Bánh Mì Vienna

Review

Now even more Vietnamese!

Photo: Heribert Corn If someone comes to the hospital for the third time, they say you did something wrong. If someone comes to your restaurant for the third time, they say you've done something right." Nga Hoang "Joe" Nguyen knows what he is talking about, as he is a qualified nurse and has spent the last few years working in an emergency department in Vienna. Which is a great and secure job, he says, but you don't have to count on enthusiasm there, which is why he finally pursued his long-standing desire to have his own restaurant when he found out that Stefanie Kurasch and Andreas Meisterl wanted to give up their small Viet sandwich restaurant Bánh Mì Vienna in Faulmanngasse.
It's an interesting thing about this Bánh Mì: in the course of the boom in Southeast Asian cuisine, especially Vietnamese cuisine and not least the glorious street food romance, this Vietnamese sandwich came to the USA and Europe at some point. It has a great history, because it mixes a bit of the snack culture of the former French occupying power - baguettes, pâté - with the street food culture of Indochina. It wasn't long before Bánh Mì was categorized by various breathless bloggers as "the world's best sandwich" (BBC) or "the new panino" (New York Times), and in 2015 it came to Austria and was offered in three restaurants in Vienna. The one from Kurasch and Meisterl was always the "juiciest", the one with the most sauce in it. Joe Nguyen himself knows what bánh mì must be like, of course; his family comes from the southern Mekong delta, where they have always earned their money through trade, and he always enjoys going there. And he brought his uncle and sister-in-law with him, who are now there to help him prepare the chicken pâté according to a secret family recipe or wrap the summer rolls.
These have almost become standard in Vienna, but rarely as good as here: firm, compact, with a choice of pork, raw shrimp or tofu, with lots of herbs and - at least in the shrimp version - a few pieces of omelette and homemade Tuong Ngot soybean paste (€ 4). Joe now also makes a salad every week, the first week it was the glass noodle salad that Bánh Mì Wienna regulars demanded so much, then there was avocado salad, last week papaya, delicately marinated, fresh, good (€ 2.80). Bánh Mì is now definitely different than before, drier, the homemade pâté (€ 0.60) is clearly noticeable, you have to like it, but the combination with the raw vegetables, the green coriander, the pieces of Five Spices grilled pork and the hoisin sauce is simply great (€ 6.40). Great street food, also good indoors. Summary: Vienna's bánh mì pioneer has been taken over and has expanded its range. The sandwiches are different, but still great. Bánh Mì Vienna 4th, Faulmanng. 1, Tel. 0660/673 08 11, Mon-Fri 11.30-20 hrs,

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