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 five 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. Chadstone, Melbourne, Richmond; phuocthanhbakery.com

The legend. The blueprint. The humble hero of Illawarra Road. Marrickville Pork Roll has been doling out absolute bangers since before hipsters knew what bánh mì was. The pork is juicy, the pickles are punchy and the baguette shatters in all the right ways. It’s affordable, cheerful and incredibly hard to beat. You’ll be able spot this little hole-in-the-wall store by the perpetual queue of tradies, locals and food nerds debating coriander ratios outside. Even our PM has been spotted there, waiting for his lunch. So popular is it, the store has since branched out with three more locations, in Haymarket, Hurstville and the Sydney CBD. Hot tip: get two – you’ll want a second before you’ve finished the first. Marrickville, Haymarket, Hustville and Sydney; instagram.com/marrickville.porkroll” target=”_blank”>@marrickville.porkroll

When the production line at Miss Banh Mi hits full throttle, it’s a truly impressive operation. As it needs to be, when the lunch-time rush hits. The roast pork (or combination) roll is a clear favourite, understandable given the huge quantities of meat, pickled veg and other ingredients that are crammed in, making it a substantial meal and terrific value. 5/296 Brighton Rd, North Brighton, SA; @missbanhmi.com.au

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 mì 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, Vic.

Sydney’s bánh mì wars have split the city into two passionate but divided factions: Team Marrickville Pork Roll and Team Hong Ha. Both attract sizeable queues at lunchtime, but with fewer locations and, fans say, more exacting preparation of the signature pork roll, it’s Hong Ha on Mascot’s main drag that has more people waiting more often for their daily dose of pork. Superlative as the rolls are, slathered in the traditional pâté and mayonnaise and loaded with pork, vegetables and optional minced chilli, fans are just as eager to spend up to 20 minutes in the fast-moving queue for the vegie and lemongrass chicken rolls, and the selection of homemade dim sims and spring rolls. 1151 Botany Rd, Mascot, NSW.

Banhmi Bites’ signature pork rolls can be made vegan thanks to chef Mimi’s dedication to plant-based alternatives. The traditional version sees spiced pork belly twice-cooked for extra crackly skin, while a tapioca starch, rice flour and five-spice combo sports a crispy coconut ‘crackling’. There’s even a choice of pâté, made either with chicken livers or mushroom and beans. 11 Springfield Ave, Moonah, Tas; banhmibites.com.au

This relative newcomer to Melbourne’s bánh mì scene had us at slow-fermented bread. Brimming inside the light and crunchy artisanal roll are fillings such as hot sliced sausage, smothered in pâté, with a garlic hit and a scattering of roasted peanuts. They’ll even add avocado if you ask – a taste sensation you shouldn’t knock until you try. 152 Victoria St, Richmond, Vic; hungsbakery.com.au

It’s the great bánh mì conundrum. How do all those fresh chilli slices work their way to the far end of your roll? Banh Mi Thit has the solution, offering a well-balanced chilli relish as an alternative. Along with plenty of crackling, super-fresh rolls and a lovely carrot and daikon pickle, this popular shop doesn’t really put a foot wrong. 2/113 Days Rd, Croydon Park, SA.

A sizeable subset of bánh mì 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, Vic; @bunbunbakery_springvale

Thi Lee and Jia-Yen Lee’s sandwich joint next door to their all-conquering Vietnamese restaurant Anchovy raises the bánh mì 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, Vic; cacom.net.au

You can tell that this bakery inside the Top Ryde City Shopping Centre is a hot ticket by the ropes set up to manage the perpetual queues they draw on the daily. Yes, these bánh mì are so good, they cause traffic jams. The crispy pork belly is legendary, with perfect layers of crunch and fat balanced by fresh, snappy veg and warm, flaky baguettes. The vibe? Old-school, local and a little bit nuts. To wit: do a silly dance for the staff between 11am and 3pm and, if they approve of your moves, you’ll score $5 off your order. Top Ryde City Shopping Centre, LG2/109 Blaxland Rd, Ryde, NSW; @toprydebakershouse

Open 24/7, because cravings don’t clock off, Viet Hoa is a Cabra institution. Get to the front of the queue and you’ll walk away with two things: one of the city’s best pork rolls, and icing sugar on your shirt from a rogue custard bun that you just couldn’t resist. These rolls are textbook perfect: springy, crisp-edged baguettes filled with smoky pork, crunchy veg and just enough chilli to remind you you’re alive. Get the classic or try a meatball roll… either way, no matter what time you wake up dreaming about bánh mì, Viet Hoa will be open. Trust us, you won’t be the only one there at 3am. 107 John St, Cabramatta, NSW.

Eddie and Ethan Nguyen know a thing or two about good bánh mì, and the people of Newcastle are enthusiastic pupils. The short, sharp menu has six varieties, from classic pork rolls and tofu and mushroom to the crowd favourite – crispy pork belly. Batons of crunchy pork belly, pickled and fresh vegetables, mayonnaise and spiky chilli on a crisp baguette is traditional yet exceptional. 1/122 Hunter St, Newcastle, NSW; thebigbanhmi.square.site

It’s easy to miss while stuck in traffic on South Rd, but this humble Vietnamese eatery produces some of the best bánh mì in town. Watch as your roll is made by the white-chef-hatted owner, with all the usual ingredients plus a final sprinkling of black pepper. The balance is exemplary, with a lovely background tang and chilli handled carefully. 1164A South Rd, Clovelly Park, SA

“This kitchen is seasoned with love.” The motto embossed on the wall neatly sums up this tiny southern suburbs Vietnamese eatery that has developed a strong following, and has since spread to four locations across Adelaide. You can feel some of that love in a bánh mì loaded with roast pork that has an extra touch of fragrant spice, pickled carrot, cucumber and smears of pâté and mayo. Aberfoyle Park, Fairview Park, Findon and Morphett Vale; littlevietfoodie.square.site