Vietnamese YouTuber Kiki Phung, who lives in Hong Kong, has opened Banh Mi Nem in Wan Chai, an authentic Saigon-style banh mi restaurant going viral online
If you recognise Kiki Phung, it’s probably from her dual-language vlogs published on YouTube, documenting her Hong Kong life to a loyal audience of Saigoners and Hanoians back home and Hong Kongers intrigued by Vietnamese culture.
Born in Saigon, Kiki arrived in Hong Kong 16 years ago, recording a decade of work in sales for a fitness company and interpretation work for Vietnamese nationals in the local court system. Opening a restaurant was hardly an intention for the Saigon native.
“I came to Hong Kong not speaking Cantonese nor English,” Kiki recalls. “I studied hard.” When the extroverted Kiki lost her job as the economy took a hit during early 2020, she led herself to YouTube to educate both Hong Kong (in Cantonese) on her tasty nation state and Vietnam (in Vietnamese) on the beauty of Hong Kong.

“After beginning my YouTube channel, I wanted to introduce Chinese food to Vietnamese people,” says Kiki, much to the satisfaction of her fans back home. The older generation in Vietnam are particularly fond of Hong Kong’s TVB dramas, a connection that hasn’t passed on to today’s youth.
“If you’ve been to Vietnam, you know there’s a lot of good food, but many people here don’t know that the country is accessible by a two-hour flight. Hong Kongers love Japan and Taiwan, but they have no idea about Vietnamese food. I was so disappointed.”
“For the last 16 years, every time I met a Hong Konger, they would ask me where I could find a good banh mi, rice, or banh xeo. Food is a good way to bring everybody together,” Kiki states. As an influencer, Kiki is aware of her tools to coax tastes.

Banh Mi Nem was born in late April out of a passion to educate the community on the strengths of traditional Vietnamese cooking. The Wan Chai banh mi store sells four varieties of the culturally stimulating Vietnamese sandwich, four bun cold vermicelli bowls, and two snacks.
Budding restaurateurs new to the Hong Kong space, like Kiki Phung, typically seek to introduce a culinary facet of their own culture that’s rare in the city. The Vietnamese YouTuber wants to bring the flavours of Vietnam’s biggest city to Hong Kong, where Hanoi recipes overwhelmingly dominate the city’s Vietnamese dining scene. “I want people to try Saigon style,” Kiki says.
“My partner and I travelled to Vietnam to learn with a banh mi master on the recipes. Hong Kong is ready for good banh mi.”

Why specialise in banh mi? “This is a traditional dish from Vietnam,” Kiki explains. “We want to represent our country with Vietnam’s most famous dish.”
Mirroring the banh mi hole in the walls of Saigon, Hanoi, Haiphong, and Hoi An, Banh Mi Nem sells cold cut, stewed pork, minced pork, and grilled chicken banh mi. Kiki and her partner have also included fried spring roll, grilled chicken, minced pork, and tofu fillings in their vermicelli section to entice non-pork diners.
Producing only one speciality product is suitable for Kiki, who lacks any culinary background or restaurant experience. “Managing a restaurant is so fresh to me, and I think a takeaway store is easier to manage. It is a great way to introduce this sandwich to Hong Kong.”

The store officially opened in late April and, to much local fanfare, has erupted online. Only 100 banh mi are produced daily, with all items usually sold out by 3PM each day. There is a distinct rush along Queen’s Road East during weekday lunch hours, with arms and wallets clamouring to feast on the crispy, meat-heavy sandwiches.
“Most of my Hong Kong audience [on Instagram and YouTube] are very open to where I recommend in Hong Kong for good Vietnamese food. People following me want to try the banh mi.” Kiki describes her first month in business as “crazy”.
Evidently, opening Banh Mi Nem is an effort by Kiki to entice the local food scene to accept Vietnamese flavours and persuade other restaurateurs to approach the cuisine. “I hope we can get more good Vietnamese food in Hong Kong.”
Head to Banh Mi Nem for the real deal on Saigon-style banh mi, bun, and coffee.