Queen of the scene: Madam Khanh’s banh mi in Hoi An

Situated at 115 Tran Cao Van Street, about 1 kilometer from Hoi An Market, Madam Khanh’s banh mi shop has been dubbed “The Banh Mi Queen” by American online travel agency Tripadvisor.

Madam Khanh’s banh mi shop from the outside. Photo by VnExpress/Thao Nhi

The eatery boasts nearly 3,000 reviews on Tripadvisor, with the majority praising the bread, fillings, and paté.

The shop opens daily from around 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. It was established in 1975 by Nguyen Thi Loc and her husband.

The name “Madam Khanh” was given by foreign visitors, named after her husband, and it has stuck ever since. Over time, Loc’s shop has become more spacious, and is now run by her daughter.

The fillings are kept separately behind the glass counter. Photo by VnExpress/Thao Nhi

The shop offers six types of banh mi, with fillings such as pork, chicken, egg, and sausage, all served with a homemade sauce. Prices range from VND25,000 to VND30,000 ($1 to $1.20) per banh mi.

To cater to the vegetarian needs of both locals and travelers, the shop also offers vegetarian banh mi with fillings like egg, tofu, cheese, cucumber, and tomato.

Customers can choose to dine in at the seating area inside the shop or take their banh mi to nearby coffee shops to enjoy.

Each loaf of Madam Khanh’s banh mi is placed in a paper bag. Photo courtesy of Instagram/18to30s_gadventures

For a long time, banh mi has been a pride in Vietnamese cuisine, with adaptations found from the north to the south. Banh mi uses baguettes, originally from France, but has adjusted the size and incorporated diverse fillings to suit local tastes.

Each region has its own creative twists, making this dish an icon. Banh mi was ranked among the top 14 best street foods in the world by TasteAtlas in 2023 and among the top 23 best sandwiches globally by CNN Travel in 2021.