Banh and Mee Kirkgate Market: Inside the Vietnamese street kitchen that's won a cult following in Leeds

Sengy Tang and Mylinh Chiem have been running Banh & Mee, a vibrant Vietnamese kitchen, for almost a decade. It has become a word-of-mouth sensation for its fresh, flavour-packed sandwiches and pho.

Since opening in 2016, the stall has transformed from a quiet newcomer to a lunchtime fixture - its red and yellow signage, playful typography, and cluster of plastic stools now a familiar sight to market regulars.

“We’d both always worked in food - and we just thought there’d be a gap in the market for something like this,” said Sengy, 44, as his energetic team handled the midday rush.

“At the time, nowhere was really serving banh mi in Leeds.”

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That gap in the market turned out to be a golden opportunity, as Leeds City Council was in the process of revamping the market with a dedicated food hall.

“Before this, we owned a Chinese in Bradford,” explained Mylinh, 43. “But we were finding the hours antisocial and wanted to do something else.”

Sengy continued: “We didn’t know if it would be popular, because we weren’t sure people would know much about Vietnamese food. But as soon as they realised we were here, more and more customers started coming.

“The idea was to focus on banh mi and pho, dishes that represented our culture. Banh mi is really fresh and flavoursome - and it’s healthy too.

“When we were getting our first customers, it was clear they really liked the food. The response was amazing - and we still have a lot of the same customers who came on day one. There’s a really loyal following.”

The duo, who are both from Leeds, kept the menu simple with three banh mi options - BBQ pork, tofu, and lemongrass chicken - along with a handful of other classics like pho, the fragrant noodle soup that’s become a staple for regulars.

Banh mi has its roots in Vietnam being colonised, as Sengy explained: “When the French came over, they brought the baguettes with them. They’re not as crunchy as people might be used to, ours are a bit more chewy.

“We fill them with grilled meat along with fresh herbs like coriander and pickled daikon and cucumber.”

A huge turning point came during the pandemic - which proved just how much Leeds had fallen for Banh & Mee. Mylinh said: “We went a bit viral because of one thing we started doing.

“We called it the ‘banh box’, which was available to click and collect. It had all of our best selling dishes in there - and we were getting a crazy number of orders.”

“The box was £20,” added Sengy, “and on the first day alone we sold something like £1,500 worth. It was overwhelming.”

The online success brought a wave of new attention and helped keep the stall going through the uncertainty. Now, years on from that rocky period, the business is once again booming - though not without its challenges.

“It’s hard,” said Sengy. “The costs are astronomical. But we’re aware of the price point we need to be at, and we try to keep it reasonable. With rising costs, we still haven’t put our prices up - so we’ve taken the hit. That means that, even though we’re busy, the margins are really squeezed.”

Despite the pressures, the couple stay focused on what they love: bringing a taste of Vietnam to the people of Leeds. And while there are no big announcements just yet, the couple admitted they’re quietly plotting what might come next.

“We’re always talking about expanding,” revealed Sengy. “We don’t know when or how that’s going to happen - and we’re not in a rush to do it - but we’re looking for the perfect location.”