Bánh & Butter, CBD Sydney (16 Oct 2017)

7/250 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
https://www.instagram.com/banh.and.butter/

Banh mi game is strong

Great find for a banh mi fix. Excellent baguettes with tasty quality fillings. Service is efficient and friendly. 'The Classic' banh mi ($8.50) includes steamed pork belly, Vietnamese ham & pate, onion, cucumber, pickled carrot and daikon, shallots, coriander, mayo, soy sauce and house special sauce. Nice crunchy baguette and a decent size wrapped up like a kebab. The lemongrass beef banh mi is very good which I've tried on a revisit. The popular Roast Piggy I still need to try and it keeps running out before I arrive. Cappuccino ($3.30) using Di Stefano coffee was surprisingly good for a reasonable price. There's a bit of seating available at this hidden gem which is located opposite the highly popular Big Bite on Pitt best known for their gigantic sandwiches

Sydney PORKROLLS: Vietnamese Banh Mi, Haymarket (9 & 15 Oct 2012)

627 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Next stop banh mi

If you catch the 555 free Sydney CBD shuttle bus around town it can drop you right outside Sydney Porkrolls for a banh mi fix. It's a tiny hole-in-the wall eatery serving up the classics. When I first spotted the shop pork rolls were only $3.50 but when I visited nearly three weeks later they were up to $3.95 so I'm assuming it was some opening special or they decided they were selling them too cheap. The ingredients in my first Pork roll ($3.95) were fresh although it could have done with a bit more filling and I also found a thick piece of spring onion that's never appreciated. The roll was soft inside and crunchy on the outside as hoped which reminded me of Hong Ha. On my second visit I tried the Chicken roll ($4.95). The meat was quite juicy although watch out for the drip factor when eating. The chilli was very hot so be careful how much you decide to have if you can't handle the heat. If you're looking for a place to sit try the bus stop but if too crowded the church steps next door is quite convenient. 

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Pretty cheap, Ingredients quite fresh, Bun had a nice outer crunch, Service was efficient, Right next to the bus stop

CONS: No seating, Waiting in a long queue can get congested being right next to the bus stop, Service could be friendlier but nice enough

MUST TRY: BBQ pork roll next time
VERDICT: For a quick and cheap eat this place seems to hit the mark. Perhaps not the best in Sydney but seems to use all the right ingredients to satisfy a banh mi craving.

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Pork roll ($3.95)

A bit light on the filling but nice roll

No one likes a thick piece of spring onion in their banh mi

Chicken roll ($4.95)

Fair amount of chicken and ingredients

Watch out for the chicken juice drip factor

Menu (9 Oct 2012)

You can use the steps of the church next door to sit

Service counter — expect queues to go out the door

Menu (21 Sept 2012) when I first noticed the shop

Conveniently located at a 555 free bus stop

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Marrickville Pork Roll: Vietnamese, Marrickville (28 May 2010)

236a Illawarra Road, Marrickville NSW 2204

Blink and you'll miss it

Possibly the smallest shop in Marrickville yet one of the busiest is this simple Pork Roll shop. Perhaps in need of a good renovation but it's old world charm attracts plenty of loyal customers who are happy to queue. Only six menu items of very cheap rolls which are filled to the brim. The Chicken Roll ($4) and Pork Roll ($3.50) are probably the most popular orders like Hong Ha Hot Bread in Mascot. If you're looking for a cheap lunch then look no further.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Very cheap, Tasty ingredients, Specialise in only a few items, Open 7 days

CONS: Long queues when lunch time, No seating, Take away only

MUST TRY: Pork Roll

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Pork Roll ($3.50)

Chicken Roll ($4)

A well stocked ingredients counter

6 items on the menu at prices that will keep your wallet happy

Opening hours

Number should actually be 236a I believe

Open 7 days

Smallest shop on the block, if not Marrickville


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Hong Ha Hot Bread: Chicken and Pork Rolls, Mascot (5 July 2009)

1151 Botany Road, Mascot NSW 2020
http://www.redroll.com.au

Cheap, Tasty & Crunchy Rolls

A recent food blog about Big Georges Cafe by Here Comes The Food inspired me to try and check it out for a lazy Sunday lunch but unfortunately soon realised while driving by that it wasn't open on Sundays — I'll have to try on a Saturday next time. So my trusty backup plan for a decent bánh mì was the famous and hugely popular Hong Ha shop which makes very cheap and yummy chicken rolls and pork rolls amongst other variations.

I'm sure every bánh mì fan has tried or at least heard of this place which now franchises under the Red Roll banner in a few locations around Sydney. Their bread rolls have a great 'signature' outer shell crunch factor while still being soft inside. The tasty large springs rolls are very crispy although they are very oily too — napkins, napkins, napkins.

Unfortunately they have been served a few penalty notices earlier this year from the NSW Food Authority but this obviously hasn't kept the long lunchtime queues away and hopefully everything has been corrected back of house since then.

Where do you get your favourite bánh mì?

The Rolls

Pork Roll: 3 slices of pork, pate, shallots, cucumber, onion, marinated grated carrot, mayonnaise, coriander, special sauce, seasoning and chilli on a crunchy bread roll $4

Chicken Roll: Chicken breast, cucumber, tomato, lettuce, marinated grated carrot, mayonnaise, coriander, special sauce, seasoning and chilli on a crunchy bread roll $4

Spring rolls $1.50 each. Oil factor not so healthy!

The Menu

The Counter

The Queue

The Name

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