There is Melbourne before N Lee Bakery and there is Melbourne after. The city’s sandwich horizons broadened in 1991 when the first hot rolls came out of N Lee’s Collingwood oven and had their innards slathered with rich pâté and a fever dream’s worth of house-made mayo. Pork in all its guises rules this bánh mi roost – try to choose between pork loaf, barbecue pork, crackling pork belly, pork meatball and pork skewers while you’re in line so you don’t hold up the process – but you can also veer off the trad path with tuna, curried egg or chicken schnitzel. nleebakery.com.au www.nleebakery.com.au/

When you can’t get enough mayo and pâté in your bánh mi life, head to this a la mode hole-in-the-wall on Flinders Lane or Brunswick St, Fitzroy, and sink into the arms of their Hanoi cha cold cut roll, thick with pork loaf and roast beef loaf and dandified with an excess of sauce action – just add pork floss and it’s happy days. Alternative routes to bliss include honey soy mushroom, confit duck and garlic butter and cheese; it’s also a worthy spot to add a coffee to your order, whether that’s Vietnamese iced coffee or espresso from Five Senses. @banhmistandmelbourne www.instagram.com/banhmistandmelbourne

There are few bells and even fewer whistles, but who cares for such things when you’ve got an authentic Vietnamese bakery pumping out fresh, crusty rolls aiming straight at the flavour jugular? In one of the city’s bánh mi hotspots, Nhu Lan makes a strong case for joining the inevitable queue (don’t worry – it moves quickly) with its fillings of tomato-braised meatballs, fried tofu and barbecue chicken, all rounded out with fresh herbs and salad. Pro tip: their ‘small’ meat rolls are a bargain. Adding to the immense love we feel for it, Nhu Lan is open from 5am every day. 116 Hopkins Street, Footscray

A sizeable subset of bánh mi aficionados declares this institution Melbourne’s best. The case for greatness is bolstered by the sheer quantity churned out, with up to 1000 happy customers hitting the Springvale Road spot each day. The 20-year tenure of the husband-and-wife-run operation is another positive sign. But the real proof is in the eating, and once you’ve tried their best-seller of insanely crackled, barbecue-sauce-sloshed slices slathered with house-made creamy chicken liver pâté, there’s a good chance you’ll agree. Keep in mind that it’s a cash-only operation, but at such bargain prices – around $10 a roll – who’s to complain? 1/288 Springvale Rd, Springvale www.instagram.com/bunbunbakery_springvale

Northcote Central shopping centre is no feng shui picnic – quite the opposite, in fact – but it’s worth assaulting your sensibilities with a visit to this inner northern favourite. Ridiculously alluring racks of golden pork crackle pose seductively in the bain marie, a teaser for the textural oomph of roast pork rolls doing their thing with the usual accoutrements and a wickedly generous hand on the butter. Pork meatballs and barbecue chicken offer worthy alternatives, while vegos can steer in the direction of the tofu salad roll. Stand and marvel at the frenetic pace of the production line while you wait. Northcote Central, 17 Robbs Parade, Northcote

Follow your nose to this Victoria Street legend, a traditional Vietnamese bakery thoughtfully value-adding its crunchy baguettes with killer fillings, including the OG crispy roasted pork as well as juicy pork meatballs or skewers, mixed ham and barbecue chicken. Plying its trade since 1999, this family-run biz has spread out to four stores, including shops at the Emporium Melbourne and Chadstone shopping centres. The locations might be ritzy, but there’s no compromising on the time-honoured recipe of thickly slathered butter, hoisin and house pâté, leavened with the crunch of salad vegetables, pickles and the fresh hit of coriander and chilli. phuocthanhbakery.com www.phuocthanhbakery.com/

Thi Lee and Jia-Yen Lee’s sandwich joint next door to their all-conquering Vietnamese restaurant Anchovy raises the bánh mi bar. Bide your time in the queue by gazing at the woodfired grill, where meat sizzles and fluffy baguettes are gently toasted. Pork belly saddles up on a road less travelled – think crushed cashew, coconut hoisin and the Laotian touch of red curry paste. Meanwhile, the Laotian pork sausage, aromatic with lime leaf, lemongrass and galangal, will outdo French parfumiers for sheer intoxicating splendour. Other fillings like turmeric chicken, fried egg and sardines add their own allure to this sensational spot. 336 Bridge Rd, Richmond www.cacom.net.au/

The owners of this longtime Brunswick Street spot are well known for their generous hand on the pâté and pork crackling. It’s every cardiologist’s nightmare and every bánh mi-lover’s dream. The ratio of meat to salad tips in favour of the former, and although the chicken satay might sound like a bridge too far, there’s a thoroughly respectable barbecued chicken version that packs plenty of smoky goodness. You can also choose a tiger roll for your fix and opt for extra crackle. Because why not? 330 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

The titular bread at this friendly cafe is the secret to its bánh mi success. The tiger bread’s zrrestingly mottled crust is the result of rice paste brushed across the surface when it’s being baked, making an extra-crackly shattery exterior, and a light and soft interior. The short and sharp menu keeps a tight leash on the flavours, but every one of the six options counts, including the softly squishy marinated Vietnamese pork and the juicy meatballs. This is an old-school bakery, too, where you can jolt your sweet tooth with a neenish tart and other staples of the oeuvre. 330 Racecourse Road, Flemington

Everyone loves Luke’s, for good reason. Opened by a former international student turned Melbourne local, its house-baked rolls will grab you by the crunch jugular, while the fillings go the extra mile with honey-lemongrass barbecue pork, juicy charcoal chicken, a sweet house hoisin and choose-your-own-adventure chilli levels. A special shout-out goes to the tofu vegan option with plant-based mayo and pât, but carnivores will likely not be able to look past the ‘Pork ‘n’ Pork’ – pork crackling and barbecue pork. A next-gen operation with big ambitions, there’s more Luke’s action on the way in Port Melbourne and the CBD. 11 Puckle St, Moonee Ponds www.lukesbanhmi.au/