Good Days Hot Bread — Restaurant in Melbourne

Okay, I’ve been telling myself for a long time that I’d leave reviews, but after going to Good Days for the first time yesterday… I couldn’t be complacent anymore. This is the best bánh mì thìt nguoi (cold meat) that I’ve had in Melbourne so far. In terms of value, flavour and quality, it’s a straight 5/5 for me.

Value: For some, $14 may seem like a crime to charge for a banh mi, but this thicccc boi was seriously PACKEDDDD, and aside from being of such high quality, it contained double of what you’d get at any other bakery! Considering how almost everything was housemade from the meats, pate, sauces, pickled carrot and radish - I think this was truly a bargain. We need to stop discrediting Vietnamese food as something that should be “cheap” when people are happy to pay $20 for smashed avo on bread.

Flavour: The bread roll was fresh, fluffy, had a slight chew and held all the components so well without breaking apart or crumbling. The pork was delicately sliced and actually tasted like char siu which some Viet delis don’t deliver. I LOVED pig head terrine which was so fresh, beautifully seasoned, and embedded with woodear mushrooms and peppercorns which gave a delightful crunch at each bite. The pickled carrot and radish were PERFECTLY sweet and acidic, and these guys didn’t shy away from packing it in!! To balance out the acidity of the pickled veg and copious herbs of coriander, spring onion and cucumber, the pairing of creamy mayo and rich patê was found in every bite.

Quality: All the meats here are ethically sourced and they’re very transparent on their website about it which I love. The meats and pickled veg were perfectly seasoned and marinaded, with obvious care taken into preparing all of the ingredients. The foods are kept at the right temperature, stored hygienically, staff kept their stations extremely clean, the food is generously packed and well-balanced, and this place maintains the quick service that you get from a classic Viet bakery.

Good Days will be my go-to bánh mì place and I don’t think many other places will compare after eating here. Shout out to the next gen Viets paying homage to our...

Good Days, Hot Bread. Looks and sounds simple, but they break all the rules to Bánh Mì. Hard to admit but they make one of the best banh mi rolls and as a 2nd gen Vietnamese with Vietnamese parents, I am all for it.

Don’t come here expecting a normal banh mi. Banh mi price starts at $15 Filling, quality and size is literally double hence why it’s reasonably priced it’s Porchetta, not Pork Belly Traditional dishes like confit char siu duck & Xiu Mai meatballs finding their way into a banh mi but with a western twist

XO porchetta (4/5): 5 spice pork belly, XO mince, pork crackling, coriander gremolata every ingredient is individually woven into this baguette to create a reformed pork belly banh mi, meat a tad dry but so so so flavourful

Char siu duck (4.5/5): Confit Duck leg, smoked yogurt, fried shallots genius combination, smoked yoghurt instead of pate could still create such a creamy sauce that fused with the duck fat of the confit duck

Meatball (4.75/5): ‘Xiu Mai’ in red sauce, coriander gremolata wowed me the most - I prefer the flavours of the other 2, but this left me impressed by the skills of this hot bread shop. a perfect mix of sweet tomato and umami salty fish sauce on these juicy meatballs that tastes both like an Italian meatball and Vietnamese Xiu Mai - similar taste to the meatball breakfast dish called bánh mì chảo

Definitely coming back to try their baos, pate chaud and...

@gooddays_brunswick Hot Bread is a banh mi shop on Sydney Road, Brunswick. It’s brought to you by the same owners as Good Days Noodle Bar up the street and at night, it becomes @season_chicken_service!

The menu is short and sweet, featuring slightly more refined and elevated versions of your classic banh mi.

Sure you’re paying around $17 for a banh mi compared to less at other spots, but worth every cent in my opinion for the quality, ethical Australian produce they use and the option to dine in!

⭐️ Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi - Couldn’t really tell it was chargrilled but great flavour in the Bannockburn chicken, spicy, the crispy chicken skin gives it extra texture and saltiness. ⭐️ XO Roast Pork Banh Mi - perfectly cooked Murray Valley pork with crispy crackling, the XO mince really made it that extra bit delicious! Could’ve had more roast pork. ✔️ Coconut Slice - essentially a coconut flavoured Vanilla Slice, yum!

Undoubtedly delicious, packed rolls. I had the biggest FOMO just ordering the two, so ill be back to try more. You’ll actually also find their Turmeric Fish Banh Mi recipe in @broadsheetmelb latest cookbook “The New...