Finding Bánh mì at Lie Lie Lie

Lie Lie Lie (라이 라이 라이)

서울시 마포구 연남동 227-5

(Google Maps//Naver Maps)

Open from 12PM – 9PM (closed on Mondays)

Despite Bánh mì being well-known and relatively easy to make, it had surprisingly not surfaced in Seoul’s restaurant scene until recently. Bánh mì, also known as the Vietnamese Sandwich, is sandwich that usually comes in a form of simple French baguette with cold cut meat, pate, fresh vegetables (carrots/lettuce/cucumber) and (usually) a huge serving of cilantro/coriander.

That’s why when I heard about LieLieLie opening up across from my favourite coffee shop in 연남동 (Yeonnamdong) that rumour had sold reasonably authentic/cheap (you can’t REALLY compare it the prices/taste back in Vietnam) Bánh mì, I happily dragged a friend all the way up from Incheon for lunch.

The tiny restaurant somehow has that lazy & summery feel of Vietnam with its red peeling walls, basic plastic plates/utensils, piles of baguette on the sides and make-shift tables and boxes everywhere.  I really did feel as if I’m in Vietnam or at least on a holiday leisurely sitting down on the floor eating these amazing sandwiches.

The restaurant serves 4 different types of Bánh mì for 5,550 KRW (+500 for Chicken liver pate).  The 4 options include Cold Cut, Spicy Pork, Vegetarian and Grilled Chicken.  They also sell Chang beer for 4,500 if you want to really go for the whole package

 We chose to share Spicy Pork and Cold Cut sandwiches and they both were fantastic.  The spicy pork is actually quite spicy and has a finishing kick that builds (full of chili sauce) so if you’re not too good with spicy food stay away. We got ours loaded with coriander, but the server was attentive enough to ask whether we wanted them in or not (I heard many Koreans can’t stand the stuff).

I really regretted not opting to add in the chicken liver pate and nearly contemplated sharing another sandwich as the portions are really not that big. I can easily see an adult male (or anyone who’s more than hungry) eating two!  I mean the prices allow for you to easily justify eating more than one.

Despite the temptation, we opted out to take a long walk into Hongdae and find ourselves an afternoon dessert, which actually turned into a beer at Magpie. Either way, I will definitely return to this little joint either to take a cheap vacation to Vietnam or simply to enjoy a good light lunch/dinner without breaking the wallet! 

 It should be noted that the restaurant is right across Coffee Libre, which is my favourite coffe shop in Korea that makes the best latte.  Also it is right across 동진시장 (dongjin market), which is a mini-flea market that opens every Saturday! That's what my friend and I did and we definitely left the place with a huge smile :)