review

Vietnamese pork bun (Banh bao thit heo)

I prefer my food freshly made and not frozen, but there are exceptions. One of those would be these Vietnamese pork buns (bánh bao thịt heo) that you can get from the Sabine Supermarket on the Sabine Road. Much like the Chinese steam buns you see everywhere, the Vietnamese versions generally contain minced pork, fungus, egg and various spices. Importantly, the filling is more generous and much tastier. Shoot me down if you want, but I reckon the Vietnamese have bested the Chinese in the steam bun department with these bad boys.

On one joyous trip to Vietnam many years ago I brought a bag of these back to the hotel to eat (about 10 or so). Why so many? Because they're freaking yummy and about 25c each in Australian dollars so why the hell not! I can't remember the price for these frozen ones, but there are two in a packet and costs something like $6. Stick it straight into a big steamer and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat. One is actually quite filling due to the dough, the bun pictured was all I had for dinner last night.  An easy, cheap and quick dinner! Best of all however is that unlike most frozen foods, these are no different in taste and texture to a freshly cooked one because they freeze very well. Next time you're in the Millner area, stop into the awesome Sabine Supermarket on Sabine Road and get a pack or five of these from the freezer.

vietnamese pork bun / banh bao thit heo

Look for this packaging in the frozen section, but make sure there are steam buns inside.