Is ordering through an intercom a clever invention (especially for introverts), or a shards-of-breadcrumb disaster for your car? We swung past the city’s most unusual banh mi shop to find out.
You might ask yourself why there aren’t more places that unite the joys of banh mi with the novelty of a drive-through. As far as we can tell, Banh Mi Vietnam in Maidstone is Melbourne’s only active drive-through selling crusty rolls filled with everything from cold cuts to lemongrass tofu. We had to know: is this a gimmick or a worthwhile addition to Melbourne’s flourishing banh mi scene?
Good Food asked two writers to jump in their cars, order their usual banh mi via intercom, and report back. In the interests of a better representation of the kitchen’s abilities, they visited on separate days. Here’s their verdict on Melbourne’s drive-through banh mi.
The order
Annabel Smith: Crispy roast pork banh mi with chilli ($12); Vietnamese iced coffee ($6.50)
Harvard Wang: The voice behind the intercom steered me towards roast pork; I went with the barbecued chicken ($12) (and the lemongrass sliced pork, at $12, for my ride-along), just to be a contrarian.
The bread
AS: With the crackly crust of a tiger roll, the bread was elongated and sturdy. The crumbs didn’t flake away and the banh mi maintained structural integrity, despite weighing a whopping 390g.
HW: Tiger bread! The irregular crackly shell was a dead giveaway. The roll is big – almost in Subway foot-long territory – crunchy yet pillowy in the middle, and had enough structure to hold everything without collapsing.
The filling
AS: Achieving the elusive combination of juicy meat and ASMR-crunchy crackling, the pork had nicely rendered fat and was thickly sliced. The bun was fully loaded, like the souped-up car ahead of me in the queue.
HW: The chicken banh mi seemed under-filled at first, but a giant portion was hidden by the monster roll. I’d prefer more crunch to the pickled carrot and radish, and more coriander, seasoning and pâté, which I had to look hard for. But the lemongrass pork was flavourful, with sesame seeds throughout, a bit like a stir-fry in a roll.
Extra touches
AS: The four Cs (chilli, coriander, cucumber, carrot) were present and correct, but so too were the four Os: spring onion spear, dark-green spring onion slices, white onion and crispy fried shallots. Serving the roll in a white paper bag and a cardboard box was a nice touch to minimise mess in your car.
HW: Placing drive-through banh mi in a box is smart to avoid mess. As I was taking photos, I heard staff warning about waiting times, which at least gives diners the choice to leave.
The question is not if, but how often, I’ll be back.
Annabel Smith
Efficiency
AS: On this Friday at 1pm, friendly headset-wearing staff warned us they’d had an “overload” of orders and predicted a 20-minute wait, causing a couple of cars behind me to abort the mission. However, iced coffee was delivered promptly to my parked car while I waited, and my banh mi was in my hand in just over 14 minutes.
HW: We expected we would order at the intercom and pick up at the next window, but we paid and were instructed to wait at the parking bay for our order. This was on an overcast Saturday just before lunchtime, so you could consider it a pretty good stress test. Eight minutes and 48 seconds later, our food was brought over.
Would I return?
AS: There’s no shortage of drive-throughs (El Jannah, Tico’s, Starbucks) in this pocket of the north-west, but none have tempted me until now. I’m also spoiled for choice for banh mi, living close to Footscray and Sunshine. But this quirky spot, located in the car park of a still-functioning wedding reception venue, is more than a novelty. Its roast pork was a cut above, plus I’m a sucker for a tiger roll. It’s also dangerously close to my home. The question is not if, but how often, I’ll be back.
If you live nearby and you’re a) hungry, b) can’t be bothered changing, c) love being in your car or d) dislike human interaction, this is definitely for you.
Harvard Wang
HW: For me, a banh mi is best eaten immediately, but I don’t love the idea of breadcrumbs and coriander finding their way between the seams of my car seat. Not to mention the smell. If you don’t eat immediately, though, you’ll end up with sub-par banh mi at home. (We ate one in the car and one at home for balance.) Seeing my roll being assembled in real time is also part of the banh mi experience. But if you live nearby and you’re a) hungry, b) can’t be bothered changing, c) love being in your car or d) dislike human interaction, this is definitely for you.
The verdict
Banh Mi Vietnam definitely fills a gap in the wall-to-wall fast food available at drive-throughs, and it’s not resting on the weight of its quirk factor. The banh mi are great value for the size, and the roast pork was impressive. It’s a convenient option under certain circumstances. But weigh that up against the rogue remnants of banh mi that will inevitably end up in your car – and at least open the window while you eat.
Breakfast and lunch daily
42 Hampstead Road, Maidstone, banhmivn.com
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