Thieng Heng Review

Thieng Heng is perhaps the most famous place to buy a Vietnamese Banh mi in Paris. This restaurant has been open since I was a kid and is still open to this day.

They are known to have the best Vietnamese Sandwiches in the Capital. This is our review of the restaurant.

The location

We don’t come to Paris very often because going there is getting more and more expensive. The parking and the price of the activities, combined with the inflation, are very taxing on the wallet.

For example, one day in Paris might cost you around 100 euros. So that’s why people tend to stay in their suburban areas or just go once in a while.

This restaurant is in the main area where Asians spend most of their time in the 13th district of the capital.

This restaurant is located at the entrance of the famous Tang Frère Parking. The restaurant is more of a small bakery sandwich store where you can order your food to go. Basically like Tang Gourmet is.

The food

This place is slightly different in the sense that they don’t sell food like you would find at a Chinese Buffet. It’s more of an already-packaged and easy-to-cook product you can buy.

These are basically the types of foods that people buy on the street in Vietnam. These street foods are perfect for eating quickly on the go without having to lose time for preparation.

They even have some desserts and soft drinks for you to integrate into your menu. This restaurant has really adapted its offerings to the local area.

The main attraction is the banh mi. They have at least 5 employees who are assembling these sandwiches or taking care of the customers; that’s how busy they are.

The taste

We basically ordered four sandwiches for our dinner. Since we were in Paris why not getting something we are not eating often.

Different banh mi with super plus option

These banh mi were very cheap, 3,50 euros a piece in regular size. The super plus is more meat for 1 euros. Quite amazing knowing that everything in France have double in price, these sandwiches are still the same price basically.

They have many sandwiches but we will focus on the special or thap cam.

Reheating the sandwiches at night in the oven

These Vietnamese sandwiches are very close to what Tang Frères Gourmet is proposing. To be fair, Tang Frères is the one that copied the Vietnamese, and this store was here way before Tang Frère opened its own gourmet restaurant.

These Vietnamese Sandwiches are obviously made with French Bread and not Vietnamese-style bread, which is smaller and more airy. This particular bread is more soft than the one in Tang Frère Gourmet.

In Tang Gourmet, the bread is extremely crispy and thick, perhaps a bit much for my taste. I like the banh mi from Vietnam.

The first thing I’ve noticed is that the sandwich is quite big and garnished for its price. It’s basically smaller than the one at Tang Gourmet. I think one and a half would be what a normal adult would need to eat to be filled.

The garnish of the sandwich is the traditional vinegared carrots and the gio lua, a thin slice of pork with mayonnaise and coriander.

All these ingredients are quite classic; I personally love to have some pâté inside my sandwich. When it comes to taste, this sandwich is quite amazing. It’s more subtle in taste than a traditional Tang Gourmet.

The carrots are perfectly seasoned, the thin slice of meat are absolutely delicious. All this mix is very balance in the mouth and quite delicious and refined.

I would say they taste better than the one in Tang Frères but this will be a matter of personal taste.

Verdict

8.5 out of 10.

Thieng Heng sandwiches are an institution when it comes to Banh Mi. They offer the best value for money anywhere in this country.

The sandwiches are French Revisited, which means a real baguette and a garnish without pâté. I personally like the Banh Mi from Vietnam more than this.

But I have to admit that once in a while, it’s a pleasure to discover this dish again. For 3.5 euros, I don’t think you can find a better deal in Paris or elsewhere.

I am gluten intolerant, but this is the one little sin I can’t live without, and I recommend you try it for yourself and get your own opinion. Even if I am pretty sure you’ll love it as well.