Bun Mese, Darlinghurst

Just a few weeks ago Miss K and I were walking through Darlinghurst after a big lunch when we passed by the newly opened Bun Mese, unfortunately we were so full we didn’t even think to try it but managed to grab a photo of the eatery. Thanks to The Bamboo Garden I was later able to check out all the banh mi (baguettes) with a special delivery of half a dozen of their rolls right to my doorstep.

The Vege – shitake mushrooms, soy sauce

All of the rolls at Bun Mese come with the standard fillings which include creamy mayo, cucumber, pickled carrots, daikon radish, shallots, coriander and a chilli paste (which isn’t too hot). There are however 6 variations of rolls with different meats, this delicious variation was the only vegetarian option which replaces meat with shitake mushrooms and soy sauce. Oddly enough I actually enjoyed this one the most as it was quite light but very flavoursome.

This particular roll is stuffed with pieces of what I believe were pork belly including the crispy skin section. The pate and hoisin sauce give it an interesting twist which I’m not used to but it was quite filling and tasty, I’ve always been a big fan of pork belly and those that saw our post on Mr Crackles will know that pork belly placed in any form of bread is a winner in my books.

I’ve only once before had a chicken banh mi in my life somewhere in Cabramatta and I was hesistant because I didn’t have a very good experience. Luckily this time over was much better and the piles of delicious chicken turned out much better than I had expected – would definitely try this again given I had the chance!

Those that want a bit more ‘beef’ in their banh mi will definitely enjoy the generous serving of beef eye fillets. It’s a bit odd to be having beef in a Vietnamese roll but the mayo and tender beef pieces go together really well and it’s a very pleasant mix to eat, it had the nicest texture of the lot.

Funny enough I found the traditional banh mi to be the least interesting, perhaps because it was also the last one I tried. It has the traditional pate, soy sauce and three types of pork that you would find in any banh mi found elsewhere, I didn’t find anything particular amazing about it so was a little bit underwhelmed.

This was probably my second favourite option after the vegetarian, it’s definitely not a traditional banh mi as I’ve never seen peking duck and hoisin sauce as an option before. The best part about this variation was that there was probably more meat than vegetables and it was completely stuffed to the brim with juicy duck! This roll in particular highlighted daikon as an awesome addition.

The cosy little takeaway in Darlinghurst is really a great option, if there was one near my work I would probably be grabbing a roll for lunch or after work. Everything on the menu is under $10 and the servings are quite generous, it certainly isn’t as cheap as a standard banh mi elsewhere but you get what you pay for with a huge delicious roll made with more premium ingredients.

Mr C dined courtesy of Bun Mese and The Bamboo Garden.
All views and opinions expressed are my own.