Banh Tam Bi you say? Street food in Vietnam does it ever stop? I know I say this literally every blog, but Vietnamese street food truly is the best in the world!
So, banh tam mi! After a hard night out in Zone 1 AKA Saigon, the hub of everything party in the city.
Got coconuts?
Due to the climate coconuts are extremely popular in Saigon, and they make one of the cheapest and most refreshing street drinks you can get in the area. They also of course make their way into a lot of delicious dishes, such as banh tam mi!
What is banh tam bi/Banh tam mi?
Banh tam mi is a Vietnamese dish of rice and tapioca noodles, mixed with herbs and pork, but then drenched in thick creamy coconut dressing!
Where to find banh tam bu/banh tam mi?
A street restaurant rather than street food type gig you will restaurants throughout Saigon and indeed other southern Vietnamese places, with the big giveaway being the thick tapioca noodles being on display for the world to see.
Of course seeing a big pan of coconut milk is also a bit of tale tale giveaway too!
Eating Banh Tam bi
So, I grabbed my little tin chair and sat at the tin table, all very Vietnamese, grabbed a Saigon beer (on ice of course) and waited to be served my culinary treat!
The Banh tam bi (bánh tằm bì) came out in a big bowl with herbs cucumbers, mint, sweet basil, and of course coriander.
It is then topped with the very thick tapioca noodles! Tapioca noodles are very sticky and almost goes inside, making a very good change from a standard fried noodle.
And lastly the thinly cut pieces of pork that are then covered in the coconut gravy. I’ve explained my love of coconut gravy before in my “coconut fish” blog, but honestly I think putting coconut gravy on anything makes it an amazing dish.
With it being a Vietnamese dish I did what I always do and added chillies. Chillies and coconut go together a lot better than what you might well think!
How does Banh tam bi (bánh tằm bì) taste?
OK, so lets deal with important part! This is a thick creamy, starchy dish that will fill you up, it is not a light snack. Much like other Vietnamese greats it includes a lot of ingredients that should not work together, but the Vietnamese have made a way for it to just taste great.
There’s a lot of food to try when you swing through southern Vietnam, but banh tam bi (bánh tằm bì) is way up there with the best!
A street food guy success…..