I still remember the first time I ate this sandwich. I was sixteen, standing inside Saigon Deli in Chinatown, and for the very first time I had come here on my own. For years my parents had brought me, and now, walking in by myself, I felt adventurous. So instead of ordering my usual banh mi thit nuong (grilled pork), I pointed at something I had never tried and bought the banh mi ca moi, with no real idea of what it could be other than a fish banh mi.
When they passed it across the counter and I finally unwrapped it, the first thing I noticed was all that tomato sauce. Then it clicked. Those were the same canned sardines my dad used to cook for me at home, the ones I wrote about in my ca moi hop ca chua recipe. I almost laughed. I had walked in wanting something bold and grown up, and instead I got handed my own childhood, tucked inside a baguette. When I took my first bite, it all made sense. The savory tomato sauce and tender sardines, the crunchy, sour pickled veggies, the cool cucumber, and all those fresh herbs came together into something so much better than any single piece. From that moment, I was hooked, and today we’ll break down how to recreate it at home!
What Is Banh Mi Ca Moi?
Banh mi ca moi is a Vietnamese sandwich centered around inexpensive cans of sardines in tomato sauce. In Vietnam, it’s typically served for breakfast and a lazy Sunday meal, the kind of thing you assemble from the pantry when you want something hot, filling, and cheap. People also call it banh mi ca hop, which simply means a banh mi made with canned fish, and either name is perfectly acceptable. The beauty of this sandwich is that the foundation is based on two recipes I’ve already taught you how to make. The filling is my ca moi hop ca chua, those saucy simmered sardines, and the crunch comes from my do chua, the classic pickled carrot and daikon.
How to Make Banh Mi Ca Moi
Prep the sandwich fillings
Make the pickled veggies first. Julienne carrots and daikon radish into thin strips. Salt heavily with kosher salt for 5-10 minutes to draw out excess moisture, then rinse off the salt. For the pickling liquid, combine equal parts sugar, white vinegar, and water in a pot on medium-high heat. Let the liquid cool to room temperature, then pour it over the veggies.
Slice your cucumber into long thin planks. Rinse your cilantro and pat it dry.
Make the ca moi hop ca chua
Heat a splash of oil in a pan over medium heat, then sauté the sliced onion and minced garlic until soft and fragrant. Pour in the tomato sauce and let it warm through. Season the tomato sauce with Dear Mam fish sauce, sugar, MSG, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Gently add the canned sardines, sauce and all, and let the whole thing simmer for five minutes, maybe ten, for the flavors to marry. Finish by stirring in your green onions.
Assemble your banh mi ca moi
Split a toasted Vietnamese baguette lengthwise, leaving a hinge. Spread butter generously on both cut sides so it melts in. Spoon in the sardines and the tomato sauce along the length of the bread. Tuck in the cucumber planks, pickled veggies, and pile on the cilantro. Finish with a couple of dashes of Maggi Seasoning and a few cracks of black pepper/ Press the top down, cut it in half, and enjoy!
Banh Mi Ca Moi / Vietnamese Sardine Banh Mi
3-4
servings30
minutes10
minutesIngredients
- Sardines:
15 oz 15 Canned Sardines In Tomato Sauce
7 oz 7 Tomato Sauce
1/2 1/2 Onion, Sliced
1 tbsp 1 Garlic, Minced
1 tbsp 1 Dear Mam Fish Sauce
1 tbsp 1 Sugar
1 tsp 1 MSG
1/4 tsp 1/4 Black Pepper
1 tbsp 1 Oil
Green Onions, Chopped
- Do Chua (Pickled Veggies):
2 Large 2 Carrots, Julienned
1 Large 1 Daikon, Julienned
3 tbsp 3 Kosher Salt
1 cup 1 Water
1 cup 1 Sugar
1 cup 1 White Vinegar
- Accompaniments:
Vietnamese Baguettes
Cucumber
Softened Butter
Cilantro
Maggi Seasoning
Black Pepper
Directions
- Prep the sandwich fillings:
- Julienne the carrots and daikon into thin strips. Salt heavily with kosher salt for 5 to 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture, then rinse off the salt. For the pickling liquid, combine equal parts sugar, white vinegar, and water in a pot over medium-high heat. Let the liquid cool to room temperature. Add the veggies to a container, then pour the pickling liquid over them. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve
- Slice the cucumber into long thin planks. Rinse the cilantro and pat it dry
- Make the ca moi hop ca chua:
- Heat a splash of oil in a pan over medium heat, then sauté the sliced onion and minced garlic until soft and fragrant. Pour in the tomato sauce and let it warm through. Season with Dear Mam fish sauce, sugar, MSG, and black pepper, then stir to combine
- Gently add the canned sardines, sauce and all, and simmer for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors marry. Finish by stirring in your green onions
- Assemble your banh mi ca moi:
- Split a toasted Vietnamese baguette lengthwise, leaving a hinge. Spread butter generously on both cut sides
- Spoon in the sardines and the tomato sauce along the length of the bread. Tuck in the cucumber planks and pickled veggies, then pile on the cilantro. Finish with a couple of dashes of Maggi seasoning and a few cracks of black pepper. Press the top down, cut it in half, and enjoy!
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