Phuong 18 is a Vietnamese bakery shop in Bankstown that is said to sell some of Sydney's best banh mi, all priced under $10. Find out which ones are a must order and I also share a tip on where to get the best Vietnamese iced coffee nearby (if you know, you know!).
Sophia is still getting her driving confidence up so when we go out, I drive us to the city and other busier places and she will drive us to somewhere like Bankstown where it is easy to park and there are no bridges or complicated routes. "I'll park there," she says, spotting a driver leaving an easy park that doesn't require parallel parking. We walk the 500 metres/1640feet or so to Phuong 18 on busy Chapel Road in Bankstown and in a few minutes it feels like we've moved from the Middle East to Vietnam.
Bankstown's Chapel Road is replete with Vietnamese businesses, and it is a lively area with plenty of action. We spot the queue for Phuong 18 from afar - we are told that normally it's longer but the grey, overcast day and heavy rain from this morning has possibly dissuaded people. The menu is a single page of 7 banh mi: pork, BBQ garlic chicken, salted pork belly, meatball, bbq beef, roasted pork and pork skewer.
We decide on the salted pork belly, the roasted pork and meatball banh mis. We ask them to add chilli on one half and to cut the banh mi in half. I also grab a mung bean and coconut dessert from the fridge as well.
There are two large metal picnic tables adjacent to the store at which you can eat. We end up sharing a table with a lady sitting at one end. I start with my favourite: the salted pork belly has cubes of crunchy crackling that crunch with every bite. They do things a bit differently here too: the spring onion and coriander are chopped up rather being added as a long stick. There's plenty of pickled daikon, thick shredded carrot and a baton of cucumber and you can see the ratio of bread to filling is excellent. The sauce is slightly more viscous in texture too while the bread is fresh and crisp.
Meatball banh mis tend to be my go to order because I love saucy, wet sandwiches. The pork meatballs here are soft, flavoursome and saucy and this banh mis is both of our second favourite after the salted pork belly.
The roasted pork looked so glisteningly alluring in the display that we had to order this too. It has the same filling with salad, coriander, spring onion and sauces but is softer in texture. A special note: the bread is excellent as it is crisp and fresh. It is also baked on the premises.
Another lady joins the woman sitting at our table and then we notice people coming up to her and handing her $5 notes. We watch as she adds some ice to a layered coffee drink and froths it up. A couple of women notice us watching and explain that she sells the best Vietnamese coffee in Bankstown. Curious, I order one and she froths it up and hands it over. Hot damn they were right, this is the best Vietnamese iced coffee I've had. It's very creamy with the perfect level of sweetness to it and it's so moreish and perfectly paired with the Banh Mi. If you see her at these tables, I definitely recommend ordering one of her iced coffees. She only takes cash but she has an arrangement where the shop next to the tables will take card on her behalf.
The Che or sweet soup dessert is delicious. It's made with thick, soft pieces of pomelo rind and mung beans in a gelatinous soup with a layer of salted coconut cream on top. I add the roasted nuts on top and I particularly love the spoonfuls where I get some crunchy nuts in the bite.
So tell me Dear Reader, are you comfortable driving everywhere? Do you have a standard banh mi order?
This food was independently paid for.
Phuong 18
Shop 1/335 Chapel Rd, Bankstown NSW 2200
Phone: (02) 8710 5929
Open 7 days: 6 am–5:30 pm
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