The bánh mì sandwich uses a Vietnamese baguette (shorter, lighter, with a rice flour component that makes it shatter-crisp) filled with a combination of cold cuts (pâté, chả lụa, BBQ pork), pickled daikon and carrot (đồ chua), fresh cucumber, jalapeño, and cilantro.
The bread
Vietnamese baguettes use wheat flour partially substituted with rice flour. The result is a thinner crust that shatters rather than chews, and an airy crumb that leaves room for fillings. Substituting a European baguette produces a chewier, denser result that overpowers the fillings.
Đồ chua (pickled vegetables)
Grated daikon and carrot, pickled in rice vinegar and sugar. The ratio for a 1-litre batch: equal parts vinegar and water, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp salt. Allow 24 hours minimum; 48 hours produces a more rounded acidity. Essential — it provides the crunch and brightness that balances the rich pâté.