Bánh mì gà Nướng

Bánh mì gà nướng is the grilled-chicken baguette that became one of the most widely exported bánh mì variants after Vietnamese bakeries opened across North America, Europe and Australia. The chicken is marinated in a sweet-savory blend of lemongrass, fish sauce, palm sugar, garlic, shallot, turmeric and a touch of five-spice, then threaded onto skewers and grilled over charcoal until the edges char and the sugars caramelise.

The cooked chicken is rested, sliced across the grain, and tucked into a crackling-light Vietnamese baguette with a near cottony interior. Standard accompaniments include pickled carrot and daikon (đồ chua), sliced cucumber, fresh coriander, sliced red chilli and either a slick of mayonnaise or a swipe of chicken-liver pâté. Some stalls add a thin layer of Maggi seasoning for umami.

The sandwich is a daily staple at Sài Gòn street carts in District 1, Phú Nhuận and Bình Thạnh, and is the form most commonly found at Vietnamese bakeries abroad, from Paris's 13th arrondissement to Sydney's Cabramatta and Richmond, Melbourne.