A Vietnamese diner in Hyderabad called Banh Mi Babe

The Hindu

01-05-2025

In a quiet lane in Jubilee Hills, shaded by trees, sits a cosy 30-seater diner. Inside, the decor is understated — no more than six framed photographs adorn the walls. This is Banh Mi Babe, Nirmala Vanamali's take on Vietnamese food. Do not expect sushi, gobi manchurian, or chicken 65 here; the menu remains firmly and unapologetically Vietnamese.
In a time when size often equates to status, this diner proudly positions itself as a straightforward neighbourhood café with a compact menu.
The idea was born from Nirmala's love for banh mi, discovered during one of her trips to Vietnam. There, she indulged in banh mis to her heart's content. After returning to Hyderabad and missing the flavours, she set about recreating them to satisfy her cravings. Following several trials — once she felt she had perfected the recipe — she began sending banh mis to friends and family.
'Sharing is caring,' she laughs. 'The good thing about having a big circle of friends and family is that sharing becomes easy.' At the time, there was no thought of turning it into a business. Her trips to Vietnam, she says, continued purely for the love of the food.
Practice makes perfect, and for Nirmala, it did just that. As she perfected her craft, requests for her banh mi kept coming from friends. Whenever friends planned a get-together at her home and Nirmala asked what they would like to eat, the answer was always the same: 'Babe, banh mi!'
Meanwhile, with each visit to Vietnam, she would return home inspired to recreate another dish — from spring rolls to pho. 'I noticed how everyone relished stuffed rice paper rolls, so I decided to try those as well,' she says. Within a year, she had curated a mini Vietnamese menu for her home.
After a few pop-ups, Nirmala realised she wanted to share her love for Vietnamese food with a wider audience. 'While it's not strictly authentic, it's also not Indianised with curry powders, heavy oil, or chilli-laden fries,' she explains.
Banh Mi Babe does not serve tea or coffee, and they are still working on developing their non-alcoholic beverages. I tried one, but eventually preferred to stick to water.
For lunch, I ordered a selection of dishes including Vietnamese rice paper rolls, chicken spring rolls, pho, slow-roast pork with vegetables, fried rice, and, of course, the banh mi.
For vegetarians, the rice paper rolls are a perfect choice. The condiments and dips served alongside provide a flavourful kick to this simple, fresh starter. However, once the spring rolls arrived, it did not take me a second to abandon the former. Served with baby lettuce, the spring rolls were an absolute delight.
Did I need any dips or condiments to enhance the flavour? Not at all — the juicy, well-seasoned meat filling more than held its own.
Then came the banh mi. As a bread enthusiast, I was eager to try it. Notes from the first bite: a good baguette, flavourful meat, and no overload of sauces. This combination allowed me to appreciate the bread, the juicy meat, the melted cheese, and the crunch of fresh vegetables.
Too bad I had to share my banh mi with Nirmala. But since more food was on the way, I decided to be generous. The baguette for the banh mi is customised by Nirmala through a Hyderabad-based D2C brand.
The chicken pho's portion easily serves two. They offer two versions — the original and a spicy variation (slightly tweaked from the classic pho). I opted for the spicy one and polished off the broth bottoms up.
A humble bowl of pho, however, is not for those who only enjoy 'Chindian' food. If pork is your preferred meat, go straight for the slow-roast pork — it's worth it. After that came the fried rice. I tasted a spoonful or two and, while it was good, I decided to save the rest for dinner.
Dessert was a coconut cheesecake — an unexpectedly delightful combination.