There sure are a lot of places to get your mittens on excellent banh mi here in Sydney, and deciding which are the best is about as difficult as scoring tickets for Ms Swift concert. But we reckon Phu Cuong King's Hot Bread in Hurstville has got to be near the top.
The family-owned and run Vietnamese bakery – King’s has been slinging delicious rolls since 1997 – is loved for its freshly made and full-to-the-brim banh mi, that’ll take you from Forest Road straight to the happening streets of Hoi An in one big bite.
Ringing in at a red-hot price of eight bucks, the classic pork roll arrives in a fresh and crunchy baguette that’s lathered with mayo and pâté and loaded with pork belly and Vietnamese devon, cucumber, shredded carrot, red onion, coriander, spring onions, chilli, King’s famous soy sauce and salt and pepper. Happiness in a bite? It’s pretty bloody close.
As well as its on-point flavour and price, Phu Cuong’s King’s Hot Bread also stands out for its excellent range, from pork crackling rolls to teriyaki chicken numbers, char siu rolls and roast duck rolls. One of King’s best-sellers is the pork and dim sim roll, where in a stroke of genius the plump dumplings are literally added onto the baguette too.
The daily snacking lines at lunch prove how much of a gem this Vietnamese bakery is, so we say come to King’s as early as you can.