Vietnamese bread. (source: BBC)

Along with pho, the noodle soup, banh mi is one of Vietnam’s most famous culinary exports – a French-style bread filled with rich meats and fresh vegetables and herbs. In the kitchen of head chef Theign Yie Phan’s , the Vietnamese banh mi has become an attractive and colourful between-service snack. As a sandwich it is well balanced in flavour and texture with the crusty warm bread, the richness of  the meat, and the tartness and sourness from the pickles, said Phan, who is the head chef of Le Garcon Saigon. Phan said Banh mi has risen from humble beginnings on the streets of Saigon to become a global sensation – mirroring the history of modern Vietnam.