Panda Panda

Bánh mì, Vietnamese baguettes, were the London food trend of 2009. Young entrepreneurs with a passion for Vietnamese street food set up shop everywhere from Hackney to Fitzrovia, Camberwell to London Bridge, selling their version.

While a few excellent purveyors still go from strength to strength (the Banhmi11 stall in Broadway Market, say), the opening of yet another new bánh mì place just doesn't have the same zing it did a year ago.

However, Panda Panda is not just a half-hearted tag-along. The owners are related to the much-lauded Baguette + More bánh mì stall in Greenwich, and a bite of their creations brought our jaded palates back to life.

The bread used in traditional Vietnamese bánh mì differ from their French counterparts; made with a mix of rice flour and wheat flour, the result is lighter, crisper and fluffier.

Traditional to the core, with slices of gelatinous rolled pork (cha lua) and Vietnamese ham, stuffed to the brim with tart radish and carrot pickle, cucumber, crushed peanuts, fresh coriander and a sprinkling of umami-heavy Maggi seasoning (a well-loved soy sauce-like condiment in South East Asia), Panda Panda's bánh mì is utterly pleasing. We would have preferred much more pâté (it was barely discernable) and more of a chilli kick, but otherwise it hit the spot.

There are some curious Hong Kong-style snacks on the menu, including skewers of springy curry fishballs (bland but bouncy on the teeth), and a range of fresh fruit desserts (mango and sago pudding, glutinous rice balls in ginger syrup). We lapped up an excellent, delicate soft tofu pudding (tofu-fa) but were disappointed to hear it had been bought in.

From the cheerful cartoon panda logo, bright colours and friendly staff to the fun menu (where flowering leaf tea is whimsically called 'dancing tea' and you can have milkshakes made with chocolate bars), Panda Panda is a bright spark on the otherwise dreary and grey Deptford Broadway.