Flavours of my Vietnam: Ky Linh Vietnamese Hot Bread Rolls, Bankstown

Nothing does it better than a fresh and crispy bánh mì thịt pork roll and a strong cà phê sữa đá Vietnamese iced coffee for a quick Viet lunch fix.  

Mum was telling me how this new pork roll joint was opening in our hood, so I decided to check it out on its opening day (Saturday 28th June) and pre-celebrate my last exam with a quick lunch.

Kỳ Linh's sign spells Ky Linh, and their website doesn't work at the moment, but since they've just opened, I'm expecting there to be an update to the site soon.

Yes, $3.50 pork rolls still exist.  And chicken rolls are definitely only $4.00.  Vietnamese takeaway - so healthy, so cheap, so fresh!

Kỳ Linh's location is perfect - it's right across the road from Bankstown station.  So there's really no excuse not to get a pork roll fix, for all my Bankstown friends out there.

Original pork roll - bánh mì thịt nguội - $3.50.  

My ideal pork roll/chicken roll order is:
- yes to pâté
- no butter - occasionally I do get the butter for a creamy change
- get ALL the greens and herbs - yes to cilantro, spring onions, the whole lot!
- no salt and pepper
- yes to chilli - I love my rolls spicy :)
- cannot forget the special bánh mì thịt soy sauce, of course!

 What's special about Kỳ Linh rolls? They have a unique pickled carrot and white radish mix - it's not sharply zingy and sour, it's a very mild sourness that is just right to enhance the crunchiness of every bite.  The bread rolls are not overly crisp and hard either - the crispness isn't thick - so not a heap of messy crumbs to be found.

I agree, the filling isn't overly generous - but this is usually the amount we would get at most pork roll joints these days, and $3.50 makes it a true bargain indeed.

Kỳ Linh has their special best-seller chicken - deemed "Bánh Mì Gà Kỳ Linh" - it's both savoury and sweet, so add on a crispy roll, some pâté and pickled carrot mix, and you're set!

They also sell the usual shopfront sweet soup desserts, and yes.  Say hello again to those lovely handmade Vietnamese summer rolls for the sweet sweet price of $5 for 3 - they make both the prawn and pork rind variety. Much temptation to be had here.

So folks, that's another pork roll joint in Bankstown for you - and there can never be too many pork rolls joints!  And what's your ideal version of a Vietnamese roll?

Address: 78 Bankstown City Plaza (Saigon Place), Bankstown, 2200.