Three To Try: These New Banh Mi Players Are Just Getting Started

Banh mi is one of the country’s most loved sandwiches. Everyone from Anchovy chef Thi Le to Masterchef judge Sofia Levin has a favourite banh mi shop. And even the New York Times notes “it is only a slight exaggeration to say that Australia runs on banh mi”.

In recent years, Melbourne’s banh mi scene has continued to evolve, with a new wave of shops changing the way the lunchtime staple is viewed and valued. Here are three new additions to Melbourne’s already prolific banh mi scene that all hope to grow into multi-location businesses.

Luke’s Banh Mi, South Melbourne and Moonee Ponds

Luke Vu is a third-generation baker. He grew up in his family’s bakery in Vietnam, helping to knead dough and deliver baguettes by bicycle to local banh mi stalls before school. He migrated to Australia at 19 to study and, in 2019, opened his first banh mi shop. After building a following in Moonee Ponds, the second outpost of Luke’s Banh Mi (formerly called Luke’s Vietnamese) opened in South Melbourne this year.

Known for loaded banh mi, Luke’s is beloved for more than just its generous portions. The pâté, sauces, baguettes, marinades, whole-yolk mayo and everything else is made in-house, adapted from Vu’s mother’s recipes. In addition to classic cold-cut and roast pork rolls, there are eight vegan rolls, including one filled with vegan crackling and another loaded with vegan barbeque pork. Beyond banh mi, there are rice bowls, crispy spring rolls (including a chicken, corn and cheese version) and the classic ca phe sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee). Vu already has plans to open new locations in Port Melbourne and the CBD.

Bammi, CBD and Brighton

Owner Khoa Nguyen opened Bammi in Brighton at the end of last year. This month, he followed it up with [an outpost on Lonsdale Street in the CBD. Every morning, 100 short baguettes are baked for the opening crowd and another 100 rolls are prepared for the lunch rush.

Everything is made in-house. Each roll has pâté, Vietnamese egg yolk mayonnaise and a reworked hoisin sauce that’s been cooked with garlic, palm sugar, plum sauce and caramelised onions. They’re topped with fried shallots and roasted peanuts. For a final touch, Nguyen spritzes a coconut-infused oil onto the bread to bring out the aroma of the sauces and fillings.

At least 15 ingredients go into each sandwich, and preparation is time-consuming. For the crispy pork, for example, the meat is cleaned, rubbed down with spices and dried for two days before it’s cooked in order to achieve maximum crackling crunch. At Bammi, there are a few other Vietnamese dishes, including salad, rice and vermicelli noodle bowls, and small cups of pho. Nguyen plans to expand into Melbourne’s eastern suburbs next.

Pecks Road, CBD and Caroline Springs

Pecks Road is a proudly Filipino cafe founded by brothers Albin, AJ and Arbi Lawang. This March, the Lawangs followed their Caroline Springs location, which opened in January 2022, with a CBD outpost on Flinders Lane.

The shop is best known for crullers, doughnuts and playful drinks such as ube coconut clouds. But the Filipino banh mi that they put on as a weekend special at the Caroline Springs location last year was so popular that it’s now a permanent fixture of the city menu. The roll is stuffed with chicharron (fried pork rinds) and pork marinated in Peck’s Pinoy barbeque sauce. The brothers plan to grow Pecks Road and hope to bring the business to the Philippines.

Additional reporting by Raine Cabral Laysico, Tri Nguyen and Haymun Win.