Soho Bánh Mì Just Makes Life Better

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, there’s rarely a time when I eat at a restaurant and feel so fervently compelled to immediately hit the laptop for some nonsensical gastronomic musings. But when that holy gustatorial spirit washes over me, it hits hard. Like a rattlesnake-handling Appalachian Protestant preacher before a congregation of 25 devout worshippers, all unsurprisingly related by blood – “OH LAWD, can I get an AMEN!?”. 

Well, Soho Bánh Mì has awakened that spirit, priming both Hozier and me to be taken to church – The Church of Bánh Mì and Summer Rolls. 

And the best part is there’s no subsequent manslaughter trial after Debbie from Middlesboro takes enough venom to the dome to euthanize a bull elephant, all with New Testament excerpts being belligerently shouted in the background. I digress. 

So, now that your mouth is watering (or you’re utterly confused about what this post is about), your palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, here’s everything I loved (and love) about Soho Bánh Mì in Central and why this Vietnamese restaurant should definitely be on your radar.  

Pale Ale Travel Note: The first several times I ate at Soho Bánh Mì was with my father, which is a sacred time so there was no picture taking, which means no article. However, my most recent visit was for both pleasure and business. And like Aaron Burr from that one musical written for insufferable millennials, “The rule of my life is to make business a pleasure, and pleasure my business.”

Warm, Wholesome Vietnamese Cuisine Served in a Cold Capitalistic Skyscraper

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.instagram.com/sohobanhmi/ 

• Location: 1/F, The Center, 99 Queen’s Road Central, Central
• Price: $

Don’t let that title mislead you. Although I consider myself to have a tenuous grasp on both the authenticity of Vietnamese cuisine and the fundamentals of free market capitalism, I love both. I do get occasional pangs of professional inadequacy walking by The Center but Soho Bánh Mì is the perfect excuse for me to pretend like I’m a DBS asset manager popping down for his lunch break. 

Located on the 1st floor of Mordor’s Central’s steel-structured Barad-dûr of plutocratic, financial tribalism – The Center – Soho Bánh Mì is a labor of love by owners Diana Vo and Farah Dang. Soho Bánh Mì’s positioning is really a bit of an unlikely spot, its humble interior sporting miniature metallic tables and chairs, a relic of both past and present times in ‘The Land of the Blue Dragon’ and fixture of nearly every street corner across the country, a stark contrast to the cold, jagged, intertwining steel beams and ostentatious neon lights that come together to form what I imagine is an investment banker’s deranged idea of the perfect Christmas tree. 

However, for us regular folks, Soho Bánh Mì’s unlikely crossover into the hustle and bustle of Central is a wholesome welcome and a necessary reminder that there is humanity in such a cold, commercial world. 

In the course of my bánh mì crusades, I’ve (so far) only met Diana, a German-Vietnamese transplant boasting discernible glimpses of each in every interaction – direct yet good-humored, intentional yet carefree, practical yet hospitable. She bobs and weaves behind a glassy, semi-transparent bánh mì cart loaded with freshly baked baguettes and containers of pork floss, calling out orders to her team while hand-rolling summer rolls with dexterity so pure that The Doggfather’s in-house, salaried doobie roller would be envious. 

I first discovered Soho Bánh Mì after my self-imposed six-month Hong Kong moratorium, which involved returning to Saigon for two of those months for love, lechery, and Lẩu dê (‘Lẩu dê Trương Định’ is the goat curry BBQ restaurant that I make frequent mention of on this blog). Lechery and Lẩu dê were the only two constants that remained true for this Big Body. 

After traversing the back streets of Saigon’s District 4 “on the reg” to shake hands with every bánh mì proprietor known to the triangular little island (fun fact: District 4 in HCMC is technically an island), I worried things were never going to be the same once I returned to Hong Kong as I had found the apex of bánh mì excellence. However, unlike 2Pac, I did see some changes and my stomach didn’t hurt so I didn’t need to look for a purse to snatch – all thanks to Soho Bánh Mì. 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you’re in Central, there are more quality ramen haunts than you can shake a stick at. Read my breakdown of the top ramen restaurants in Central, Hong Kong to make sure you know where to get your ramen fix. 

Soho Bánh Mì: So Fresh, So Clean

As I mentioned above, although I previously lived in Saigon for over one year, I still concede that my Vietnamese cuisine constitution could be stronger and I am no arbiter of what is and isn’t ‘2 legit 2 quit’ – so take all of the below with a grain of salt.

The menu at Soho Bánh Mì, like Gary, Indiana native and rapper Freddie Gibbs, is true to the streets – minus all the gun charges, public rap beefs, and potent strains of the sticky icky – instead prioritizing a select, manageable menu consisting of bánh mìs the size of sawed-off 12 gauges, pork (not beef) pate, and thick herbaceous-ly potent summer rolls held together via sticky rice paper wrappers. 

Cold vermicelli noodle salads, spring rolls, and a rotating signature ‘daily dish’ are all on deck as well.

My several trips to Soho Bánh Mì have all taken similar forms after comfortably honing in on the lemongrass, kaffir lime, and five spice-marinated chicken bánh mì and pork and prawn summer rolls. Soho Bánh Mì’s signature roast pork and pâté bánh mì was “the control” sandwich that made me realize this shop was OG-certified and instilled confidence in diversifying my bánh mì Rolodex. 

Bánh Mì Dreams & Federal Nightmares

If you know me by now, then you know that I asked for my bánh mì without mayonnaise.

Soho Bánh Mì serves up absolutely behemoth bánh mìs that are considerably bigger than those I’ve eaten in Saigon. This is not a complaint at all. In fact, this is a decree of jubilation and gratitude. Often, my biggest gripe with bánh mìs in Hong Kong is that I typically have to order multiple to get my fix. And, unlike Vietnam where you can comfortably purchase one of these bad boys for roughly USD 1, that can quickly add up in Hong Kong. These are built for both satiating and economical consumption, without compromising on quality or authenticity. 

With all of this said, I did actually devour two of these Cabbage Patch Kid-sized sandwiches on my most recent trip to the shop. However, this was out of necessity to stay alive rather than frustration at its size, as I hadn’t eaten in roughly 36 hours (I “intermittent fast” and decided to stretch it). 

Soho Bánh Mì’s baguettes sport the signature flaky, crispy exterior (and fluffy interior) that we all know and love (and don’t yield those rustic, slice-your-mouth-open bites you run into with artisanal bread), and accept to be worthwhile collateral damage all over our pants after biting in. This in itself is worth making the trip for. Show me a better type of bread out there and I’ll show you a liar. But it doesn’t stop there. 

Beefing up this miniature doughy torpedo is a bouquet of sour, salty, sweet, and aromatic ingredients like cucumber, pickles, coriander, jalapeno, scallion oil, and chili jam, all deliberate and in furtherance of drawing out the multitudinous flavors of the slightly citrusy and earthy marinated chicken. Diana let me know that the marination begins far ahead of service (often the night before), allowing the chicken to really take on a suffused juicy inside. 

This sandwich is the definition of balance. It can be both a symphonious collection of synergistic gustatorial constituents or whatever specific bite you want it to be – salty, sweet, sour, savory, or citrusy. 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you’re looking for another contender for one of Hong Kong’s best bánh mìs, then make sure to check out my post breaking down the newly-minted Michelin star Vietnamese restaurant ‘An Choi’ in Sheung Wan.

Summer (Roll) Nights

While bánh mìs will no doubt have you hit your friend with an Owen Wilson ‘Wow’ over just how fresh they are, I can’t think of anything on the ‘fresh power rankings’ and hierarchy quite like summer rolls. 

Packed with fresh papaya, cucumber, red cabbage, pickles, herbs, and proteins (pork and prawns), the color on Soho Bánh Mì’s summer rolls alone is enough to let you know that you’ve stumbled upon an Outkast-esque gem – so fresh and so clean, clean. 

They are also some chunky boys, like that one summer when 12-year-old me went ham on the University of New Hampshire’s all-you-can-eat dining hall meal plan while at band camp, requiring a bucket of Crisco and several ‘Hail Marys’ just to fit into my already snug Old Navy blue jeans come fall. 

I know I’m not the greatest at taking pictures. But look me in the eye and tell me this ain’t sexy – a top five sexiest food picture on the blog right here.

Like the bánh mì, and when I think about it, almost all Vietnamese food, there’s an unparalleled balance to the construction and distribution of flavors in summer rolls. Plus, there’s something satisfying about the translucent nature of the rice wrappers and being able to stare down the girthy prawns you’re about to consume before biting in.

I know people love saying this all the time but this is a dish that I could eat every single day of the week and never get tired of – especially when you get to dip it in the accompanying silky peanut sauce. This stuff is so good that I’d throw a little in my hair every day just to make it stand up if I could. 

If you didn’t see that Owen Wilson reference come full circle right there then God have mercy on your soul. 

Why Drink Coffee When You Can Drink Vietnamese Iced Coffee?

While living in Saigon, I think my record was 5 or 6 in a day before the heart palpitations began.

Soho Bánh Mì’s iced Vietnamese coffee, sweetened with condensed milk (of course), is that slightly chalky, creamy, battery-charged acid of liquid gold that will have you both hopped up more than Viagra on a pogo stick and hopelessly addicted. I say this with all due respect and as someone who is currently looking into getting a direct IV drip of this stuff set up at my office.

I usually just call these ‘adult milkshakes’ due to their slightly higher viscosity and calorie-dense nature combined with the side effects of crystal meth (which I’ve never smoked and don’t plan to). Or, if you’re into watching a Japanese garden water spout in coffee form, consider ordering a traditional Phin filter drip coffee and watch as it cascades down onto a bed of sweetened condensed milk. 

Just be prepared that you won’t be adorably falling asleep with your onesie on while peacefully counting sheep after a glass or two of this stuff. 

Pale Ale Pro Tip: While my chances of having a heart attack have most likely, exponentially increased after chugging two Vietnamese iced coffees, I’ve found that a follow-up gym session is a must for ‘burning off’ that caffeine and giving myself any chance of being in bed at a reasonable hour. Or, if you’re more of a Richard Ramirez (The Night Stalker), then it may help fuel whatever nefarious nighttime activities you choose to get up to.

Bánh Mìs Rule Everything Around Me

The pictures of the summer rolls may be some of the only few on this blog that have come anywhere close to showcasing just how delicious the food actually tasted.

In Hong Kong’s faltering, somewhat cold, and definitely overpriced gastronomic landscape, it truly makes my heart sing when you find a restaurant and/or shop that prioritizes fresh, quality ingredients at an affordable price. 

That’s not to say that cash doesn’t rule everything around me, C.R.E.A.M. get the money, dolla dolla bill y’all. However, it makes this city feel a little more at home and sustainable when you’re treated with warmth (and not extorted in the process).

Soho Bánh Mì is a Vietnamese cuisine sanctuary that I’ll continue to treasure and hold onto (and enthusiastically patronize). I’m thankful to Diana, Farah, and the Soho Bánh Mì family for providing such a familiar and welcoming place in a city that I’ve called home for all these years yet still often find myself feeling like a stranger in. It’s no longer ‘bánh mì’, it’s ‘bánh we’.

If you’ve been to Soho Bánh Mì in The Center, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Let me know if you are more of a traditional bánh mì eater or opted for their chicken (or fish) bánh mì. Or, if you have a favorite bánh mì haunt or Vietnamese restaurant in Hong Kong, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Eat well everyone,

Big Body