Recently, a video appeared on social media featuring Clara Kevin, a foreign tourist, sharing her thoughts on banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) in Hanoi.

The tourist commented: "I know banh mi is one of the very famous dishes here. It's basically like a sandwich with different fillings."

For dinner, she chose a beef and cheese sandwich from a shop on Hang Ca Street (Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi), which she mentioned was "relatively famous". After taking a bite, Clara Kevin remarked, "It's nothing special but okay."

The video gained unexpected attention with more than 820,000 views and over 3,300 comments. Many netizens argued that her experience with a beef and cheese sandwich was not representative of traditional Vietnamese banh mi.

"You are enjoying a beef and cheese sandwich. This is not the type of sandwich commonly found in Vietnam, so you cannot accurately feel the flavor of this dish," commented one user.

"This is not a traditional Vietnamese sandwich. It has no pickles, no pate, no herbs. Traditional sandwiches use butter instead of cheese. Please try again," expressed another.

Many foreign tourists left comments praising Vietnamese sandwiches: "I think this is one of the best dishes I have ever enjoyed when coming to Vietnam"; "It's a pity that you missed the best parts of the sandwich, which are the vegetables and sauce"; "Vietnamese food is great."

In response to the mixed opinions, Clara Kevin posted another video stating that her comments were her personal opinions.

The owner of the banh mi shop on Hang Ca Street said: "In my opinion, each guest has different tastes and culinary preferences. Working in the service industry, we always accept compliments and criticisms from diners to make appropriate adjustments."

The owner noted that the shop, open since 2014, targets international tourists and offers a diverse menu, including traditional sandwiches like mixed and xa xiu pate sandwiches, as well as beef, chicken, and vegetarian options.

"Our customers come from many different countries and cultures. Therefore, the menu is diversified to serve their needs. Beef and cheese sandwiches are one of them. This is a dish that many tourists love," said the owner.

Although the shop offers various fillings, the owner emphasized that each sandwich must be delicious, hot, and crispy, always accompanied by sauce, herbs, and pickles - key characteristics of Vietnamese sandwiches.

"When foreign customers order, the staff always asks if they want to eat traditional bread or not. If they don't want to, they can choose the type they like. In this case, maybe the girl only wanted to eat beef and cheese, without herbs or pickles.

In fact, the flavor of the sandwich is a combination of many ingredients. “Just missing a little pepper, herbs, or pickles, its flavor changes," explained the owner.

This restaurant received positive reviews on Tripadvisor, a global travel review platform, with more than 5,700 reviews and an overall score of 4.5/5.

Linh Trang