Mike Nguyen was looking to replicate the taste of his childhood after moving to the U.S. in 1978. He and his wife Stacey opened their authentic Vietnamese sandwich shop, Banh Mi 47, in 2021.
“I didn’t really realize until the year 2000, when my parents brought me back to Vietnam, what the difference was between true Vietnamese banh mi bread and what we’re getting in the U.S.,” Nguyen said.
Stacey perfected their baguette recipe after her own trip to Vietnam. They imported equipment from Vietnam.
“An authentic VIetnamese banh mi is going to be light and airy, crisp on the outside and that pillowy cloudy texture on the inside,” Mike said.
There are 11 sandwiches on the menu, and two are vegan. Mike makes the marinades and pickles the vegetables.
“I grew up eating my mom’s food and my aunt’s food, so all of my recipes are based on childhood memories basically,” he said.
Banh Mi 47’s newest sandwich, the #10, pays homage to one of the country’s most popular dishes: pho bone broth. Slow cooked beef is layered with pickled veggies, cucumbers, thai basil, cilantro, jalapenos and topped with a rich hoisin sauce. It’s served with a cup of the homemade pho broth.
“You can actually dip the sandwich into the broth and enjoy the flavors of pho inside a sandwich,” Mike said.
Mike says the banh mi is the perfect gateway to VIetnamese cuisine.
“Vietnamese cuisine is famous for being salty, sweet, savory, spicy, and the Vietnamese banh mi is going to put all those things together into package” he said.
You can pair your sandwich with bubble tea or Vietnamese coffee.
Banh Mi 47
- Location: 74 N. Pearl St., Albany
- Hours: Closed Monday; 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
- Contact: 518-512-9762