot is more than likely closed—opening times are 11:30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday (and an hour less on Saturday)—or worse, they’ve run out of baguettes. But that’s also part of this place’s charm. The Hoi-An Special is our go-to, featuring char siu, pork belly, and Vietnamese caramel hunks, and pâté. If fried fish is on, get that too." - jake missing, rianne shlebak

"Bread-watch: Quite doughy, a little crispy, and 100% certain to happily take up space in your stomach. The Hackney Central favourite can be a cruel and frustrating mistress. Lose track of time and it’s more than likely closed—opening times are 11:30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday (and an hour less on Saturday)—or worse, they’ve run out of baguettes. But that’s part of this place’s charm. The Hoi-An Special is the one to get, with char siu, belly, and Vietnamese caramel hunks, pâté, omelette, pickled carrots and cucumber, coriander, and some sriracha for good measure. It’s a go-to for us." - jake missing

"Approximately 75% of Bánh’s space is taken up by the kitchen. There’s a bánh mì and rice bowl assembly station on the left, a tank-like bread oven in front of it, and a till for coffee, drinks, and whatever else. This is a good thing. The Dalston spot is making some of the flakiest, juiciest, and most downright in London—and if that comes at the expense of more seating, then we’re all for it.  Each one is made-to-order and on any given lunchtime the two shared tables are usually filled with other patient sandwich enthusiasts. It’s worth the small wait. The baguettes are perfect, crispy shelled with a fluffy interior, and the fillings are carefully made. The classic is pure oink. It’s char siu, pâté, a slice of pork belly roll, ham hock, a pork patty, and pork floss, and it’s totally perfect. Otherwise, there’s a plant-based tofu option. Or, you could go for a rice bowl—the bobo (a nourishing but light beef stew filled with vegetables) is excellent." - Jake Missing

"This diminutive shop on Hackney’s Graham Road serves one of the city’s best sandwiches — inside one of the city’s best baguettes. Although the spot has just one table and three or four seats, it’s difficult to think of warmer hospitality than at Bánh Mì Hội-An. The duo behind the counter prepare fresh sandwiches to go, and while the pork classic is excellent, don’t sleep on the turmeric-heavy fried catfish on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays; fragrant with coriander, mayo, fermented chilli paste, sriracha, and pickled vegetables, it is an object lesson in flavour, texture, and balance." - Adam Coghlan