Huế's culinary landscape is designed for snacking. From bánh khoái to bánh bèo to chè bột lọc heo, many of the most popular and delicious dishes are served in small portions that work together collectively to fill one’s belly, but don’t get the job done on their own.
Saigoneer has theories for why portions in Huế are so small, including influence from imperial fests that aimed to show off how many different, often exotic items one could fit on a table, with such lurid descriptions as orangutan lips and elephant feet. Alternatively, the snack-sized offerings be a matter of practicality. Unlike in Saigon, where residents are often busy rushing between work, hobbies, and obligations, in sleepy Huế, folks might have more time to prepare and savor dishes in their kitchens. Thus, they are not buying heaping bowls of noodles or heavy plates from vendors, and instead picking up reasonable noshables to tide themselves over between meals.
This all leaves the bánh mì in a precarious situation. The typical banh mi constitutes more or less a full meal, and eating one during a food-filled tourism trip to Huế can mean foregoing all an appetizing serving of bánh nậm or bánh bột lọc. This represents a tragedy for any self-respecting foodie.
Thankfully, Huế has a solution in the form of a tiny sandwich: bánh mì chuột. The palm-sized sandwiches provide a pleasant few bites of bread and filling without spoiling one’s appetite for further munchie meandering. The specific ingredients don’t differ greatly from the average Huế bánh mì, the familiar char su pork, pate, fried egg, and pork, and even the intriguing but ultimately unsuccessful bột lọc. Expectedly the chillis pack a bigger punch than one typically experiences in Saigon.
We have returned to a particular grouping of bánh mì chuột vendors operating at the far end of Dông Ba market. Surrounded by big baskets of tiny, warm bread and trays with the rudimentary fixings, for a mere 5,000 VND we had quick and simple satisfaction enough to power our walk to the next food stall. Other spots exist in and around the city selling these ideal snacks, and we suggest making a little room for one the next time you are in Huế.
