Vietnamese sandwiches attract Dubai visitors by replacing pork with lamb and combining ingredients popular in Middle Eastern cuisine.
Ranked by Taste Atlas as one of the top 100 best sandwiches in the world, Vietnamese sandwiches have followed Vietnamese people to the international market and are loved in many countries such as Korea, Japan, England, Czech Republic, Germany, America, and Saudi Arabia. In the Middle East - a culinary market that abstains from eating pork, Vietnamese sandwiches are adapted to suit the tastes and culinary culture of local people.
Chef Nguyen Thanh Cuong, champion of MasterChef Vietnam 2015, said that banh mi is a favorite dish of the Middle East, but "pure Vietnamese" banh mi is not suitable because it uses pork as an ingredient. When he co-opened Banh mi Zon in Dubai in early April, he replaced pork with meats popular with Muslim diners such as fish, chicken, beef, especially lamb and shawarma - a mixture of chicken and beef.
"Lamb bread and shawarma bread are special versions with the meat marinated with cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, garlic and black pepper, familiar in Middle Eastern cuisine," said Cuong, adding that the way to prepare the meat is to skewer it vertically and rotate it to gradually cook from the outside in, then slice it thinly from the outside when eating.
According to the MasterChef champion, the crispy bread crust with soft inside is an important factor in preserving the Vietnamese soul when adapting the dish for international diners. In addition to cucumber, cilantro, green onions and chicken pate instead of traditional pork pate, Dubai sandwiches also have rocket and pomegranate salad to add freshness and suit local tastes.
The sauce mixture also has a blend of two cuisines, including garlic butter sauce, yogurt or Middle Eastern sesame butter sauce, combined with Vietnamese mayonnaise. The recipe helps increase the fat content but still retains the harmonious flavor of the bread.
Zon Bread's menu includes lamb bread, shawarma, sardines, tofu, beef stew, and vegetarian curry. Prices range from 35 Dirhams to 39 Dirhams, equivalent to VND245,000 to VND273,000.
Mina Tran, founder of Zon Bread, said that Dubai people love dishes that are less spicy, rich in meat and sauce, especially quick but still ensure adequate nutrition due to the busy local lifestyle.
"Banh mi is a convenient street food, reasonably priced, with a combination of crispy crust, meat filling and rich sauce, and fresh vegetables," she said, adding that this is the advantage of banh mi when competing with other street foods in Dubai.
According to the bakery owner, since opening in early April, the shop has served 150-200 loaves of banh mi every day. Most local customers who visit the shop are impressed with the taste. "The tender, rich lamb, combined with crispy bread and fresh vegetables really surprised me from the first bite," said Mayed Aljassim, 35, living in Dubai.
Abu Dhabi-based diner Ebrahim s. Al Haddar, 61, said that Vietnamese bread is easy to eat, not greasy thanks to fresh vegetables and pickles, full of nutrients, so it is suitable for breakfast or lunch when busy. Emirati shawarma is often mildly spicy, with a strong smell of garlic or cinnamon, so it is suitable for people with a strong taste and a preference for meat. Ebrahim also suggests eating bread with fried eggs, mayonnaise, cheese or honey to change the taste.
In addition, diners eating bread at the restaurant have many choices of drinks such as salted coffee, iced coffee, coconut jelly, fruit juice with prices ranging from 25 Dirhams to 38 Dirhams, equivalent to 175,000 VND to 266,000 VND.
Chef Thanh Cuong wants to introduce more Vietnamese dishes besides banh mi such as egg coffee, Hue beef noodle soup, beef pho, spring rolls, bun cha, grilled pork noodle soup and Vietnamese sweet soups.
"I want to introduce Dubai people to the taste of Hue beef noodle soup according to my mother's recipe from the days of selling on the sidewalk," said the chef. He also said that he is researching ways to combine the flavors of the two cultures, helping customers in Dubai enjoy Vietnamese food in a familiar way.