We reckon Melbourne is home to some of the world’s tastiest banh mi outside of Vietnam, but our luck doesn’t end there. On Wednesday, February 28, you can even get your hands on a free one! Thanks to a collaboration between Vietnam Airlines and the city’s newly opened Banh Mi Stand, hundreds of these famous, tasty sangas will be handed out at no charge to you. All you need to do is bring along your appetite to Banh Mi Stand at 10am on the dot – and a hungry friend, if you’re feeling generous enough to spread the good news.
Banh Mi Stand’s bespoke Banh Mi Bonanza menu is available for one day only and will take inspiration from key destinations on Vietnam Airlines’ flight paths from Melbourne, such as Paris, London, Frankfurt and Delhi. The promotion is celebrating the airline’s Transit Tours of Vietnam, which are optional free tours of special destinations around Vietnam, available for passengers flying via Vietnam to Germany, France, England, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea.
“The Transit Tours are completely free for eligible passengers,” says Vietnam Airlines Australia General Manager Mr Nguyen Huu Tung. “So yes, there is such a thing as a free banh mi lunch. And free transit tours, too!”
Here’s what’s on the menu: the French-inspired banh mi comes filled with duck confit and orange plum sauce; the German-inspired banh mi combines the magic of pork sausage and salted cabbage with crunchy chilli; and London’s version pays homage to a traditional British Sunday roast, with rare roast beef and onion jam. And the Delhi-inspired one? Think turmeric cauliflower and kasundi. Banh mi purists need not fear: the classic OG Vietnamese banh mi will also be on the menu, filled with Hanoi cha com (a pork and rice mix) and Hai Phong pate.
Free banh mi and Vietnamese coffee will be offered to the first 200 people, with doors opening at 10am. Find Banh Mi Stand at Morgan Place, 547 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Mark your calendars, get set, go!