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. 547 Flinders Ln, Melbourne; @banhmistandmelbourne

Small Grain’s banh mi-style lunch rolls get the fusion treatment thanks to co-owner Hedeh Nakano’s Japanese heritage: think grilled beef and kimchi, kaarage-style fried chicken and teriyaki eggplant with halloumi. It’s all encased in a toasted roll with lettuce, cucumber, honey soy, Kewpie mayo, bean sprouts, coriander and house-made chilli jam. 166 Charles St, Launceston; smallgrain.com.au

You can tell a bánh mi has come from 888 just by looking at it: that layer of thick, buttery pâté and a zingy homemade sauce coating everything with punchy, umami goodness. It’s no wonder this is one of the most popular lunch spots in the Shire. The bread’s got bite, the fillings are fresh and the vibe is relaxed. There are tables on the footpath for those wanting to eat their rolls on the spot, a selection of Vietnamese pastries to appease your sweet tooth, and you can even order ahead to prevent a queue-induced attack of the hangries. 143A Oak Rd, Kirrawee

Eddie and Ethan Nguyen know a thing or two about good banh mi, and the people of Newcastle are enthusiastic pupils. The short, sharp menu has six varieties, from classic pork rolls, tofu and mushroom, and 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; instagram.com/thebigbanhmi”>instagram.com/thebigbanhmi

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. 220 Smith St, Collingwood; nleebakery.com.au

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; lukesbanhmi.au

At this Brisbane favourite, the proteins – chicken, pork and beef – are chargrilled. The crowds return for the combination of the pâté and the meat’s richness and texture, the acidity of the julienned pickled carrots, the cucumber and coriander’s freshness on no-nonsense crisp baguettes. Go meatless with tofu. Chilli might be optional, but it’s always a good idea. 1/235 Zillmere Rd, Zillmere; banhmifactory.com.au

If your great aunt had a motorbike and a soft spot for chilli, she’d probably run a place like this. Great Aunty Three slings bánh mi with attitude: chunky cuts of caramelised pork, shards of crackling and a baguette with a crust so robust you could take it into battle. There’s modern polish here (think soy-latte energy meets Hanoi street food), but the flavours stay rooted in tradition. Vegan? You’re in luck. Hungover? Even better. Grab a roll, park on a seat out front and embrace that Enmore energy with sauce on your chin. It’s all part of the charm. 115 Enmore Rd, Enmore; greatauntythree.com

The titular bread at this friendly cafe is the secret to its bánh mi success. The tiger bread’s irresistibly 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

While coffee is king, this former laundromat is cleaning up with an all-day breakfast menu specialising in, you guessed it … banh mi. House-made butter, a carrot and daikon pickle combination with spring onions, coriander and chilli make room for a signature secret sauce. Choose between five-spice chicken, barbecued pork and pâté, bacon and egg or vegan-friendly tofu. 1920 Gold Coast Hwy, Miami; caffeinekings.com.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; iabrahampos-vietrose.mobi-order.com

The crackling pork that goes into the signature banh mi at Cyclo is the crunchiest and most succulent in town. Each inch-thick slice of glistening meat is carefully portioned to maximise crackling-per-slice ratio, then sandwiched into a crunchy, pâté-smeared white roll with pickled carrot, fresh cucumber and coriander and a lick of hoisin. You can’t go past it. 249A Elizabeth St, North Hobart; cyclo-online.com.au/northhobart

Hanson Rd is the the epicentre of quality banh mi in Adelaide and each outlet has its own nuances. Thanh Long has pickled carrot, but not daikon. Nhu Lan goes lighter with pate and mayo. But Cha Phu Xuong has the best of all worlds, with light, crispy rolls, a good lick of mayo and pate, succulent pork, lovely pickle and balanced chilli. 1/56 Hanson Rd, Woodville Gardens

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; cacom.net.au

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. 206 Victoria St, Richmond; phuocthanhbakery.com