Stand banh mi" trend causes fever on Tiktok
In recent weeks, videos have appeared densely on TikTok recording scenes of foreign tourists standing eating bread on the sidewalk, queuing in long lines in front of famous restaurants or walking while holding a loaf of bread in their hands. The common point of the videos is the music parody of the song "Stand by Me" into "Stand banh mi", creating a strong spreading trend on social networks.
The keyword "Stand banh mi" quickly attracted millions of views, becoming one of the prominent culinary trends related to Vietnam. Many tourists said they knew about famous banh mi shops through TikTok before directly experiencing them when coming to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Hoi An.
In the Old Quarter area of Hanoi, many banh mi shops are often crowded with foreign tourists from morning to night. Many tourists accept to queue for 20-30 minutes just to buy a famous banh mi on social networks.
Stefano, an Italian male tourist, said that he visited many sidewalk banh mi stalls in Hanoi after watching videos on TikTok. According to Stefano, Vietnamese banh mi is attractive because of its rich flavor, crispy but not too dry crust and is especially suitable for economical tourists thanks to its affordable price.
Many international tourists also assess that Vietnamese banh mi has a rare balance between the crispness of the crust, the fatty taste of pate, the richness of the meat and the freshness of herbs and sour dishes. This combination makes the dish easily accessible to diners from many countries.
Not only on TikTok, the "Vietnamese Banh Mi Appreciation Society" community with hundreds of thousands of international members also regularly shares experiences of eating Vietnamese banh mi, from arguing about the crispness of the banh mi crust to the difference between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Hoi An banh mi.
From popular dishes to global culinary icons
The explosion of "Stand banh mi" continues to show the power of social networks in promoting Vietnamese tourism and cuisine. Previously, trends such as "Vietnam is calling" or "Trying Vietnamese snack" also contributed to making many international tourists choose Vietnam as a destination.
According to the World Food Travel Association, up to 81% of international tourists want to explore local cuisine when traveling. Meanwhile, the American Express Travel global travel trend report shows that nearly 40% of tourists are inspired to travel through social networks.
Not only causing a fever on TikTok, Vietnamese banh mi has been continuously honored by international specialized sites for many years as a leading street food icon in the world.
CNN Travel has repeatedly included Vietnamese bread in the list of the best sandwiches in the world, describing it as a dish that perfectly combines French culinary influences and Vietnamese characteristic flavors.
In 2026, CNN continues to rank Vietnamese bread at 3rd place in the list of 25 best sandwiches in the world. Previously, this dish also appeared many times in international rankings by TasteAtlas and many other food websites.
TasteAtlas once assessed this dish as a dish that converges all the crispy, sour, salty, fatty and fragrant flavors in a compact cake.
Not only highly appreciated by experts, Vietnamese bread has also conquered many chefs and world-famous figures. Former chef Anthony Bourdain - an American culinary legend - has repeatedly expressed his special love for Vietnamese cuisine and considered Vietnam to be the place that "stole his heart".
Anthony Bourdain is also the person who contributed to bringing the image of Vietnamese cuisine to the world through the program "Parts Unknown" on CNN. The episodes filmed in Hanoi, Hue or Ho Chi Minh City have helped many international audiences learn about Vietnamese street food, including banh mi.
Currently, Vietnamese banh mi is no longer only popular domestically but has appeared in many major cities around the world such as Paris, New York, Sydney or Tokyo. Many international newspapers believe that banh mi is becoming one of the most successful Vietnamese dishes in the global market thanks to its easy-to-reach flavor but still retaining its own identity.
From a popular dish on the sidewalk, Vietnamese bread is now not only a familiar choice for international tourists but also becomes a "cultural ambassador", contributing to spreading the image of Vietnam strongly on the world culinary map.
